Warning: Speculation and spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

"The Walking Dead" mid-season finale airs Sunday, December 11. 

If you're still thinking about Sunday's episode featuring Negan and his new adopted kids Carl and Judith, AMC released a bunch of new photos to get you pumped for next week. 

The photos don't reveal too much — seriously, some of the photos are of random side characters who will probably die at some point by the end of the season — but they do give us an idea of the many locations we can expect to see. I also included a few stills from the episode's teaser released from AMC because there are a few more revealing shots in there as well. 

All right, let's get going!

We know Rosita has been begging Eugene to make her a bullet for that gun she found. From the teaser, it looks like she's getting exactly what she wanted.

What's the problem then? Maybe Rosita's just missing her old flame Abraham.

Maybe Eugene said he'd only make her one bullet.

This week's episode of The Walking Dead was the show's first disturbing dip into the strange, mentor-mentee relationship between Carl and Negan, in which Negan took Carl for a tour of the Sanctuary after Carl tried to kill him. It's all well and good — Carl sees Negan iron a man's face and meets his harem of wives, the usual post-apocalyptic stuff. But Negan did eventually make him pay for his attempted murder, which included gunning down two of his men: He wanted to see Carl's missing eye. 

It's an odd request, yes, but it's something the viewers hadn't seen since season six's chaotic midseason premiere, in which Carl was incidentally shot (just like in the comics!). 

Negan does find Carl's missing eye sufficiently badass. Similar praise should be doled out to The Walking Dead's special effects team for such a gruesome sight. 

To that end, Chandler Riggs, who plays Carl on the show, shared photos of the missing eye and the extensive special effects process on Twitter. "These are some of the continuity photos we took when we were trying to figure out how dark the eye should be," Riggs wrote. 

As badass as Carl looks, there's still some concern among the fans about the character's continuity in the show. Riggs is set to begin college next year, which could conflict with his filming of the series each year. But Riggs, for his part, believes it's possible to do both. 

"I want for it to work out," Riggs told the Hollywood Reporter. "Theoretically, I could take one or two classes on campus and maybe an online class. My professors would have to be willing to cooperate. It wouldn't be easy, but I think that could be possible." 

Still, there's no assurances Carl will be safe heading into season seven's midseason finale, especially considering how the show continuously deviates from the comic book source material. Negan's in Alexandria, making himself at home with Carl and Judith, which could finally push Rick over the edge. 

The Walking Dead's midseason finale premieres Sunday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMC. 

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After a brutal mid-season finale, AMC released the first teaser for the next eight episodes of "The Walking Dead." If you've been tired of Rick bowing down to Negan and the Saviors, it looks like the tables may start to turn as he begins rallying together the other communities, including the Hilltop and the Kingdom. 

Yes! It looks like Rick is heading to the Kingdom where he'll be reunited with Morgan and Carol and introduced to King Ezekiel. We're just waiting for Rick to meet Shiva. How can you lose when you have a tiger on your side?

"The Walking Dead" will return to AMC February 12. 

Check out the trailer for the second half of season seven below.

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" mid-season finale.

"The Walking Dead" may be over, but we already have our first look at what's to come when the show returns in February.

AMC released the first teaser for the second half of the show's seventh season, and Rick and his gang are finally rallying together to take down Negan and the Saviors. There were a lot of quick flashes and moments in the teaser. We went through and broke down every moment. 

Keep reading to see what's in store when the show returns February 12, 2017.

It looks like the Saviors will be back sooner than we thought to collect more goods from the Alexandrians.

Do Rick and the group even have more to offer?

It's pretty awesome to see the gang (or what's left of them) all back together and plotting to take down Negan.

It's something at least Richard will probably be excited about — neither Carol nor Morgan seemed psyched about gathering together to take out the Saviors.

Either this is Richard out on a supply run or he's probably going to welcome Rick and his crew into the Kingdom.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

The midseason finale of "The Walking Dead" ended on a brutal note for one of Rick's group. After hanging around Alexandria waiting for Rick to return, Negan got a visit from Spencer, and it did not go well for Spencer.

We've known that Spencer has had some hate built up toward Rick for awhile. He blames him for the death of his mother and countless others within Alexandria since he arrived. 

