The Walking Dead: Cohan and Lincoln on season 6 finale

The Walking Dead returns Sunday.  The show will race through 8 episodes to a crushing finale that gives Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan physical reactions.

Right now everyone is focused on the midseason premiere as it should be. We shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. For awhile Negan’s casting and arrival was overshadowing everything.

Scott Gimple warned us to be patient. “There is a long road to [meeting] Negan. I don’t want people to expect to see him tomorrow.” (Via TVline) But once the show returns, those 8 weeks can feel like they go quickly.

Robert Kirkman has promised that Negan’s debut in the April 3rd finale will be “bone-chilling”. (Via TVInsider)

Andrew Lincoln showed up to work late on the first day of shooting for the finale because the thought of it kept him up the night before. He talked to Entertainment Weekly about the finale.

"I felt sick to my stomach when I read the script. It was the first day in the whole six years of working on The Walking Dead that I was late for work because I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I was so angry and frustrated and I felt sick. And that was just after reading it."

Lauren Cohan had similar sentiments to share with Entertainment Weekly about the finale.

"[Hearing] the word ‘finale’ gives me a physical reaction because it’s the hardest day on set that I’ve ever had in my life,” says Lauren Cohan (Maggie) with a sigh. “I never even imagined that as an actor you could have that experience. It’s one of the most raw experiences that I think any of us have ever had. Andy talks about being late to work; I didn’t want to go to work that day. It took a really, really long time for everybody to feel okay again after the finale, let’s put it that way."

We need to get through the premiere first. Then those who make it through the premiere will have quite a journey to try to rebuild Alexandria while dealing with the larger world outside and new threats.

Next: Gimple calls premiere claustrophobic

The Walking Dead has a unique way of pulling you in and making you excited for what’s happening now, what’s to come in the near future and what’s to come in the next season all at the same time. That’s never been more true than right now.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC for the remainder of season 6 on Sunday, February 14.