Spoilers and Speculation

[scrb]

They wasted a lot of time on Sasha's reveries or delirium as she was dying in the coffin.

They couldn't have the whole episode be prolonged war.  Maybe AMC budget constraints?

Even though Negan promised war to all the Saviors and they seemed to be happy (though they just took casualties), they're not going to make next season only war.  For one thing, a lot of war will settle things quickly. For another, they may not have the budget.

So expect to see more filler again.  Maybe they will finish up Negan and the Saviors by the end of next season or they'll string it out again a year from now.

[Dobian]

Not really speculation, just what they need to do, which is to flesh out Negan as a villain at the beginning of next season and give him a back story episode for crying out loud so we can see why he is what he is and does what he does.  The last couple of times we saw him this season, including last night, he actually wasn't that annoying.  You could at least see some method to his madness, and see his reasoning process beyond just being a barbed wire baseball bat-wielding buffoon.  So flesh the guy out beyond being just a cartoon villain, JDM certainly can act that if the writers just give him some decent material to work with.

[tv echo]

The Walking Dead Promotes 3 Actors to Series Regular Ahead of Season 8
By Michael Ausiello / April 17 2017, 8:00 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/04/17/the-walking-dead-season-8-cast-pollyanna-mcintosh-jadis-series-regular/

Quote

The Walking Dead‘s eighth season doesn’t launch for another six months, but this much we can already tell you: AMC’s zombie smash has big plans for Negan’s right-hand man Simon, Carl’s crush Enid and Scavengers leader Jadis. 

TVLine has learned exclusively that the recurring characters’ respective portrayers — Steven Ogg, Katelyn Nacon and Pollyanna McIntosh — have formally been upgraded to series regular ahead of Season 8.

The Walking Dead EP Scott Gimple Talks Finale's Surprise Reunion and Previews a 'Fast-Paced' Season 8
By Charlie Mason / April 3 2017, 11:30 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/04/03/the-walking-dead-season-8-spoilers-scott-gimple-interview/

Quote

TVLINE | Let’s start with Sasha. Was her death the result of Sonequa Martin-Green wanting to move on to Star Trek: Discovery, or was it strictly a storyline decision?
Storyline. The folks over at Star Trek got lucky with the timing.
*  *  *
TVLINE | Jadis betrayed Rick, yet she clearly can’t trust Negan. No one can. So where do you go with an ally-less character like that?
She’s a businessperson. She’s certainly not sentimental in any way. [But] she’s all about her people, and they are all about themselves. I think she’s pretty smart and isn’t under any illusion that things couldn’t turn on a dime. In some ways, I think that Negan should watch out for her [rather than the other way around]. This is somebody who takes any advantage and uses it.

TVLINE | This fight was pretty major — all of our regulars, plus Shiva. What’s the Season 8 war going to be like?
It’s going to be different. They aren’t going to meet in Alexandria every weekend and do that. There are twists and turns to it, definitely some small-scale things and some large-scale things and a whole different momentum to the story. Now that [the various factions] are in public conflict and everything is on the table as far as everybody knows who everybody is to each other and what’s going on, the narrative changes a lot. It’s going to become a bit more kinetic and fast-moving, because that’s where the story is going. The content is definitely going to be determining the form.

Edited April 19, 2017 by tv echo

[Gobi]

6 hours ago, tv echo said:

The Walking Dead Promotes 3 Actors to Series Regular Ahead of Season 8
By Michael Ausiello / April 17 2017, 8:00 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/04/17/the-walking-dead-season-8-cast-pollyanna-mcintosh-jadis-series-regular/

The Walking Dead EP Scott Gimple Talks Finale's Surprise Reunion and Previews a 'Fast-Paced' Season 8
By Charlie Mason / April 3 2017, 11:30 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/2017/04/03/the-walking-dead-season-8-spoilers-scott-gimple-interview/

One out of three ain't bad (meaning Simon).

[Anela]

I don't mind Enid, but they made Jadis a series regular?? They really are trying to destroy their own show. One talks too much (Negan), the other talks like a baby trying on new words. 

[nodorothyparker]

So they're really of the opinion that the junk yard people were a good addition to the show and not an embarrassing waste of a half-baked idea then. Sigh.

[scrb]

5 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

So they're really of the opinion that the junk yard people were a good addition to the show then and not an embarrassing waste of a half-baked idea then. Sigh.