Last week, Spencer told Father Gabriel they'd be better off without Rick. In so many words, Gabriel told him to put a lid on it. Instead, Spencer went straight to Negan, sold out Rick, and asked to be put in charge of Alexandria instead. 

Negan wasn't a fan of that proposal. He's not here to do anyone's dirty work so he gutted Spencer where he stood. 

If you're a comic reader — and, perhaps, even if you aren't — it was pretty obvious from the moment Spencer approached Negan that things weren't going to go well for him. The end of the episode played out similar to issue #111 when Negan stops by the Alexandria compound when Rick is out on a supply run. 

In the comics, Negan hangs back at one of the vacant houses and gets approached by Spencer.

Spencer sells Rick out to Negan, telling him he wasn't the original leader of Alexandria and that he doesn't play well with others. He goes so far as to refer to Rick as a maniac.

Here's how Spencer's death looks in the comics:

The moment wasn't too much of a surprise to fans who have been calling it for a few weeks now.

Instead, it was what came next that threw fans off. 

In retaliation for Spencer's death, Rosita decided it would be a good idea to try and kill Negan. Somehow, she missed him from close range and instead managed to hit his beloved bat Lucille. In response, one of Negan's henchwomen killed Olivia and Negan took Eugene after he learned he can make bullets.

That was a twist from the comics, where Eugene eventually starts producing bullets for Rick and his group in secret to eventually use against Negan's men in a giant attack. Now with Eugene out of Alexandria, you may be thinking that Rick doesn't even stand a chance. But remember, Eugene gave Rick the plans on how to create bullets in the event he was ever killed, so there's still a chance they can manufacture bullets. Maybe that's a job Rosita will take on along with Tara. 

So where do we go from here? Well, it looks like Rick and his group are on a mission to team up all of the communities.

At the end of the mid-season finale, Rick, Michonne, Carl, and more headed to the Hilltop to tell Maggie they're ready to team up against Negan's Saviors. From the looks of the teaser released at the end of the episode, Rick isn't just gathering together the Hilltop, but he's also heading to the Kingdom to rally King Ezekiel and his men. Perhaps Tara will revisit the gun-toting women of Oceanside as well.

We'll know more when "The Walking Dead" returns from its winter hiatus February 12.

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

"The Walking Dead" season seven mid-season finale wrapped up pretty nicely. Rick is done groveling at Negan's feet and is ready to fight back alongside Maggie, Michonne, and the men he has left at his side.

While we know the episodes ahead will focus on gathering together the remaining communities and convincing them to join in the collective attack against the Sanctuary, there are still a lot of questions that have been left unanswered. 

Keep reading to see what questions we still have after episode eight of the season.

Who's the mystery person in the boots?

We saw someone watching Rick and Aaron after leaving the boat in the woods. After the episode, there was a brief end-credits scene which showed that the person followed them back to Alexandria to scope out the place. Is this the person who owned the boathouse or is it someone else?

There are a few guesses going around. Some believe it's Dwight or one of the Oceanside women going to check out Rick's encampment. Others are hoping it's our first look at another group of mysterious survivors from the comics called the Whisperers, but it seems a little too early to introduce them yet.

Another theory is that we may see someone from a long time ago like Morales who departed from Rick's group all the way back in season one. That seems like a bit of a long shot though. I'm willing to bet it's someone new who we haven't seen yet, which would give the show a fresh story free from the comics.

Will Eugene make bullets for the Saviors at the Sanctuary or will he head back to the location where he was making them with Rosita?

One way or another, he's clearly going to be making ammo.

Why did Aaron and Rick bring home the offensive stranger's note they found in the boathouse?

The note had a giant middle finger on it telling the recipient that even though they thought they won, they lost. Didn't they imagine the Saviors would find it? Was Aaron planning to hang it on his wall as a keepsake?

I'm guessing the most logical answer is that Aaron and Rick didn't expect to see the Saviors at Alexandria right away upon their return. Unless the two were planning to ask around to see if anyone recognized the handwriting (doubtful), it seemed a bit silly that Aaron was beaten up over a sign that shouldn't have been brought back to Alexandria in the first place.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" left Rick and his crew short a few more survivors after another visit from the Saviors.

