Dwight Has a Dark, Tough Story Ahead in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’

When The Walking Dead‘s Dwight (Austin Amelio) resurfaces in Season Five of Fear the Walking Dead, the redemption-seeking former Savior is facing a dark and “tougher” path.

“I can say it definitely doesn’t get any easier for him. He’s probably in the darkest spot he’s ever been in … it is heavy,” Amelio told press at WonderCon.

“Dwight has definitely been in tough spots on The Walking Dead, it just, it gets tougher for him. That’s all I can say now. It just gets drawn out, the darkness is just drawn out. But I’m excited to show where he is. It’s fun to play that, and he has such a strong purpose, that it does make sense to have him be in this sort of spot.”

After acting as a mole to help Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the survivors overthrow Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Dwight was banished by rival Daryl (Norman Reedus). Now, in a story taking place a few months after The Walking Dead Season Eight, Dwight somehow reconnects with Morgan (Lennie James) in Texas, presumably while searching for missing wife Sherry (Christine Evangelista) after discovering a note reading only “Honeymoon.”

Has Dwight found Sherry? “I’m wondering about that too,” Amelio said, careful not to reveal spoilers.

Because Morgan and company set out on a goodwill mission tracking down and helping strangers in need, there was an opportunity to reintroduce Dwight into the franchise, whose dark history aligns with the Fear crew’s newfound philosophy.

“The reason that Dwight is on this show is that … knowing Dwight’s character so well and where he was at the end of [The Walking Dead] Season Eight, it sussed so beautifully with what we’re doing,” said Fear executive producer and Walking Dead chief content officer Scott Gimple.

“These are people that are desperate for redemption, that are obsessed with it. That’s how they’re gonna live with themselves. But it’s not so easy to go out there, ‘Let me give you an opportunity to become another person.’”

Gimple puts Dwight’s mental state on par with Morgan and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who are both hoping to overcome their dark and murderous pasts as they strive to become better people.

“[Morgan and Alicia], I think they’re in a very similar mental state. And then Dwight actually sort of comes in with that too, you can feel their desperation in wanting to just leave behind who they were,” Gimple said.

“It’s just not easy. It makes for a really interesting dynamic, and it makes them — I don’t mean to make light of mental disturbance — but they’re doing some crazy things. They’re doing some crazy things to accomplish that, that are highly entertaining.”

Fear the Walking Dead Season Five premieres Sunday, June 2 on AMC.

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