They're saving the real quirky enemy groups for AFTER Negan and the Saviors are gone.

Kingdom has a tiger, the garbage people live in a literal dump.  Then there was a female-only group, living by the ocean.

So they've probably been cooking up some more colorful group ideas after they've already used up cannibals, wolf packs, etc.

[catrox14]

Jadis? Really? That's unbelievable. Sheesh.

[piequinn35]

Enid I can understand but Simon and Jadis? How about Gabriel?

well i dont care lol

[raven]

Jadis?? Jadis??? oh FFS.  She sucks.  The whole junkyard group sucks and should go away forever.

Enid - whatever.  Simon - ok, him I kind of like.

[Ohwell]

I'm calling it right now.  Rick and Jadis are gonna hook up.

[luna1122]

37 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm calling it right now.  Rick and Jadis are gonna hook up.

Just threw up in my mouth a little.

[Ohwell]

21 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

Just threw up in my mouth a little.

Yeah, I know.

[mightysparrow]

On 4/20/2017 at 9:34 AM, Ohwell said:

I'm calling it right now.  Rick and Jadis are gonna hook up.

I'm right behind you!  That's the only reason that I can see for making Jadis a regular because it sure as fuck isn't based on how interesting the character is OR how good the actor is either. If this is a way to get Michonne to stop being a second-string Andrea and get back to being Michonne again, I'm all for it.  Personally, I think Jadis and Rick are much better suited than Michonne and Rick are.  Michonne can give them the fucking cat as a house-warming present when they move in together.

HOWEVER, if there is even the remotest hint of a love-triangle where Michonne and Jadis fight it out for Rick's affections, that mushroom cloud you see over the GTA in Canada will due to me.  I'm going to have to be on a 24-hour watch because I will not be responsible for my actions.  I'm praying that Michonne got a look at King Ezekiel and his big pussy in action and thought 'Rick who?'.  The only love-triangle I want to see is Ezekiel and Morgan fighting over who gets to be Michonne's man.

It's clear as day that Gimple and Kirkman and everyone else attached to TWD are on the good stuff because I can't come up with another reason to give the audience MORE of Jadis.  Do they honestly think the GPK story line is a success?  I hope AMC has good health coverage because they're going to have to send a lot of people to rehab over the break.

[Ohwell]

45 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

The only love-triangle I want to see is Ezekiel and Morgan fighting over who gets to be Michonne's man.

taking this to the "relationships" thread

[Mu Shu]

I sort of like the Jadis actress.  And I love Simon.   But the junkyard has to go.  

[tv echo]

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Walking Dead, Fuller House, Good Fight, Big Bang, Supernatural, Once and More
By Michael Ausiello / April 26 2017, 1:13 PM PDT
https://tvline.com/2017/04/26/the-walking-dead-season-8-cast-new-characters-dillon-abbud/

Quote

Question: I’m having Walking Dead withdrawal already. Help! —Nick
Ausiello: Help is on the way, Nick — literally. Ahead of Season 8’s Saviors/Scavengers-vs.-Alexandria/Hilltop/Kingdom war, AMC’s monster smash is casting two new recurring good guys: Dillon, a sexy, blue-collar twentysomething whose survival skills include sarcasm, and Abbud, an innately likable Muslim American whose nerves are, let’s say, jangled, because he’s flown solo for too long in zombieland. Of the pair, the former is likelier to survive the looming conflict — not only does Dillon sound like a less jerky Spencer, but the casting notice for the roles hints that the actor chosen might get picked up for subsequent seasons.

Edited April 29, 2017 by tv echo

[nodorothyparker]

Oh good, more new characters to join the cast of thousands.  The first one sounds like a younger replacement Daryl.

[AwesomO4000]

Okay, I'm not sure how spoilery this is, but just to be on the safe side I'm putting it here. I actually should have posted this earlier, but real life has been busy of late.

So about two weeks ago, Hubby and I were driving home from work through our little downtown area and noticed that the lot with the piles of stuff that they used for shooting in the Garbage Pail Kids scenes is now devoid of piles. No more mountains of debris, so unless they are going to recreate them somewhere else, or the Garbage Pail Kids are moving to a new site, then maybe this is a good thing and we won't be seeing much more of them?

I didn't notice any more filming there before the approximately two weeks ago when the piles were cleaned up - but that doesn't mean there wasn't, because there was filming in other areas of the downtown a couple of weeks before that*, and areas were blocked off, so hard to tell - but at least for any filming from now on, it appears that they won't be using that filming area any more.