While we still have a lot of questions for the rest of the season, there were many tiny moments and references to earlier in season seven as well as season five. Keep reading to see the details you probably missed.

Maggie started wearing a baseball cap at the Hilltop.

It reminds us an awful lot of Glenn from the earlier seasons of the show. He always wore a cap on his head.

Maybe this is how Maggie is internalizing some of her grief for her husband.

One of the Saviors starts flirting with Spencer. When she notices Eugene staring she asks if he likes watching.

He initially responds yes before being told to flee. 

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

Sunday's 90-minute mid-season finale left fans with some questions, but there's one everyone's wondering: Who was the mystery man (or woman) wearing the boots?

Not only did we see the person watching over Aaron and Rick at the boathouse, but we saw them again after the end of the episode scoping out Alexandria.

We've seen a lot of guesses after the episode aired about who the mystery person may be, but series creator Robert Kirkman himself said on the aftershow "The Talking Dead" that the person has to do with the boat.

Who is it?

I've gone back through the obvious suspects and have made stills of a ton of boots. Keep reading to see who we think the mystery person may be and who we can rule out.

Who it's probably not:

Dwight

Some fans automatically thought Dwight may be thinking of turning on Negan and joining Rick's group at Alexandria, especially since they spotted a pair of binoculars in Dwight's room earlier in the episode. 

While he may have helped Daryl escape (it's not really clear who gave him a motorcycle key), we're not convinced he's ready to break away from Negan yet.

Why we're not sold:

While it's tough to get a good look at Dwight's boots, we see them in the San Diego Comic-Con trailer and they don't look like they have that tape pattern on them.

Here's another look at boots Dwight wore in season seven, episode seven:

We're not saying he doesn't own other boots, but since Kirkman said the person following Rick and Abraham is related to the boat, we're going to nix Dwight.

Heath

We don't know where Heath went since we last saw him in season seven, but could he be the one following Rick around? Probably not.

Why we're not sold:

It makes little sense for Heath to be sneaking around. His boots look very different from the ones we see in the mid-season finale.

Plus, the person we see scoping out Alexandria is lighter in skin tone. Here's an image of the mystery person seen in a post-credits scene.

Cindy from Oceanside

Cindy may have made Tara promise not to tell Alexandria about Oceanside, but maybe she became curious about Tara's community and decided to scope it out.

Why we're not sold:

If Cindy really wanted to come see Tara, she wouldn't be snooping around following Rick and Aaron at a random boathouse. She would have tracked her straight down to Alexandria. There's also the boots— they look different from the ones we see in the mid-season finale.

Morales

Remember Morales? He and his family parted ways with Rick back in season one instead of traveling with them to the CDC. Fans have been hoping Morales may show up again on the series somewhere since we never learned what happened to him or his family.

Why we're not sold:

We've already had one blast from the past. It was awesome to see Morgan return after being introduced in season one. While that seemed miraculous having two people from season one survive and find their way back to Rick would seem a bit far-fetched at this point.

The Whisperers

Comic readers are hoping that we're seeing early hints at one of the next threats Rick and his group will eventually face. 

Why we're not sold:

This one is easy to dismiss since the Whisperers wear zombie skin over their faces and the person with binoculars doesn't appear to be doing that.

We're not even done with the current villain yet, guys. Let's focus on Negan and the Sanctuary for now.

The Scavengers

There's another group we technically haven't seen on the show. Soon after Rick and company moved into Alexandria they faced another threat from a group of miscreants out on their own. 

Why we're not sold:

While the show likes going back to adapt some storylines from the comics it may have glossed over, it was pointed out to me the Wolves were a pretty good substitute for that group. 

Who it could be:

Someone else from Oceanside

Could we be seeing someone other than Cindy spying on Rick's crew from Oceanside? Possibly! Perhaps one of the women wanted to check out Alexandria since Tara mentioned she thought their communities would work well together.

However, it's clear that the person heading to Alexandria is somehow connected to that mysterious boathouse. All of the Oceanside women reside together at their beachside community.

But what if it still is someone connected to Oceanside?

