The Walking Dead returns tonight for the second episode of season 8. Not only will it continue Rick and his allies’ long-awaited fight against Negan and the Saviors, but it’ll also see the return of “a familiar face,” as was revealed in the official synopsis released a few weeks back:
“The plan involving Alexandrians, Kingdommers and Hilltoppers unfolds. As Rick continues to fight, he encounters a familiar face.”
Originally, fans didn’t think too much about this hint, as the union between the communities was reuniting many old friends and as such, Rick encountering a previous acquaintance wasn’t much of a surprise. However, new comments from The Walking Dead exec producer Greg Nicotero have got people talking as according to him, maybe – just maybe – that familiar face is a character that we’d presumed was dead.
Here’s how he put it:
“It’s a direct continuation of the war and the attack on the satellite [outpost], which is exciting. And it’s possible that there may be a character that we may have thought was dead pop up. Who knows?”
Fan theorists, start your engines. Who could this mystery returning character we all thought was dead be? An obvious suggestion is Heath, who disappeared after helping Tara back in season 7. Showrunner Scott Gimple even promised fans that Heath would return to TWD at some point. The problem is, though, that he also said there wasn’t “a huge chance” of the character making an appearance this season.
So, what other possible contenders have we got? Well, Dwight’s wife Sherry vanished into thin air last season, so her story needs to be wrapped up at some point, though actress Christina Evangelista’s role on The Arrangement might prevent that. Fans have also been waiting to see what happened to Morales and his family (remember them?) after they left Rick’s group back in season 1 but promised to check in if they needed help. Then again, maybe it’s someone completely unexpected, like the Governor? Imagine a team-up between him and Negan!
One way or another, we’ll find out for sure when The Walking Dead returns to AMC tonight.
