The Walking Dead actor Chandler Riggs has been talking up the brutality of the show's forthcoming eighth season. The last viewers saw of Rick Grimes and his merry band of zombie apocalypse survivors, an alliance had been forged between the residents of Rick's Alexandria, Ezekiel's Kingdom and The Hilltop, now led by Maggie Greene, all in an effort to take down the villainous Negan and his group of Saviors.
Although The Walking Dead remains one of the most lucrative entities on the small screen, critic and fan reaction to the most recent run of episodes was perhaps one of the more divisive in the show's history. Comic book fans had been waiting with bated breath for the arrival of Negan but the TV incarnation of the baddie didn't quite generate the same buzz as his printed counterpart. Additionally, The Walking Dead's season 7 finale posted a drop in viewership compared to last year and a frequently recurring criticism was that a lack of action at various junctures hindered the season's momentum.
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According to Riggs, aka. Carl Grimes himself, season 8's "All Out War "storyline will undoubtedly deliver in terms of action, spectacle and dramatic character deaths. Speaking with Triple J, Riggs claimed:
“Season 7 was all about building up and getting everyone ready to fight against Negan, and this season there’s going to be lots of explosions, lots of killing, a lot more Negan. Yeah, lots of fighting, lots of cool stuff...We’ve had a few characters this season who I feel so bad for, because they’re coming in in the midst of all the war and the craziness with the explosions and everything."
The overriding suggestion from Riggs is that those viewers who felt The Walking Dead season 7 was lacking in some aspects will enjoy a sizeable payoff when the zombie drama returns later this year. Interestingly, Riggs isn't the first to suggest that The Walking Dead season 8 will be the final outing for a number of cast members - but the actor's promise of "a lot more Negan" does somewhat contradict the words of executive producer Greg Nicotero, who assured fans that season 8 would take the main focus away from Negan and place it back onto lead protagonist, Rick.
The Walking Dead season 8 is going to be a bloodbath, that much is clear. However, in the comic series, it's perhaps fair to say that the most shocking and impactful deaths occurred in the build-up to the war, rather than the conflict itself. It will be interesting to see whether the television adaptation follows the same path or whether some screen-only creations such as Carol or Daryl will be exiting stage left before long.
NEXT: The Walking Dead Season 8 Getting Hour-Long Preview
The Walking Dead season 8 premieres October 22nd on AMC.
Source: Triple J