Sunday Read: An Asian American given the task of reviving 'The Walking Dead'

AMC

Showrunner Angela Kang withWalking Dead star Norman Reedus.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD to the next season of The Walking Dead, but I'm worried about its future.

Angela Kang, a Korean American, has been named showrunner of The Walking Dead, one of televisions most popular and iconic shows. 

What worries me is a new study published by the American Psychological Association that found Asian Americans are more than twice as likely to be hired as CEOs when a company is struggling, possibly setting them up for failure. Kang, is certain that won't be the fate of The Walking Dead. 

The show's ratings have fallen precipitously since a few years ago and producers are seeking, drastic cast changes will force the plot to depart from the comic book foundation and changes behind the scene signals the show is seeking to regain the spark that made it one of the highest rated shows on American TV.

"I'm so humbled by the opportunity to work on a show that's been such a juggernaut and that is so beloved by millions of fans around the world," she said an an AMC event in New York.

That's exactly why Asian Americans are hired when the odds are against their success. With the responsibility of seeking a turnaround, the Asian American bosses will work harder and sacrifice more in order to succeed.

Starting as a writer, Kang has been working on the show since its second season. She has written some of the show's most memorable episodes. She is one of the up and coming Asian Americans who has toiled behind the scenes and are coming into their own in positions of greater influence as showrunners, directors and producers.

"I've been asked on a panel before, 'When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Did you always know that you wanted to do this?' Honestly, when I was a kid, I didn't think this was a job that I could have. There was nobody like me," said Kang, who is of Korean descent. "I didn't think there were women or Asian women running a show. That wasn't a thing. Now, there are so many women who are showrunners and that's exciting because it means that the next generation can look and go, 'Hey, of course this is a job I can have.'"

She has a huge task in front of her. 

Fans of the show and the comics that it is based on, have been outspoken about former showrunner, Scott Gimple, often blamnig him for the direction the show had taken with large changes from the comic, including the death of Carl, one of the main characters and who had been with the show since it began We watched Carl grow from the worshipping 10-year old, into a cold killer and as he died, a seeker of peace. 

The death of beloved Carl, which did not occur in the comics, enraged fans and perhaps is one of the factors for this past season's viewership dip to its lowest ratings since season one. Fan threads have asked whether or not it was time for the show to part ways with Gimple. A petition was made asking for Gimple's removal from the show.

Producers won't say if fan displeasure at Gimple was the reason that he was promoted "up" to Chief Content Officer for both Walking Dead and its spinoff Fear, which has been awarded its fourth season after killing off all but two the major characters that began the show.

In addition, Kang has to deal with the pending departures of two of its main characters, Maggie Rhee played by Lauren Cohen (widow of the now-deceased beloved and Asian American Glenn Rhee played by Steven Yuen), and the central lead, Rick Grimes, played by British actor Andrew Lincoln. When both these characters leave the show, it would be another major departure from the original material testing the rabid fanbase's tolerance.

With all this turmoil in front and behind the camer,a what can we expect for Season 9 with Kang at the helm?

Let's start with AMC's synopsis for season 9:

"Now, we see our survivors a year and a half after the end of the war, rebuilding civilization under Rick's steadfast leadership. It is a time of relative peace among the communities as they work together, looking to the past to forge the future, but the world they knew is rapidly changing as man-made structures continue to degrade, and nature takes over, changing the landscape and creating new challenges for our survivors.

As time passes, the communities confront unexpected obstacles, danger, and of course, walkers, but nothing quite prepares them for the formidable force they are about to encounter, which threatens the very idea of civilization that our survivors have worked so hard to build."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kang looks at the story possibilities opening up as a result of Lincoln's departure."As our characters navigate 'a Rick-less world,' we get to see who they become in the aftermath of that," she said.

"We're seeing Maggie struggle with leadership as well," she told THR. "They're all finding that it's no longer a world where Rick is just the leader and they all do what he says. They all have their own opinions. They all have their own ways of going about things. Sometimes they're very much in lockstep with each other. Sometimes they're in conflict. Once Rick is gone, the world changes again for them. A lot of those stories are very rich. What those actors are bringing to those roles is so incredible. We're getting to dive into some of the other things happening. As our characters navigate 'a Rick-less world,' we get to see who they become in the aftermath of that."

"It’s new. It’s fresh. It’s very powerful,” series star Norman Reedus said at a press conference  ahead of the premiere. “We’ve always known that the women were a powerful force on the show, but for the last couple years we’ve gone on this journey of this man versus this man. The stories seem more complicated this year, more emotional. And it’s nice to see Danai (Gurira) step up, Melissa (McBride) step up, Lauren (Cohan) has some really good stuff. The new cast of women are really killing it this year."

AMC

Actor Cooper Andrews, left, did extensive research for his first onscreen kiss.

