The Walking Dead returns this Sunday following a hiatus that lasted over two months. Hungry for hints? We’ve seen the new episode and have a few spoiler-free teases to share about what’s ahead.
As the series does every year, The Walking Dead took an extended break in the middle of its current season. When we last saw Rick and company, Alexandria was falling to pieces and swarmed by walkers. Deanna fell victim to a member of the undead, Carol and Morgan were at odds, and Rick, Gabriel, Jessie and friends/family were trying to make an escape by cloaking themselves in walker guts. The episode ended with Sam turning to his mother and calling her by name multiple times as gory enemies stumbled by. Hey, kid… it’s best not to talk while walking amongst walkers!
Those who stuck around after the episode ended were treated to an extra scene in which Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl encounter a few of Negan’s men. It was the first time we heard Negan’s name uttered by a character, and as comic readers know, this scene tells us that utter mayhem is imminent.
That leads us to this Sunday’s new installment of The Walking Dead season 6. Here are a few hints about what you’ll see:
- The show returns to both of the mid-season finale’s cliffhangers right at the beginning of the new episode. There is no time jump, no sidebars, no self-contained storylines. In many ways, “No Way Out” is the second part of the story told in episode 8, “Start to Finish.”
- Did Sam’s call to his mother at the end of the mid-season finale in November bother you? It’s going to bother you more in episode 9.
- As if you didn’t have enough reasons to love Daryl, prepare to love him even more. He saves the day more than once in this episode.
- A new chapter for Alexandria is on the horizon. Rick sees new opportunities for his safe zone in light of what happens in “No Way Out.” It’s fair to say he thinks the best days are still ahead — just like Deanna was hoping in her final days.
- Things happen in this episode that will permanently change the show in ways we haven’t seen before. Sorry, I know that’s horribly unspecific.
In short, “No Way Out” kicks off the back-half of The Walking Dead season 6 on an exciting foot. One last hint: Make sure you watch this one live. Yes, cancel those Valentine’s Day plans! You won’t want to miss it.
The Walking Dead returns Sunday, February 14 at 9 p.m. eastern/pacific on AMC. Return to Hypable right after the episode airs for our thoughts on everything that goes down!
“Rick Grimes and his band of survivors discover a larger world beyond what they understood it to be,” reads a synopsis about the second half of season 6. “In this new reality, there are new dangers, new opportunities, and new complexities to face. To claim their place in this newfound landscape, the group must become the threat themselves, as terrifying as any of the adversaries they’ve encountered.”