Warning: Spoilers below if you're not caught up on "The Walking Dead."

When "The Walking Dead" returns Sunday for its midseason premiere, fans will have their eyes set on this season's murderous villain, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and his next move.

After all, he has been responsible for some pretty heart-wrenching deaths this season on the AMC zombie drama.

But would it surprise you to hear that the most shocking death of the entire show isn't one of Negan's victims?

TV tracking app TVShow Time analyzed data from its 1.6 million users to discern which deaths hit "TWD" fans the hardest. Here's a hint: It wasn't Negan's execution-style murder of Glenn (Steven Yeun).

Glenn is actually No. 3 on the list.

Take a look at TVShow Time's infographic below to find out who topped the list of "TWD's" most shocking deaths:

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

"The Walking Dead" has returned from its winter hiatus, and the first new episode ended on a cliffhanger. Who is this mystery group that Rick and the group has stumbled upon?

At the very end of the episode, Rick, Michonne, Rosita, and more are surrounded by a group of angry-looking women — and a few men — armed with guns and other weapons.

Who are they? We've rounded up a list of the likely suspects below.

The Oceanside group Tara ran into

We already know there's a group of armed women out there fending off strangers. And viewers might be wondering just how many groups of women trained with guns there are in the zombie apocalypse, especially this close to our protagonists.

Why we're skeptical:

A photo released from the next episode shows Rick speaking to an unfamiliar-looking woman who is presumably their leader, and she does not resemble Natania, the leader of Oceanside we met in season seven, episode six. 

Plus, the Oceanside women do not have any men in their group. They said they lost them all to Negan. They also live close to the water. This group appears to be in a completely different area.

A group linked to the mysterious boot-wearing man or woman from the mid-season finale

Could a member of this group also be the same mystery boot-wearing person who was stalking Rick and Aaron and sneaking around Alexandria in the mid-season finale? We hope so!  

Why we like it: This would make a lot of sense. The mystery person from the mid-season finale has already been tracking Rick and the group, so it would only be a matter of time until they confront them.

It would also wrap up that mystery pretty quickly. How many more communities do we need to be introduced to on this show right now? We already have plenty of fodder between the Kingdom, Alexandria, the Hilltop, the Sanctuary, and Oceanside.

The season has enough to focus on. Between the multiple communities and everyone organizing to take down Negan, we really don't need more subplots.

The Whisperers

Comic readers are waiting to see this group on screen since they'll be one of the next threats Rick and his group will have to face. 

Why we're not sold:

This one is easy to dismiss since the Whisperers wear zombie skin over their faces and none of these women do. The Whisperers aren't into guns either, while the women appear to be armed.

Plus, Rick's main focus right now is on taking down Negan. Let's dispatch one villain before moving onto other antagonists. 

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 known as "the Scavengers." 

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 that the Wolves were a pretty good substitute for that group. 

Someone we haven't seen yet

This seems like a pretty plausible scenario and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the case. 

Why we like it:

Kirkman said on the "Talking Dead" aftershow following the mid-season finale that the mystery Alexandria stalker has ties to the boat. If that person is also tied to this mystery group, then it's probably someone we haven't seen before.

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 following the series beat for beat. 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.

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

Sunday's mid-season premiere of "The Walking Dead" was a huge return to the television series. Rick's gang is back together and are on a recruiting mission to form an army to take down Negan. While they don't have the numbers yet, the group did come across a string of explosives from the Saviors that could help them in their future fight.

Since the group had their weapons confiscated by Negan's group, scrounging up a bunch of TNT for future use sounds good, right? 

In the short-term maybe, but in the long run it may present a massive problem. 

Rick may have inadvertently put themselves and other communities in danger by stealing the dynamite sticks set up on the road. 

Those trip wires were put up by the Saviors to deter a hoard of walkers from attacking a community, either the Kingdom (which Rick and company had just left) or the Saviors' sanctuary which Rick and co. could see in the distance. While Rick and Michonne took out a good number of the walkers in the most ridiculous of ways, there were still a ton of undead they left marching along. 

Now, normally this would all be fine. The Saviors would discover that the rigs didn't go off or were tampered with and would go and set up new traps to hold the walkers at bay. 

There's just one problem.

A few episodes back, Daryl bludgeoned one of Negan's men, Fat Joey, to death while escaping from the Sanctuary. 

As Comicbook.com pointed out in the season's last half, Joey was the mastermind behind protecting the communities — not just the Saviors — from giant hordes of zombies. Really! 

If you've been tuning out to some of the banter going on at the Sanctuary and between the Saviors in the background, you're going to want to go back and take a listen.

Back in season seven, episode seven, while Carl and Jesus are hitching a ride to the Sanctuary, two Saviors discuss how Joey was the one who came up with the plans to set traps like that one for zombie hordes.

“At least Negan’s smart enough not to let that mess anywhere near us,” says one of the Saviors.

“Fat Joey’s good for something at least,” says another. “He rigged the herd away. Just trips. Nothing fancy.”

