Whoa! That was a plot-packed episode of "The Walking Dead." Everyone is accounted for, cliffhangers were solved, and new characters and mysteries were introduced. We're still trying to digest all that happened, so we went right to the source — "TWD" executive producer Gale Anne Hurd — to get scoop on the episode we just saw and the danger that lurks ahead for the survivors (one word: Terminus).

So much happens in "Inmates." It's the equivalent of two or three episodes of any other show. Why pack so much into this one episode?

We have our survivors split up. In the first episode of the back eight, we really focused on Carl and Rick and a little bit on Michonne. It was important very quickly to reconnect with most of the other groups and see how they're doing. That was the focus of this episode. It was to give some insight into how they're struggling, what their frame of mind is and how difficult it is now that they've lost the prison.

In addition to all the big things, there were so many little surprises: That Glenn didn't know Hershel had been killed, and that Tyreese didn't even know Carol wasn't at the prison.

You can imagine how much tension that's going to bring as the season continues to play out.

[Related: Take a Bite Out of Our 'Walking Dead' Recaps]

Across the next six episodes, what's the overall focus? The fractured groups trying to get back together?

It's also [everyone] continuing to battle demons as well. We've seen the tension that had built between Rick and Carl. We're going to continue to see how the loss of the prison, how the loss of Hershel, affects everyone, in addition to their hope of reuniting.

View photos

Speaking of Hershel, it was a great tribute to him that he is the source of hope that is pushing so many people forward, especially Beth and Glenn. Is that Hershel's lasting legacy?

I think the impact of Hershel has affected everyone and will continue to do so, hopefully even beyond this season. He was a sage, he was wise, he was kind, he was selfless. That kind of loss, whether you are a blood relative like Beth and Maggie or just part of his surrogate family is just … the one thing I think that he would be proud of is the positive impact that he's had on so many of the survivors, and that the loss instilled that even more deeply. But it will also serve to challenge people not to give up hope.

We saw that with Michonne in "After." She had given up, had chosen to be alone again, but ultimately chose to embrace her new "family" again …

I love being able to see Michonne smile again. She really scowls for quite a long time. It's wonderful to see that she can bounce back. She can face the demons that we're now sharing [about] her, the loss of her child, the loss of her partner, the guilt she feels for not having been able to do anything. That drove her to become such a successful survivor, but also to build such a thick skin. Now she realizes she actually needs people, and that it's worth taking the risk to connect with them again, knowing that in this environment you can lose someone at any moment.

[Related: We Chat With 'The Walking Dead's' Carl, Chandler Riggs]

That final scene in "After," when she looks in the window and is so happy to see Rick and Carl, then when Rick sees her and smiles and tells Carl it's for him, that may be one of the best moments of the whole series.