Comic-Con 2018: What I Love About THE WALKING DEAD And What I Am Most Anticipating We Will Learn At SDCC This Year

There is so much to revel in and enjoy about AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD.  Eight seasons in and Season 9 set to premiere this fall, it still amazes me how much it has a grip on my heart.  I live for its constant thrills and chills!  Just a few of the reasons I was drawn to and continue to love THE WALKING DEAD include:

(1) First, I just love its storytelling and visual concepts.  It has woven together a glorious tapestry of characters and stories about their lives in this post-apocalyptic world of walkers and only has gotten rich with each passing season.

(2) I also enjoy the horror-suspense-thriller genre as a whole, so it is not a surprise that I am addicted to THE WALKING DEAD as it is an incredible culmination of all those areas of entertainment.  It is an addictive visual concoction of entertainment.

(3) Then I love the creative minds behind it that give us the stories of all these unique and different individuals and groups through the myriad of seasons — just seeing how they deal with each other and the dynamics that surface as they all try to survive against a seemingly endless horde intent on eating them every time they hesitate to kill/destroy each walker they encounter, it fascinates me.

(4) Also I am astounded by how much the casting has been so amazing.  The interactions between each of them and the depths they show through their portrayals of their characters has been nothing short of mesmerizing.   I have wept and cried over each death, had my jaw hit the floor more than once a season at who is suddenly gone, and yet still marvel that I got to know and love each of  these characters so much that I wept tears when their were gone

(5) I knew from the very first announcement of this show — even before the first episode aired — it was going to be something special, and I am very happy I have been able to go on this ride with it.  Every episode, every season has been a jaw-dropping and spine-tingling pleasure. I savor each bloody and gory moment along with it.  It is a show about pure instinct to survive and what each person would do in that instance when their life is at stake.  You would grab literally anything at your disposal to survive that moment.  The blood, the gore, the rawness of life in that moment — none of it matters.  It is pure survival.

As to what I hope we get to hear more about as they cast and producers present at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, here are a few things on my “wish list” for Season 9:

– storywise: what’s next for Maggie’s character and their “mafia” in the shadows group, what is up their plans regarding Negan, how will they deal with Rick/Michonne as well as the power struggle and how each views their “new” world differently, and the surprise of Jesus in that group!?!
– teases on more skin-crawlingly delicious storytelling and heart-thumping character interactions, as well as a few gasp-worthy, emotional roller-coaster moments and surprises,
– what next the show will do to raise stakes, ramp up the drama and suspense
– hints as to the next untimely death(s) and perhaps a few well-deserved deaths
– what continuing surprises with characters as they flesh-out and develop and delve deeper before our eyes
– how they will continue to keep up the kickass visual effects and physical make-up/costuming concepts
– and just anything that creator Robert Kirkman is willing to share!

I am down for whatever we get!  Bring on the pain, the blood, the gore, the never-ending walkers — bring it all. I am in for the whole wild ride. See everyone at Comic-Con!