Five Things The Walking Dead Season 8 Premiere Has To Have

100 episodes.

Such a milestone has been reached by so few shows on cable, that any which have accomplished the feat are instantly recognizable by their title alone. For example: The Simpsons, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Lost, Law & Order.

Joining the 100 episode club this fall will be AMC‘s The Walking Dead.

The Season 8 premiere of the AMC series will mark an epic milestone for the zombie drama which kicked off in 2010. To top it all off, the episode arrives with a full head of steam to propel its storyline and possibly make it one of the greatest episodes of the series.

The Walking Dead left off with a major victory. Rick’s group had their backs against the wall in the Season 7 finale. It looked as though Negan were going to have his way with the beloved survivors, once again. Then, the neighboring communities finally rallied around Alexandria to force Negan and his Saviors right out of town. Beside him? Jadis and her Scavengers who had just betrayed Rick in favor of the villain.

With Episode 8×01 on the way, there are certain things fans of The Walking Dead want to see when the AMC series returns on Sunday nights this October. Some of these elements have the capability of taking the 100th overall episode from being an exciting launching point of the next 100 episodes to something especially unforgettable.

A Death

The Walking Dead bookended its seventh season with deaths of beloved characters.

Season 7 began with the sendoff of Abraham and Glenn in the brutal murder at the hands of Negan and his “Lucille” baseball bat. Then, the Season 7 finale took Sasha from us as she emerged from a coffin as a suicidal zombie.

With so many characters having fallen in Season 7, fans are unprepared to lose another major player, despite all of the “good guys” surviving the finale’s Alexandria battle. To change things up, though, maybe it is time to kill one of the “bad guys.” The only member of Negan’s Saviors who was a recognizable face and also a casualty of the march to war was Fat Joey. If Simon, Dwight, Arat, or another key member of the Saviors are to bow out in Episode 100, Rick’s rally against the oppressor will have a true sign of hope to kick things off.

This Moment

The Walking Dead comics saw the All Out War storyline become one of the most epic in its entire run. This is in part because of the epic ensemble moments which brought the massive roster of characters together for rallies against the Saviors. 

One moment in particular stands out.

The first time Rick leads a charge on the Negan’s Sanctuary offers an epic page covered with the one-handed leader standing beside Ezekiel and the members of the Hilltop, Kingdom, and Alexandria communities. His gun is fired in the air and he declares war on the Saviors.

Such a moment would be an unforgettable shot. The though of Andrew Lincoln standing beside the likes of Khary Payton, Melissa McBride, Tom Payne, Ross Marquand, Lennie James, and more of the beloved cast members to create the epic moment should get even the smallest fans extremely excited.

A Battle

The above moment can’t exist without a battle ensuing.

As the story goes in The Walking Dead comics, Gregory emerges from the Sanctuary to tell Rick’s group that the Hilltop stands with the Saviors. After only a few men leave the army, Negan is infuriated and a battle ensues. 

While the outcome of this battle has already been realized in offering Sasha the fate of her comic book counterpart well ahead of schedule, the battle needs to take place, nonetheless. In fact, it makes the moments more interesting for hardcore fans who are often able to predict what will happen on the AMC series based on their knowledge of Robert Kirkman’s source material. 

Zombies

The undead have not been incredibly threatening on The Walking Dead recently. 

The Sasha walker almost sinking her teeth into Negan was one of the more high stakes moments the reanimated have offered on the show in recent years, though no one really expected her to kill the villain so easily. 

With the show being in need of a reminder that danger lurks around every corner regardless of how well equipped to take them on the survivors are at this point, The Walking Dead has the opportunity to remind viewers and characters how threatening and ever-present the walkers are. Don’t forget, the Sanctuary is lined with metal-headed walkers, now. If a battle is going to ensue on Negan’s doorstep as it did in the comics, this is the time for Eugene’s creations to become a factor.

Pacing

Season 7 was largely criticized week in and week out for its pacing. One week would focus on Daryl in a cell, another on Tara exploring an entire new community, and the next sees Dwight go on an adventure to find his ex-wife. The content delivered in Season 7 was some of The Walking Dead‘s best but many fans were frustrated by the spacing of its story telling and lack of inclusion for certain characters week in and week out.

The Season 8 premiere has an opportunity to deliver moments with each of the fan favorite characters, mixed with epic action sequences but also exchanges between leaders, political conversations, and relationship building interactions. 

In fact, the pacing of Episode 100 might be the most important factor of all. If the Season 8 premiere delivers an episode which is interesting, compelling, and intense from start to finish, the fans who were questioning what to do with their Sunday nights by the end of Season 7 will likely be back to stay.

More Walking Dead

MORE WALKING DEAD: Negan’s Backstory Reveals Completely Different Character / TWD Star Quits Social Media After Death Threats / TWD Showrunner Joins FTWD / TWD F-Take Clips With Rick And Daryl / Major Criticism Fixed For Season 8 / TWD Casting Two New Characters

The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.