Perhaps the most shocking exit in The Walking Dead‘s nine year history is still to come, as Andrew Lincoln will depart the show during the first half of season 9. While other heavy hitters have come and gone over the years, Rick Grimes has always stuck around as the show’s anchor, but that’ll all change pretty soon.
Of course, the TWD cast have grown extremely close and we’ve heard on a few occasions now how sad it was for them to say goodbye to Lincoln, especially those who’ve been working with him for the longest time. But it seems he won’t be the only one to be waving farewell to the gang, as this new clip from the season premiere has revealed that another death is set to occur.
Though it’s not terribly long, we see Daryl at the Sanctuary and being greeted by Eugene, who tells him of a few things that require his attention. He’s not in the mood to be helping out, though, as he says “We just lost someone,” implying that somebody has died. Who it could be is unknown, but given that no one here looks terribly heartbroken, we imagine it’s only a minor character who’s bit the bullet.
Still, make no mistake about it, dark times lie ahead. Aside from the fact that Rick’s very likely going to be killed off, we should also remind you that AMC’s aiming for another “decade plus” of The Walking Dead, a fact that indicates that whatever happiness and security these folks have painstakingly assembled is inevitably going to be brutally smashed at some point pretty soon.
After a slightly shaky eighth season that saw ratings fall, the network will be hoping that this new run can bring back viewers who might’ve departed for pastures anew. And if this brief look into what’s to come proves anything, it’s that The Walking Dead is set for a pretty exciting season.