The second Savior then references what sounds like the very trap we see set up in the mid-season premiere. "Those demo sticks from that run last month, the RPGs from the new guys [Rick’s group], maybe it takes it [the herd] down. Takes them out."

A few minutes later, as Carl is getting ready to shoot up the Saviors from the back of the truck, listen to the dialogue in the background. One of the Saviors, who sounds like Joey, approaches Negan and says he needs to talk to him about herd tactics.

"Negan, I need to talk to you about redirect," the man tells a none-too-pleased Negan. "It got screwed up. We’re on it now, but it’s a mess out there."

When Carl makes himself known you can see Joey in the crowd of people.

Since Joey seems to have been the brains of the operation, who's going to step in to take over? Dwight? Someone else? Now that the Saviors have Eugene, maybe they'll put him in charge of that in addition to bullet production.  

Right now, Rick is so determined to take out Negan that he's not thinking about the larger picture here. Sure, the living have become a threat in the zombie apocalypse, but don't underestimate the dead either. It may come back to bite them later in the season, literally.

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Rick, Michonne, and more of the Alexandria crew found themselves surrounded by a mysterious group at the end of the mid-season premiere. Who exactly are they? We have a few guesses, but it looks like we won't have to wait long to find out.

The teaser for the next episode shows why Rick was smiling when he and the group were surrounded by the mystery gang with guns and weapons — they could be the group they're looking for in the pending war against Negan and the Saviors.

While Rick is trying to convince the mystery gang to spare their lives and join their cause Richard will be working with Daryl to try to build up a force of their own. It also looks like King Ezekiel will pay a visit to Carol perhaps as one more plea to join in a gathering fight.

Check out the preview for next week's episode below:

AMC also released a clip showing off the new group:

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

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" kicked off with a bit of a surprising moment. Gabriel — Alexandria's priest and seemingly reformed good guy — went rogue, packing up the group's weapons and food supply and hitting the road.

What's going on?

Later in the episode, Rick isn't convinced that Gabriel would have ditched the group so easily like that. There must be another reason he left. When Rick finds Gabriel's bible discarded and left open on a floor, he's sure that something must have happened to Gabriel while he was on duty and finds the word "boat" written into the back of the text.

The word immediately reminds viewers of the floating house boat Aaron and Rick purged of supplies in the last half of the season. They hadn't told anyone about it, so how could Gabriel have known it existed?

Perhaps Rick is right and that Gabriel didn't simply flee.

If you were watching the opening of the mid-season premiere closely you would have noticed Gabriel wasn't alone when he left Alexandria.

When Gabriel drives off a shadowy figure emerges from the right in the passengers seat.

Who is that? 

Perhaps he was taken by the mysterious person seen in the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead" that was spying on the group. That's the very same person who seems to have a connection to the boathouse Rick and Aaron ransacked. The mystery man or woman was seen watching them as well from afar.

Maybe this mystery person is connected to the new group Rick, Michonne, Aaron, and the others were introduced to at the end of the mid-season premiere and they're holding Gabriel hostage.

Furthermore, maybe this means Gabriel wasn't simply stealing food and weapons and ditching the group and that he was being forced to do these misdeeds. Or, hey, maybe the person in the car was someone familiar who's pulling one over on the group. Hey, Heath, is that you? 

Hopefully we get some answers on next week's episode.

SEE ALSO: Rick and Daryl may have made a huge mistake on "The Walking Dead"

AND: "The Walking Dead" introduced a new, mysterious group — here's who it may be

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"The Walking Dead" returned to AMC Sunday night and the episode wasted no time catering to one location or person. Rick is back in action and in search of allies to help him take down the Saviors. 

While you were reveling at being reunited with Rick and the gang as they bounced from one camp to another to assemble an army against Negan, you may have missed a few key moments and references the episode alluded to hinting at potential larger problems to come.

Keep reading to see the details you may have missed.

How closely were you watching this scene when Gabriel drove away from Alexandria in the episode's opening minutes?

At first glance, it may have looked like he turned on Rick and the gang and took off, but that may not be the case.

Another person revealed themselves to be on the passenger side of the vehicle as Gabriel drove away.

Who is the mystery man (or woman)? Did they force Gabriel to purge Alexandria of its goods? Perhaps it's the same mysterious person we saw skulking around the camp in the mid-season finale or someone from the group Rick just ran into at the episode's end. Maybe they're both connected. Hopefully, the next episode brings more answers.

After Gregory turns Rick away, a woman named Bertie and some other Hilltop members tell Maggie they want to fight with them against Negan.

We've seen Bertie before.

Since the dawn of the comics, Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors have rarely uttered the word "zombie." Despite the fact that they're living through what everyone in this world would call a zombie apocalypse, they act as as if the word doesn't exist.

It turns out, that was creator Robert Kirkman's plan all along. He wrote the series with zero intent to ever publish the word, explaining that the characters don't live in a universe where zombie fiction is a thing. 

"We wanted to give you a sense that "The Walking Dead" takes place in a universe where zombie fiction doesn't exist. No one inside 'The Walking Dead' has seen a [George Romero] movie, so they can't get the rules from that,"he told Conan O'Brien in 2016.

