The Walking Dead is a show that’s never without its controversy. Despite that, it’s maintained a heavy fan base throughout its seven seasons to-date, despite a recent slip in viewership and ratings, and continues to be one of the most successful shows the small screen has seen in modern memory. But what should we expect when the zombie apocalypse series makes its return for the second half of Season 7? Here are five things we’re close-to-certain about making their presence known when the new episodes come around…
Credit: AMC
5. Plans for an uprising
Actor Norman Reedus has already confirmed that the fan-favourite core characters will all be back together during the show’s second half of Season 7, with the group collectively putting their brains together to plan an uprising against the tyrannous Negan and his group, The Saviors. Whilst we know those plans are certainly going to be made in upcoming episodes, the group of survivors we’ve all grown to know and love are going to have to find help from elsewhere if they’re to stand any chance against Negan and his followers…
4. New groups coming into the fold
Teasers for the new Season 7 episodes have shown Rick and company introducing themselves to new groups, whilst the leader tries to get them on side in the slow but steady fight and plotting against Negan. One of those groups is led by Ezekiel and currently houses both Morgan and Carol; but will all three be willing to put their lives at risk to go up against the status quo?
We met an all-female group during the first half of Season 7 in an episode fronted by Tara, though she decided to grant their wish of remaining secret in a bid to keep them safe from harm. They have no reason to go up against Negan as they’re not living under his rule, but this could be something that changes moving forward.
Aside from that, there has to be a number of different groups all playing by Negan’s rules. When a leader gets too comfortable, an uprising is exactly what shakes them to their very core. Whilst Negan may strut around with his chest puffed out, he’s nothing without his followers…
3. Dwight to potentially change allegiances
Showrunner Scott M. Gimple has this week confirmed that Dwight is going to go through some major changes in upcoming Season 7 episodes, and if he’s going to be believed in saying that those who want to spoil things for themselves need only read the comic books, we could see Dwight turn against his leader sooner rather than later. Signs have already been coming thick and fast through the first half of Season 7 that showed Dwight’s distain for living under Negan’s thumb, especially with his former partner now forced to be just one member of Negan’s hareem.
2. More information surrounding ‘The person in the boots’
Those behind The Walking Dead wouldn’t go ahead and deliver a cliffhanger like the one we saw with a mystery person in very fetching boots, without paying off the viewers soon after, would they? Of course, there’s every chance that we will indeed have to wait until Season 8 or beyond to find out more about this character that’s shrouded in mystery – as we had to wait to find out whose lives Negan had taken following the Season 6 finale – but we’d be shocked to see showrunners go in this direction after the backlash they faced following that particular fake-out.
Rumours already suggest that this person could be a member of villainous group The Whisperers, but if their story is to be followed in the show as it is followed in the comic books, their arrival will have to wait until the end of the war against Negan, which doesn’t look to be actually taking place until Season 8…
1. Negan to keep his life
We hope you’re all big Negan fans, as Jeffrey Dean Morgan has already confirmed he’ll be bringing the character back to The Walking Dead when it returns for its eighth season towards the end of 2017. Still a character in the comic books, Negan looks to be sticking around for some time, so whilst we’ve seen villains meet their demise in the past in gruesome and grisly ways, Negan could be sticking around for the foreseeable future. Poor Maggie…
The Walking Dead returns to AMC in the US on Sunday, February 12 and will follow in the UK on Fox, on Monday, February 13.
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