Why we like it:

The women of Oceanside told Tara that Negan and the Saviors killed off all of their men. However, maybe one of them survived. The reason I'm putting that out there is because two of the big characters you meet in the comics from Oceanside are Pete and Siddiq. While the show may be taking its own creative liberties, not having either on the show seems a bit odd.  

Maybe one of them have just been hiding out on their own and were never really killed by Negan's men. Or maybe they escaped Negan's men and then have been searching for the Oceanside women ever since without success. Either way, we like the idea that it could be one of them or another former Oceanside man sneaking around. They may be the key that helps get the Oceanside women team up with Rick and the other communities against Negan in the future.

Someone we haven't seen yet

This seems the most likely answer out of any of the guesses we've seen or thought over since the mid-season finale.

Why we like it:

After Kirkman said this was someone related to the boat, that convinced us even more that it's someone we have yet to see. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing someone new right about now to add some more mystery to the show. If you're a comic reader, the first half of season seven has been pretty predictable. The show is adapting Negan's character very closely to the comics. While that's great, the show could use an element of mystery moving forward.

Hopefully we'll have a better idea of who the mystery person is when the show returns from hiatus February 12.

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"The Walking Dead" is still one of the most-watched shows on television, but it's becoming harder and harder for the zombie series to compete with its own past ratings.

Sunday's season-seven winter finale attracted 10.6 million total viewers, according to Deadline.

By the way, that's still a great number for television — broadcast or cable. But it ranks as the show's lowest-watched midseason finale in four years, since season three in December 2012. It's also 24% lower than last year's winter finale episode.

As for the all-important under-50 audience for advertisers, Sunday's episode earned a 5.1 rating. That's a 27% drop from last year's winter finale. The good news is that's it's a 4% improvement over last week.

Sunday's finale ratings also follow a series of lows for the season, so it's not a good pattern for "The Walking Dead."

It should be pointed out that Sunday Night Football has competed against "The Walking Dead" several times, though it wasn't a factor this past weekend. Also, the show tends to pick up a lot of views in delayed viewing. The December 4 episode increased by 42% in live-plus-three-day viewing numbers, Deadline pointed out.

Season seven continues on February 12.

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"Game of Thrones" was by far the most popular show around the world in 2016, according to a new analysis from Parrot Analytics. "The Walking Dead" came in second, followed by "Pretty Little Liars" and "Westworld."

Parrot analyzed not only ratings data (where available) but also peer-to-peer sharing, social media chatter, and other factors to estimate viewer demand for various shows. These combined measurements determine each show's "demand expressions" per day. Though the formula is opaque, the ranking appears to be one of the best ways to compare shows across platforms and measure how popular they really are.

What other shows ruled the past year? Check out the top 20 below.

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1) HBO’s "Game of Thrones" with 7.2 million demand expressions per day. People around the world were desperate to learn the fate of Jon Snow and watch the rise of Daenerys Targaryen, as the epic adaptation moved past the novels into uncharted territory.

2) AMC’s "The Walking Dead" with 4.7 million demand expressions per day. The shocking beginning of season 7 led to an explosion in social media interest.

3) ABC’s "Pretty Little Liars" with 3.8 million demand expressions per day. This teen drama had a devoted following through seven seasons and its series finale in October.

Warning: There are spoilers and speculation ahead for "The Walking Dead."

"The Walking Dead" doesn't return to AMC in February, but it's never early enough to get excited about the second half of its seventh season.

While one exclusive image has been revealed over at TVLine, we haven't seen a lot of new images for the new season featuring the group. Meanwhile, the network has released a series of vaguely mysterious promo photos to pique interest. 

The 15 images don't include any faces, but reveal a lot of random objects, places, and some cleverly lined-up shadows of people with guns.

So, what does it all mean? Well, some of it may mean nothing in particular. Some of these photos seem really random and the exact sort of marketing stunt meant to get fans talking. Though ratings for the zombie hit are still among the highest on TV, it's not a secret that the show's numbers have been taking a hit week after week. Maybe these photos are a way to get fans invested again.