With the comics still going and the television show in its prime, the minds behind "TWD" have had to come up with a lot of other ways to describe these monsters. 

Keep reading to see the many ways "The Walking Dead" has avoided using the word zombie.

1. Walkers

This is the most common word in the series across both the television show and comic. It was first used on the TV show when Morgan was explaining what the undead were to Rick. Glenn used it in the next episode while talking to Rick through the radio in the tank, proving that it was already a common term in the area. 

2. Biters

The term "biters" is used by the Woodbury group in both the comic and TV series, as well as Caesar Martinez's group. In the comics, Alice, Dr. Stevens's assistant, says her original group called the zombies "biters" because no matter what, they all bite. 

3. Roamers

The term "roamers" is most often used in the comic and is used to describe walkers that are roaming around looking for food. 

The INSIDER Summary: 

• There are still tons of mega-moments and intense situations left to come in "The Walking Dead" TV series.
• From Holly's Last Days to Negan's Escape, The Walking Dead's comic books are filled with situations the TV show still needs to use. 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't read The Walking Dead comics and doesn't want to know where the story is going, though the larger details surrounding these moments have been left out.

Cable shows that make it to their seventh seasons are usually limping out or are running on fumes, but The Walking Dead is currently telling one of its most vicious storylines, with expansive world-building coming in the past eight episodes. And because franchise creator Robert Kirkman has kept the comic books flowing as consistently as the blood from Spencer's belly buster, there are still tons of mega-moments and intense situations left to come in however many years the TV series has left.

As such, we've rounded up 12 upcoming beats from The Walking Dead's comic books that the TV show definitely needs to use in some way, even if there's some remixing by way of which characters get which moments. This first entry, however, would be pretty impossible to apply to any bipedal survivors. 

Shiva In Battle

I don't want to sound greedy when it comes to a magnificent creature such as Shiva, but now that we've seen her skulking around The Kingdom a few times without immediately sinking her big jaws onto an enemy's arm or torso (or leg or head or whatever), it feels like it's time for something more. As the principle of Chekov's Post-Apocalyptic Tiger states, if we meet a terrifying feline, then that terrifying feline is going to get used for something memorable, and the comics have just such a moment in store for Shiva and her owner Ezekiel.

Holly's Last Days

In the early part of the All-Out War between Rick's group and Negan's Saviors, the comics' Holly made some interesting and impulsive decisions to avenge the death of her lover Abraham, leading to one of the series' most unique ways of killing off a main character. Seeing as how The Walking Dead TV show doesn't have a direct counterpart for Holly, it shouldn't be so easy to guess which TV character would get her memorable last days on the page. But given the Abraham connection and everything involved with Sonequa Martin-Green's Star Trek: Discovery role, it's totally Sasha.

Negan's Big Attack On Alexandria

Admittedly, Negan's clever and deadly offensive on Rick's community follows in the immediate aftermath of all things Holly, but the TV show would likely dedicate an entire episode solely to the explosive mayhem and hysteria that Negan's Savior army unleashes on Alexandria as part of the All-Out War. (One would hope that this would be the Season 7 finale or the Season 8 premiere.) While not the biggest or most drawn-out action sequence The Walking Dead has ever delivered, it's perhaps the most Hollywood blockbuster in nature, and should be pretty wild in live-action.

"The Walking Dead" returned to AMC Sunday night and the episode wasted no time catering to one location or person. Rick is back in action and in search of allies to help him take down the Saviors. 

While you were reveling at being reunited with Rick and the gang as they bounced from one camp to another to assemble an army against Negan, you may have missed a few key moments and references the episode alluded to hinting at potential larger problems to come.

Keep reading to see the details you may have missed.

How closely were you watching this scene when Gabriel drove away from Alexandria in the episode's opening minutes?

At first glance, it may have looked like he turned on Rick and the gang and took off, but that may not be the case.

Another person revealed themselves to be on the passenger side of the vehicle as Gabriel drove away.

Who is the mystery man (or woman)? Did they force Gabriel to purge Alexandria of its goods? Perhaps it's the same mysterious person we saw skulking around the camp in the mid-season finale or someone from the group Rick just ran into at the episode's end. Maybe they're both connected. Hopefully, the next episode brings more answers.

After Gregory turns Rick away, a woman named Bertie and some other Hilltop members tell Maggie they want to fight with them against Negan.

We've seen Bertie before.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead from "The Walking Dead" and the comic series.

After introducing a new, mysterious group on the mid-season premiere, "The Walking Dead" wasted little time in keeping fans in the dark as to who they may be. 

Although they weren't mentioned by name, actress Pollyanna McIntosh, who plays the group's leader on the show, confirmed on "The Walking Dead" aftershow "Talking Dead" the group is called the Scavengers. On set, to avoid spoilers, they referred to the group as the Heapsters.

Comic readers probably had an inkling that the large group — who is strategically living out in a junkyard — may have been a revamped version of the Scavengers from Robert Kirkman's series. 

