The Walking Dead season 8: FIRST LOOK teases new base amid huge tragedy for Rick Grimes
THE WALKING DEAD season 8 left off with a horrifying mid-season finale that saw Carl Grimes bitten by a zombie, and now a first look banner hints at huge changes for the characters for the last half.
Is Carl Grimes 'BITTEN' by zombie in Walking Dead?
The Walking Dead’s eighth episode did the unthinkable and allowed youngster Carl (played by Chandler Riggs) to get bitten by a Walker, leaving a very uncertain future for a grief-stricken Rick (Andrew Lincoln).
To make matters worse, producers continued to make good on their promise of an All Out War storyline when evil villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) blew up the entire Alexandria camp.
Now, a new banner for the AMC network’s hit show depicts fan-favourites Rick, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reeds) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) standing atop what appears to be a scrap yard.
A sweeping caption drapes across the image that reads: “The Last Stand,” and the trio are poised for a fight with their trusty crossbow, ax and katana in hand.
Walking Dead: New pictures tease the Alexandrians' new base amid a huge tragedy
Walking Dead: Daryl, Rick and Michonne all stand ready for action in the new banner
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The location of Carl's bite mark is in the same area where he was shot by Otis
What’s more intriguing, is the hints of a potential new base for the remaining characters, as they’re surrounded by wooden crates, tyres, and the typical hordes of zombies clawing for human flesh.
With a raging fire and billowing smoke in the distance behind them, it seems that either the group are heading for a new place altogether or they might be about to take over the Scavengers’ Junkyard, led by Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh).
Rick’s expression in the new image is one of carnal rage, presumably following the death of his beloved son.
While actor Chandler has spoken out about his upcoming exit, as has former showrunner Scott Gimple, one fan theory claims that Carl might not actually be headed for death after all.
Sneak peek at The Walking Dead season 8 episode 9
Fans will remember that the teenager was shot in the stomach during season two following a hunt for Carol Peletier’s (Melissa McBride) daughter Sophia (Madison Lintz) in the woods.
Carl was approaching a deer in the woods when he was accidentally hit by Otis’s (Pruitt Taylor Vince) gun, leaving a deep wound and subsequent scar tissue.
However, one inquisitive Reddit viewer claimed that this actually might help Carl to survive his devastating zombie bite in the midseason finale.
They wrote: “The location of Carl's bite mark is in the same area where he was shot by Otis.
The Walking Dead: Carl Grimes is due to be written out of the show after the next episode
"Where Hershel did surgery to remove bullet fragments, back in Season 2 Episode 2, Bloodletting."
Another user, johnnyFyeah, added to the thread: ”Maybe the scar tissue will stop the infection from spreading.”
The sudden turn of events would shock viewers as it looked certain that Carl would be the latest victim of the Walking Dead universe, and given the character’s prominence in Robert Kirkman’s comics it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on February 25 in the US and will air in the UK a day later on FOX UK.