‘Talking Dead’ spoilers: Khary Payton, Chloe Bennet, Dana Gould join Chris Hardwick

Last week’s “Talking Dead” was a little bit of an experiment for the show. In what was a particularly morbid move we saw the Chris Hardwick aftershow broadcast from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where the cast and crew said farewell officially to two “Walking Dead” series regulars in Steven Yeun (Glenn) and Michael Cudlitz (Abraham). While losing one of them wouldn’t have been much of a shock, losing the two of them was one of the biggest gut-punches the show’s given us in some time.

Moving into tonight’s new episode, we’re getting the sense that the show must go on! We’re back in the normal studio, and we’re focusing on new guests who weren’t there for the celebration last week.

Khary Payton – This just makes sense. Payton is the man responsible for playing Ezekiel, the leader of the Kingdom and someone who will have a huge role to play in the story in the immediate future. Given that tonight’s episode could very well be all about him alongside Morgan and Carol, we’re not surprised by his selection in the slightest.

Dana Gould – The comedian has appeared on the show before years back, and he should offer up some levity to the occasion alongside Hardwick. We don’t want “Talking Dead” to be silly, but some lighter moments here and there are always welcome.

Chloe Bennet – This should be fun! Bennet’s best known for playing Daisy Johnson on “Agents of SHIELD,” so we’ll appreciate getting to see her take on another big comic-book franchise.

Almost regardless of what happens on tonight’s “Walking Dead,” we at least think we’re in for a lighter night than what we had last week. That’s at least something to look forward to if you found last week’s premiere extravaganza either too violent or depressing.