Norman Reedus as seen in Season 11 of "The Walking Dead"

It has been a thrilling run for the cast of "The Walking Dead" — not knowing if you're going to be eaten by zombies at any given point really keeps you on your toes! — but unfortunately, fans and actors alike are entering the final stages of the cult television series. Season 11, the season to end it all, premieres Sunday, Aug. 22 on AMC. (Subscribers to AMC's streaming service, AMC , can already stream the first episode.)

Despite promises of a spinoff and a Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln, "Penguin Bloom," 2020) movie, life just won't be the same without TWD fans' weekly dose of zombies, post-apocalyptic relationships and classic after-show breakdowns such as "Talking Dead." But don't worry, the season should last until well into 2022 as AMC is breaking the final leg into three parts, with eight episodes in each.

Coming back to the Alexandria Safe Zone area are Cailey Fleming ("Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," 2015) as Grimes' adopted daughter, Judith Grimes, and Anabelle Holloway ("Tell Me Your Secrets," 2021) as Gracie. Norman Reedus ("Triple 9," 2016) is leading the way into the new season as Daryl Dixon, alongside Melissa McBride ("The Happys," 2016) as Carol Peletier, Lauren Cohan ("Mile 22," 2018) as Maggie, Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("The Unholy," 2021) as Negan Smith and Christian Serratos ("Selena: The Series") as Rosita Espinosa.

The season's first part focuses mainly on Maggie's story — which is a big deal since she's largely been absent since Season 9. As Reedus has hinted about the season, it will then transition to a "Willy Wonka"-esque nightmare.

After a notable slump in the show's quality of writing, Season 9 showrunner Angela Kang ("Terriers") revived the terror the show was known for in its early days. With Kang at the helm for TWD's final season, this nightmare twist is sure to be scary, suspenseful and rich with both canon and non-canon plots.

And, self-evidenced by the Season 11 trailer, once the final season begins, things are going to intensify quickly. That said, the trailer still left viewers with several questions.

Rick — who disappears at the end of Season 9 after being injured and then rescued — makes an appearance in the trailer. In what way will he come back to the Alexandria Safe Zone? We also get a glimpse into the Commonwealth community — fans of the comic series will remember this as a key destination for the story.

Though the word "sketchy" hasn't exactly been used to describe the community, it most definitely is; and with four of the Safe Zone's favorites, Eugene (Josh McDermitt, "Odious," 2017), Ezekiel (Khary Payton, "Teen Titans Go!"), Princess (Paola Lázaro, "Black Bear," 2020) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura, "Wonder Woman," 2017), being held captive there — unbeknownst to anyone at the Safe Zone — it's clear the Commonwealth cannot be trusted.

Cailey Fleming and Anabelle Holloway in a scene from Season 11 of "The Walking Dead"

There are new faces, too — even at this late point in the game. One is Mercer (Michael James Shaw, "Avengers: End Game," 2019), the co-leader of the Commonwealth Army. Will he hurt or help our protagonists?

What fans do know, however, is that the Alexandria Safe Zone is not in good condition. After the Whisperers (the faction of survivors who wear the skins of dead walkers to blend in) wreaked havoc on the compound, the survivors inside were left vulnerable and demoralized. Clashes with existing groups of survivors are commonplace in the TWD world, but this last round has really taken its toll — even if Alexandria "won."

Lack of food and resources is becoming more of an issue; there are just too many people to care for. There will need to be some tough but necessary decisions to protect the children of the compound. How young members Judith and Gracie will play into this is anyone's guess, but since Daryl has taken over Rick's role in Judith's care and Aaron (Ross Marquand, "Avengers: Infinity War," 2018) is still caring for Gracie, we hope they'll all make it to the end of the series.

Alexandria starts Season 11 as a desperate fortification, ready to crumble at any moment. This could be what pushes the survivors of the outbreak back into dangerous territory, but from what viewers saw in Season 10, they are already in proverbial hot water. Not only are they contending with known threats, like the Whisperers and the Walkers, there's also a new dangerous faction in town.

The Reapers were first introduced in Season 10 as a militarized group of hostile survivors. While their motivations are still a mystery, they're so protective of their information that it'll probably remain a mystery until well into Season 11. The group is not canon to the comic books, so there is no reference point for fans.

One thing that is quite obvious is that they're the new "bad guys." As audiences saw in the third part of the season, they pillage, set fire to and terrorize innocent people (specifically, Maggie's compound).

"The Walking Dead" certainly isn't dead yet. In fact, it's never felt so alive. Whether you're a dedicated Walker Stalker or deciding after 11 years to watch the series, you can catch the final season premiere on Sunday, Aug. 22, on AMC (or AMC as of now).