'The Walking Dead: Dead City' welcomes back OG character in exciting twist
'The Walking Dead: Dead City' is bringing back a beloved character from the dead. Emily Kinney, who played Beth in 'The Walking Dead,' is set to reprise her role in the spin-off's third season, according to Entertainment Weekly. For those unaware, Beth was a main character in the flagship series from Season 2 to Season 5. She was shot in the head and killed off in the episode titled 'Coda' at the hands of Dawn. So her return may come as a bit of a surprise to viewers. Her comeback is possible because the franchise, after years on air, is finally putting together an alternate-reality episode.
In this alternate timeline, the zombie apocalypse did not happen. From the pictures released ahead of the episode set to air this Sunday, it seems that Beth is trying to make a career in music in New York City. "I’m really proud of Beth. I feel like in this other timeline, if the zombie apocalypse hadn’t happened, the fact that she was able to move on from her life on the farm and follow her dreams is great. And so as an outside observer, I’m proud of her. And I resonate with it. I’m from Nebraska, and I moved to New York City when I was 19 or 20 to do music and acting, so it made sense to me," Kinney told the publication about the development.
Beth being the character chosen to be brought back from the dead isn't too surprising, given her relationship with Maggie (Lauren Cohan), the spin-off's main character. Beth and Maggie are half-sisters who grew up together on a farm. If the apocalypse didn't happen, the half-sisters would have probably followed a completely different trajectory. The photos show the pair enjoying themselves in New York City. Kinney shared in her interview with EW that her and Lauren's real-life bond translates to the screen. "There is something with me and Lauren where it has always kind of felt like sisters. Our scenes always feel really like she’s such a good listener and just such a good scene partner. Our first day on set [of The Walking Dead] was together back in season 2," she explained.
In the episode, Kinney will perform her original song called 'Reasons to Stay Alive.' Initially, the team did not know which song to use in the episode, but they came on board after Kinney pitched her original creation. She believed that the plot and the song's lyrics aligned well. "The lyrics matched up so perfectly to the events of the episode, so I was like, 'You guys, I have to pitch my song.' I played them the song, and then they were like, 'Yeah, that’s the song!'” Kinney stated. The episode's preview also revealed that Maggie and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will meet in this alternate universe. It will be interesting to see whether these enemies-turned-friends have a chance of becoming something more in a different world. New episodes of 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' air every Sunday on AMC and AMC+.