* And there were SF signs up - and I think that means that Walking Dead is filming. Some shows just go ahead and put their whole name on the signs to inform crew of location - like Rectify did and Spitfire (whatever that is) did - but others don't put the real name: like The Walking Dead and an episode of The Originals (I think - it was one of the vampire shows.)

[smorbie]

On 3/29/2017 at 4:38 PM, nodorothyparker said:

True.  But given TPTB from Kirkman to Gimple's fanboy gushing over the character, I'd be highly surprised if they weren't going to drag this out as long as they possibly can and get their money's worth.  It'd be a bigger shocker to me at this point if Negan wasn't with us for a very long time yet to come.

Spoiler

Since the show rededicated itself to following the GN canon a few years back, we can pretty much guess the broad strokes of what's going to happen.  Negan never dies in the GN.  He's taken hostage by Rick, put in the cell and allowed to lean back and yodel out speeches for a long, long time.  Then he finally escapes and somehow because an anti-hero fighting against whoever succeeds him as the baddies.

Edited June 29, 2017 by smorbie

[smorbie]

On 4/19/2017 at 8:06 AM, tv echo said:

Pollyanna McIntosh — have formally been upgraded to series regular ahead of Season 8.

That does it!  I'm running amok!  Haven't we been punished enough with negan? 

[scrb]

1 hour ago, smorbie said:

That does it!  I'm running amok!  Haven't we been punished enough with negan? 

Ewww, they want to string along the GPKs as villains, because they betrayed Rick.

So Michone isn't going to take her out right away.

[smorbie]

4 hours ago, scrb said:

Ewww, they want to string along the GPKs as villains, because they betrayed Rick.

So Michone isn't going to take her out right away.

Join me in my madness, won't you?

[Macbeth]

I am sure I am really late to the party with this news - but anymore info on Maria Bello joining the cast?

I love love love her.  She does not play happy campers.  But she is an amazing actress in my opinion.

Any word if her being part of the cast is real would be great.

[tv echo]

The Walking Dead EP teases season premiere will explain old Rick scene
DAN SNIERSON  JULY 29, 2017 
http://ew.com/tv/2017/07/29/the-walking-dead-ep-teases-season-premiere-will-explain-old-rick-scene/

Quote

The season 8 trailer for The Walking Dead bristled with all sorts of resistance-is-rising energy, but the very last moment was truly a conversation starter, if not a shocker: We saw Rick as an older man in bed, rocking a grey beard, with a cane nearby.

This indicated that the upcoming season will mirror a time jump that occurs in The Walking Dead comic book. Speaking with reporters after an AMC panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Saturday, The Walking Dead executive producer Robert Kirkman revealed that old man Rick will be addressed in the very first episode back.

Asked about the time jump, Kirkman first teased: “Or was it the time jump? I don’t know, maybe it was Rick waking up from his coma. Wouldn’t that be weird?” He hinted that the timing of this reveal should throw The Walking Dead comic book fans for a loop: “That is an intriguing tidbit that we did throw out there on purpose, and we’re hoping that people continue to question how it is that fits into the story line and what it is,” he said. “Comic book fans know where a scene that kind of looked like that would fall, but it also doesn’t seem like we would be getting to that just yet if you were a comic book fan, so there’s a mystery to that.”

As for whether audiences will learn more this season about what the Rick image means, Kirkman replied, “I’m pretty sure you’ll learn in the first episode what that means.”
*  *  *
The upcoming batch of episodes will show viewers what happened now that Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom have joined forces to take down Negan and the Saviors, and an epic battle is on the horizon. “We all know it’s the All Out War storyline, so season 8 we’re trying to do a more fast-paced season, a more action-packed season, really focusing on momentum and we feel like, over the first seven seasons, we’ve set all the characters into place. Now it’s time to break them, to a certain extent,” Kirkman teased

How will this season keep the show fresh as it enters season 8? “We’ve got all these different factions, all these different locations, we’ve got the Hilltop, we’ve got the Sanctuary, and I think [we’re] getting all these people together and continuing to expand the scale in a cool way, but really using all these pieces to their fullest,” he said. “We’ve spent a lot of time setting these characters up, and now we’re going to bash them against each other and see what happens. One of the things that really keeps The Walking Dead going is that every season feels like a different show. As we start to show more promotional material, and as you guys get to see episodes, you’ll see this is another continuation of that, this is a very fresh take on the world of The Walking Dead, and we’re going to be breaking a lot of new ground this season.”

