With The Walking Dead still more than a month away from airing, we're getting a little antsy wondering how Rick & Co. are going to fare against Negan for the remainder of Season 7. We know that the good guys will rise up in an attempt to overthrow the bat-wielding tyrant's rule, but other than that details are slight. Now, AMC has unleashed a bunch of esoteric Walking Dead images that focus not on the characters, but seemingly random inanimate objects and other assorted oddities that no doubt all mean EVERYTHING.
Here are some of the most interesting images, and what they could mean for our favorite survivors when The Walking Dead returns. Potential spoilers follow.
An Empty Grave
Seeing a grave on The Walking Dead is almost never a good thing, considering how many people bite the dust on this show. But since we know that brighter days are ahead, it's easy to think that maybe this particular hole in the ground isn't meant for a person at all. Viewers know there are a pair of dummy graves in Alexandria where the Saviors think Abraham and Glenn are buried, so who's to say there won't be another one that the group starts using to hide weapons and supplies away from Negan? Or maybe it's one of the ones already there.
A Line of Shadows
Speaking of weapons, it's clear that these shadows belong to characters who are weaponized and ready to fight, but which characters are they? Considering Negan's shadow has played into the show's marketing before, it's easy to automatically consider that being the case. But I'm pretty convinced that one shadow at the top, second from the left, just has to be Rick. The stance is his, and even his signature revolver has a pristine outline. One would assume he's surrounded by allies like Daryl, Jesus, Ezekiel and others. And people don't often line up like that unless they're ready for a fight.
Lots of Ducks
Two of the new Walking Dead images were shots of peanuts and walnuts, respectively, which were perhaps callbacks to Abraham's final message to Negan. But more surreal is this image of plastic ducks lying about, some filthier than others. So dare we make the same kind of wordplay leap to infer that this represents either the protagonist group or the antagonist group as "a bunch of sitting ducks?" That would be amazing, even if it makes people groan. It's a legitimate clue if that's the case, since it indicates that whoever is being referred to is likely to be taken over.
A Mysterious Package
I'll admit right up top that this might not be a package per se, since it doesn't exactly look like one. But it's both taped onto that handle and then wrapped in twine. That container looks like it could be a tackle box or a toolbox, and both of those could likely come from Oceanside. Assuming anyone from Oceanside is roaming around, looking for Tara and/or anyone else. It could be whoever was following the Alexandrians in the midseason finale, which could be tied to Oceanside (or not). And that's not even starting the guesses about what might be inside.
A Messy Handprint
This is the first sign of blood...or is it mud... from the second half of Season 7, assuming it isn't really just chocolate syrup being used for some gross home movie that Carl and Enid are putting together. People don't usually put their hands all over their own walls, so this might be a stranger lurking inside an unsuspecting survivor's abode. Also, for a print to be that heavy and filled-in, the person would have to have their hand immersed in a pool of blood (or whatever), which definitely isn't good for someone who is currently filled to the brim with it.
Walkers and Rubble
I'm perhaps least certain of what this image is in reference to. It appears as if there was quite a bit of destruction in one of the locations, and that looks like it could be on The Hilltop's grounds. But, more likely, this will turn out to be an outpost beyond any of the safe havens' walls, since there are walkers seen milling about. (Perhaps that refuse is the same as what was seen in the open grave pic.) Walkers haven't played much of a role in Season 7 so far, with Negan taking over where threats come in. But...
A Bundle of Dynamite
There was something very interesting happening just beneath the surface of one of The Walking Dead's most incidental characters: Fat Joseph. Negan's henchman who seemed like the most level-headed of all the Saviors, Fat Joseph was massacred by Daryl in the season finale, which might have screwed everyone, as it was subtly teased that he was partly the reason why walkers weren't so present anymore, as he'd been using timed explosions to draw mass herds away from the communities. So what happens if he's not there anymore to run things? Perhaps someone else could do it, or perhaps all his efforts will go to shit. Bank on that second one.
The Walking Dead will return to audiences and AMC for the back half of Season 7 on Sunday, February 12, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Let us know what you guys think about all these bizarre visuals. To see when everything else is headed back to the small screen in the coming months, check out our midseason premiere schedule.
