From low-key horror adaptation to one of the biggest shows on television, The Walking Dead‘s rise to superstardom has been nothing short of remarkable.
Now on the verge of its eighth season, AMC’s flagship is also approaching a very special milestone in its decorated run: the fabled 100th episode. As things stand, the so-far untitled season 8 premiere is set to go down as The Walking Dead‘s historic century, and at least according to series showrunner Scott Gimple, it’ll set in motion a chain of nail-biting events that will leave viewers rooted to the edge of their seats for weeks to come. Eek!
While speaking to Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick as part of a Season 8 preview special, Gimple outlined how The Walking Dead‘s next instalment plans to grip fans from the off.
It sets into motion, with emotion, the next 100 episodes. It’s the fuse that lights, though the episode, and by the end it explodes and starts the season going. After the first episode, the next three episodes are just break-neck speed and full of action. I think, probably, the most consecutive action-oriented episodes we’ve had on the show. Then, things get a little acoustic.
On a more general note, the all-around Walking Dead mainstay has also promised some “really satisfying” pairings between the show’s leading players, all the while debunking that popular fan theory that claimed Rick Grimes had initially slipped into a coma; as opposed to, you know, spearheading a group of survivors through the zombie apocalypse.
And one actor who has been there from the very beginning is Lennie James (Morgan), who also looked toward next month’s 100th episode.
I’m staggered that I was in the first episode and I’m in 100, really. I think, as I said to someone the other, I’m very much aware that I’m in the 100th episode because of the way fans reacted to the first episode. I’m pretty convinced that I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for the noise that they made.
The Walking Dead season 8 heralds all-out war on October 22nd.