‘The Walking Dead’ season 6 spoilers: Are Negan hopes dashed … for now?

If you’ve read CarterMatt much over the past several weeks, then you already likely know one thing about us: We’re rather big supporters of the Negan character coming on “The Walking Dead.” (Minor comic spoilers ahead.) Of course, we’re not major supporters of Negan himself. He’s a terrible human being, and responsible for some of the most awful stuff that has ever been done to our survivors. However, he’s such a strong presence, and if the show is looking to bring aboard great villains, he has to be near the top of the list.

So during the finale Sunday night, there was an oblivious part of us hoping that we would see Negan emerge in the closing seconds, swearing up a storm. Instead, we had the return of Morgan. That’s was a welcome storyline, but we already knew that he was out there and potentially on the road to reconnecting with his old pal Rick again.

We hoped that Negan would be a surprise reveal during “Talking Dead,” or that there would be a casting revealed similar to what happened a few seasons back with the introduction of Michonne to the series. No dice, but we were happy to see Lennie James sitting down for a chat with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride.

Now, we’re starting to feel with a certain degree of confidence that he will not be in the first eight episodes of season 6 at all. Chris Hardwick read a letter from showrunner Scott M. Gimple last night (see that over here), and one of the key things teased in there is that in the immediate future, the biggest danger facing the survivors are not humans. Last time we checked, Negan’s a living, breathing person and not a walker.

So are we going to be disappointed if we see eight episodes with just walkers on the show? Probably, but don’t shudder to much at the thought of Gimple and company Lady Stonehearting this situation (yep, just turned that into a verb). We do think the character will turn up eventually. It’s just a question of when, and getting the right awesome actor for that part.

We’ve got a whole heap of coverage of the big “Walking Dead” finale, including a review for it, over at the link here. Check it out! Also, sign up to snag some other TV scoop on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: AMC.)