The next episode is "gargantuan" and "quite deadly."

Episode 9 is meant to pick up the action directly from where the Episode 8 midseason finale left off in Alexandria, with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and company trying to fight off all the walkers in town. On "Talking Dead," showrunner Scott Gimple said the midseason premiere is "one of the biggest episodes we have done ... Make sure your television boxes are in good operation conditions, and install safety belts on your couches. This one is gargantuan." He added to the Hollywood Reporter that Episode 9 would be "quite deadly, sadly," noting, "There is some death going on in that, but it's also unbelievably intense. It's one of the most intense episodes we've done." He said the intensity of the episode would be gut-swirling and gut-slamming." So think "guts."

There are new survivor communities.

While Rick and company struggle in Alexandria, we know Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl will be busy with new stranger danger. They are meeting the Saviors, a group of tough guys led by a guy named Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). In Robert Kirkman's comic book, the Saviors are based in an old factory called the Sanctuary. Not sure if we'll see that, but we are expected to head to Hilltop Colony, another survivor community in the area. We'll meet Gregory (Xander Berkeley), leader of Hilltop, and some of the residents — including one particularly cool guy named Paul "Jesus" Monroe (Tom Payne).

Jesus will bring "cool stuff" to the show.

Never mind the villains, prepare to meet your new hero. Negan has been dominating the headlines, but Jesus (named for his appearance and his status as a "savior" to Hilltop) is just as worthy of attention. If the show follows the comics, we should meet Tom Payne's Jesus before heading out to Hilltop. And — like most newcomers — he may have a rough start with our group. But this is one stranger who is not in danger. As Robert Kirkman told Entertainment Weekly of the ninja-like Jesus, "He’s kinda been surviving on his feet. He’s going to be bringing a lot to the show. There’s some cool stuff coming with him."

Things get hairy for Maggie.

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is in a precarious position as we enter Episode 9. The midseason premiere trailer showed Maggie screaming at something, and we don't know whether it's from fear for her own life or someone else's. What we do know is that actress Lauren Cohan is now sporting a new pixie cut, and she told Entertainment Tonight, with a smile, that "it's going to be explained some time." So, does Maggie cut her hair after a big event — like Shane shaving his head in Season 2, and Rick shaving his beard last season — or is that a sign that the actress is post-TWD?

Negan will drop like an atomic bomb.

OK. Back to the villains for a minute. The biggest bad of them all, Negan, is coming at some point in the second half. It may not be anytime soon, but Kirkman teased major events when Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character arrives. "As far as shake-ups go, we have lots of shake-ups from season to season," he told EW. It keeps things interesting — keeps the blood pumping, I like to say — but Negan is kind of an atomic bomb that’s going to be dropped on the show, and the show will probably never be the same after that. So, buckle up, I guess?" Gulp.

Prepare to cry and scream, even at your favorites.

There's a lot going on in Alexandria with the walkers, plus the new people who'll be introduced, and we haven't forgotten about that Wolf guy who has Denise. But don't just worry about our Atlanta heroes. Worry for the people who cross them. "Some of the scariest people in the back half of the season are our people," Gimple told TV Guide. "These characters are at their strongest right now, but the problem is, the threats of the world are also at their strongest. We'll see these immovable objects meet." In case that isn't foreboding enough, he added, "The back half of the season will involve some crying and screaming at the TV set."