The Orange Backpack Comes Full Circle On ‘The Walking Dead’

The Walking Dead‘s props department dug deep into their closet for one specific item to have a full circle moment in Episode 100.

The orange backpack seen on a hitchhiker in the show’s third season made an appearance, residing at the gas station where Avi Nash’s mysterious new character was introduced.

At the time of the orange backpack’s first appearance, Rick and Carl were willing to leave anyone behind in favor of their own survival. When it came to the hitchhiker in Episode 3×12 (Clear), they did just that. A man was seen walking on the side of the road and needed any help he could get. Rick, however, was quick to drive right past the man.

Later in the same episode, Rick passed the man’s body on the side of the road with blood spilled around it.

In Sunday night’s Mercy episode, the first of Season 8, the same backpack was seen but the outcome surrounding it was different. While Rick was eager to chase of the man begging him help “the traveler,” Carl had something more optimistic in mind. He left two cans of food and a note reading, “Sorry,” for the man to discover later.

Most importantly, the man was still alive.

The return of the orange backpack was a moment complete opposite of its first appearance. Rather than implying the grim fate most people in the world of The Walking Dead suffer, the resurfacing hinted towards a more optimistic and civilized future for the survivors. The orange backpack came full circle.

“There’s going to be some moments that people who have watched the show from the beginning will see and be like, ‘Oh, okay. I see what they’re doing here,’” Episode 100 director Greg Nicotero said. “By paying tribute to specific moments over the last seven years. But, you know, we’re always cautious about that because you don’t want to take people out of it. There are probably two or three sequences in the first episode that I was particularly excited about doing, that people will instantly recognize it.”

The moment was one of many which hinted or outright referenced iconic details for the 99 episodes which came before the Season 8 premiere, including the return of the “Little Girl” walker from the first scene of the first episode. For a breakdown of the Easter eggs and timelines in The Walking Dead Episode 8×01, check out ComicBook.com’s Recap to the Rescue video at the top of the page!

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.