Who are the Scavengers?

Just like their name implies, the Scavengers in the comics are a ruthless group who raids, pillages, and ransacks whatever they can from other survivors. Jadis, the leader of the group on the TV series who introduced themselves to Rick and his crew, said her crew takes what they want.

"We take. We don't bother," appears to be the group's motto.

They had been waiting a long time for someone to ransack that boat that Rick and Aaron retrieved supplies from in December's mid-season finale. 

"The boat things you took got taken," said Jadis to Rick and his crew who unveiled that it was them that took Gabriel in the mid-season premiere.

Jadis then told Rick's group that they owned their lives and that if they wanted to be released they would have to give them something in return to "buy them back."

There's just one problem. Rick's people don't really have anything to give because they're currently giving most of their supplies and food to Negan and the Saviors. Gabriel offered a simple solution.

"If you join us, and we beat them together, you can have much of what's theirs," said Gabriel as he basically pled for their lives. "Fighting with us, you'll be rewarded, [with] more than you can imagine."

In the comic series, the Scavengers appear in four issues and only consist of six people — five men and one woman. Instead of a woman leader, the pack is led by a man named Derek. Heath and Glenn first run into them on the road while they're out looking for supplies. Interestingly, McIntosh told Chris Hardwick on "Talking Dead" that when she read for the role that the part was for either a man or woman.

After attracting them with their motorcycles, they lure the Scavengers back to Alexandria which ultimately results in a skirmish, which they easily lose.

What we do know about this group from the comics is that they're not afraid to sacrifice one of their own for the greater good. In issue #75 when they're introduced, they tossed one of their own to be eaten alive by a herd so they could find a chance to escape after being holed up in a building surrounded by walkers for a week.

For a time, it was thought that the Wolves, a menacing group of survivors with the letter W scrawled into their foreheads, were a substitute for the Scavengers on the TV series. They entered the television series around the same time as the characters entered the comic series.

While the timing was right, the characters exhibited different traits from the pillaging Scavengers. They were more cult-like and savage. 

The introduction of this much larger scavenger group comes at a time when Rick — and the plotline — need a large, willing, and ultimately disposable army to fight their upcoming battle with Negan and his Saviors.

The Scavengers were just as disposable in the comics. Though there's a chance they'll wind up posing a larger threat to Rick and Alexandria in the future, it looks like they may ultimately serve the same role moving forward in the television series. 

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After two weeks with Rick and the group, we're heading back to the Sanctuary on next Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead."

Negan has discovered that Daryl is missing and he is not happy. Not one bit. It looks like he'll be going on an all-out warpath to find where he is now and he'll be sending Dwight on his tail. That's not good news for Daryl, who just set off on the road for Maggie and the Hilltop on his own after leaving the safety of the Kingdom.

We'll also get to see what became of Eugene, who was taken by Negan and his crew in December's mid-season finale. 

Check out the teaser for next weekend's episode below:

One bit of good news for Daryl is that it looks like next week's episode of "The Walking Dead" will rewind a bit in time, taking place right after Daryl escaped the Sanctuary when Negan returns home from his bloody trip to Alexandria.

Here's another clip from next week's episode:

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

If you were paying close attention while watching "The Walking Dead" Sunday evening, you may have noticed something that looked out of place.

After Rick went to battle with an armored walker and came out victorious, viewers caught a glimpse of something flying over Rick's shoulder in a shot that looked a lot like a plane.

Take a look:

Was it an editing mistake or was that flying vehicle in the air a hint at something to come? 

Fans took to social media to also ask if the object in the sky was a bird or a plane:

INSIDER took a look back at the scene after the episode aired Sunday night. The unidentified object was also in the episode screener press received ahead of airtime. 

Considering how far we are into the zombie apocalypse, it's a bit difficult to believe there's someone out there with enough fuel to be flying a plane around. The most logical response is that the plane wasn't caught in the editing room, but it's still fun to think there could be even more people out there.

As we're learning this season, the world is a lot larger than just Rick and his group of survivors.

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

"The Walking Dead" continued its return to television with another action-packed episode. 

As Rick was hatching a plan to get in the good graces of another group and Daryl reunited briefly with Carol, there were a few callbacks throughout the episode to season's prior you may have missed along with an Easter egg from a '70s classic.

Keep reading to see the details on Sunday's episode you may have overlooked.

One of the Saviors takes Morgan's fighting stick with him.

Morgan tells him someone gave it to him who's gone.

We saw Morgan receive that bō stick back in season six, episode four.

Eastman teaches Morgan Aikido and that every life is precious, no matter the harm they deliver. After adopting his teachings as his own, he starts using the bo stick. Eastman met his demise after saving Morgan and being bitten by a walker.

Jerry and King Ezekiel bring Carol a cobbler from the Kingdom.

Jerry says he heard she was a big fan of it. 

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

Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" heavily revolves around Negan's second-in-command, Dwight (Austin Amelio) and the fallout from Daryl escaping the Sanctuary several episodes ago.

