What Lies Ahead premiere written and filmed would begin after the events of Season 1, although a brief flashback scene of Shane and Lori witnessing the fall of Atlanta from a distance would appear during the season. At PaleyFest 2011, it was announced that the second season of "The Walking Dead" would mainly be produced outside the city limits of Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the principal photography for "What Lies Ahead" took place in unincorporated Henry County, Georgia on June 5–9, 2011, using a stretch of Georgia State Route 20 that was closed to traffic for the purpose. On June 8, 2011, the
What Lies Ahead sent zombies towards us and we had to improvise stabbing, so it was a bit touch-and-go from time to time." Similarly, Neil Brown Jr., the actor who played Guillermo, gave an interview where he obliquely referred to possible participation in the Season 2 premiere. This ultimately never made it to the screen. "What Lies Ahead" was heavily promoted in the months before its premiere. A four-minute trailer was released at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2011, and a one-minute preview was broadcast on July 27, 2011, during the season-4 premiere of "Breaking Bad", in which Grimes kills two