The Walking Dead showrunner promises female stories for season 9
By Derek Johns
In an interview with Insider, newly appointed The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang revealed part of her plan was to have some great stories with women.
She gave a few more details about season 9 of The Walking Dead in the interview:
"“We’re going to see some really great stories with the women on our show, particularly. And I think for people who are really invested in say Michonne, Maggie, Carol, there’s such great material for them as well as, of course, Rick and Daryl, and those other characters that we love, but for people who are looking for that specifically they will really see some incredible work from our women.”"
Kang certainly has her work cut out for her with season 9. The most obvious issue, of course, is being able to transition The Walking Dead into a new era without Andrew Lincoln. There’s also working around Lauren Cohan’s schedule with Whiskey Cavalier. Most important is to rebuild the audience interest that was lost towards the end of Scott Gimple’s run.
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While it’s expected that Norman Reedus will be taking as the show’s lead after this season, it probably wouldn’t hurt to have some stories that show the female characters can pick up the slack from Andrew Lincoln’s impending departure.
The best potential source of material would probably come from Maggie. Given how season 8 ended, some time could focus on her prospective coup against Rick. There could also be the daily struggles of running the Hilltop or being a single mother given the time jump.
The downside, however, is with Cohan’s limited commitment to season 9, it’s unclear how much of this Kang would actually be able to use. Plus, if the show is really going to have such an emphasis on women character, it stands to reason that Cohan’s extended absences from the show would become all the more noticeable.
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To be fair though, some equally interesting stories could also be told for Michonne and Carol. Even supporting characters like Tara or Rosita could be given something to work with.
What are your thoughts on Kang’s approach to season 9? Sound off in the comments section.