Warning: major spoilers ahead for Episode 13 of The Walking Dead Season 8, called "The Key."
The Walking Dead has been populated by a lot of dirty, deadly, and/or unsavory people over the last couple of seasons, and the war between Rick's crew and the Saviors (who are currently falling apart) only seems to escalate. So, it came as something of a surprise when a woman by the name of Georgie (played by Jayne Atkinson of House of Cards) arrived on the scene, looking perfectly poised and polished as she offered Maggie a deal to exchange food and goods from Hilltop for knowledge. The two women did manage to strike up a deal, and Georgie left with no concrete indication of her future on the show. Luckily, Jayne Atkinson spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode, and she had this to say when asked if she could return to the show:
I couldn't possibly comment. Wink, wink, nudge nudge. Know what I mean? Know what I mean?
On the one hand, Jayne Atkinson couldn't confirm or deny a return to The Walking Dead, as an answer either way would constitute a spoiler. In fact, Chandler Riggs gave the same sort of answer when asked if he could reprise the role of the dearly departed Carl in some way after his death. On the other (and more exciting) hand, Atkinson's response comes across as just as much of a confirmation as she could possibly give without an explicit "yes." We can't say for 100% certain that Georgie will be back, but I'd say that the odds are pretty good that we'll see more of her in either what remains of Season 8 or in Season 9.
Georgie (and her pals Hilda and Midge) were certainly a change of pace from the characters who have debuted in the past several seasons, and a new kind of character from a different kind of settlement could be exactly what The Walking Dead needs now that it's been on the air for the better part of a decade. Besides, that binder full of how-to information for medieval human achievements could give the show the chance to explore some stories other than "us vs. them" for a while. The war between the Saviors and Rick and Co. can't last forever; Georgie could usher in a new era for The Walking Dead.
Jayne Atkinson went on to explain why she believes Georgie was such an interesting addition to the show, saying this:
I think that's why they bring her. They want to plant a seed of hope in the story because of her. What goes down must come back up. 'I expect great things. And I'll be back.' [laughs]
Surely The Walking Dead couldn't give Georgie a line like "I'll be back" and just not bring her back into the mix, right? Even if Georgie isn't back right away, we shouldn't rule her out as a key player later on in the series. She does represent something different, and even just the little bit of hope she delivered is exactly what the survivors (and viewers) need after the loss of Carl. We can only wait and see if and when she'll return to the zombie apocalypse on The Walking Dead. For more of what Jayne Atkinson revealed in her chat with CinemaBlend, check out our breakdown of 5 important things she told us.
The episode didn't end well for Negan, and we have some big questions after his big brawl with Rick. You can catch new episodes of The Walking Dead on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Season 8 finale will also air in theaters next month along with the Season 4 premiere of Fear the Walking Dead. For what you can watch on the small screen now and in the not-too-distant future, be sure to take a look at our midseason TV premiere guide and our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule.