One storyline we're looking forward to is the one involving the likeable punster Jerry, as portrayed by Cooper Andrews, a Samoan American. Based on the trailers, it looks like a love interest will develop between King Ezekiel's right-hand man and Muslim American Nadine, who was introduced last season.

"I was excited about it ... just to know that Jerry isn't just shadowing Ezekiel all the time," Andrews told Insider of his relationship with Nabila, who is played by  "It just kind of proves that this life that we're viewing is more than just trying to survive. It's also my first on-screen kiss."

He quickly added, "I was like, 'I hope I don't suck at this.'"

Since the gruesome death of Glenn, who we thought was the only AAPi to survive the zombie apocalypse, Walking Dead has diversified the survivors adding Siddiq played by Avi Nash in last year and in season 7 introduced Cyndie played by Korean/American actress Sydney Park. She reappeared last year in the epic battle against the Saviors.

Now that Kang is in a more influential position, let's hope she can write in some more AAPI representation. 

She's brought in more writers and directors of color, for example.

“In searching for writers and directors, I was first and foremost looking for exceptional talent and a strong point of view, and I found that in spades with our new collaborators this season,” Kang told Indiewire. 

“We are a show with a global audience and we are proud to be building upon our record of diversity and inclusion both in front of and behind the camera. Much like the characters in the show, having people from different backgrounds working together and bringing in fresh perspectives and skill-sets only makes us stronger as a team.”

As a result, the new people and new perspectives have injected a spark of energy in the show, which after eight seasons, critics say, was coasting.

Kang and the new story elements have everyone, including the crew, “more excited than I’ve seen them in years," says Reedus. "We have a bunch of cool shit going on.”

Gurira tells Indiewire, “I’m really enjoying what I’m getting to do in Season 9. I’m really finding it really exhilarating in ways I don’t expect. As an artist, that’s what you hope for.”

How Kang fares in her new position may affect the careers of other Asian Americans who are waiting in the wings to move into more prominent positions in Hollywood. Right now, Asian Americans are enjoying an unprecedented visibility in the entertainment industry and it's about time. But the trend towards representation and inclusion could just as easily reverse itself if one project falls short of expectations or one showrunner fails to turn around a product with the odds stacked against it.

The Walking Dead still has a lot going for it. Let's hope that Kang can find the right forumula to give the series new life.

The Walking Dead's Season 9 airs today (Sunday, Oct. 7) on AMC at 9 p.m. EDT.
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The season nine trailer teased a relationship for Jerry with the Kingdom's Nabila (Nadine Marissa).

"I was excited about it ... just to know that Jerry isn't just shadowing Ezekiel all the time," Andrews told INSIDER of his relationship with Nabila. "It just kind of proves that this life that we're viewing is more than just trying to survive. It's also my first on-screen kiss."

You can read about how Andrews prepped for the scene by watching "The Office" here.

The fandom is very vocal when it comes to the former showrunner, often holding him responsible for the direction the show has taken with large changes from the comic, including Carl's death. This past season has seen viewership dip to its lowest ratings since season one. Fan threads have asked whether or not it was time for the show to part ways with Gimple. A petition was made asking for Gimple's removal from the show.

"I've been asked on a panel before, 'When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Did you always know that you wanted to do this?' Honestly, when I was a kid, I didn't think this was a job that I could have. There was nobody like me," said Kang, who is of Korean descent. "I didn't think there were women or Asian women running a show. That wasn't a thing. Now, there are so many women who are showrunners and that's exciting because it means that the next generation can look and go, 'Hey, of course this is a job I can have.'"

“I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this new role with ‘The Walking Dead’” Kang said. “Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fangirl dream come true for me,” said Kang. “I’m excited to continue working with Scott and the wonderfully supportive folks at AMC, and can’t wait to share the next chapter of the story with our fans next fall.”

The move comes after “The Walking Dead” has seen significant declines in the ratingsover Season 7 and 8, while still remaining the number one show on TV in adults 18-49. Fans have also been venting their frustrations with Gimple for some time, most notably for the decision to end Season 6 with a cliffhanger that teased the death of a major character.

Wednesday morning was one of the first times Kang has really spoken in public about taking over "The Walking Dead" since being named showrunner in January. Kang has been working on the show since its second season. She has written some of the show's most memorable episodes including "The Same Boat," "A," and "The Cell."

"I'm so humbled by the opportunity to work on a show that's been such a juggernaut and that is so beloved by millions of fans around the world," she said at the panel's start. "It's not lost on me that for a lot of women who watch the show and watch the strong women characters on the show, and dress up as those characters, people are looking for role models."

Angela Kang, who has been a writer on the show since 2011 and co-executive producer since 2013, is being promoted by Gimple to executive producer and showrunner of “The Walking Dead,” starting with Season 9.

