The Walking Dead (season 8)


The eighth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 22, 2017, and concluded on April 15, 2018, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for his fifth and final season. The eighth season received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won two, including Best Horror Television Series for the third consecutive year, at the 44th Saturn Awards.
This season adapts material from issues #115–126 of the comic book series "All Out War Part I & II" and introduces notable comic book character Siddiq. The season continues the story of Rick Grimes and his group of survivors in their fight against Negan and the Saviors. Rick, along with Maggie, leading The Hilltop, and King Ezekiel, leader of The Kingdom, unite forces to start a rebellion against the tyrant leader of the Saviors, initiating a war for the freedom of the communities.

Cast

Main cast

The eighth season features twenty series regulars overall. For this season, Katelyn Nacon, Khary Payton, Steven Ogg, and Pollyanna McIntosh were promoted to series regular status, after previously having recurring roles, while Seth Gilliam and Ross Marquand were added to the opening credits.

Starring

Alexandria Safe-Zone

The Walking Dead was renewed by AMC for a 16-episode eighth season on October 16, 2016. Production began on April 25, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. On July 12, 2017, production was shut down after stuntman John Bernecker was killed, after falling more than 20 feet onto a concrete floor. Production resumed on July 17. The season premiere, which also serves as the series' milestone 100th episode, was directed by executive producer Greg Nicotero.
In November 2017, it was announced that Lennie James who portrays Morgan Jones, would be leaving The Walking Dead after the conclusion of this season, and would join the cast of the spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead for its fourth season. The eighth season also features the departures of series regulars Chandler Riggs, Steven Ogg, and Austin Amelio. Riggs' final episode is the mid-season premiere where his character is killed off, which is a deviation from the comic book, where his character is still alive. His death received negative reactions from critics and fans. Ogg's final episode is the penultimate episode of the season, where his character is killed by Negan. Amelio departed the series after the season finale, and in January 2019, it was confirmed he would join the cast of Fear the Walking Dead.

Episodes

Release

The first trailer for the season was released on July 21, 2017 at the San Diego Comic-Con. The second trailer was released on February 1, 2018 for the second part of the season.
On March 15, 2018, it was announced that the season finale and the fourth season premiere of Fear the Walking Dead would be screened at AMC, Regal, and Cinemark theaters across the United States on April 15, the same day as the TV airing, for "Survival Sunday: The Walking Dead & Fear the Walking Dead". The episodes marked the first crossover between the two series. The cinema screening also included an extra half-hour of exclusive bonus content.

Reception

Critical response

The eighth season of The Walking Dead received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a score of 64% with an average rating of 6.68 out of 10 based on 16 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Walking Deads eighth season energizes its characters with some much-needed angst and action, though it's still occasionally choppy and lacking forward-moving plot progression."

Accolades

For the 44th Saturn Awards, the eight season of The Walking Dead received seven nominations, winning two. It won Best Horror Television Series and Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series. The nominations were for Best Actor on Television, Best Supporting Actor on Television, Best Supporting Actress on Television, and Best Guest Starring Role on Television.
The first half of the season was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series at the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Ratings

Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead.

Home media

The eighth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 21, 2018. The set includes three audio commentaries and three featurettes.