‘The Walking Dead’ season 5: Tribute Jon Bernthal, Scott Wilson, Sarah Wayne Callies before premiere

Tonight, “The Walking Dead” returns for its fifth-season premiere over on AMC, but before we come to that, why not spend a few moments looking back at some of the great characters of old?

What we love about the new video (see below) the network released this weekend is that it really does make you feel heartsick and nostalgic for some of the characters who have already departed the show, ever since the start of the first season. Some of the most notable ones include Shane (Jon Bernthal), Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), Merle (Michael Rooker), Andrea (Laurie Holden), The Governor (David Morrissey), and Hershel (Scott Wilson).

The reality here is that by the end of the premiere, there may be at least one more name to add to this list. Given the situation that the characters are in right now at Terminus, it makes sense that someone would die. It’s not about killing someone because its been a while or anything else. Instead, it’s about doing something that actually feels earned and realistic to the story of the show and the circumstances of the character. It would be unrealistic in this instance for every character to survive, given where the majority of them are at right now.

We’re afraid of making any major prediction for tonight in case we are wrong, but it feels like the ones in the most danger are the ones like Bob, Sasha, or Rosita. They all have a purpose for the story, but the journey can continue without them on board. Killing someone like Glenn would be a shock, but we’re not sure if they want to go that far at this time.

If you missed it, you can watch the first four minutes of the season 4 premiere right now over at the link here. Also, sign up to gather some further TV updates on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo via AMC.)