ETA: Maria Bello is joining NCIS as a series regular, so I don't think she'll be joining TWD (unless it's a one-episode deal)...

Edited July 30, 2017 by tv echo

[raven]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

“We’ve spent a lot of time setting these characters up, and now we’re going to bash them against each other and see what happens. One of the things that really keeps The Walking Dead going is that every season feels like a different show. As we start to show more promotional material, and as you guys get to see episodes, you’ll see this is another continuation of that, this is a very fresh take on the world of The Walking Dead, and we’re going to be breaking a lot of new ground this season.”

fresh take??  ahahahaha!!   oh, who am I kidding, I'll still be watching.

[CrazyDog]

I'm looking forward to it...I think the all out war storyline against Negan will be good. Even hearing about the comics, I'm curious how they will show the jump in the first episode.

[tv echo]

Spoiler Room: Scoop on Game of Thrones, The Flash, Supergirl, and more
NATALIE ABRAMS AUGUST 3, 2017 
http://ew.com/tv/2017/08/03/spoiler-room-game-thrones-flash-supergirl/

Quote

Will The Walking Dead ever touch on how Daryl is dealing with Glenn’s death? — Kenida
Yes, we will see much more about the guilt that Daryl feels over Glenn’s death. “That will be a plot point for Daryl at some point in the next season,” EP Robert Kirkman says. “It’s something that will get addressed.”

[mightysparrow]

On 8/4/2017 at 8:55 AM, tv echo said:

Spoiler Room: Scoop on Game of Thrones, The Flash, Supergirl, and more
NATALIE ABRAMS AUGUST 3, 2017 
http://ew.com/tv/2017/08/03/spoiler-room-game-thrones-flash-supergirl/

Oh goodie, more Daryl Dixon man-pain.  We haven't had enough of that over 8 seasons.

[tv echo]

2017 Returning Fall Shows: Where We Left Off
TV Guide August 24, 2017
http://www.tvguide.com/galleries/2017-returning-fall-shows/60/

Quote

60 of 61
The Walking Dead (AMC)
Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 9/8c

Where We Left Off: The war that had been brewing all season long between the Saviors and the Alexandrians and their allies from Hilltop and the Kingdom kicked off with a big battle that started with the revelation that Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) had killed herself, and that the Heapsters had double-crossed Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) & Co. and were working with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

The Scoop: If Season 7 was about Negan, Season 8 will be about Rick Grimes. "We start Episode 801 on a close-up of Rick Grimes, and we really get a sense that he's driving our story, not Negan," says executive producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the premiere. That premiere is also the series' 100th episode, and he says it will contain some Easter eggs for fans who have been with the show from the very beginning. "In multiple viewings you'll definitely pick up a few things that we put in there that harken back to earlier episodes," he says.

Edited August 25, 2017 by tv echo

[AwesomO4000]

Okay, sort of spoilery... bear with me as this explanation starts out with some mundane details...

So this Thursday we had a campus progress report meeting, and our campus director was talking about our discretionary funding and how we are doing. Well, some of our discretionary funding comes from what our campus director affectionately calls "zombie dollars," which is money the campus gets when "The Walking Dead" films on our campus in Griffin, GA. And apparently we will be getting some more funding due to filming in September. Supposedly there will be two different areas of filming on our campus. One is in one of the office type building areas... and I don't know what that would be for, but our director mentioned the "bullet room" or "ammunition room" (I don't remember which terminology exactly he used). This is in reference to the shop building where Eugene suggested they make the bullets, so apparently the show may be filming in that location in September. I'm not sure where that would translate to in reference to when it would appear on the show, but maybe we'll be readdressing making ammunition in some way? But as to which side that might be I can't say.

As September rolls around, I'll try to report on when the filming happened and where on campus it occurred.

