As fans were still recovering from the shocking deaths of Spencer (Austin Nichols) and Olivia (Ann Mahoney) in the mid-season finale of “The Walking Dead,” the show dropped a mysterious post-credits sequence that has us shaking in our boots. The Saviors have left Alexandria and night has fallen. Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) climbs the city walls for his shift keeping watch, but someone is watching him from the woods. A shadowy figure spies on Alexandria with binoculars before leaping down from their post and running away. All the camera shows us is a pair of black boots. These same boots were seen earlier in the episode when Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) raided the abandoned house boat.
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Do viewers already know the mystery figure, or is it a new character? Is it the inhabitant of the house boat? Are they friend or foe? “The Walking Dead” returns to AMC on February 12, 2017, where it will hopefully answer these questions. Until then, take a look at the most likely candidates who could fill out the black boots and then be sure to vote in our poll below.
Heath – Tara (Alanna Masterson) never found Heath (Corey Hawkins) after the two were separated on that bridge. She only stumbled across tire marks from the RV. It’s possible a group of Saviors or another sinister group grabbed him and are forcing to spy on his former home. Could Alexandria be undone by one of its own?
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Dwight – Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his Saviors were featured prominently in the mid-season finale, but Dwight (Austin Amelio) was conspicuously absent. Dwight and Negan have a strained relationship after Negan put an iron to Dwight’s face and took his wife for a sex slave. It’s possible Dwight wants to break free from Negan’s grasp and is monitoring the Alexandrians as a potential ally.
Cyndie – Though many of the Oceanside women wanted Tara dead, Cyndie (Sydney Park) aided Tara in her escape. What if Cyndie was hiding her true intentions? She could have trailed Tara back to Alexandria to make sure Tara kept her promise to keep Oceanside a secret. Cyndie seems kind-hearted, but if the other women in her community discover the whereabouts of Alexandria, they may want to use their huge armory to eliminate any potential threat.
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Magna – Comic book readers’ minds likely leapt to this character upon seeing the boots. Magna is the leader of a small band of survivors in Richmond, Virgina in the graphic novels. She crosses paths with Rick and the Alexandrians, but it would be quite early to introduce this character. However, the series could be dropping the first of many hints for a payoff next season.
The Whisperers – I won’t spoil much for those who haven’t read the comics, but The Whisperers are a terrifying group who use herds of walkers as cover. In Episode 7, Carl overhears radio chatter from the back of the Saviors’ truck about redirecting a herd away from The Sanctuary. The herd is mentioned again when (the now dead) Fat Joey was instructed to use explosives to redirect the zombies. So, The Whisperers may have already been teased before we saw the boots. Including this group so early would involve a major fast-forward through comic book material, though the show did start teasing Negan’s arrival early in Season 5.
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