In addition, AMC also announced that the show has officially been renewed for a ninth season, to debut in late 2018.

“This is an enormously important day for the entire ‘The Walking Dead’ television universe,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, Sundance TV, and AMC Studios. “We are proud to acknowledge Angela’s significant contribution to the series and to set a clear path forward for a ninth season under her direction. Further, with gratitude and admiration, we also recognize Scott’s broad impact on, and leadership of, the content that fuels our TWD universe. Together, we will dream bigger and more broadly than ever before. I know I speak for Angela, Scott and everyone at AMC when I say thanks most of all to the fans and the many talented people who have helped AMC play ‘Dead.’”

Scott Gimple was “The Walking Dead’s” third showrunner after Frank Darabont and Glen Mazzara. He has been with the show since Season 2, signing on as a writer and producer and later supervising producer. He was promoted to executive producer and showrunner going into the show’s fourth season, taking over from Mazzara. During his time at the helm, Gimple has presided over the highest-rated episodes in the show’s history. He became an executive producer on “Fear the Walking Dead” when the show was renewed for its fourth season.

“‘The Walking Dead’ is a special show which started in an entirely different era of TV, and continues, in this new era, to confidently take chances to tell compelling stories that excite audiences and make them deeply connect with its characters, adapting Robert Kirkman’s brilliant comic book,” Gimple said. “As the show closes in on its tenth year, I’m honored to keep working with the talented, dedicated people behind and in front of the camera to make it all it can be, while expanding the world of ‘The Walking Dead’ with new narratives like ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and a whole host of truly cool stories ahead. Angela is a big part of the heart and soul of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and I’m thrilled to help facilitate her vision of the show’s next era.”

Kang first joined the show as a story editor and later writer in Season 2, being upped to producer at the beginning of Season 3. She was promoted to co-executive producer at the outset of Season 5. Among the episodes of the show she has written is the Season 2 episode “Judge, Jury, Executioner,” the Season 4 episode “Still,” and the Season 7 episode “The Cell.” She also co-wrote the Season 4 finale with Gimple.

“I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this new role with ‘The Walking Dead’” Kang said. “Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fangirl dream come true for me,” said Kang. “I’m excited to continue working with Scott and the wonderfully supportive folks at AMC, and can’t wait to share the next chapter of the story with our fans next fall.”

The move comes after “The Walking Dead” has seen significant declines in the ratingsover Season 7 and 8, while still remaining the number one show on TV in adults 18-49. Fans have also been venting their frustrations with Gimple for some time, most notably for the decision to end Season 6 with a cliffhanger that teased the death of a major character.

WASHINGTON — Asian-Americans are more than twice as likely to be hired as CEOs when a company is struggling, possibly setting them up for failure, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Researchers analyzed data for almost 5,000 CEOs from publicly traded companies across every major industry in North America over five decades and found Asian-Americans were appointed two-and-a-half times as often during a company’s decline than when a company was successful. The study also found that stereotypes of Asian-Americans as self-sacrificing may play a role since CEOs may be expected to work long hours or give up bonuses if a company is struggling. The research was published online in the Journal of Applied Psychology®.

“It’s important to understand that some seemingly positive stereotypes about minorities may appear to be silver linings on the surface, but they often obscure underlying challenges that perpetuate discrimination,” said lead researcher Seval Gündemir, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Amsterdam. “It is our hope that this research can serve as a key first step to combat bias and inequality that affects Asian-Americans.”

Despite high levels of education and income, Asian-Americans are underrepresented in company leadership positions. Researchers collected the names of 4,951 CEOs from North American databases dating to 1967 and found only 41 Asian-American CEOs, representing less than 1 percent of the group. Asian-Americans have been the fastest-growing minority group over the past decade and represent 6 percent of the U.S. population, according to census data.

The study found that whites, Hispanics and African-Americans were not more likely to be hired during a company’s downturn, unlike Asian-Americans, who were more than twice as likely to be hired during those periods. However, Asian-Americans didn’t serve longer terms as CEOs than whites during a company’s struggles, and their tenure (2.8 years) was less than half as long as white CEOs (6 years) during successful periods.

Since Asian-Americans are hired more often to lead struggling companies, they could face more stress and blame for the company’s failure, Gündemir said. Only 12 percent of the companies included in the study were struggling, further limiting the opportunities for Asian-Americans to lead companies.

“A fairer representation of minority groups in positions of power can not only contribute to organizational productivity and innovation but also provide role models to minority employees,” Gündemir said.

The researchers also conducted three online experiments about the self-sacrificing stereotype for Asian-Americans. In an experiment with 227 U.S. residents, half of the group read a newspaper article about a fictional successful company while the other half read about a struggling company. The participants then rated the importance of self-sacrificing behaviors by a leader, such as giving up a bonus or working on the weekends. Then they were told to imagine they were on a CEO hiring committee and were given information about an Asian-American candidate (“Alex Wong”) and a white candidate (“Anthony Smith”). Participants who read about the struggling company were significantly more likely to choose the Asian-American candidate than participants who read about the successful company.

