Khary Payton tells Insider he has faith in showrunner Angela Kang and the writers to deliver a satisfying end to “TWD” with one unexpected final season.
If you’re concerned about “The Walking Dead” wrapping up its multitude of stories and character arcs in its final, 11th season, star Khary Payton has two words for you: “Breaking Bad.”
“I always think about the last season of ‘Breaking Bad,'” Payton, who plays former zookeeper Ezekiel on AMC’s long-running zombie drama, said in response to Insider’s concerns about whether or not “TWD” could wrap up all of its remaining stories in a satisfying way during its extended 24-episode season.
The actor explained that at the time the former AMC hit, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, was airing its last season, he worried that the series finale would gloss over some of the finer points in wrapping up the story lines.
Bryan Cranston as Walter White on the penultimate episode of “Breaking Bad.” Ursula Coyote / AMC
“I could not have been more wrong in that moment,” Payton said. “I remember just being amazed at what they were able to do in the time they were able to do it. That’s always given me a little bit of confidence [about ‘TWD’s’ final season].”
There’s just one major difference there.
“Breaking Bad” ended after five seasons on creator Vince Gilligan’s terms (though many wanted it to go longer).
“I was very anxious about the idea of folks suddenly moving on, and saying, ‘Is that show still on the air? I used to watch it. It used to be good,'” Gilligan told press, according to Digital Spy in 2018. “I’d wanted folks rather to say, ‘Don’t end it now!'”
Last September, AMC announced “The Walking Dead” would end in an extended 11th season, much to the surprise of many of its cast and crew. Most of the original cast either departed years ago or has been killed off the show.
Payton told Insider he initially thought he was receiving a call to learn that his character was getting killed off the show.
Artwork for the final season of “TWD” features Carol and Daryl, the only two remaining characters on the show from season one and Maggie, a character from season two. Negan (far left) has been on the show since season six. Mercer (far right) is a new character on the show’s final season. AMC
Unlike “Breaking Bad,” “TWD” is a show which often warrants a slew of “Is that show still on?” any time it comes up in discussion.
Regardless, Payton compared AMC’s two shows saying that if “Breaking Bad” could wrap things up even when he thought there was no way they could do it, then he felt confident “TWD” could do the same, pointing to the show’s leadership in recent years.
“I know these writers so well. I know [showrunner] Angela [Kang] so well,” Payton said of why he feels good going into the show’s final season.
Ezekiel is currently at the Commonwealth with Princess, Eugene, and Yumiko. Josh Stringer/AMC
“I’ve seen [Kang] do so much with a relatively short amount of time,” he added. “It’s kind of exciting that we’ve diverged from the comics enough to be able to sit down with Angela and the writers and then to talk to me about how this is unfolding.”
Payton’s character, Ezekiel, has long outlived his comic character’s life. In Robert Kirkman’s “TWD,” Ezekiel is killed by the Whisperers, the last big villains on the show. Unlike his comic counterpart, Ezekiel is now living with thyroid cancer. It’s unclear whether his character will live or die. Payton is prepared for either scenario.
Ezekiel’s shocking comic death is revealed in issue No. 144 of “TWD.” Image Comics/Skybound
“I truly have secrets now because it hasn’t been in black and white, in graphic novel form,” Payton said of Ezekiel’s arc. “We’ve got a lot of interesting things that are literally new to the story line that we’re telling. I’m excited.”
Payton claimed to see an outline for how the show will progress, teasing that they’re still, “in an amazing way, telling a story that absolutely ties intrinsically to the very first episode” of “TWD.”
In early August, Kang told Insider she hopes to get the ending of the show right.
“Hopefully, we stick it,” Kang said. “We definitely don’t want to not stick it, but, you know, at a certain point that part is out of your control. We can just control what we can control.”
“TWD” is currently releasing each of the first eight episodes of the final season weekly on Sundays on AMC at 9 p.m. ET.
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