Walking Dead director Michael Cudlitz on whether Abraham survived

Spoiler alert: to read only if you have already watched the episode of Sunday The dead who walk"Stradivarius"

He is baaaaaaack! The fans cried when Abraham received a baseball bat in the first season of season 7 The dead who walk. The epic quote machine of the show was forever silenced. But the best thing to do after Abraham's return happened during this week's episode, when actor Michael Cudlitz became the first Walking Dead cast member to come back as a director. (Fear the undeadColman Domingo also directed an episode of this show this year and Andrew Lincoln is planning to direct a TWD episode of season 10.)

How was Cudlitz able to return to his former gathering place? Which scenes was he the most excited – and the most nervous – to lead? What are we talking about, and have Norman Reedus and himself created a story for Daryl? And what would Abraham have been if he had survived? We asked Cudlitz all this and more. (Read the two pages for the full interview and also be sure to check out our Q & A with star Angela Kang.)

WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT: So, how was it to be back, my man?
MICHAEL CUDLITZ: It was great to be back. The crew welcomed me with open arms. I think in a strange way that it was part of healing Andy's loss. It was a comforting feeling, at least that's what I felt, and what was reported to me by the actors and the team was that it was something they needed. To make people come back on a show that has so many losses is, in my opinion, valuable. There has just been some energy that comes with that, with someone who knows the series, knows the cast, knows the stories, knows the characters, we can not deny it.

It was a really wonderful script, very character-driven. I loved having several characters that we know very well. Then, half of the episode is also devoted to characters that we come to know. I was really excited to be part of that. There are rather cool action sequences, but usually in his heart, it was a play directed by a character. That's what I really wanted to bite, because I think things in action, as I'm doing more, will improve. I'm very happy with the evolution of the situation, but I know it's something that made me think a bit. We certainly scripted it all so that I knew what was going to happen, but I think the more experienced director considers the action to be a little less intimidating than for me.

Even so, again, I had a great team around me. The camera team lent their support, making sure I did not do anything stupid, also during the preparation period, helping me a lot and letting me know that I was not alone. I took advantage of all the talent we had there. I am really very proud of this episode.

What were your first reactions when you looked at the scenario and what you would be dealing with?
I knew that the series was also starting with a new direction with a more western quality for the episode. I've done a lot of research looking at some really good westerns. I watched Researchers and Shaneand some others. I stole visual elements from these elements, the way they told stories. There were really beautiful shots that are outside when Tara came out of the garden early, checking everyone out. It was a kind of iconic shot that I stole from Shane, with the opening of it framed in the door.

What's interesting to me is that I realized that when I was reading the script and working on it, it was because pieces of the script jumped in my eyes, like when I was reading something and that I knew immediately how I wanted to turn it. One of those things was the fight between Aaron and Jesus. I knew with the fight what I wanted to do right away. The sequence with Tara and Jesus in the house, I knew how I wanted to use the staircase and this big empty space. So there were some scenes that immediately thrown me where I was: "I know I want to do that."

Then there were the action sequences that I read. I was kind of like, "Oh my God, how can I get started?" My scriptwriter said, "You just started at the beginning." We presented each shot of what I wanted to see, and there was started giving life to it, the more it gave life to it, the more I saw what I wanted to do from there, and then I came back and abandoned a series of work that we had done to say, "No, in fact, let's go this way, let's shoot in that direction. "

We have just constructed the scene piecemeal. I was very excited to work with Melissa and Norman. I think their scenes were beautiful. I think the scene where she cut her hair is one of the things I'm most proud of in this episode. The connection between these two characters, without taking her to the sea, I'm really, really proud. It's beautiful, and I think they played the hell of this scene.

What was the momentum when you gave instructions to your former companions in the cast? You talk about this scene with Norman and Melissa, or obviously Danai is often in this episode. Was it a little weird the first time you gave them direction?
I had the chance to know their story by watching the series, participating in the series and working with these people. I know these characters in general. I felt very comfortable having these discussions with them. I felt very comfortable in some of the reproaches that I had with certain things and I was able to restrain myself and have really great and creative conversations, and then to get that third thing that neither of us had thought of, but was finally the right thing to do.

In fact, we changed a lot of things with Norman's initial scenario that we got, because Norman wanted very specific things, and [writer Vivian Tse] She wanted some specific things and she wanted some specific things. Finally, at the end, we created this kind of incredible background that unfolded as he was separated from everyone, and how he would come back into the fold – you know, what was his camp like, what he was doing for a while to stop.

It was therefore a wonderful construction of these characters, because we are actually only two episodes of the terror where we cleaned the slate and started again. So I think it's important that these discussions take place. It is important that the development of the character takes place in front of the public so that he knows where everyone is at this stage, because these people have changed in recent years.

Some of the things we know why this has changed, and some of the things we are going to discover. We will find out where these Xs come from. It's a really complicated story. It's a great thing, really proud, that happened during this break. At some point we will inquire about it. You will eventually discover what it is. It was bad. (The interview continues on the next page)