We knew The Walking Dead season 9 was undergoing a bit of a shake-up (what with Andrew Lincoln’s Rick leaving the show, after all), but we didn’t think it’d take us to a brand-new side of America. The gang are on the move again – best thing too after the traumatic events of The Walking Dead season 8 – and we could just mark another notch in the time jump column thanks to the first season 9 poster. Oh, and that bloody helicopter is back, too.
As you can see from the poster above, Rick, Carol, Michonne, Daryl, and the others are swapping Alexandria for Washington D.C. That’s the rotting Capitol building in the background, which certainly opens up a lot of brand-new possibilities for a new narrative without Rick. Whisper it, but the show is starting to feel fresh again.
That’s not to say The Walking Dead season 9 isn’t falling back on a few familiar faces or, in this case, a familiar chopper. Yep, that helicopter is mysteriously hovering above Michonne’s shoulder. Is that Georgie, the figure who offered the Hilltop a new strategy to survive, showing up again – or is she running things from The White House and has sent our favourite set of survivors a personal invite to the nation’s run-down capital? So. Many. Possibilities.
Even if the show continues in Washington D.C., that’s still a fair old trek for Rick and the rest. How did they come to that decision – and why? I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of a time jump, but nothing much. After all, the characters don’t look particular aged or haggard, compared to how rough they normally look anyway.
Will The Walking Dead season 9’s shift east have you coming back for Rick’s final bow? Let us know down below!
If that doesn't make you excited for what's to come then try our new TV shows list on for size. There's bound to be something there for you...
