*Spoiler Alerts*
If you haven't watched "The Walking Dead" season three finale yet, do not continue reading. If you are a zombie fanatic and have already watched the gripping conclusion to a stomach churning season, feel free to continue.
Another season over. Another original cast member gone.
Last night, "The Walking Dead" offed one of its' original cast members, Andrea. Although one of the more resourceful characters on the show, she was unable to escape The Governor's demons and died in a rather feeble attempt to break out of her handcuff restraints and was bit by assistant-turned zombie, Milton.
Andrea, then ended her dramatic time on "The Walking Dead" in the arms of her best friend Michonne and a bullet to the head.
In an interview with TV Line, actor Laurie Holden discusses her characters' death and when she found out about it.
"I didn't get the official word until a few days before we began [shooting] the finale. It was a shock to everyone. It was never part of the original story docs for Season 3...That said, this is The Walking Dead. This show is not conventional by any means - and we know that as actors going in. So you roll with it. You show up...I just feel so blessed to have been a part of it."
She also answered what she thought led to the writers deciding to off Andrea.
"Honestly, I feel like it's story-driven. It does propel the story forward... The [second half of Season 3] was a bit of a free-for-all. It had an organic fluidity to it and it just naturally unfolded day-by-day, week-by-week, moment-to-moment."
Her character was also met with mixed criticism, many angry with her decisions to stick by the maniacal Governor.
"I think when people watch the [entire] season - especially the finale - that her trajectory will be clear. She was a woman caught between two worlds. All she wanted was peace. She was for the people and was willing to do anything and everything possible even if it meant sacrificing herself to preserve humanity...At times her actions were a bit misunderstood or ambiguous. But when you see the season overall I think people will really understand this girl. She did the best she could. And I do feel there was a sense of closure, healing and completion. The people of Woodbury did reach a sanctuary. No one in the prison was killed. Rick was finally set free from the ghosts of his past. And Andrea died in the arms of her best friends surrounded by the people she loved. She wasn't cannibalized. She didn't turn. She was able to go out with a certain amount of dignity."
Holden also commented that her character Andrea never killed any human being.
"She was a human rights lawyer prior to the apocalypse; she's not a killer. She's never killed a human being in her life. She's killed a lot of zombies. I think fans who were unhappy with the fact that she wasn't able to follow through on killing [the Governor] when she was standing over the bed [with the knife], have to understand that that was a moral dilemma within her. She believed in humanity.
She also likened the end of the episode to a new "spiritual awakening".
"I'd like to think Andrea's death will have meaning. That what she stood for and believed in will continue to resonate in the hearts and minds of the people she left behind, because we all learn and grow from one another. I do love that the finale ended [with a shot of] a cross, because I feel that it's a time for new beginnings and a spiritual awakening. Let the healing begin."
She finished the interview by talking about The Governor, watching the show as a fan and viewer and what she will be doing next.
"I think that's inevitable (that The Governor will meet his demise). The man has crossed into such evil, dark territory that there is no redemption for him - ever."
She continued about watching the show, "I don't watch the show now. Andy Lincoln (Rick) doesn't watch the show. When we're shooting it we're so invested. It's every moment of our lives, 18 hours a day. It's necessary to separate. I think in time I will be able to go back and watch...I want to see their journeys. That said... [Sighs]... I guess I'm like an audience member now. [Pauses] I don't want to see any more people that I love die. [Laughs] Maybe I'd rather live in the dark.
On future work.
"Come Monday, I am a free agent. I'm excited about the future and I'm looking forward to the next chapter."
