Steven Ogg On Simon’s True Allegiance In ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8

The stage is set for The Walking Dead to follow a key comic book story line in a certain betrayal to Negan but one other character might just take its place.

Spoilers for The Walking Dead comics and possibly Season 8 follow!

While audiences have their eyes on Dwight as the traitor to Negan who helps Rick and his surrounding communities defeat the Saviors, the AMC series might just be setting us up for a more surprising twist: Simon betraying his leader Negan. Simon, who has been dubbed Negan’s “right hand man” since the Season 7 premiere, has emerged as a fan-favorite character courtesy of Steven Ogg‘s entertaining performances but might just earn more love as his will to survive might sway his allegiance.

“I think everyone is trying to survive, but I think what makes it interesting is everyone has an angle,” Ogg told ComicBook.com when asked if Simon might leave Negan. “I think the duplicitous nature of everyone makes anything possible because at the end of the day you want to survive. Does Simon agree with everything Negan does? Does he think it’s the best way to deal with things? That’s what’s interesting.”

In the end, Simon may not agree with Negan’s methods but enforces them because he sees his leadership as a method of survival. “It’s like, well is he just doing this because he feels this is the best way to survive in this world? Or does he adhere to Negan’s philosophy?” Ogg said. “Again, it’s a world of survival, so that’s why, again, Simon having fun and joking and f—ing around with people is reflective of maybe who he is and how he decides to survive in the world. What would the Negan/Simon one on one be like? Is Negan always talking like that? Is he always behaving like that?”

Through Season 7 of The Walking Dead (which is available now on blu-ray and DVD before it hits Netflix), Simon served Negan’s will by enforcing Savior rules at the Hilltop and Alexandria communities but never managed to get very much screen time with Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character. Still, Ogg and his co-stars have become close enough to fantasize about scenes involving their characters outside of this warzone.

“I always thought it’d be fun to do a spin-off,” Ogg joked. “Jeff and I laugh about an episode where we’re on a road trip, like Dwight, Negan, Simon. We’re all driving the truck together… Dwight’s got to take a piss every ten minutes, and, ‘When are we going to get there?’ Negan’s like, ‘I’m hungry,’ and I’m like, ‘Gah, girls. Come on, shut up.’ Have that, or Negan and Simon are in the Sanctuary together and they’re wearing onesies, and they’re in bunk beds, and Simon’s telling Negan to turn the lights out, and wearing onesies. And you didn’t flush the toilet again. ‘Oh come on, Neges!’ Like a Three’s Company spin-off of the Sanctuary. Coming this fall!”

Ogg’s role in The Walking Dead can be caught in The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season which is available on Blu-ray now.

The Walking Dead‘s sibling series Fear the Walking Dead returns September 10th. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. The Season Eight premiere will mark 100 episodes overall for the popular AMC series. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.