Edited August 27, 2017 by AwesomO4000

[tv echo]

Fall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 35+ Returning Favorites!
By Michael Ausiello, Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman, Ryan Schwartz and Rebecca Iannucci / September 7 2017, 8:00 AM PDT
http://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2017-season-premiere-spoilers/#!37/fall-preview-walking-dead-2/

Quote

THE WALKING DEAD

The first shot of Season 8 might as well be of the survivors running their victim cards through an incinerator. “This season is very much about them fighting back,” reveals showrunner Scott M. Gimple. “Fighting can be scary, and there’s uncertainty to it, but in and of itself, it is a hopeful act.” And no one is better positioned, emotionally and physically, for the Negan-fueled war than Carol. “Her entire storyline has prepared her for this — she’s ready,” Gimple notes. “The strength and bravery that she shows as a person this season, and the ingenuity that she employs… is very satisfying.” Her apocalyptic partner, Ezekiel, however, is having a rougher time acclimating to the new reality. “There are some intense times ahead for Ezekiel,” stresses the EP. “Carol is not going to be surprised about the difficulty and brutality that they’re facing. Ezekiel is a little more new to this. The contrast [between the two] will be pretty stark.”

BONUS SPOILER!: Old Rick, whose appearance in the Season 8 trailer drew gasps at Comic-Con, will make his debut in the first episode back, Gimple confirms, before adding, “We will not get the definitive answer as to what that’s about in the premiere. That won’t come until about halfway into the season.”

RETURN DATE: Sunday, Oct. 24 at 9/8c (AMC)

Edited September 8, 2017 by tv echo

[Ohwell]

Of course.  Pump up Carol The Warrior Woman, make Ezekiel seem like a pussy.  Same thing they did to Morgan.

[jenrising]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Of course.  Pump up Carol The Warrior Woman, make Ezekiel seem like a pussy.  Same thing they did to Morgan.

I still feel like the show's response to people noticing they killed off every black guy when a new one arrived is, "fine, but now we'll just make you wish we killed them off." 

[Darlin]

On ‎9‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 2:27 PM, Ohwell said:

Of course.  Pump up Carol The Warrior Woman, make Ezekiel seem like a pussy.  Same thing they did to Morgan.

And Tyrese.

[catrox14]

Is Michonne still on the show? I mean how do they have an entire preview and clip and nothing about Michonne? I don't get it.

[Ohwell]

11 hours ago, Darlin said:

And Tyrese.

Oh yes, I forgot about Tyrese.

[Enigma X]

I won't lie. I hate Carol as much as I hate Negan, if not more.

[scrb]

So is the preview special worth watching?  I have it on my DVR but haven't watched it yet.

[seacliffsal]

No, the preview was a big old waste of time.  I should have just forwarded all of it to get to the sneak preview (I ended up fast forwarding a lot of it, but heard far more 'nothingness' that I should have).

[Mr. Sparkle]

If you like lots and lots of talking with a few clips, then yes, it's great. Basically an episode of Talking Dead. 

[Juliegirlj]

Preview special was stupid. The actors and show runners seem to think they are putting out some kind of masterpiece-and maybe some seasons were, but not anymore. For me it is a mediocre filler for when nothing else is on tv. The production time seems so long- on par with Game of Thrones level shows, and TWD ain't GOT: not even close. 

[OrigamiNightmare]

Good God ... I bet what they're going to do is show us the flash forward. Everything will be different, everybody working together, being normal, happy, groups trading back and forth, and creating a society ... Maybe certain people won't show up, or people will vaguely reference the great war in bits and pieces. They'll be new people in the future/time jump, new relationships (maybe we'll see flashbacks as to how they came to be there/how their new relationships/conflicts/injuries came to happen. Thus, draaaaging things out even more, while everyone waits actually see the flashbacks of the actual war)  If we're lucky (we probably won't be). They'll show flashbacks of the things they mention (at the time they're mentioned ... instead of draaaaging it out and making us wait until the second half to start to see most of the big flashbacks).

Spoiler

I'm taking bets that early on (if not the first episode) will see what happened to Negan (if you read the comics you know the scene I'm talking about).

They'll do this back and forth game, for the whole season (similar to the way the TV show Lost did their back and forth game). We won't see the big parts of the war and what happened until the very end ... Then next season they'll bring the show back to showing the now/what was the time jump (essentially the time jump will no longer be a time jump, it will become the new current present of the show ... Place your bets ...

Edited September 17, 2017 by OrigamiNightmare

[OrigamiNightmare]

I put my post here because what I described would explain the new regulars, that seemed like a speculation that would include a spoiler (I thought anyway).

[OrigamiNightmare]

Oooh I wonder if Jadis (really, Jadis as a main character? ... Way to read your audience guys, way to go ... more Jadis and the GPK, yup, just what everyone is clamoring for *raging eye-roll*) will be essentially become (Sorry to post so much, I'm currently half watching the last season while surfing the internet).

