The Walking Dead season 8: Why not get early Andrew Lincoln hype?

The Walking Dead season 7 finale is going to be airing on AMC Sunday night, but is it too early to start generating some buzz for a season 8? It’s hard to imagine so! Given the way the show films and some of the conventions that the actors take part in, this is really a show that runs year-round and generates all sorts of interesting discussion along the way.

Of course, trying to get anything specific about season 8 is going to be challenging right now, but Andrew Lincoln did say the following recently to the Los Angeles Times and it’s enough to start the wheels spinning in our brain:

“I’m more excited for season eight than I’ve ever been. I think it’s going to be big, but it’s also going to be terrifying … And I mean that from the very depths of my cynical soul.”

We do think that Lincoln means what he says given that there’s no reason for him to lie, and he also doesn’t have to hype the season up. It’s not like AMC is so desperate for viewers that they are going to start running around firing off orders left and right in order to convince people to watch the show. There’s no reason for them to do so! People will watch.

Our feeling about season 8 is that you’re shaking up the foundation of the show, and it’ll be interesting to see where the pieces land. Let’s say that Rick and the group defeats Negan. What happens then? The Sanctuary still exists, but does it fracture? Where do all the pieces fall into place? This is a time when we do have a wide array of different questions, but no real answers. The biggest thing to look forward to is the fact that there is not an extraordinary expectation that the show has to reach in the finale before season 8 rolls around. It’s not like last year, where there was this tremendous burden that was put on the show thanks to Negan’s impending arrival … and of course everything that went along with that.

Of course, this weekend we’re planning extensive coverage leading up to the finale, in between sneak peeks, reviews, and so much other good stuff when it comes to the show! If you want to check out everything that we’ve got online so far, all you need to do is head over to the link here. (Photo: AMC.)