Walking Dead prologue scene shows Negan

Fans got a heaping helping of action in Sunday’s Walking Dead midseason finale, but the thing that may set viewers most on edge happened after the episode ended.

AMC waited until the first commercial break of Into the Badlands to debut a prologue scene that links the first half of season 6 with what’s to come in the second half. In it, we heard our first mention of the most notorious villain from The Walking Dead comic book: Negan.

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The scene begins with Daryl driving with Abraham and Sasha, until they find the road ahead of them blocked by a group of bikers. “Why don’t you come on out? Join us in the road,” says the leader of the group. “You know, if you want to resist, try something. It’s a choice, I guess. But we will end your asses. Split you right in two — straight through to the sinuses.”

After Daryl and company exit the vehicle, they are told to hand over the weapons. And not just the weapons. “Your weapons, your truck, the fuel in your truck, if you got mints in your glove compartment, if you got corn underneath the seat, change in the seats, hell, the seats themselves, the floor mats, your maps, little stash of emergency napkins you got there in the console. None of those things are yours anymore.”

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“Whose are they?” Sasha inquires. And it is then that they are informed, “Your property now belongs to Negan.”

It has already been announced that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will join the show later this season to play Negan (who does not appear in this scene), and now it appears the conflict between Rick’s group and this leather-clad menace could take place sooner than anticipated.

Watch the scene for yourself in the video above, and for more Walking Dead intel, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.