Spoiler

Alpha of the Whisperers (if you read the comic you know what I'm talking about) ... Though then they'd lose the shock of people wearing walker faces ... Unless they make that a new and different group they can tangle with in my speculation about the flash forward).

Edited September 17, 2017 by OrigamiNightmare

[AwesomO4000]

3 hours ago, OrigamiNightmare said:

Oooh I wonder if Jadis (really, Jadis as a main character? ... Way to read your audience guys, way to go ... more Jadis and the GPK, yup, just what everyone is clamoring for *raging eye-roll*)

Interestingly  though as I mentioned somewhere in this thread earlier, the area in our town that they used to film the junkyard scenes is no longer there any more. The piles of materials have been cleaned up.

In a similar vein: an update on the filming at the ammunition building... Filming on campus in the shed happened this past Friday (9/15). So someone might be able to determine which episode or group of episodes that might correspond to. I have also heard that the other location that the show will be filming on campus will be a tunnel area. We have a tunnel that goes underneath a road and connects our campus grounds to a research and education garden. The garden is rather well kept and a flower garden area, so likely it'll just be the tunnel they'll be using. If I find out what day they film the tunnel scene, I'll come here and update again.

[OrigamiNightmare]

She wouldn't be so annoying if she talked like a normal person. That shit drives me up the damn wall, aaargh! There's absolutely no damn reason for it! I could understand if it was so they could be quieter and hide from walkers, use less words, make less noise ... but that's not what they're doing ... It sounds like with what you were saying up thread, maybe they'll join the other groups/Alexandria, that's my thinking ( and maybe they can learn to talk like normal fucking people again!) ... And on a shallow note, I hate Jadis's haircut, hate it!

Edited September 17, 2017 by OrigamiNightmare

[Nashville]

In other words...

57 minutes ago, OrigamiNightmare said:

She wouldn't be so annoying if she talked like a normal person. That shit drives me up the damn wall, aaargh! There's absolutely no damn reason for it! I could understand if it was so they could be quieter and hide from walkers, use less words, make less noise ... but that's not what they're doing ... It sounds like with what you were saying up thread, maybe they'll join the other groups/Alexandria, that's my thinking ( and maybe they can learn to talk like normal fucking people again!) ... And on a shallow note, I hate Jadis's haircut, hate it!

...talk right, and haircut - TWO BITS!!!

:D

[OrigamiNightmare]

Hah! *snerk* That's awesome.

[tv echo]

The Walking Dead: Norman Reedus says Daryl is going 'rogue' in season 8
‘DALTON ROSS   SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 
http://ew.com/tv/2017/09/15/the-walking-dead-norman-reedus-daryl-season-8-rogue/

Quote

“There are definite teams now,” Reedus tells EW. “People are going to be rooting for one team or the other, and it does have more kick to it than it did. I mean, season 7 was difficult. It was super hard for all of us. But in season 8, the gang’s back together, and it’s full blown right now. It’s A versus B. It’s your home team fighting your biggest rival, so there definitely will be cheerleaders.”

The sports analogy is interesting because seeing our heroes get beaten down repeatedly in season 7 did feel kind of like watching your favorite team get blown out, but the star promises we’ll have a much more even fight in season 8. However, just because you now have one united team of Kingdomers, Hilltoppers, and Alexandrians all playing together, that doesn’t mean everyone is necessarily working off of the same play book. That’s according to an interesting tidbit that Reedus dropped next about Daryl. “You know, some of us are going rogue a little bit — like myself. There are a couple of some rogue moments in there.”

So while Rick, Maggie, and Ezekiel may have a plan, it seems the wild child known as Daryl Dixon may have his own ideas on how to best exact vengeance. “There’s no dilly-dallying with him,” says Reedus. “There’s no gray area right now with him. He’s on a mission to do one thing, and sometimes for the good of the group, you veer left a little bit, and he’s still veering right. So, like I said, he’s kind of going rogue a little bit in the beginning.”

It appears Daryl has still not forgiven nor forgotten what happened to him when he was forced to sit naked in a cell eating dog food and listening to the infuriatingly peppy “Easy Street.” “It’s very much unfinished business,” says Reedus. “And when certain people are trying to plot the overall takeover or the overall battle, he’s on one direct mission. I mean, he was tortured last year. He wants his s— back, and he wants to have revenge, and he’s really not listening.”

Edited September 18, 2017 by tv echo