‘The Walking Dead’ Spoilers: New Clip Hints Daryl’s Dark Fate, Cast Member Warns ‘You’re Not Prepared For What’s Coming’

It’s time for more Walking Dead spoilers.

Fans were largely disappointed by the AMC megahit’s humdrum Season 6 finale, but it set off one of the most excruciating hiatuses in recent television history as fans clamor to figure out who Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) walloped on the melon with his trusty sidekick Lucille — a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire — at the end of the episode.

Now, the makers of The Walking Dead just dropped a major clue about who might have been on the receiving end of Negan’s wrath.

Daryl Dixon? Say it isn’t so.

During a surprise Season 7 preview special that aired on AMC Sunday night, Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick chatted with cast members about Walking Dead spoilers and aired an exclusive clip from the Season 7 premiere.

In the sneak peak, we see Dwight (Austin Amelio) driving down the highway on a motorcycle that bears a striking resemblance to Daryl’s. He stops the bike on a bridge where some extremely slow walkers are lumbering about, dismounts, and that’s when we notice — he’s wearing Daryl’s trademark leather vest!

What does that mean?

https://youtu.be/Zxw-sNlUTiI

As usual, the Walking Dead producers are keeping spoilers close to the, uh, vest. As E! News noted, Hardwick read a statement from executive producer Scott M. Gimple.

“You know the beginning, and it’s almost here, so enjoy your summer because the beginning is someone’s end. But it is a beginning. What happens in episode one will shatter the lives of those who survive and will rend the narrative into different trajectories in which we will see our characters in completely new situations, torn from the pages of the comic and remixed in The Walking Dead remixinator 500.

“We’ll see an all new different world with new friends, enemies, and others, with alignments ranging from lawful good to chaotic evil and all the neutrals in between, and we’ll see unthinkable dangers from the damnedest of places. Yes, there will be blood, but there will also be cobbler, we kid you not. There’s going to be a hard goodbye at the beginning, but you know that, and it’s almost here. As Simon says, be good to each other.”

In the preview special, Hardwick also got vague Walking Dead spoilers from actor Chandler Riggs (Carl), who advised viewers to hold onto their “cats.” He also talked to Jeffrey Dean Morgan about his “mind-blowing” experiences playing Negan. The Daily Mail quoted the former Grey’s Anatomy star as saying he felt like a member of the Beatles when he attended the San Diego Comic-Con with other Walking Dead cast mates in July.

“I don’t know if anybody else does get that reaction. I think this show has got such a special relationship with its fans. A lot of care is made to make sure the fans get what they want, which is a great television show.”

Morgan also said he studied the Walking Dead comic books to mimic Negan’s unique posture and disconcerting smile.

“He uses it like a weapon. He can disarm you, and it’s threatening at the same time, but it’s part of his repertoire, it’s part of his charm. It’s part of his brutality. This is a guy that could smile at you and smash your face in.”

And did Daryl Dixon actor Norman Reedus have any Walking Dead spoilers to give away regarding his character’s fate? Sort of.

“Get somebody you care about and hold their hand. You’ll probably cry. You’ll probably smash your television set, so surround your room with a lot of happy things.”

As if that didn’t sound menacing enough, actress Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier) said it would “be wise if you have someone with you that you love” while watching The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere.

“This premiere’s going to be rough. There’s no way to prepare for what’s going to come, and if you think you know what’s going to happen and the way it’s going to happen, you’re not prepared for what’s coming.”

Gulp.

What do you think of the latest Walking Dead spoilers? Do you think Daryl is going to die? Are you looking forward to The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere on AMC on October 23 at 9 p.m.?

[Image via Gene Page/AMC]