We’re a little over two months away from the season 8 premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead. While the return of the hit show is always exciting and highly anticipated, this time around, the season premiere will mark the show’s 100th episode. To put things into perspective, The Walking Dead started in 2010 when Chandler Riggs, who plays Carl, was just ten years old. The 100th episode milestone has not been lost on the cast, and they recently filmed a video reflecting on their journey on the show thus far, and of course thanking fans for the support over the years.
The video features everyone from Andrew Lincoln (Rick); to Tom Payne (Jesus); to Steven Ogg (Simon). They all speak to what a great ride it’s been being on the show. “My knees hurt,” jokes Lincoln. “I’ve gone gray.”
Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie reflects on a deeper level about what the show has been like for her, saying, “I feel like I’ve lived lifetimes in just six seasons of a television show, which says to me it’s not just a television show.”
The video then moves through clips of packed conventions, screaming panels, and incredible cosplay of walkers and characters like Negan. It not only shows how dedicated and excited the community is, but it also showcases how The Walking Dead has become a phenomenon.
In the video, we also hear about how some things have changed on the show in terms of storylines. Tara (Alanna Masterson), for example, was only supposed to be around for three episodes; and Melissa McBride says she thought Carol wouldn’t make it to the end of season one.
Fans are expecting an explosive first episode of season 8. At the end of last season, Rick finally got his fighting spirit back, and the three communities- Alexandria, The Hilltop, and The Kingdom- came together against Negan and his Saviors. Since Negan and his right-hand, Simon, escaped the battle unharmed, there’s a lot at stake (and a lot to look forward to) when the show returns.
Season 8 of The Walking Dead will premiere on October 22. Watch the “Thank You” video below, and stay up to date on all Walking Dead news at The Nerd Stash!
Tori is a writer and gamer originally from Vault 111, but now she resides in Chicago. She has an MFA in creative writing-fiction, runs primarily on coffee, and is an expert on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Follow her on Twitter @torithatnerd.