Season seven episode 11, "Hostiles and Calamities," goes back in time a few episodes, picking up right where we left off at the Sanctuary in December's mid-season finale. Daryl just ran off to go back home after being kidnapped and left one of the Saviors, Joey, for dead in his wake. 

Sunday's episode follows Dwight as he deals with the fallout not only from Daryl escaping, but also his ex-wife Sherry fleeing the Sanctuary. She was being held as one of Negan's many wives in exchange for Dwight's life. We quickly learn it was Sherry who set Daryl free before she escaped herself. Consequently, Dwight makes some decisions which ultimately lead to the death of the Sanctuary's doctor and possibly a new ally in Eugene, who was recently captured from Rick's Alexandria camp.

INSIDER caught up with Austin Amelio, who plays Dwight on the show, to break down Sunday's episode and get a clearer insight as to what was going on in Dwight's mind during some critical moments.

Kirsten Acuna: The episode starts off right when Daryl took off from the Sanctuary. We see Dwight freak out, go check on Daryl, you see that he's gone, and then instead of yelling at others or telling Negan face to face what happened, you just sit in your room waiting for Negan's men to come give you a beating. Why does Dwight do that? What's going through his mind?

Austin Amelio: Well, it's like, the lesser of the torture. I know [the beating is] going to happen inevitably. [Dwight is] not happy that Daryl gets out and that was under my control. One, [Dwight is] contemplating, trying to figure out what the hell happened. Two, it's just one of those things where it's like, 'Well, okay. I'm gonna just wait for Negan at this point because I know he's going to find out and talk to me.'

Acuna: Where was Dwight while all of this was going on — Daryl being let out, Sherry escaping, Fat Joey being bludgeoned to death? Wasn't Dwight supposed to be in charge while Negan was gone?

Amelio: Yeah, he missed a lot of stuff. Maybe he was out prepping for a sandwich or taking a motorcycle ride. [It's] not good to come back to that.

Acuna: We learn in this episode that Dwight has short-term memory. Is that something you knew about the character or something you've been playing with the character in mind?

Amelio: A little bit, but it's not something that I necessarily focused on. I did enjoy the fact that the only thing he did remember was to bring beer and pretzels [back to his old home for Sherry while searching for her] which means a lot to his relationship and hopes to be with Sherry and find her at some point.

Acuna: Now that Sherry is gone from the Sanctuary, why is Dwight still there? Why does he return and not go looking for Sherry? Instead, we see Dwight return home and throw the doctor under the bus for Sherry's escape.

Amelio: It's one of those things where I kind of save her [Sherry] and have a bigger plan in mind. Negan knows where I am. He'll come out and find me. If I can get rid of a small piece of the puzzle and come back and still execute what I have in mind, I think that's a better option than just flat out leaving and going on the chase and then somehow getting the other side of my face scorched.

Acuna: Does Dwight feel bad about throwing the doctor under the bus? I don't know if he presumed he was just going to get Negan's usual punishment — an iron to the face — but he just gets thrown into the fire.

Amelio: Yeah, a little unexpected there. Of course [he feels bad], of course. What I had in mind while filming the episode is that after he leaves [his old house with Sherry], he's back to being a cold-blooded killer and that's a lot of ... you only have a little time to feel something and then you gotta go back to what you were originally doing. Of course, I mean, as a human being, that's about as low as it gets right there for him. It's definitely on the lower rung of the ladder of the things he's done. One of the things that I played with [is] he still has hopes that him and Sherry are going to be back together and if he didn't then yeah, I think he'd be gone and out of there. The fact is, that's the one thing he has to hold onto. He has to make some smart chess moves in order to get there and be with her again. He feels bad, but it's for the greater cause, in a sense.

Acuna: There's a part of the episode where Negan says to Dwight that he's not like Daryl, that he's not emotional. Is that true? I don't think that's true.

Amelio: I don't either. I'm glad you said that because I think I am. You see it in the episode. I don't have the luxury to be emotional and where I am with the Saviors and under Negan. I think Dwight's a pretty emotional guy. In the last episode, when I killed Gordon and I have that conversation with Sherry, I'm not sleeping tonight. It doesn't just roll over my shoulders and it's gone. All of this stuff has a big effect on me.

Acuna: Dwight may not cry, but he's holding onto a lot. You wouldn't be holding onto, physically, a cigarette covered with your ex-wife's lipstick or along with your wedding ring if you didn't still care. And you wouldn't have brought the beer and the pretzels to any empty home [for Sherry] if you didn't care.

Amelio: Right, which I thought was such a beautiful moment. I loved that moment. When I read the script I was like, 'Yes.'

Acuna: So, does Dwight possibly have something up his sleeve? Why else would you go back to the Sanctuary other than to protect Sherry?

Amelio: Right. 100%. There's definitely ... that's how I was just saying [it's] like moving around smaller chess pieces so you can get the king in checkmate. Appear weak.

Acuna: And now you have someone else there who you can maybe possibly bond with in Eugene.