However, with over a month left until the zombies, Rick, and Negan return, I like to think these images could be full of vague hints at what's to come in the latter half of season seven. Knowing that Rick and the gang are going to start recruiting other communities to take down the Saviors, there's plenty to read into here.

Let's get to speculating!

1. This eerie hand print on a white wall.

What we're looking at: Just any old bloody or muddy hand print.

What it may mean: Are we in store for more bloodshed? (Undoubtedly.) If we had to guess, this looks like one of the homes in Alexandria. Has some kind of accident taken place where someone was injured? That print looks like it was made in haste — the entire handprint isn't even there.

Perhaps the Saviors came back and things go awry again, though it seems like it may be too soon for that. Or maybe it's just a reminder of those who have been lost in Alexandria as of late. RIP Olivia.

2. Ah, yes, cantaloupe. Because this is the image we need right now while waiting for a show about zombies to return.

What we're looking at: Just some melons in, what appears to be, a crate.

What it may mean: In all seriousness, this could be representative of a few things. It may be a hint at the Kingdom joining forces with Rick to take down the Saviors. It could just be a simple reference to the fact that the Kingdom is a great source of food during the zombie apocalypse and one that will come in hand in the future.

It can also suggest the ongoing trading deals the various communities have with the Saviors. The deal is for them to take half of everything you have. 

Or maybe it means some heads will be rolling. You choose!

3. All right, now we're getting somewhere. What's going on with this grave?

What we're looking at: An open grave. Maybe it's a freshly dug one or is it a previous one that's been dug up? It's also not clear what the setting of this location is. I thought it may be the burned mattress location Michonne stumbled upon, but that doesn't look right. 

What it may mean: Oh boy. Where do we start?

We did just see a few deaths so the most obvious, immediate answer is that this is a newly dug grave for Olivia or someone else. Maybe it's a new grave that was dug at the Sanctuary for Fat Joey. (Daryl is in so much trouble when Negan finds him!)

Perhaps it's just a symbol hinting that more death is coming or that one specific death is coming.

Or you know what, maybe Glenn clawed his way out and ... I'm kidding. There's no way Glenn is alive. I'm really baffled by the background in this image which may or may not be significant. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

"The Walking Dead" returns to TV in February and we finally have a few new photos for the upcoming season.

The last time we saw Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the survivors, they were gearing up to start taking down Negan and his Saviors. 

The official synopsis for the second half of season seven, sent to press, confirms that forthcoming episodes will revolve around the group "preparing for war and gathering the supplies and numbers to take Negan down once and for all." They'll go about building up their numbers by approaching both the Kingdom and the Hilltop, but we'll also see new survivors in "incredible places" and "treachery from people we trust."

The three photos AMC sent out to press are labeled for season seven, episode nine, so we're hoping to see all of these scenes in the next episode.

Keep reading to see what's in store for Rick and the gang.

The Ricktatorship is back! And Rick is looking a little weary.

We know that Rick will be looking for more people to help aid in his upcoming fight against Negan. Here it looks like his team is going to appeal to Gregory and the Hilltop.

Rick, Michonne, Aaron, and Tara are on the search for something. Has Tara broken her promise and told them about the Oceanside crew she previously met?

The Oceanside women have amassed a large amount of weapons and ammunition that the group could desperately use. Or, maybe the group is onto the mysterious person who is tracking them, but we'd be surprised to see that come into play so early in the season's second half.

Warning: There are some potential spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

AMC just released three new photos for the next episode of "The Walking Dead." While we won't return to Rick and the group until February 12, the network has also released a synopsis for the second half of the season. 

I'm going to share the entire bit in full. I'm surprised by just how thorough and lengthy it is. Usually you'll get a few sentences from a network on what's to come, but not three paragraphs chock full of information.

The first half of Season 7 saw Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the group broken by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), forced to fall under his will and brutally convinced to live under his rules. The second half of the season will focus on preparing for war and gathering the supplies and numbers to take Negan down once and for all.

Rick's group will find out yet again that the world isn't what they thought it was. It's much bigger than anything they've seen so far. While they have a singular purpose — to defeat Negan — it won't come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop, but, similar to how Rick felt, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Gregory (Xander Berkeley) do not want bloodshed. To convince them otherwise will take more than speeches. The lengths Rick and the group will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable.

