Although it took a little longer, Carol and Ezekiel have now fully grasped the reality of their situations on ‘The Walking Dead’ season 7.

Although it took a little longer, Carol and Ezekiel have now fully grasped the reality of their situations on ‘The Walking Dead’ season 7. AMC/The Walking Dead

“Rise Up” is the slogan of the second half of “The Walking Dead” season 7. And true enough, after the first half’s pity parties, Rick has snapped out of it and is now determined to bring down Negan and the Saviours. And although it took a little longer, Carol and Ezekiel have now fully grasped the reality of their situations and have followed suit.

Spoiler alert: This preview contains plot details about “The Walking Dead” season 7. The season premiered Oct. 20. The series is available for Australian viewers to watch on Foxtel every Monday, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

According to Melissa McBride, who plays Carol on the AMC show, her character and Ezekiel have something in common. Both have to put on different faces, albeit for dissimilar reasons. The two also took some time before finally deciding to fight.

Carol may have had no choice but to wait it out. She needed to save herself, or at least what was left of her. It was the right move during the time, but not ideal in the long run.

“The world still goes on around you. Things happen and you come to new decisions,” says McBride. “Every time you have to do horrible things, a little piece of you gets shredded away.

Carol is indeed a complex character. Sometimes she’s a hermit, occasionally a fighter, and at times superficially timid. It all comes down to what’s best for her and her own survival.

“She genuinely [does not want] to be responsible for people’s lives and doesn’t want to be put back in the position of having to fight again because she knows exactly what that means for her and what that will do to her,” says McBride. “At the same time, she’s denying herself wonderful people, and that makes me sad. But it’s such a rock and a hard place that the circumstances of the world have put her in.”

Just like Carol, Morgan wishes he doesn’t have to kill in order to survive. And although the two of them may have a “very contentious” relationship, Carol knows Morgan is a good man. And they both have the same outlook.

“I think Morgan and Carol have a very special bond,” McBride declares. “Their quandaries are very much on the same page, but I think their temperaments are quite different.”

Carol had to dig deep just to convince Ezekiel that the Kingdom needed to step up. Now that he has decided to fight Negan and the Saviours, McBride defers to the “Walking Dead” season 7 second half mantra.

“I do believe this is the time to rise up,” she pronounces. “Enough already! There’s really no way around it.”

RELATED STORIES: