What To Expect From The Walking Dead’s Season Four Premiere

It’s going to be zombies, guts, and gore galore when The Walking Dead finally returns to AMC for the season four premiere. We most recently got a look into what we can expect from the episode by way of a 30-second clip that debuted during the series finale of Breaking Bad. Even though plenty of folks are still mourning the death of that much loved, universally acclaimed show, at least we all have The Walking Dead to look forward to this coming Sunday, right? Right.

According to actor Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon, we can expect a lot of changes and, as a result, intensity going into the fourth season. And just in case you haven’t caught up with the show yet, be aware that there are a lot of spoilers ahead. Got it? OK, moving on. Reedus pointed to the fact that with four of the main characters killed off by the end of last season—including Sarah Wayne Callies’ Lori and Laurie Holden’s Andrea—there’s been an adjustment phase for the actors and the still-living original characters they portray.

For one, there’s the fact that the prison they’re now residing in as some 50 new occupants and, to Reedus, it’s been odd getting used to ordering around “newbies.” But he said that the writing is so sharp that it builds on that tension between the O.G.’s and newcomers while you learn about where all these characters came from. This has also led to fewer interactions between the original characters, which Reedus said has also been strange. But this is how we see it: The Walking Dead creators are likely trying to build up the show and its narrative for the long haul, which means that the need for new blood—for viewers and zombies alike—was a great one.

Also, that unfamiliarity amongst the cast members has brought back much of the fear in the first season. As Reedus told EW, “I like the fear in season 1, and I think the fear is back in season 4, which is awesome to see people afraid again.” He continued: “That’s really the dynamic that we’re playing with this whole season so far.” Could this mean that some of the folks who weren’t as keen toward the end of the third season might be back on board? We’ll have to wait and see. All we know is that these new elements, from the players involved to the potentially brutal fight scenes within the prison walls, has us very excited.

It’s been incredible to watch how the popularity of The Walking Dead has grown since it launched back in 2010. If you haven’t watched it yourself, we’re willing to bet you’ve heard/seen at least a few of your friends talking about it at the bar or online. And everything from like-minded TV shows and movies have been created to some interesting pieces of memorabilia that takes fans beyond the normal experience. That includes Australian gaming company Aristocrats’ newly released The Walking Dead-themed slot machine. It’ll be interesting to see if other companies follow suit and if, for example, online casino Betfair adopts a zombie-related game of its own. Given the range of comic, TV, and film-themed games (from Ghostrider to Baywatch) available on there, we wouldn’t be surprised if the zombies from The Walking Dead inhabited that site, too.

You can watch a clip from the season four premiere below. Be sure to tune in to AMC on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. EST.