Five Predictions for ‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 8×02

The Walking Dead has finally returned and it did so in grand fashion last Sunday night. Rick took the fight to Negan, and the All Out War has now begun.

The premiere, which was also The Walking Dead‘s 100th episode, ended in a bit of a cliffhanger. After Gregory revealed that he had aligned himself with Negan, the horde started busting through the gates of the Sanctuary. Gregory was dead to rights, but Gabriel chose to go back and save him. This might have cost the father his life as he’s no stuck in a trailer with Negan, completely surrounded by walkers.

Tonight’s episode, “The Damned,” will hopefully pick up exactly where the last left off, and we’ll find out the fate of a few of these characters.

As you prepare for the episode later tonight, here are five predictions to try and help you through the day.

Rick Takes a Victory

Rick caught Negan just a little off guard when he first arrived at Sanctuary in the premiere, but it could’ve gone better.

We all know that Rick won’t take another loss anytime soon, meaning this episode almost guarantees a victory.

He’s not going to get into the Sanctuary, or kill Negan in tonight’s edition, but look for Rick and his people to either tear through some of the satellite stations or find one of Negan’s most valuable assets. 

(Big thanks to Dwight for making any of Rick’s victories possible.)

Gabriel’s Fate Revealed

Gabriel is stuck in a trailer with Negan, a murderous villain to whom he’s already lied.

This is probably the worst thing that could happen to Gabriel here, but the outcome might not be all bad.

Many are thinking that Gabriel will die before he leaves that trailer, which is definitely a strong possibility. However, there are a couple of other outcomes that wouldn’t end in such a deadly fashion.

Gabriel could turn to Negan’s side, just as Eugene did, choosing his life over the others’. But, watching Gabriel’s story unfold over the past couple of seasons, that doesn’t seem likely. Negan could also just spare Gabriel in order to use him later.

Trouble for Ezekiel

During the early stages of All Out War in the comics, Ezekiel had a rough go of things.

The great king took his armies to a couple of the satellite stations where the Saviors lived and attacked with a little too much confidence. A few bad decisions led to a devastating loss for Ezekiel, as he got both Richard and Shiva killed.

As we’ve seen on the show, Ezekiel may be a little full of himself right now, and he’s due for a loss sooner rather than later.

Let’s hope it isn’t costly for Shiva or Carol.

Morgan Dies

Morgan has taken the path back toward his “clear” phase, and there may be no turning back. Rather than the collected and clear-headed Morgan that we’ve gotten used to, the wild and vicious Morgan has come around.

This is a war that Rick and his people are going to see through to the end, and that means people are going to die.

Since his story has come full circle, Morgan’s time might be running out.

Bod Prediction: A Character Returns

The cast and creators of The Walking Dead have been teasing that this season would be full of surprises, and that fans would have no idea what was coming next.

Let’s take that a step further and predict that an old character, that hasn’t been seen for a while, will reappear this episode.

This might come in the form of a vision, like Morgan seeing Duane before he dies. Or, it could be a character from old actually returning to the story. Someone like Morales or Heath popping back up would be incredibly exciting.