The Walking Dead season 9 episode 8: Mid-season finale trailer sees Daryl come face-to-face with the Whisperers

It'll be the AMC show's final outing of 2018

The trailer for the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead's ninth run has been released.

Next week sees the final episode of 2018 air ahead of a three-month break for the AMC series. If the latest outing slowed the pace, the following will heat things up, placing several characters in danger as the show's new villains are properly introduced.

Comic book spoilers below

The episode, titled "Evolution", will follow the expedition to save Eugene (Josh McDermitt) from those whispering walkers who are essentially humans covered in zombie skin. Jesus (Tom Payne), Aaron (Ross Marquand), Daryl (Norman Reedus) and his new canine friend Dog lead the pack, watching from afar as they notice a particular horde of walkers acting rather strangely.

“They're milling around. You ever see them do this before?” Jesus asks, to which Aaron replies: “No”.

Eventually, the trio (plus Dog) find Eugene who proclaims the herd have been actively looking for him, following which Daryl hears the undead whisper: “Keep them together.”

It seems the mid-season finale has nothing nice in store for our heroes.

The introduction of the whisperers will see the addition of Samantha Morton (Minority Report) and Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy) to the cast, playing Alpha and Beta respectively. You can find out more about the show's most terrifying villains yet here.

The Walking Dead will drop its mid-season finale US on AMC next Sunday with the simulcast airing in the UK at 2am. The episode will also be available to watch on NOW TV ahead of its repeat on FOX at 9pm the following evening.