Walking Dead Bosses on Lori's Car Crash, the Infamous Whisper and Rick's Leadership Skills

While pregnant, Lori leaves the safety of the farm to search for husband Rick. Taking her eyes off the road for just a moment, she smashes into a walker, causing her car to flip on a deserted country road... probably not the smartest move in the world of The Walking Dead.

Will Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) survive the terrifying accident? TVGuide.com sat down with executive producers Robert Kirkman and Glen Mazzara to get the scoop. Plus: The group's new challenge, the infamous whisper and Rick's leadership skills.

The Walking Dead bosses answer burning questions

Lori crashed her car into a walker. It seems highly likely that the walker is not dead. Should we be worried for her?
Glen Mazzara: Yes, you should be worried. 
Robert Kirkman: It's really not something I would recommend for pregnant women to partake in.
Mazzara: We've seen other characters go out and fight for their lives and it'll be very interesting to see Lori have to fight for hers. Lori's in the middle between Shane (Jon Bernthal) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln), and this adds to the tension between them.
Kirkman: This is not going to be another story where, oh my God, we have to find Lori for a number of episodes. That's not how it's going to play out.

Rick killing the two men in the bar was a huge step for him. He took matters into his own hands to survive and protect the group. Is this only the beginning for him crossing that line?
Kirkman: In a season that is all about Rick taking on his leadership role and emerging as the clear leader of this group, and whether or not he's going to do that, this is really the first step in him saying, "I am a guy who is capable. I am a guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep these people safe." That really is the first sign of him taking that step, and it's a big step.
Mazzara: When Shane broke open the barn and there was that massacre, and then Sophia stepped out, Rick was the leader. Rick stepped forward. He's the only one who could put that little girl down.Rick is a strong leader, but the idea that his humanity is somehow a character flaw, as seen by Shane, for example, is very interesting. That's something that we're interested in looking at.Rick tries to do the right thing. It never really works out and then he has to do something else and maybe that doesn't work out. That's the story of The Walking Dead: How does Rick survive in this world and keep the people he loves alive?

Beth has gone into a state of shock. What can you tell us for what's ahead for her?
Mazzara: I would like to say that Beth has her day in the show and Emily Kinney, the actress, really stepped up and delivered some really terrific work.

Is her catatonic state one of the next challenges the group will face?
Mazzara: Yeah. Everything's falling apart on that front. Everybody's falling apart, everybody has reason to. It's really in a state of disarray and the story that we're interested in telling is: Who can save the group? Is it Shane or is it Rick or is it Hershel (Scott Wilson) or is it someone else? But this group needs saving.

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Will the infamous whisper finally come into play?
Mazzara: Yeah, the fans will be satisfied by the end of our finale. It's a very balls-out storytelling, and I think fans will feel certainly satisfied with having questions answered.

If the farm isn't safe anymore, could somewhere like, I don't know, a certain prison become a safe haven sometime soon?
Mazzara: A prison, a shopping mall, Disneyland...
Kirkman: They're all options.
Mazzara: Let's look at this world seriously. There are zombies running around. There's probably no place that's safe.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.