The Walking Dead's Josh Hamilton Realized His Fly Was Down During Important Scene In Season 11 Episode 20
Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) is one of the more unique antagonists to appear on "The Walking Dead." While the second-in-command of the Commonwealth was never as physically threatening as, say, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) or Alpha (Samantha Morton), he arguably wielded more power at one point. Hornsby is like a relic from the old world, relying on his quick wit and knack for manipulation for political gain.
"The Walking Dead" Season 11 Episode 20 ("What's Been Lost") marked the end of the road for Hornsby. After losing the favor of Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), Hornsby is enlisted by Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) to help them find their kidnapped friends. When they're through with Hornsby, they offer him a chance to walk away. Hornsby knows he won't survive on his own and makes a desperate pull for a gun, only to end up with one of Carol's arrows in him.
Hamilton revealed that there was an odd detail to the death scene that viewers may have missed. While Hornsby lay on the ground taking his last breaths, the zipper on his pants was down. It's a humiliating detail, but one that feels oddly appropriate for Hornsby, who took great pleasure in wielding power over others. According to Hamilton, the unusual sendoff moment for Hornsby was not planned.
They were originally going to fix Hornsby's fly in post-production
Lance Hornsby's death was already a complicated one to get, considering the technical aspects of the scene. In a recent interview, Josh Hamilton revealed he only saw his fly was down after they'd gotten the shot. Production insisted it would be easier to fix it in post-production, but Hamilton had other ideas.
"First, I was like, 'Oh no, my fly is down!' They're like, 'We'll fix it in post.' And I was like, 'You know what? Don't.' It's actually the perfect insult to injury to Lance, for someone who was so fastidious about his appearance," the actor told Entertainment Weekly.
As for why Hornsby decided to go for a gun when he was previously so calculating in his decisions, Hamilton pointed to the character's state of mind. For days, he's been trapped in a room with Pamela Milton's now-zombie son Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olson), feeding him and generally losing his connection to reality.
"He's not at the top of his game, strategically. It was a choice with not a lot of thought put into. It was totally instinctive," Hamilton said. This would also explain why Hornsby would be caught with his fly down. The zipper could almost be a sign of bad things to come, a physical representation of how hectic his state of mind is. Or maybe we're overthinking it and it's just a little amusing that Hornsby died with his fly down.