We'll meet new survivors in incredible places. We'll see Rick and the group tested in ways we've never seen before. We'll see treachery from people we trust.  Rick is confident as he will see his group and many others band together with the common goal of taking down Negan. But no amount of planning will prepare the group for all-out war with Negan and his army.

This is a little frustrating for fans who may want to see Negan and Rick have it out in the next eight episodes. It sounds like this is going to be a lot of planning and plotting for war with Rick rounding up recruits. Then, the group may get sidetracked at various points by the mysterious person who was keeping tabs on them in the finale, other possible "new survivors in incredible places," and this "treachery" we'll apparently see "from people we trust." 

I thought it was interesting for AMC to release this much information about the forthcoming episodes, because, although ratings for the series are good compared to any other cable show on TV, the AMC series has taken a ratings hit in season seven.

The show started out the season with 17 million viewers — the show's second-highest ratings ever. By the mid-season finale, just over 10.5 million viewers were tuning in. It has seen its biggest dip in the ratings since season three, and the rating slide has not gone unnoticed by mediawhich have reported on it extensively.

Perhaps, by being more transparent and releasing more information on exactly what viewers can expect, AMC hopes to draw some viewers back into the fold. 

If you're following along closely as a comics reader, you can probably guess where the next eight episodes are heading and where the finale may end. For fans complaining about a slow build, we may be in for more of the same as Rick builds up an army to go against Negan.

For those excited to see Negan taken down, I wouldn't get ahead of yourselves just yet. I have a feeling much of the latter half of the season will focus on rallying people together. Then there's that mysterious person to deal with as well. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the season finale ends with the group finally going to confront Negan. Then all of season eight may focus on the actual giant war between Rick and Negan, a story arc which is known as "All Out War" in the comics.

We'll have to wait to see, but that's how the pacing from the synopsis sounds to me and it's how I have thought the season may play out for some time.

"The Walking Dead" returns to AMC February 12. 

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War with Negan is in the cards when AMC's "The Walking Dead" returns in a month.

But for hardcore fans, that's still an unbearable amount of time to wait. So what could fill the void "The Walking Dead" has left behind in our lives and TV schedules?

Business Insider worked with Taykey, an advertising technology company that can pinpoint specific audiences and analyze what's trending for them, to discover which shows dedicated "TWD" fans talk about most when they're not talking about "TWD."

Here are the eight most talked-about shows among "The Walking Dead" fans, according to Taykey:

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8. "Marvel's Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC)

7. "Doctor Who" (BBC America)

6. "Game of Thrones" (HBO)

Warning: Potential spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" season seven.

We have exactly one month until "The Walking Dead" returns from its hiatus, and AMC has delivered with a sneak peek at the next episode. 

What can fans expect?

It looks like Rick and most of his group have headed to the Hilltop to seek out numbers to join them in their pending war against Negan. It doesn't exactly sound as though the plea for more people went over too well with the Hilltop's current leader, Gregory. We hear Rick tell the group they need more hands to help, perhaps another group.

Of course, Daryl's less interested in the number of men they have and more invested in the sort of damage they can create. He's ready for more explosions.

Not so fast.

Just when it looks like Rick's out of options, Jesus decides it may be time for Rick and the crew to meet King Ezekiel and the people of the Kingdom. "King Ezekiel?" asks a skeptical Rick. Yeah, we know, it sounds a bit silly, but this team up should be a good one. Plus, wait until he gets an eyeful of the tiger. 

You can check out the first clip from "The Walking Dead" return below. The series returns to AMC February 12 at 9 p.m. 

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If you've watched "The Walking Dead" since the beginning then you're used to watching actors come and go. Some stick it out for the long haul, but others only last a few episodes. Luckily, they're actors so there's a good chance they'll pop up on other screens sooner or later. 

While most of the stars of "TWD" got their big breaks with the hit AMC show, that doesn't mean you haven't seen their faces before. It might be hard to imagine them as anyone but who they play now, but these actors and actresses weren't new to the biz by any means. 

Here are the other roles the cast played before they landed their parts in the zombie apocalypse:

You know Andrew Lincoln as the group's fearless leader, Rick Grimes.

