The Walking Dead Season 8 Return Synopsis Released

[SPOILERS for those not caught up on The Walking Dead ahead.]

All Out War continues when The Walking Dead returns for its midseason premiere, according to the show's season 8 return synopsis. A certain character will also meet their agonizing demise in what is sure to be an emotional turn of events.

Season 8 of The Walking Dead kicked off with the Alexandrians and Saviors going toe-to-toe. The action packed first 8 episodes largely centered around an assault on the Saviors' compound that, of course, didn't quite go as expected. Meanwhile, Rick and Daryl came into conflict about how best to proceed with their plan to finish off Negan. At the Hilltop, Maggie found herself taking on more of a leadership role. The season's first half then climaxed with a jarring development. After a devastating assault on Alexandria by a very angry Negan, we learned that Carl had suffered a walker bite during a previous battle. That set up the second half of the season... and led to lots of predictable internet backlash.

AMC has now released the official synopsis for The Walking Dead Season 8's midseason return, along with some key art teasing "The Last Stand" (e.g. the conclusion to All Out War). And yes, Carl's fate does come up. You can check out the key art and read the extensive synopsis, below:

All out war has had a devastating impact on every person involved. The communities themselves are fractured. Alexandria has been destroyed, the Hilltop finds themselves pinned, and the Kingdom is shattered -- half of them dead, the other half controlled by the Saviors.

At the very center -- Rick, having been distracted by the conflict, has just returned home to learn that Carl, who heroically shepherded the Alexandrians to safety during Negan's attack, has been bitten by a walker. Once his sole motivation in this otherwise stark existence, Rick is forced to deal with this reality. Carl has always been a beacon of hope, a symbol for the remaining thread of humanity -- lessons that the survivors around him would be wise to take with them as this war surges onward.

But Rick isn't the only person who's living in peril. Aaron and Enid are in a dire situation at Oceanside -- unclear if they're in friendly territory, or if they've just made new enemies. Father Gabriel will do his part in attempting to smuggle Dr. Carson safely back to the Hilltop and a pregnant Maggie is wrestling with the many moral gray areas that come with leadership during war. In a standoff with the Saviors, she must decide how to proceed with the dozens of POW lives she's currently in control of, as well as new complications that come with being a leader.

In addition to the war, Negan continues to deal with struggles within his ranks as workers, traitors, and others' thirst for power cause conflict at the Sanctuary. Having gifted the Saviors a major victory, Eugene's loyalty is repeatedly tested as new obstacles present themselves.

As all-out-war consumes us, the line between good and evil continues to blur. People fighting for what they believe in. Everybody working together for something bigger -- to feel safe and have a world worth living in.

The synopsis doesn't officially confirm Carl's death, but that development has already received enough confirmation from the show's stars and producers alike. Then again, there's always a faint possibility that somehow Carl does survive and this whole thing has been one more elaborate bait-and-switch. Is it possible that, somehow, someway, Carl is the only one on earth totally immune to walker bites? There's also a crazy fan theory that claims a whisperer bit Carl and not a walker. Whisperers are humans who live among walkers by wearing their skin, so Carl's wound in that case would not prove fatal. Carl fans are holding out hope for just such a wild development.

In addition to addressing Carl's fate, the synopsis also teases things to come with other characters. There's Aaron and Enid at Oceanside (in case you forgot about them). There's also Father Gabriel's plan to smuggle Dr. Carson back to Hilltop to care for Maggie during her pregnancy. Speaking of Maggie, we'll find out how the dynamic changes at the Hilltop now that she has taken to shooting lippy prisoners. And then there's Eugene, who we last saw failing in his creative attempt to lure the walkers away from the Saviors' compound. How long will it take for Eugene to finally end his drawn-out redemption arc by turning on Negan?

MORE: Carol is Not Joining Fear The Walking Dead Crossover

The Walking Dead season 8 resumes Sunday, February 25 on AMC.

Source: AMC