Amelio: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I love this episode. In a sense, we both go through a major, physical turning point in our characters. It's happening at the same time and then we can join at the end. What a beautiful episode in that sense. 

Acuna: Maybe you guys are going to have a bit of a rocky relationship because one of the last times you guys saw each other, Eugene bit Dwight in the crotch. Are there any hard feelings there? Or does Dwight get where he's coming from? You have to do what you've got to in order to survive.

Amelio: I think he's allowed to feel both of those things. Yeah, I get it. Survival. But dude, you bit me in the d---. It's not going to be froufrou and lollipops and anything from here on out. Me, at the end, I come over and I think it's a quick assessment or not [of] what his values are and where he stands in that episode. 

Acuna: Then at the end of the episode, we see Eugene standing in Dwight's spot overseeing some workers, barking some commands. Is that something Dwight should be concerned about?

Amelio: Absolutely. It's someone taking charge. I worked my way up, not doing the easy tasks to get there. I killed someone, I got my face burned, lost my wife, and this guy's up here with a doll in his pocket shouting orders at zombies. I'm absolutely worried about that.

Acuna: Eugene is almost a little too comfortable at the Sanctuary. He also hears the tune "Easy Street," which Dwight used to torture Daryl. Instead, it's more of a welcoming invite for Eugene. Then, we watch Eugene while he's there, taking charge, getting cozy, barking orders and enjoying it, and he smirks.

Amelio: It's a little unnerving. 

Acuna: Eugene has this small smile that Dwight never has.

Amelio: No, no. There's never a sense of comfort, from my perspective there [with Dwight]. There's glimpses of it. There's only slight milliseconds of it —  'Oh, I'm eating a sandwich.' Even when I'm having a smoke to relax it's me having a conversation with my ex-wife. So, there's no real sense of ease in my world. The fact that he's doing that, it's worrisome, for sure.

Acuna: I want to touch on the note Sherry left for Dwight at their old house. She said she let Daryl go because she believed Dwight saw a bit of his former self in Daryl. We have seen Dwight take Daryl's crossbow and his vest. Does Dwight kind of want to be Daryl?

Amelio: No. He definitely doesn't want to be Daryl. Daryl has been able to see Dwight in the past and I think there's a sense of him feeling uncomfortable about that because he saw Dwight who he was before he was who he was ... before he saw who he is now. I think they're two completely different characters. There's definitely a mirroring effect to a sense, but, no, I don't think Dwight wants to be Daryl.

Acuna: Something that I myself and a lot of fans have been wondering about are the sweatshirts people wear around the Sanctuary with letters on them. Daryl gets one with the letter "A" while he's held captive. It reminds me of "The Scarlet Letter," but others wear different letters. Do you know what that means? Is it meant to further dehumanize people?

Amelio: A--hole? And "S" is sh--head. Nah. I can't quite remember what it means, but it is sort of a scarlet letter. It's like, if you're wearing that, you're kind of the lowest on the rung, on the ladder.

Acuna: In this episode, we learn a little more about people being assigned numbers, so I figured the letters were something similar.

Amelio: I'm going to have to refresh my memory. Sorry, that episode was filmed about four months ago. I can't quite answer that, but a--hole and sh--head seem to come to mind.

Acuna: With Negan, that would make complete sense if that's what they stand for. Speaking of Negan, we see more of his polyamorous relationships and his wives in this episode. Sherry was a part of this. What does Dwight make of Negan's polygamous lifestyle in the zombie apocalypse?

Amelio: Dwight is obviously, you can tell, he's a loyal guy in a sense that he lost his ex-wife, and that's really the only thing he cares about still because he didn't lose her in a way that a relationship is actually broken up or broke into pieces. He lost her because she sacrificed herself so there's still hope there. I don't think he's a fan of it [Negan's wives]. He's not, to be honest. Probably a little bothersome.

Acuna: How has working on the rest of season seven been?

Amelio: It's great. It's so good. It's really cool this season just because the story for Dwight is unfolding and I'm having a really, really good time with that, digging into it. There's big things ahead, so I'm really excited.

Acuna: The last time we spoke was before you had shot Daryl and I asked if you were ready to receive all of the hate mail. Have you been getting some of that? 

Amelio: I think with this character it's kind of inevitable. You have people that are like, 'I love you, but I hate you.' Then you have some people that hate and don't love back. Every now and then that's part of it, but I'm loving it.

"The Walking Dead" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

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

It has taken a while, but it looks like "The Walking Dead" may have finally found its groove again. 

The first half of season seven saw a big ratings dip following the gruesome premiere in which the show's new villain Negan brutally killed not one, but two long-time characters. 

The dip carried on throughout season seven's first eight episodes. Fans weren't impressed as the show separated its large cast while also introducing a number of brand new faces. It left frustrating unanswered cliffhangers (What happened to Heath?), and gave side characters their own episodes (Did Tara need a full episode to herself?).

Perhaps, worst of all, viewers grew tired of Rick, the once fearless leader of the group, who had been transformed into a groveling subordinate akin to Reek on "Game of Thrones." Though he eventually came to his senses, waiting for the turn was more than some fans could bear.

