The season 7 finale of AMC’s The Walking Dead did give us a showdown (or sorts) between Rick and his allies and Negan’s band of Saviors, but it really didn’t bring us the “All-Out War” promised by both an early synopsis and Robert Kirkman’s source material. Be that as it may, nobody can deny that it was an eventful season when it came to losing some main characters, as Glenn and Abraham bought it in the premiere, and Sasha sacrificed herself in the recent finale.
As such, three series regular spots opened up and from what we understand, they’ve now been filled. According to TV Line, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Steven Ogg, Katelyn Nacon and Pollyanna McIntosh when The Walking Dead returns for its latest season this fall, and the fact that their characters will have expanded roles may give us some indication of where the overarching story is headed.
Ogg plays Negan’s right-hand man, Simon, who has proven to be a charismatic and crafty substitute for his more overbearing boss when it comes to keeping the Hilltop Community under control. Expect him to be by Negan’s side when the fighting resumes. Nacon, meanwhile, plays Carl’s love-interest, Enid – though her larger part might suggest that she’ll be taking a more active role in Maggie’s ascension to Hilltop leader, as that’s where she spent most of her time last season.
Finally, we have a character that everyone is going to want to see get her comeuppance. McIntosh will return as Jadis, leader of the Junkyard folk who betrayed the Alexandrians at a pivotal moment in the season 7 finale. If Jadis and co. are set to make a comeback, you can almost guarantee they’ll be fighting alongside Negan again, and that Rick will be hellbent on revenge.
The Walking Dead doesn’t have an official premiere date just yet for its next season, but we should probably expect it around October, as usual.