"The Walking Dead" returns for its Season 4 premiere this Sunday (Oct., 13 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC), and when we catch up with our scrappy band of survivors at the prison, things will look a little different. Not only has our core group welcomed the refugees from Woodbury into their ranks, they've started growing crops and keeping animals -- everything seems very civilized, at least on the surface.
But since this is "The Walking Dead," don't expect things to stay peaceful for long. A new threat is looming and the power has shifted -- and is likely to shift again -- in Season 4. HuffPost TV caught up with star Steven Yeun (who plays Glenn Rhee, one of the few original survivors left standing) to find out what's ahead when the AMC hit returns. Read on for his thoughts on The Governor (David Morrissey), Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) new perspective, and a particularly "epic" set piece you'll see in the premiere.
The prison really has transformed into a community in Season 4 -- how does Glenn feel about the expanded group?
I think Glenn, and a lot of the group, really adhere to the idea that having more people is beneficial. It helps you survive. It helps you fortify your ranks against potential threats -- the walkers or even other people. So, it’s a good thing.
He also seems to be in more of a leadership position than ever before -- how has that evolution been to play?
It’s been really cool. I feel like Glenn has been on the trajectory the whole time, and from the beginning I think, even back in Season 1, you see him take moments of leadership and brilliance but then he kind of recedes back to what he’s used to from what society has told him he’s supposed to be. Then once society has been stripped away, he has more and more things happen to him and more and more people that affect him and teach him to become the person that he is at this point. I don’t know if he’s at a natural leadership position already, but I think he’s definitely headed towards that goal.
After the events of last season and Carl's (Chandler Riggs) loss of innocence, Rick seems to have embraced pacifism and is taking less of a leadership role when the season opens. How does Glenn feel about that change in him?
I think the group collectively understands. So many things have happened to him -- a lot of things have happened to other people too. The world allows you as an individual to make a choice, to strive for society and peace or to run amok in the chaos. I think Glenn feels there are a lot of people that can step up to the plate. So, for Rick to take that turn is OK in his eyes. The fact is, it’s kind of nice to know that the humanity in Rick still exists even after all of the things that Glenn has witnessed Rick go through, so it’s good.
The season premiere sees Glenn taking part in a particularly impressive set piece -- what can you preview about it without giving too much away?
I can say every week we’re trying to film a movie and [EP/director] Greg Nicotero did a fantastic job. It’s the dangers that these characters face -- it’s the world that they live in. It’s a decaying world. Not just the people and society, but also in everything. Everything is decayed, and it’s these people’s struggle to keep hold of that. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s definitely attention grabbing, I will say.
You guys do a lot of spectacular fight scenes and action sequences that seem to get bigger every year, how was this one to film?
It was really cool. With filming, you do have to go piecemeal, you have to do it set piece by set piece, but Greg did a great thing and he made everything flow naturally. Just looking at the final product, everything fits. I remember doing some of the visuals that we physically saw ... I know there was a lot that was added [in post-production], but some of the practical effects we saw were just as horrifying. It’s amazing. The stunt people, everybody, they really came together and made a pretty epic season premiere.
Last season, Glenn and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) had a harrowing encounter with The Govenor. I'd imagine that Glenn won't have forgiven or forgotten what he did to Maggie if the two should happen to cross paths again?
Certainly not. I think Glenn has not folded his cards on that, in regards to the Governor. But I think also, Glenn has grown quite a bit since those rageful moments [in Season 3]. I think Glenn understands that to be there and alive for the people that he loves is much more valuable than to exact revenge and potentially get himself killed. It’s a fine balance.
"The Walking Dead" Season 4 premieres Sunday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.
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