Much of this frustration isn't new to "The Walking Dead" fans. Many were upset when the series made it appear as if fan-favorite Glenn was killed off in season six, episode three and had to wait through a plodding four episodes to discover he was alive. By that time, eagle-eyedRedditors had already solved the mystery so the shock value of his "miraculous" survival was rather underwhelming.

Others were downright disappointedand angry when the show built up to Negan's grand entry in the season six finale, but then refused to show who was killed until the season seven premiere. 

Even if you've been enjoying the series' rollout of Negan and the Saviors in season seven as I have, it's difficult to deny that the AMC staple has been delivering some gimmicky devices to keep viewers watching and to generate buzz. It's something they don't need to do, especially because audiences will continue watching as long as the show gives Daryl (Norman Reedus) some screen time. Bonus points if it's with Carol or Rick and involves hugging.

But season seven's second half appears to be remedying some of the show's biggest missteps. It's already clear from the first two new episodes that "The Walking Dead" is taking a different approach to episode delivery — whether consciously or not — and the show is all the more richer for it. 

Less Negan 

Personally, I can't get enough of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as one of the comic's most iconic characters, but not everyone is as fond of the foul-mouthed Savior leader.

The latest three episodes, however, feature a lot less of the series' villain du jour. Instead, the focus is once again on Rick and the Alexandria crew. We also haven't gotten an episode which revolves solely around one singular character, though Sunday's episode does heavily feature Eugene and Dwight.

In other words, we're seeing a lot of our favorite characters get the screentime they deserve.

The episodes keep things moving along

Even better, the series is moving things along instead of getting bogged down around one character or location. 

In the mid-season premiere alone, the show covered more ground than it has in a while. Rick and his crew went from Maggie and the fickle Gregory at the Hilltop to King Ezekiel, his tiger, and Morgan at the Kingdom. Rick didn't stop there. He then took out a bunch of zombies in a huge scene with his love interest Michonne and had a visit from some of Negan’s Saviors before going in search of Gabriel who went missing at the episode’s start.

That's a lot of action packed into one episode while keeping the core cast together to experience most of it.

In a similar fashion, the February 19 episode skipped back and forth between Rick and the new mysterious Scavengers group and Morgan and Daryl's plight at the Kingdom. There was even time for a long-awaited Carol and Daryl reunion.

This episode easily could have focused solely on Rick's group, the Kingdom, or Daryl, but now that all of these new groups have been introduced, it's great to see them mixing and mingling together.  

Issues are being resolved faster

Problems have arisen and, instead of waiting episodes for a clear answer as we have in the past, those same problems have been resolved quickly, thus delivering a satisfying experience for viewers.

Gabriel went missing in the beginning of the mid-season premiere that aired February 12 and by next week's episode, he was found. The show also cleared up a few mysteries from recent episodes (Who was the person spying on Alexandria in the show's December mid-season finale? Who is this new group?) in the process.

Clearing up these mysteries instead of lingering on them for multiple episodes is one way the show has been listening to its fans rather than frustrating them. 

In the past, it would not have surprised fans if the show waited until an episode's end to address a cliffhanger from the prior episode. But when Rick and his crew were captured by a new mystery group at the end of the show's mid-season opener, we saw them less than halfway through the next episode. None of that "we're only going to show them in the episode's final few minutes" business.

I also didn't think we would get the answer to Gabriel's captors so soon. Let's hope the rest of the tail end of this season follows at the same pace.

Zombie gore!

The series has been so focused on introducing new communities, who may pose risks to our survivors in the apocalypse, that you may almost forget there's a zombie apocalypse going on. 

The show has even had time to insert some zombie gore into the mix. A major walker kill by power couple Rick and Michonne when they sliced through dozens of zombies with a cable resulted in a lot of fan love.

Then Rick went up against an armored walker, gladiator style. I'm not sure why Rick willingly tried — and failed — to use his hand as a shield to the walker's many spikes, but the zombie's look introduced a fresh feel to the walkers that hasn't been seen before.

Ultimately, "The Walking Dead" characters work better together, highlighting each other's strengths and making the plot feel cohesive. It's nice to get some downtime with one character, but the cast has grown so large, especially in the last half of the season, that the show would be better served by following an episode format similar to "Game of Thrones," which masterfully juggles a large cast.  

So far, it's really working. We still have several episodes to go this season, but it looks like the series may be on track to return to its former glory. 

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

Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" brought viewers back to the Sanctuary.

Instead of focusing on Negan, we followed Dwight as he dealt with the fallout of both Daryl and his ex-wife escaping the Savior compound. 

The episode had a lot of little references to Eugene's early days on the show and some important details from earlier this season. Keep reading to see what you may have missed. 

Dwight finds his room a mess after Daryl goes missing.

Dwight's handcarved chess pieces are knocked over, a jar of peanut butter is left open at a table, and he finds a sweatshirt on the ground.

It's the same room Daryl ran to before he escaped the Sanctuary.

