We're just a few weeks out from The Walking Dead's explosive Season 8 finale, and the fandom is still recovering from the rollercoaster of a season. All Out War against Negan and The Saviors has dome and gone, and left a trail of bodies in its wake. The finale episode "Wrath" teased a set of new challenges for the show's next season, including a possible time jump. Production for Season 9 is gearing up now, and the first image from the set seems to tease just that. Check out the Hilltop now that the threat of The Saviors has stopped.
From this tweet, it looks like those plans from Georgie did the survivors some good, and they've managed to built up the natural resources in the area outside D.C. The communities look like they're upgrading in the time jump, and it should be interesting to see how the group dynamics come to play once The Walking Dead returns to the small screen.
All of Season 8 revolved around the various communities rising up against the tyrannic rule of Negan and The Saviors. This brought a ton of gunfights and some crazy twists and turns, but there had been very little thought about life after the war. Lucky for them all, Georgie appeared for a quick appearance at The Hilltop, making a deal with Maggie in the process. While they were originally nervous to trust an outsider, an alliance was made and Maggie was given plans to silos, irrigation, and ways to sustain the communities in a post-apocalyptic world. She said she'd be coming back, so it should be interesting to see how long The Walking Dead's time jump ends up being.
In addition to building up the farming abilities of The Hilltop, Maggie also seems to be playing another long game in Season 9. She was last seen meeting with Jesus and Daryl after the final battle, revealing that she's not going to be taking Negan's mercy lying down. While this likely won't result in a big conflict with Rick, Maggie still very much wants her husband's killer dead.
It should be fascinating to see how the upcoming Walking Dead time jump affects the large ensemble cast. In particular, The Sanctuary will be breaking new ground as a community free from Negan's set of rules. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character is also going to be living his life as a prisoner in Alexandria, which is a fascinating change of status. Jadis has also taken back her real name and joined society, which should be another interesting thread to weaved through Season 9's mysterious plot.
The Walking Dead will be back this fall, and Fear The Walking Dead is currently airing its fourth season on AMC. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our superhero premiere list and Amazon premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode.
