'The Walking Dead' star Lauren Ridloff made a small request for Sunday's big reveal that makes it even more emotional

• Warning: There are major spoilers for "The Walking Dead" season 11, episode six.
• Lauren Ridloff tells Insider she made a suggestion for the episode's big reunion.
• Ridloff asked that she and another star didn't see each other until filming the scene.

Connie (Lauren Ridloff) was finally reunited with her sister Kelly (Angel Theory) and her friends on Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead."

The moment wasn't just a reunion for the on-screen siblings. It was also the first time Ridloff and Angel Theory saw each other in person since before the pandemic began, adding an extra layer of emotional weight to the scene.

"I hadn't seen Angel since before the pandemic," Ridloff revealed to Insider over Zoom. "It was a long time and I missed that girl."

When Ridloff learned that this would be Connie and Kelly's reunion episode, she made a special request of executive producer and Sunday's episode director, Greg Nicotero, to see if they could use that real-life experience to make Sunday's reunion extra special and feel even more authentic.

"I asked Greg before we actually started shooting if we could set up some kind of actual physical separation. I didn't want to see Angel until the day that we actually shot that scene," Ridloff said. "I wanted that scene to be the first time that I actually physically saw her, that we saw each other."

"Greg liked that idea," Ridloff said, adding, "He was like, 'Yes, most definitely. Let's just make that happen.'"

There was a lot of maneuvering behind-the-scenes to ensure the two didn't accidentally cross paths on set.

Any COVID-19 tests and fittings were carefully scheduled so the two didn't bump into one another. (Cast member Cailey Fleming previously told Insider the cast gets rapid tested every day that you go on set.)

"Oftentimes, we would see each other on set," Ridloff said of the lengths the crew went to in order to keep her and Angel Theory hidden from one another. "That also established a separate encampment for the cast... We were separate until we actually got to shoot that scene."

If you've been secluded from any loved ones during the pandemic or had to wait months on end to see friends or family, you can likely relate to the rush of emotions of finally reuniting with a loved one after being apart for months.

Sunday's "TWD" captured that moment on screen.

"When we finally shot that scene, what you actually see on screen is real," Ridloff said of seeing Angel Theory for the first time. "Those were real tears. It was that sense of relief that we're both back together. We survived the pandemic and now here we are. We're still surviving in this apocalypse. I think it was really a nice parallel."

You can read our longer interview with Ridloff here and follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.