The seventh season of The Walking Dead was all about building up to a war between the villainous Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the community he leads, called The Saviors, and every other community Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his people could recruit to go into battle against them. Even viewers who haven't read the comics and don't know there's a story arc called "All-Out War" could see that was going on – it's the only thing that could happen after the events of that traumatic season premiere.
Season 7 did build up to a confrontation with Negan and the Saviors, but it wasn't one you would call an "All-Out War". It was kind of low-key. That was just the first battle, though. The fight continues into season 8, and the official synopsis released by AMC gives us a preview of what will be going on when The Walking Dead returns to the air:
Last season, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors were confronted with their deadliest challenge yet. With the comfort of Alexandria, they let their guard down, only to be reminded how brutal the world they live in can be.
Feeling powerless under Negan’s rules and demands, Rick advocated the group play along. But seeing that Negan couldn’t be reasoned with, Rick began rallying together other communities affected by the Saviors. And with the support of the Hilltop and Kingdom, they finally have enough fire power to contest the Saviors.
This season, Rick brings “All Out War” to Negan and his forces. The Saviors are larger, better-equipped, and ruthless — but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future. The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive.
Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it’s not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. So that they can rebuild. As with any battle, there will be losses. Casualties. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom — Negan and the Saviors’ grip on this world may finally be coming to an end.
Regular viewers may be concerned that the show is going to take its time getting to another skirmish, but showrunner Scott M. Gimple has implied that the season will be getting to the action early on, even saying that we won't be reaching a "quieter episode" until five episodes in. I really hope this season will be as action-packed as he's promising. This is a war, after all.
The Walking Dead season 8 will begin airing on AMC on Sunday, October 22nd.
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