the walking dead

It’s a classic conundrum for serialized shows with child actors; younger characters invariably grow older than the story would suggest. The Walking Dead star Chandler Riggs has naturally aged seven years from its 2010 beginnings (compared with a relatively condensed timeline for the show), but even creator Robert Kirkman isn’t certain how old the character is in comics; let alone TV.

The Walking Dead hasn’t had much time for the major Saviors in its first two 2017 episodes, but that all changes with next Sunday’s “Hostiles and Calamities.” Not only are Dwight and the others finally catching up with Daryl’s escape, but Negan and his newest hostage are officially inbound.

Let’s be honest: even the most diehard of Walking Dead fans would admit to tough going through the first half of Season 7, between all its brutality, and unease with seeing Rick so utterly broken. We’ve heard Andrew Lincoln promising a brighter future ahead, though the actor now acknowledges some fan frustration, promising “this season made a lot more sense once we got the last roll of film in the can.”

The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln promised a much more satisfying back half to Season 7 than those punishing first eight installments, but is any hope to be found in the latest cache of cryptic photos? Get a taste of the plan to fight back (and possibly go a little mad) trying to decipher all the clues for our 2017 return!

It’s been an exceptionally punishing year for fans of The Walking Dead, who first endured the cop-out of Negan’s entrance, a summer spent waiting, and about eight episodes since of misery under The Saviors’ reign. Rick will finally fight back when Season 7 returns in February, and Andrew Lincoln insists “There’s a lot more levity, if you can believe that.”

Considering Game of Thrones began its 2016 run with one of the series’ biggest reveals to date, and closed out the final 10-episode season with a hearty tease for summer 2017, is it any wonder the series continues to dominate the year’s most pirated TV? See what else made the list, including your next HBO obsession, and surprising entry from the comic world.

The Walking Dead isn’t generally known for post-credits scenes (few shows place them literally after the credits anyway), so you’d be forgiven to have missed the midseason finale “Hearts Still Beating” stinger. Come, join our wild speculation about those mysterious boots with a closer look at AMC’s official debut of the scene online.

It’s safe to say that the addition of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan to The Walking Dead has been a controversial one; strong actor, but in a role weighing on viewers. Morgan has time yet to flesh out Negan’s nuances, confirming not only his return for Season 8, but also explaining some of the mysterious leaks that cropped up around his entrance.

It’s no secret that Seasons 6 and 7 of The Walking Dead have proven more divisive than usual, between the buildup to Negan’s arrival, the months-long wait to identify his victim(s), and subsequent brutality. Season 7 hasn’t felt the same since, and according to ratings data, enough viewers have subsequently tuned out to reach a multi-season low.

We live in an age of fan-theories, where Westworld twists might be unlocked on Reddit after one episode, though as The Walking Dead proved with #DumpsterGate last year, it isn’t always worth the wait. Some clever fans have observed at least one background detail that might put this past Sunday’s “Service” into perspective, however, and tease Rick’s plan to strike back.

If we suspend belief for a second, even more so than you must to watch zombies eat people, there's a possibility that the two shows crossover.

The Walking Dead broke with its usual habit of super-sized premieres, going only six or so minutes past the hour for Season 7 return “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.” We may yet get our 90-minute episode after all, however, as an upcoming hour featuring one of Negan’s biggest moments has been extended to 85 minutes.

The Walking Dead tried to have its cake and eat it by Sunday’s Season 7 premiere cashing out not one, but two series regulars; one in line with the comic, one intended to throw us off. Now, creator Robert Kirkman explains why AMC’s Walking Dead opted to follow the comic so closely, noting that too much story was lost otherwise.

Whether or not The Walking Dead justified its Season 7 guessing game by the reveal of Negan’s victim(s!) this past Sunday, few would argue the sequence itself reached a disgusting new height of gore effects, practical and otherwise. See for yourself, as new behind-the-scenes shots reveal some eye-popping makeup you’ll want to see before lunch.

There’s been a bit of back-and-forth surrounding Negan’s victims from last night’s Walking Dead premiere, as some suggested they’d yet to choose the big death before this summer, while cast have claimed to know even longer. Now that the truth is finally splattered out in the open, showrunner Scott M. Gimple and creator Robert Kirkman say the doomed pair was chosen years in advance.

The Walking Dead has the unique problem of promoting Season 7 without eliminating any cast from Negan’s potential victim pool, but at least two were pretty easily crossed off the list. A new clip from Season 7 fresh out of NYCC sees Rick and Negan in a deadly post-Lucille staredown, but is Rick about to wind up with a major injury of his own?

Whether or not The Walking Dead turns into a 50-year franchise like Star Trek, the AMC series will inevitably either conclude before, or extend beyond Robert Kirkman’s comic source material. Whenever we get to that point, Kirkman at least confirms the two mediums will craft different endings, so as not to spoil one another.

There’s no turning back for The Walking Dead Season 7, especially with just over a month before Negan’s victim finally steps (or kneels) forward. Kicking off the final countdown is some stylish new Negan key art, along with a Kingdom-centric new promo to establish the enigmatic Ezekiel, and his fearsome companion.

The Walking Dead didn’t afford us much time to get to know Jeffrey Dean Morgan‘’s Negan outside of of the character’s first comic appearance, but if Season 7 is any indication, the foul-mouthed sociopath is as unsubtle as ever. A new interview sees Morgan discussing his character’s relationship to trademark weapon Lucille, and … well, “It’s his d—.”

We’ve over a month before The Walking Dead finally pulls back the curtain on Season 7 (and Negan’s victim), but AMC isn’t about to make that wait any easier. The latest promo for Season 7 once again keeps the focus on Negan himself, even showing off a bit more of his home.