Melissa McBride Talks What Side Of Carol Viewers Will See In The Walking Dead Season 6

Carol Peletier has undergone arguably the biggest character arc of any on AMC’s The Walking Dead. From abused wife to killer-hero to undercover citizen, Carol has covered character spectrums in 5 seasons most don’t get a chance to if they’re given 10.

Melissa McBride recently opened up about what we can expect when we meet reunite with Carol in The Walking Dead‘s sixth season next month. “When we left off in season 5 the Alexandrians were still unaware of her little undercurrents,” Mcbride told EW. “So, I think when we get back there’s going to be the Alexandrian Carol and then she’s still got work to do. So we’ll see her other side.”

“It’s been a lot of fun to play both sides of Carol,” says McBride. “And I feel like approaching the role is becoming more entertaining for me. Whereas I was just so close to her story from when we first met her in season 1, you know, and she’s moved beyond that and now she’s someone I feel like is a really good friend of mine. She’s super, super close to me, and she’s moving on — maybe faster than I am moving on with her.

“In real life, when I have things that I need to talk about with friends or things that happened and I share with a friend — I process all the stuff on my own. But I have friends that keep bringing it up: “Are you okay, five years later after whatever happened? Are you okay?” I’m like, “If you quit talking about it I will be.” That’s how I am with Carol. I’m like, “Are you okay?” She’s like, “Will you shut up? I’m moving on. Stop bringing it up.” Okay. But yeah, she’s processing in her own way and it’s weird to talk of her as someone who’s real, but she’s very real to me. I get that part of her that is processing on her own. She doesn’t talk about what happened with the girls, the things she’s had to see and do. She’s processing that on her own, and when she’s ready to talk about it, it will happen. Otherwise, it’s not like it’s just gone away as if it never happened. She’s carrying all of that with her and it’s saving her along the way. All the more reason to do what she has to do to avoid that sort of thing.

“As for Alexandria, the trouble in paradise sounds like it will continue. “The conflicts that suddenly arose there at the end of the finale in season 5, we’re going to find out how people are relating to their different points of view, and seeing how the loss of Reg affected Deanna and her point of view, and the threat of the walkers,” McBride explained. “So I think really everyone’s point of view is challenged and we’re going to see how that all pans out.”

Let’s hope Carol’s journey is far from over.

The Walking Dead returns October 11 at 9 PM EST on AMC.