Melissa McBride, who plays Carol on AMC's The Walking Dead, talks about the devastation brought on by Alpha and why Carol is heading back to Alexandria. 

Q: How did you enjoy adding the new angle of the Whisperers to the show and playing with such an iconic part of the comic books?  

A: It was very exciting to hear that they were coming to the show. I stopped reading the comics way back in the day, so I had heard about Alpha and her Whisperers, but my gosh. They’re just the most frightening foe imaginable... and just the mindset of those people who are following behind a demented leader is so frightening. She’s psychotic. [Laughs] They’re really strange. They’re crafty, but they’re also strong fighters.

Q: We also saw Carol in her role as Queen. How would you describe Ezekiel and Carol as co-leaders? What do they bring out of one another?  

A: I like how Carol and Ezekiel are like the yin and the yang. She’ll step back and he’ll step forward. She may step forward and he’ll let her do what she needs to do. They surprise each other. Good surprises and bad surprises. [Laughs] There’s a tremendous amount of affection for one another, although that is challenged by the death of Henry. That’s really hard to recover from.

Q: What does the loss of another child do to Carol?  

A: Another child. How many is this now? There was Sophia, the two girls, Sam, Henry… this one is so different because this was caused by an absolutely deranged person who is still out there. I don’t even know what the word is. “Infuriated” sounds like a tea party. It’s way beyond anything she’s ever felt.

Q: Why do you suspect Ezekiel wants Daryl to leave? Does Ezekiel blame him for Henry’s death?

A: That is one of the stages of grief – to blame. He has a right to feel that way, but he also doesn’t know Daryl the way that Carol does. She realizes that she knows Daryl did everything in his power to steer Henry the right way. This was just a horrible chain of events.

Q: What does it say that Alpha was able to pass herself off as an Alexandrian?  

A: That’s another important aspect of community. Even though the communities are far and wide, we are still allies. We need to know who’s who – especially after what Michonne and Daryl experienced. Alpha wears a mask to walk among the walkers and she wears a metaphorical mask to walk among the survivors. It is a survival skill that several have picked up on. It’s so deceptive.

Q: In the end, Carol leaves Ezekiel to return back to Alexandra. Where’s she going, mentally and emotionally?

A: Grief is very hard and the place you find yourself in. It’s very difficult to communicate. There is a lot to sort out inside of her after this great loss and after she’s reconciled with the “queen” title. I think she’s just in a very difficult personal space right now. She’s dealing with a lot of anger and confusion about her role. We’ve seen her here before and the circumstances are similar, but there is someone responsible for this and they’re still out there. She meant it when she said, “Thank you for the fairytale.” It was a respite and a hope that she experienced with fulfillment and something to look forward to. That was wonderful while she was in it and while it lasted.

Read an interview with Katelyn Nacon, who plays Enid.

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