1. This eerie hand print on a white wall.
What we're looking at: Just any old bloody or muddy hand print.
What it may mean: Are we in store for more bloodshed? (Undoubtedly.) If we had to guess, this looks like one of the homes in Alexandria. Has some kind of accident taken place where someone was injured? That print looks like it was made in haste — the entire handprint isn't even there.
Perhaps the Saviors came back and things go awry again, though it seems like it may be too soon for that. Or maybe it's just a reminder of those who have been lost in Alexandria as of late. RIP Olivia.
2. Ah, yes, cantaloupe. Because this is the image we need right now while waiting for a show about zombies to return.
What we're looking at: Just some melons in, what appears to be, a crate.
What it may mean: In all seriousness, this could be representative of a few things. It may be a hint at the Kingdom joining forces with Rick to take down the Saviors. It could just be a simple reference to the fact that the Kingdom is a great source of food during the zombie apocalypse and one that will come in hand in the future.
It can also suggest the ongoing trading deals the various communities have with the Saviors. The deal is for them to take half of everything you have.
Or maybe it means some heads will be rolling. You choose!
3. All right, now we're getting somewhere. What's going on with this grave?
What we're looking at: An open grave. Maybe it's a freshly dug one or is it a previous one that's been dug up? It's also not clear what the setting of this location is. I thought it may be the burned mattress location Michonne stumbled upon, but that doesn't look right.
What it may mean: Oh boy. Where do we start?
We did just see a few deaths so the most obvious, immediate answer is that this is a newly dug grave for Olivia or someone else. Maybe it's a new grave that was dug at the Sanctuary for Fat Joey. (Daryl is in so much trouble when Negan finds him!)
Perhaps it's just a symbol hinting that more death is coming or that one specific death is coming.
Or you know what, maybe Glenn clawed his way out and ... I'm kidding. There's no way Glenn is alive. I'm really baffled by the background in this image which may or may not be significant. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.
4. Oh hey, it's a bucket. Neat.
What we're looking at: We have an upside down bucket taking up much of the frame, but there's also a gardening cultivator. Atop the bucket is an indiscernible scrap of paper with an image that slightly resembles a map. (I zoomed in quite a bit.)
What it may mean: I was instantly ready to dismiss this image, but it looks like there are some seeds or oats atop this bucket. They could be flower seeds, especially with that garden cultivator lying nearby. Flashes of Carol saying "look at the flowers" are coming to mind.
Carol is an interesting character lately. Remember, she's off pretending to live her own solitary life in a cozy cottage. She doesn't want anything to do with anyone and she recently saw a bunch of zombies as living people. Despite her lovely conversation with King Ezekiel, Carol's been cracking lately. If you're not worried for her, you should be.
Couldn't you see her tending to her garden, pretending everything's okay again? Then again, a garden could easily represent the Kingdom's lush gardens.
5. Cracked nuts
What we're looking at: A bunch of nuts, some cracked, on a table with a few hammers lying around. In the middle of it all is a pot.
What it may mean: Is this hinting at a few cracked nuts on the show? At the moment, Negan may be the biggest nut of them all.
This could be a bunch of things: A hint at more potential skull bashing, a metaphor for Negan's ball-busting jokes, or it could be a nice callback to Abraham's final words to Negan at the start of the season. Payback isn't great, Negan.
6. Innovation never rests, even in the zombie apocalypse.
What we're looking at: A light fixture is wrapped to, what looks like, a toolbox of some sort. It's not clear what purpose it's serving.
What it may mean: This one truly has me at a loss. Maybe it's something that is made or is used in some grand scheme or maybe it's just some junk lying around.
Some people think it's a hint of a package from Oceanside since the toolbox is wrapped in twine. I'm not reading that far into this one.
7. A bike that's still in tact — with a helmet!
What we're looking at: This one's pretty clear. It's a bike.
What it may mean: Is this a hint at Carl's next big date outing with Enid? It looks like quite the upgrade from roller skates.
8. This zombie has seen better days.
What we're looking at: A zombie which has now faded away into a skeleton.
What it may mean: Are we foreshadowing more death or maybe the return of more zombies?
