10 Reasons You Should Be Watching "The Walking Dead" Season 9

"It reminds me of what I fell in love with in the beginning!"

At New York Comic Con this year, The Walking Dead not only said goodbye to Andrew Lincoln, but the series gave fans an idea about what to expect this season. Here's what we learned about the re-imagined TWD:

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Warning: Spoilers for Season 8 of The Walking Dead ahead!

1. First, Season 9 is basically getting back to basics.

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Norman Reedus said, "It reminds me of what I fell in love with in the beginning. It’s like a western, it has a different feel and look to it."

2. Jon Bernthal, Scott Wilson, and Sonequa Martin-Green will all be appearing at some point during Andrew Lincoln's final episodes.

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Sadly, Scott Wilson passed away yesterday shortly after the news was announced.

3. Season 9 will truly be a love letter to everything Rick Grimes and Andrew Lincoln have given the series.

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Executive producer Angela Kang said, "Scott [Gimple] and I started with discussions about what the season might have. We ran with it in the writers' room. What has Rick's journey meant to him, on the show, as well as an emotional story for the fans? That's the responsibility we felt in coming up with the story this season."

4. Michonne will take on an even bigger role this season.

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Danai Gurira is thrilled, saying, "There's just more words in Michonne's mouth. I'm really enjoying that. There's a lot of scenes with characters one-on-one. Just really delving into impact of characters upon each other."

5. In terms of Rick and Michonne, the 18 month time jump will have a big impact on their relationship.

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Andrew Lincoln said, "Because of the time jump, with Rick and Michonne, their relationship has deepened to a more profound and astounding love."

6. In fact, Michonne will take with her the sense of community that Rick instilled in her.

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Danai Gurira said, "The thing that Michonne learned from day one from Rick is that he figured out how to retain community and retain to connection to people and to take responsibility for people."

7. Melissa McBride teased that Carol will get to have some scenes with characters she hasn't been with in a while.

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Danai Gurira and Melissa McBride joked, "We talked to each other!"

8. With Negan captured by Rick Grimes, we'll see a different side of him this time time around.

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan previewed Negan's new journey saying, "Negan is fighting a lot of internal battles this year. He’s finding out a lot about himself. It’s been an interesting year for both Negan and myself."

9. In fact, Carol, Daryl, and Michonne will take on a bigger leadership role in the series now that Rick is leaving.

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan said that watching Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, and Melissa McBride be leaders on set and fill Andrew Lincoln's shoes has been extraordinary to watch. He said, "Seeing them do their thing this year, I think the last few seasons have been oppressive and this is a new beginning."

10. And finally, while Rick Grimes will leave the series in some way, his presence will still be felt.

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Norman Reedus said, "[He's] always played it so honest and integrity with his work ethic. That's a testament to those people who started the show and our crew and cast. He's gone, but he's not gone."

The Walking Dead Season 9 premieres Sunday Oct. 7 at 9/8c.