The Walking Dead returns tonight for its much anticipated eighth season. Not only that, but the premiere also marks the zombie drama’s 100th episode. It has a lot to live up to, then, but will it hit the spot? Thankfully, early reviews have been kind, with your very own We Got This Covered calling the premiere “super entertaining television.”
What about the rest of the season, though? While chatting with ComicBook.com, Rick Grimes himself, Andrew Lincoln, was on hand to preview the new run, labeling it as the “biggest” so far and a total “thrill ride.”
“It’s the biggest by far is all I’m saying. We are a throwing everything… Everything is going into this one, my friend. It’s a thrill ride. This is such a thrill ride.”
Turning to what it’s been like behind-the-scenes this year, Lincoln likened the huge undertaking of bringing The Walking Dead to life to the “All Out War” storyline that’s playing out on screen. He also took the time to tip his (sheriff’s) hat to the show’s crew.
“I think this is a very exciting and challenging season. It’s been very nice. It’s so very much like a war. Just the logistics of it, the scale of it, the ambition of it, the content, the action… All of these qualities have felt like… And I just want to pay my enormous respects to the crew, who it’s been enormously challenging and emotionally and physically demanding season, and these guys are the glue that keeps this show together moving forward. I think that this is one of, for me, of my journey, one of the most exciting, challenging, emotionally complicated seasons for a long time.”
Finally, the actor made clear that he’s just as excited about working on The Walking Dead as he’s always been, citing the “serious work” that he’s got to sink his teeth into this year as a reason for why he came to set excited in the mornings.
“I’ve been driving to work with butterflies because I’ve got to do some serious work and that’s always exciting and nerve-racking in equal parts. To have eight years of a show and still feel like that is a testament to the quality of the story and the care and passion of the people making it.”
These are definitely some strong words from Lincoln. Let’s just hope the season lives up to the hype he’s given it and marks a return to form for the show.
Catch The Walking Dead‘s season 8 premiere, “Mercy,” when it lands on AMC tonight.
