The ‘Walking Dead’ fandom was shaken to the core this weekend when it was learned that Scott Wilson, who had starred as Hershel Greene for three seasons, had passed away at the age of 76 due to complications from leukemia. This news arrived at the most awkward time, just after it had been announced at New York Comic Con, before the Season Nine premiere on Sunday, that he would appear in the upcoming ninth season in a cameo appearance. But word has since surfaced that Wilson had already filmed his scenes for the upcoming season, so fans will at least get a chance to see Hershel and hear his wisdom on last time.
But he won’t be the only departed cast member to return this season, as Jon Bernthal and Sonequa Martin-Green have also been announced as appearing.
Hershel was killed in the Season Four episode ‘Too Far Gone’, although his reanimated head appears in the next episode, ‘After’. He later appears in the season finale in flashbacks to the survivors’ time at the prison.
With Lauren Cohan, who plays his daughter Maggie, exiting the series, expect Wilson’s cameos to be some sort of flashback that most likely involves Maggie.
Jon Bernthal‘s character, Shane Walsh, originated as a hero on ‘The Walking Dead’, but he slowly devolved into a villain. He eventually betrayed Rick, but during a fight to the death, Rick won, killing Shane. Shane was reanimated, showing for the first time on the series that everyone that dies is reanimated as a walker, regardless of how they die. This time, Carl puts him down. This occurred at the end of Season Two.
As an aside, it was heavily implied that Shane was the actual father of Lori’s baby Judith, something that Rick finally came to accept, although it remained slightly ambiguous.
Like Lauren Cohan, Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick is leaving this season. Most likely, Shane will appear in a Rick flashback.
Finally, also returning is Sonequa Martin-Green, who played Sasha Williams. Sasha was an original character created for the show. She was the sister of Tyreese Williams, a character that did originate in the comics. Tyreese however, died before Sasha. She would later form a close bond with Maggie and shared romances with Bob Stookey and Abraham Ford, both of whom also died before her. She had a strained relationship with Rosita Espinosa who had previously been in a relationship with Abraham.
She later poisons herself in order to turn into a walker, in an attempt to kill Negan, in Season Seven.
Considering that many of the characters she had a close connection to are dead, it would make the most sense for her to appear in a Maggie flashback or possibly even flashbacks for Rosita or Negan, depending on where the show heads in upcoming episodes.
The ninth season of ‘The Walking Dead’ kicked off this past weekend. What do you think so far?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
