With October comes the arrival of horror on TV and movie screens, and with that comes the return of AMC's The Walking Dead. The hit horror hour has shifted its focus from the living vs. the dead to more of a conflict between rival clans of survivors in recent years. Season 8 is gearing up to be the most intense yet as Rick and the Alexandrians team up with other oppressed colonies in order to fight back against Negan and the Saviors. How that all works out remains to be seen, but a new trailer, episode titles, and synopses give us some clues as to how it will all begin.

Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, and more return for Season 8 on AMC at 9pm on Sunday, October 22nd. (The cast will also lend their voices to animated versions of their characters on The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who’s Walking, premiering October 8th at midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim.)

Check out the recently released teaser trailer for Season 8, followed by the new episode titles and synopses:

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The Season 8 premiere will be titled "Mercy"; here's the synopsis:

Rick and his group, along with the Kingdom and Hilltop, have banded together to bring the fight to Negan and the Saviors.

Season 8, Episode 2 is titled "The Damned" and the synopsis suggests the reunion between Rick and a former comrade:

The plan involving Alexandrians, Kingdommers and Hilltoppers unfolds. As Rick continues to fight, he encounters a familiar face.

Season 8, Episode 3 will be called "Monsters"; the synopsis follows:

Conflict with the Saviors leads to unintended consequences for the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and Alexandria. Morality proves tricky in wartime.

Not a whole lot to work with here that we haven't seen already, but "The Damned" offers up some interesting potential. Will Rick & Co. run into Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) who's in the uncomfortable employ of Negan? Or will Heath (Corey Hawkins) finally surface after disappearing without much of a trace? Time will tell! Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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