In a second experiment with 101 U.S. residents, participants were given information about the same two fictitious CEO candidates. Participants rated the Asian-American candidate as more likely to engage in self-sacrificing behaviors than the white candidate. In a final experiment with 199 U.S. residents, participants were more likely to say an Asian-American candidate was a better fit as CEO when a company was struggling.

The more formidable issue, however, is making the case that there's life after him -- hardly an academic exercise for an expensive show, whose ratings have slipped sharply from their heyday, about to lose its most tangible connection that remains to what set the whole story in motion.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Kang pointed to the benefits of Lincoln's departure, citing the "very rich" storylines that the shakeup creates for other players. "As our characters navigate 'a Rick-less world,' we get to see who they become in the aftermath of that," she said.

To its credit, these episodes do feel like the series is back on track, and it's true that change in any creative endeavor can help energize a long-running franchise, at least temporarily. That said, there's a nagging feeling that the whole enterprise has moved into a brand-management phase, including the wholesale makeover of spinoff "Fear the Walking Dead" and a host of licensing offshoots.

Showrunner Angela Kang also provided insight into the trajectory of Lincoln's character in Season 9 in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

"Rick opens up the season in a place where things are relatively good and peaceful for him. He made that unexpected decision to let Negan live at the end of season eight, and we'll deal with some of the aftereffects of that because it was such a momentous thing. And the trauma of losing his son Carl, even with the passage of time, is something that is still painful for him," she said. "We're going to see him try to turn that pain into something positive for everybody. Rick will face some real challenges along the way. The thing that I hope the audience will respond to is seeing how Rick's underlying goodness and leadership will shine in moments of great adversity.

The juggernaut AMC series has a new showrunner at the helm in Angela Kang, making her the fourth showrunner in the show’s history. At the same time, series mainstay Andrew Lincoln will be leaving the show while fellow star Lauren Cohan will only appear in a handful of episodes due to her commitment to the upcoming ABC series “Whiskey Cavalier.”

On top of all of that, “The Walking Dead” has been facing a growing wave of criticism for its past few seasons. Fans and critics have lambasted the show for what they feel is slowly-paced storytelling and an over-reliance on gore, blood, and guts rather than character development. Those criticisms have been reflected in the show’s ratings: While still a massive presence on television, the show has seen serious declines in its Live+Same Day numbers.

The previous series low in the key adults 18-49 demographic was set in Season 1 with a 2.4 rating. During Season 8, the show came dangerously close to matching that low, with the lowest-rated episode of the season coming in at a 2.6. In addition, the Season 8 finale was the lowest-rated since Season 1 with a 3.4 rating, while the Season 8 premiere was the lowest-rated since Season 3 with a 5.0. Though most series would crow about such ratings, it’s not great for what is frequently touted as the number one show on TV.

Yet there may be some light at the end of the zombie-filled tunnel. Kang’s love for the show and the Robert Kirkman comic book series is undeniable, and that energy and passion may well be what that the show needs in this new chapter.

Speaking with Variety, Kang did not shy away from the criticisms levied against the show.

“None of us live in a vacuum so it would be dishonest of me to say that I’ve never heard any of that stuff,” she said. “I don’t often go out seeking that stuff out there, because we really need to concentrate on making the best story possible. But I think a lot of times, we do our own internal reckonings, like ‘To us, it feels like we’ve done a lot of this type of story. What’s a new way to tell this? What are some of the things that we miss doing?’ And a lot of times that lines up with things that fans or critics have been feeling. So we’re not trying to chase something but we have a responsibility to ourselves and our viewers to not rest on our laurels.”

Early reviews for the Season 9 premiere have been mostly positive, with critics describing the episode as a “fresh start” and one of the better installments in some time. But is that momentum sustainable without Lincoln in place as the leader on set? The assumption has been that Norman Reedus, a.k.a the gruff Daryl Dixon, would fill that role with Lincoln gone, but Kang says that is not necessarily true.

“It’s a group dynamic,” she says. “Norman sort of has Daryl’s attitude, like ‘I don’t wanna be called number one.’ In his own way, he leads. I think Danai [Gurira] is a wonderful leader as well. She has her own style of things. She very much looks out to make sure things are fair for people. Melissa [McBride] is a wonderful presence that anchors stuff when she’s there…. At this point, I don’t think any one person has to be like, ‘OK, I’m the leader, guys.’ Everybody just knows whenever you’re in a scene and you’re the senior person, you set this example of the professionalism and the respect that has been the vibe of the show since the beginning, which was set by Andy. I think that’s a big part of his legacy to the show.”