‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 8×13 Preview Released

AMC has released the preview for The Walking Dead 8×13, “Do Not Send Us Astray.”

Per the official synopsis:

“Trouble arises when unexpected visitors arrive at the Hilltop and the community is thrust into action; heartbreaking discoveries are made.”

8×12, “The Key,” sees Negan and the Saviors act on their vile plan to wage biological warfare with sickly zombie guts in an effort to thwart the ongoing revolution lead by Rick Grimes.

An army of Saviors, wielding knives, blades, axes and other weapons caked in zombie guts, head out for the Hilltop when they’re intercepted by one-man-army Rick Grimes.

Rick isolates Negan’s Charger, running him down and forcing a crash. With Negan cut off from backup and unarmed, Rick opens fire.

He narrowly misses a swing from Lucille, swapping out automatic fire for his handy Colt Python. Out of bullets, Rick launches his hatchet in Negan’s direction — eventually forcing the villain to crash into the unsteady floor below.

Elsewhere, Maggie, Michonne, Rosita and Enid set out to investigate a mysterious note left by a woman who comes to introduce herself as Georgie.

“If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records,” the note reads, “I will gladly exchange it for a key to your future.”

The women are suspicious — even more so when Georgie explains her interest in trading goods for “knowledge.”

“I come bearing knowledge to trade,” Georgie says, unfazed by the four guns staring her down. “Essential knowledge for the future.”

Rick hunts a Negan, who by now has just about used up all of his nine lives.

“This is where you die,” Rick tells him. “In the dark. All alone.”

Negan calls back from the shadows.

“What the hell is your problem, Rick? I know you’re working through some shit, the worst kind of shit, I know, but if you aren’t the most stubborn know-it-all prick I’ve ever crossed dicks with,” he yells.

“Why didn’t you just let me save you, Rick? I’m good at it. I saved everybody at the Sanctuary, the outposts, Hilltop, Kingdom, I saved them all. Their kids grow up safe. They didn’t lose one after we took over. All those people were doing just fine before Rick Grimes!”

“You not only failed your boy, you failed your people, Rick,” Negan taunts. “All that wasted potential. But there is still hope for you. A one-time deal that I will make in memory of your badass son — someone I actually respected.”

Rick will be forgiven and put on janitorial duty, Negan says, if he gets Alexandria, Hilltop and the Kingdom to fall back in line.

“Why would I trust any deal offered to me after what you did to Jadis’ people?” Rick asks, referring to their slaughter at Simons’ orders.

“The hell are you talking about?”

“The Scavengers. You killed them. All of them,” Rick says. “A whole community just wiped out. Is that how you save people?”

It’s news to him.

“Son of a bitch.”

“Still just me and you,” Rick tells him. “See, it’s times like this you realize who your true friends are. No one’s coming for you.”

Rick smiles to himself. Shit, this is delicious. He lifts a blood-covered Lucille.

While Simon tries to float the idea of simply “moving on” to a wary Dwight, Maggie agrees to the deal with Georgie despite a standoffish Enid. Hilltop is rewarded with a “key to the future” in the form of life-changing plans.

Back in the city, Rick menaces Negan. His way of things, “saving” people, was “never gonna last,” Rick says.

“Sooner or later, you were gonna meet someone like me. You can’t save me. Or my people. Or even yours. You can’t save anyone, because you don’t care about anyone. You use people. To bring you food, or to sleep with you, to protect you. The only thing you care about is this bat. You can’t even save that. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you kiss her goodbye.”

Negan has had enough. “Don’t you touch her!”

Fwoosh. Lucille goes up in flames.

“Come get her.”

Rick uses the flaming Lucille to bust down a door marked “eaters,” unleashing a flood of zombies. Rick and Negan do battle, lit only by burning baseball bat, the two eventually parted by the pack of flesh-hungry walkers and Negan escapes — only to be captured by a gun-toting and revenge-seeking Jadis.

The Walking Dead 8×13, “Do Not Send Us Astray,” airs Sunday, March 25 on AMC.