The boss of Walking Dead teases Andrew Lincoln / Rick Grimes in detail

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Warning: This article contains notes on Season 9 of The Walking Dead.

It's still one of the biggest TV shows on the planet.

The highly successful post-apocalyptic drama of AMC, The Walking Dead, has scared the public around the world for almost 10 years.

But with declining audience numbers, fans criticizing recent stories and some of its biggest names due to their departure, the new ninth season may well be the most crucial one.

A challenge for new star Angela Kang, who spoke in depth with Radio 1 Newsbeat, during her first interview on British radio.

While we were chatting, Angela seemed to hint at additional details about the future of her main character, Rick Grimes, played by British actor Andrew Lincoln.

Once again: spoilers. You were warned.

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A new chapter

Angela Kang is a seasoned writer in the gore, bloody world filled with walkers from The Walking Dead.

But now, she succeeds Scott M. Gimple as boss and begins by moving the series into a new chapter, far from his long story "All Out War" which saw the characters confront Negan.

The plot was a division. True, the longest running history of the Walking Dead story and some fans have criticized the fact that the series is slow in the last two years.

But these viewers will undoubtedly be encouraged by the direction taken by the new boss this season. The first reviews of season 9 were very positive.

"I've been on staff since the second season and we've played with the pace with which we do things, we always try to take creative risks," Angela told Newsbeat.

"We were looking for ways to mix our stories and one of the goals is to try to speed up the pace, so that there is always a decisive twist in every episode.

"This is not directly in reaction to anything from last year, but we are doing our own internal calculation."

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& # 39; This is a show with dead in the title. There will be losses.

It's not just the scenarios that change. AMC confirmed that Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes had already filmed his latest scenes, something some fans never imagined.

Her decision to leave was not a shock for Angela and her team. They knew that Andrew would not want to live on the other side of the world for his family.

"It's a show with dead in the title, there will be losses," she said.

"These are not all deaths, there are sometimes departures of different kinds, but it's really a show about how people survive."

The departure of one of the most iconic characters of the television will be broadcast this season, but for the moment How he leaves is a well kept secret.

"What I can tell you is that it's a very moving story. We return to some of the scenes he has been dealing with since the beginning of his story in the series.

"We have just seen the incredible courage and determination he is showing and we are also dealing with elements of mystery and surprise."

Angela also confirmed to Newsbeat that another British actor, Lauren Cohen, and her character, Maggie, will leave in the next episodes, while Lauren is working on other projects.

A return next season seems however a formality.

"It's only a matter of planning," Angela says. "We are definitely planning to have more stories for Maggie in the future."

Does this mean that the original ruling man of The Walking Dead might someday make a triumphal return and not go to a pool of blood?

"He's definitely out of the show this season." The intention is, it's his exit from the show.

"But who knows what time can bring in? We still love our Andrew, so as we have a few jumps in time, you never know what could happen."

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Numbers

The ratings of the issue are down. But with the rise of streaming television services and personal banking issues, one could say that was to be expected.

In the United States, the number of viewers recorded per single episode peaked in season five with an impressive 17.29 million. But even after its plunge, The Walking Dead has regularly crossed the eight million dollar mark. last season.

To put this in context, the television titans like Breaking Bad peaked at 10.28 million, while the 8.89 million Game of Thrones for its latest episode are the highest they've achieved up to present.

In the UK on Fox, the figures of The Walking Dead are also impressive. 482,000 people watched the first game of season 9.

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Is the end in sight?

Angela insists that she is not worried about the evaluations. She says that as long as the comic source continues to throw "good source material", the series will continue.

"Robert Kirkman's comics continue to gain strength," said Angela.

"While I was working here, I think I really had the experience of saying," It's the best script ever written for comics. " We can not surpass it, we will have to finish the show.

"But then he proposes an amazing twist that keeps us reading.The story can end in many ways.

"But as long as the comic continues to be strong, it's hard for me to say that she has to stop there – we never know what Robert is going to do to us."

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"You have not really seen women of color in this kind of work"

For the first time in its long history, The Walking Dead is now run by a woman. It's a fact that Angela seems proud of.

"I was so fortunate to grow up in the United States that my parents had no return to their home country, South Korea, at one time." 39 military state and dictatorship in the seventies, "she said.

"But growing up there were not really numbers that I could look at and think:" It's a job I could do. "You did not really see women or people of color, certainly not women of color, who had this kind of job in the industry.

"It's not yet very common now, it's very moving for me when I hear people say," I want to do what you do when I grow up, "because I think that it is important to look at these numbers.

"The performance is doing something for children. It expands the scope of their dreams and it's something that I appreciate.

"I am grateful to have this opportunity."

The Walking Dead continues Monday at 21 hours on FOX.

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