Daryl discarded his sweatshirt with the letter "A," ate some peanut butter, and grabbed some clean clothes before heading out. He also knocked over the chessboard with Dwight's handcarved figures. 

When Daryl first met Dwight and Sherry in season six he took one of the carved figures from Dwight.

Eugene is given a big welcome to the Sanctuary complete with a room that may look a little familiar.

The room is filled with a TV, video games, and Daryl's favorite song, "Easy Street."

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

Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" brought viewers back to the Sanctuary.

Instead of focusing on Negan, we followed Dwight as he dealt with the fallout of both Daryl and his ex-wife escaping the Savior compound. 

The episode had a lot of little references to Eugene's early days on the show and some important details from earlier this season. Keep reading to see what you may have missed. 

Dwight finds his room a mess after Daryl goes missing.

Dwight's handcarved chess pieces are knocked over, a jar of peanut butter is left open at a table, and he finds a sweatshirt on the ground.

It's the same room Daryl ran to before he escaped the Sanctuary.

Daryl discarded his sweatshirt with the letter "A," ate some peanut butter, and grabbed some clean clothes before heading out. He also knocked over the chessboard with Dwight's handcarved figures. 

When Daryl first met Dwight and Sherry in season six he took one of the carved figures from Dwight.

Eugene is given a big welcome to the Sanctuary complete with a room that may look a little familiar.

The room is filled with a TV, video games, and Daryl's favorite song, "Easy Street."

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't caught up with "The Walking Dead."

Fans are still processing the sudden departure of Sherry from last week's episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead," but the star behind the role, Christine Evangelista, says she expected that her time on the zombie show was limited.

Sherry was Dwight's (Austin Amelio) ex-wife and later, one of murderous Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) many reluctant wives. Despite the danger, she was kind to Daryl (Norman Reedus) and helped him escape from Negan. After that, Evangelista said she began preparing herself to leave the show.

"I knew from earlier in the season that she was the one that helped Daryl," Evangelista told Business Insider at an NBC Universal event on Thursday. "So I knew that her time was limited. I was curious as to what she was going to do next. Sherry is always a step ahead in some ways. She always has some sort of plan. And I think that once Negan found out that she’s the one that let Daryl out, which I’m sure he would’ve, she would’ve been dead. So I think she had no choice but to go."

Sherry escaped from the Sanctuary, but not before leaving Dwight a harsh, yet heartfelt, goodbye letter. The show seems to leave the door open for her coming back.

"I mean it was a sad letter that she wrote him, but she’s a badass," Evangelista said. "She’s running right now. She’s doing her thing. I have a lot of faith in her."

Fans of Evangelista don't have to wait long to see her on TV again. She stars on the new E! drama "The Arrangement,"in which she plays an up-and-coming actress who's offered a wedding contract to a famous Hollywood leading man, who's played by former "Dallas" reboot and "Desperate Housewives" star Josh Henderson.

"It happened within a couple of days," the actress said of going from "The Walking Dead" to working on "The Arrangement," which premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. "I think I literally went from one set to the other, which was awesome. You know, it’s a completely different world. It was definitely a sharp transition."

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NOW WATCH: ‘The Walking Dead’ fans think they uncovered something huge in this scene from the latest episode

Next week's episode of "The Walking Dead" looks like it will be heavily Carol-centric. 

After she told Daryl, Morgan, and King Ezekiel she just wants to be left alone, it seems Carol snapped out of it and is ready for some zombie action. Next week's teasers for season seven, episode 13 show Carol heading off to the Kingdom in search of her buddy Morgan. It looks like she's going to ask him point blank if Daryl was really straight with her when he visited. 

Remember Daryl lied to Carol and told her everyone in Alexandria is fine and that they took care of the Saviors. Of course, that's not the case. They're trying to break free from Negan's group and multiple people in their group have been killed, including Carol's longtime friends and group members Glenn and Abraham. Will she find out the truth next week?

Check out the teasers for next week below: 

Here's an extended teaser for next week's episode:

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" was a bit of a filler episode, but that was okay because it gave fans some much needed time with Rick and Michonne. The two leaders of the Alexandria group recently admitted their feelings for one another, and while Sunday's episode was a giant scavenge run for supplies and guns, it pretty much doubled as a honeymoon of sorts for the two.

What better way to celebrate your love than going to a zombie-infested carnival and taking down walkers? Amidst all of the undead action and romance, there were a few nods and references to prior episodes you may have missed.

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Rick and Michonne stumble upon and raid two men who are out golfing.

They ended up taking a battery from them while they weren't looking. But, if you listened to the conversation those men were having, you'd realize they weren’t just two random survivors.

Those two men were Negan’s Saviors.

If you were paying close attention, you can hear one of the Saviors talk about Joey, the Savior Daryl recently killed upon escaping from the Sanctuary. 

"And if I hear one more goddamn word about Fat Joey, I'm gonna smash ..." he says before his dialogue fades out. 

Michonne spots a deer in the woods that she and Rick later see at an abandoned carnival.

It’s one of several deer they’ve come across on the series.