He's one of the (now) five original cast members still kicking, along with Carl, Carol, Daryl and Morgan.

Before he took on the lead role in TWD, he worked on the popular UK show "This Life," but his most notable role was Mark from "Love Actually."

It's hard to picture Norman Reedus playing anyone but Daryl Dixon. But before he became the fan favorite he starred in a pretty popular movie.

The INSIDER Summary:

• Robert Kirkman's comics of The Walking Dead take the violence to the next level.
•The comics of the show are too dark for TV and can definitely leave you with nightmares. 
•The show adds occassional humor and romance to lighten the mood.

The Walking Dead is darkness personified. Though the AMC series has recently taken flack for its violence and subject matter, it doesn’t hold a candle to the comics. Whereas the TV show leans on the occasional humor and flickering romance to add much-needed levity, a sustained reading of Robert Kirkman’s comics is like getting stuck on a roller coaster in the deepest rungs of hell. Even if you try to exit the ride, you’ll never be able to clear the images from your mind.

When things get bad, they only get worse, and if things seem good, prepare yourself for disaster. While the larger differences between The Walking Dead show and comics are well documented, the truly chthonic nature of the source material deserves attention of its own. A quick review of the comic’s darkest moments will prove just how gentle the show is by comparison, and how hopeless Rick Grimes and the survivors truly are.

Here are 15 The Walking Dead Comics Moments Too Dark For TV:

15. The governor removes his zombie daughter's teeth and kisses her

There are a great many diversions from The Walking Dead comic and television show, but none encapsulate those differences more succinctly than The Governor. His repulsive treatment of his daughter is at the peak of his madness. Following a series of soulless acts, The Governor reaches his apotheosis when he yanks out his reanimated daughter’s teeth with a pair of pliers. It’s a gruesome image, but before we even grow accustomed to the visual, it’s immediately supplanted by something far worse: the Governor moving in for a full-on make out session.

Unsurprisingly, he vomits instantaneously, but reminds himself that he has yet to get accustomed to the taste of dead daughter flesh. When asked about this reprehensible moment, creator Robert Kirkman said, “[He’s] the worst case scenario for what living in this world does to people…I was just trying to think of the worst things The Governor could ever do.” Mission accomplished, good sir.

14. Dale gets cannibalized

In the valley of the apocalypse, it’s hard to recognize the lesser of two evils. The Hunters were loosely adapted in The Walking Dead show, and anyone familiar with the source material can easily understand why. As also happens in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, these post-apocalyptic warriors become full-fledged cannibals who use their own children as food. This primitive behavior is rightly seen as an end-of-the-line survival tactic, but The Hunters take things a step further by expanding their appetite to poor Dale Horvath himself.

After suffering a zombie attack and bite, Dale is knocked unconscious before awaking to a garish sight. With his leg roasting on a spit, Dale earns the privilege of watching the Hunters dine on himself. They taunt him between bites before he bursts into laughter and shouts, “Ha! Ha! Ha! Tainted meat!!” To Dale’s great delight, the Hunters spew chunks to rid themselves of the freshly-poisoned zombie flesh. Though a similar fate befell Bob Stookey in the show, his cannibalization doesn’t quite stack up.

13. The medieval torture of the hunters

In both the comics and the show, there’s little doubt that Rick Grimes will do anything to survive. Though a man of great sensitivity, he also has the capacity for extreme brutality. Immediately after finding a legless Dale Horvath and realizing what the Hunters had done to him, Rick flips off the switch on sentimentality and embraces his inner sadist.

Taking the Hunters captive, Rick teams up with Michonne, Abraham, and Andrea to exert maximum hurt. What ensues is a series of executions and tortures that puts Rick in a league alongside the Governor and Negan himself. In slowly killing and mutilating the Hunters, the comic panels become so relentlessly disturbing that it’s little wonder they didn’t get adapted for the show. Rick even threatens to eat them in the same way they devoured Dale. Had AMC incorporated the real justice shown to the Hunters, Rick would have become a dubious hero with little to no contrast against the villains to come. Indeed, he later shows remorse in the comics for the atrocities committed against the cannibals.

This Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, "The Walking Dead" returns for its season 7 mid-season premiere.

Ratings were down for the first half of the season, but don't let that fool you into thinking the show is at its end.

It’s still the highest watched show in the millennial demographic.

And with people turning to alternate ways to live stream "The Walking Dead" without cable, you have to wonder how much stock to put in the cable ratings anyway. (People still downloaded episodes from last season at a staggering rate.)

After a brutal mid-season finale, you can bet this mid-season premiere will be one you won’t want to miss. But what if you aren’t caught up on the show — is it too late to jump on "The Walking Dead" train? Absolutely not.

There are plenty of ways you can catch up before the premiere, with or without cable. 

Watch the first half of season 7 on AMC.com

If you head over to AMC.com, you’ll see that the first seven episodes of season 7 are available to stream. The catch? You must sign in with your cable login credentials to watch.

The only way cord cutters can access the streams is with a PlayStation Vue login. If you’re not a PlayStation Vue customer, you can sign up for a free 7-day trial, use the credentials to login at AMC.com, and watch. You can cancel before the 7 days is up or keep it on a month-to-month basis.

Binge seasons 1-6 on Netflix

While Netflix won’t help you watch season 7 any time soon, it does offer the easiest way to catch up on previous seasons. In fact, every episode from season 1-6 is currently available on Netflix here in the US (catalogue varies by country). So, if you’re far behind, Netflix is your ticket.

Marathon season 5-7 this weekend on AMC

Carrying on with tradition, AMC is running a "The Walking Dead" marathon leading up to the mid-season premiere. The marathon starts on Saturday at 12 AM with season 5 episode 1 and finishes off right before the mid-season premiere with season 7 episode 8.

Don’t have cable or satellite to watch AMC live? No worries. There are now several legal ways to watch AMC without cable. The best part is, each is available with a free 7-day trial. So, you can sign up and watch the marathon (and new episode) free.

Purchase season passes on Amazon

While purchasing individual episodes can prove pricy at $2-3 each, you can save a bundle by purchasing season passes. Season 1 is available for $15.99 in HD and $10.99 in SD, while newer seasons get progressively more expensive.

Season 7 is available for $41.99 in HD and $26.99 in SD. Note that if you purchase the season 7 pass, you’ll be able to watch the new episodes the day after they air.

The only thing holding you back from catching up on "The Walking Dead" is time. And if you don’t get through them all in time before the mid-season premiere, don’t worry.

As soon as you’re ready, you’ll be able to find the newest episodes on demand on a host of different platforms.

Chris Brantner is a freelance writer who specializes in cord cutting technology and streaming entertainment. He currently contributes to Motherboard, DSL Reports, the Roku Stream Blog, and other industry sites. He's also the founder of CutCableToday.com, the largest cord cutting resource on the web.  

SEE ALSO: CUT THE CORD: Here's a guide to every live streaming service on the market or coming soon

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After a brief winter hiatus, "The Walking Dead" returns to TV this weekend. 

The last time we saw Rick, Daryl, and the Alexandrians, they finally made a decision to defy Negan and secretly gather together an army to take down the Saviors. Now, Rick must try and convince the Hilltop and Kingdom communities to fight alongside them if they want to get back their lives. 

We've seen the first episode — no spoilers here —  but I will say it's a return to what fans have been asking for from the series. If you don't have time to rewatch the season and need a quick refresher on where the series left off, here are the things you should keep in mind ahead of the premiere when it airs Sunday at 9 p.m. EST on AMC.

We lost a few more Alexandrians in the last episode.

Olivia was shot dead and Deanna's son Spencer was literally gutted by Negan.

There's a mysterious person stalking Rick's crew.

Rick and Aaron came across and plundered a boathouse full of supplies. That may have been a bad idea since the two have been followed by a mysterious figure ever since. 

At the end of the mid-season finale, we saw the person staking out Rick's home. You can read more of our breakdown on who the mystery man — or woman — may be here.

Daryl got away from the Saviors.

Someone unlocked Daryl's room — Dwight's ex-wife Sherry, perhaps? — and he made his way to the Hilltop with Jesus before reuniting with Rick.