Yesterday we caught what looked to be a Walking Dead deviation for Rick and co., as the group met a junkyard gang on their way to “Rise Up” against Negan. Now, new photos from the 2017 premiere and beyond see the Saviors making an unwelcome return to Alexandria, while producers promise “one of the most ingenious walkers is coming up in the second half.”

Entertainment Weekly debuted a new batch of photos from the latter (and reportedly more optimistic) half of The Walking Dead Season 7, as the reunited gang heads all over the map to unite communities against Negan. Back in Alexandria, Daryl is nowhere to be found as Negan’s right-hand man Simon (Steven Ogg) comes for a visit, while the shot of a completely desiccated walker follows the cryptic teases from earlier:

Walking Dead Season 7b Teaser Photos
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And says executive producer / effects guru Greg Nicotero of some of the upcoming walkers:

I think one of the most ingenious walkers is coming up in the second half. It’s something that we’ve never done before. The minute that you see it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

In the meantime, here’s the extended synopsis for Season 7B:

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.

We’ll see if the back half of The Walking Dead Season 7 proves any less punishing than its predecessor, but in the meantime, have a look at the new photos above, and stay tuned for more.

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