Top three things “The Walking Dead” Season 8A should include

The Walking Dead’s eighth season premieres in less than a month, and the hype surrounding the show’s return is alive and well. Most of Season 7 was spent building up the plot and characters, and many fans are looking forward to this year’s storyline as our group of survivors face their greatest threat yet. In anticipation of what’s to come, here are the top three things I hope to see in the first half of Season 8.

(Warning: Spoilers are discussed below.)

3. Oceanside’s Involvement

The Oceanside community was introduced to us in the sixth episode of Season 7, and has since only appeared once. Given the history they have with Negan and the Saviors, I can’t see how they won’t eventually end up alongside our survivors in battle. And since Alexandria, the Hilltop and the Kingdom are vastly outnumbered, I would love to see Oceanside come in with a vengeance and help even the war.

2. More of Rick

Out of the sixteen episodes in Season 7, Rick only appeared in ten of them (and one episode showed him for under two minutes). I understand that the world of The Walking Dead is expanding, and I recognize that devoting episodes to certain characters is necessary to progress the story. But having the show’s main character appear in just a little more than half the season is upsetting. We’ve followed Rick Grimes from the beginning and have seen the world through his eyes; this is his story. He drives the entire show, and I want to see him at the forefront of this season and the upcoming war.

1. At Least Half a Season of “All Out War”

“All Out War” is the story arc in The Walking Dead comics when the Survivors and company fight the Saviors. Season 7 set the foundation for it, and I hope to see at least half of Season 8 dedicated to it. It’s a crucial and great part of the story, and deserves to be fleshed out. As a viewer of the show, I felt oppressed by Negan alongside our survivors throughout most of the seventh season. In return, I would love eight episodes of Alexandria, the Hilltop and the Kingdom rising up and uniting to defeat the Saviors and Scavengers once and for all.

The Walking Dead returns October 22 on AMC.

(Photo courtesy of AMC Studios)