Something that would be really cool is if we kicked off the final eight episodes of the season starting on some decayed zombie down the line and learned by the finale it's one of Rick's group, but I doubt that's happening.
9. Dynamite tied to a sting.
What we're looking at: Dynamite attached to what appears to be a cable or rope.
What it may mean: Are we in for an explosive final eight episodes? I'd love if this was part of some scheme Rick used to infiltrate the Sanctuary. Better yet, fans would enjoy if this was Carol coming to her senses and setting up a bunch of traps for the Saviors.
It's been pointed out that Joey at the Sanctuary was keeping herds away from the Sanctuary by using explosions, so this could be a hint to that. We did get a glimpse of Rick fighting off a few zombies. Perhaps the group will become so engrossed in fighting off the Saviors that they'll forget about the real danger of the zombie apocalypse.
11. More nuts — peanuts to be specific.
What we're looking at: It's a bunch of peanuts, laid out on a tray.
What it may mean: Are these peanuts being grown at the Kingdom or are they a stockpile the Saviors own? Perhaps this is another reminder that the Saviors own everything right now.
11. That's a lot of creepy old rubber ducks.
What we're looking at: A group of rubber ducks on a table with at least one that's visibly dirtier than the rest. There's some sort of light, maybe a fire in the background.
What it may mean: I can't shake that this has to do with Negan. At the end of season six, Negan had the group lined up to pick a victim. I wouldn't be surprised if we see Negan get to line all of his ducks in a row once again by the season's end. It happens in the comics and the show has been following Negan's story line pretty closely thus far.
While that's something that may upset fans who didn't respond well to the first brutal lineup, a second one wouldn't go down like the one at the start of the season if it were to happen.
13. Hello walker my old friend.
What we're looking at: There's a walker and another figure walking in separate directions in a pretty rundown area. It's tough to make out, but I'm pretty sure those are two undead in the promo shot. We're not looking at one lonely survivor out there.
What it may mean: Some think we're looking at one of the current locations in the aftermath of some destruction. I doubt that's the case since the Kingdom, Alexandria, the Sanctuary, and the Hilltop are all fine at this point in the comics.
This is probably nothing more than a reminder of how far we've come in the zombie apocalypse. It's a bleak look at what the world looks like now. I don't think this is any specific location in particular.
12. Finally, something to give us peace of mind. Maybe.
What we're looking at: It appears we're in some sort of a shack or workshop with a lantern peeking out. There's also a dastardly looking drill to the far right.
What it may mean: Maybe this lantern is a beacon of hope for Rick and the group moving forward. But with every chance of hope, you have to remember to never let your guard down because something may be lurking in the shadows — you know, like that crazy-looking drill.
This could also be a lookout spot for someone from the Hilltop or Alexandria.
If that seems too sunny for you, maybe it's a dank workshop Eugene has been sentenced to by the Saviors. He works by candlelight to make new ammo for them and has only that tiny window to look out of. I really don't think any of these images are showing off specific locations. I think they're meant to symbolize larger concepts for the rest of the season.
14. Some shadowy figures support Rick's claim at the end of the mid-season finale.
What we're looking at: Some shadowy figures who are probably Rick and the gang.
Let's take a closer look at this image though.
It looks like this is Rick and the group getting ready to face off with the Saviors.
This image gives the best hint at the entire feel of the second half of the season. Rick is done groveling and catering to Negan's every whim. He decidedly told Michonne the group can't live like that and that they need to assemble a force for the Saviors to reckon with. Michonne reminded Rick that he once told everyone else that they're the ones who live. They're the ones who should be feared.
This image is a tease of the group coming together to take vengeance on the deaths of Glenn, Abraham, and countless others. If you look closely, it appears as if you can make out Rick in the center (as he should be). One part that I find a bit odd is all the way off to the right, it almost looks like you see a partial shadow of Negan's baseball bat. But perhaps it's just an odd coincidence.
We're sure Rick will spend the majority of the next eight episodes rounding everyone up. If anything, we bet this image is teasing the Alexandrians (and company) confrontation with the Saviors at the Sanctuary, which will probably happen in the season finale leading up to an event from the comics called "All Out War."
