It seemed pretty apparent at the end of The Walking Dead 2015 closer “Start to Finish” that the whiny little Sam would bring walker carnage down on all her heroes, and 2016 premiere “No Way Out” isn’t backing down from that, by the first premiere synopsis. Plus - who’s “gonna need a bigger beard”?

AMC released the first official synopsis for The Walking Dead February 14 premiere, which quickly picks up with Rick and co. attempting to navigate Alexandria with only guts for protection, which naturally doesn’t go so well:

Episode 6.09 - No Way Out

While trying to escape Alexandria, Rick and his group meet trouble when sudden noise draws walkers towards them with what could be fatal consequences.

Interestingly, Andrew Lincoln spoke to TVInsider to reveal the despite the bloodbath, the third act of the premiere might head off in a different direction:

[The second half of Season 6] is radically different from the first eight episodes, although I would say that Episode 9 is almost a chapter finish. The third act in Episode 9 is a radical shift in a lot of things. Then the next seven episodes are this crazy race to a new world order.

That’s all very well and good, but what of Rick’s awe-inspiring beard, which the character tragically clipped to better fit in with his Alexandria surroundings in Season 5? Is there any hope for the beard’s return, now that Negan is coming?

Well, that is on its way. There’s a storm coming, and it’s my beard. Certainly by the final frame of this season, everyone’s going to be saying, “you’re gonna need a bigger beard!”

The back half of The Walking Dead Season 6 will introduce at least three major comic characters as well, including Xander Berkeley as the leader of a new community, as well Tom Payne as its athletic emissary, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the biggest big bad of them all, Negan.

We’ll hopefully have a real trailer soon, but in the meantime, check out the latest Walking Dead Season 6 photos and teasers below, and stay tuned for more on the February 14 return.

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