Minor spoilers for The Walking Dead below!

The Walking Dead's "All Out War" storyline officially kicked off in the season eight premiere. Naturally, Twitter blazed with reactions in the wake of the first episode, and many were scratching their heads over the Weird Al Yankovic song that's featured during Rick's unexplained "old man" sequences. All things considered, there's another brief moment that's left a lingering sense of confusion: who the hell is that nutjob Carl stumbles upon at the gas station?!

The role is played by actor Avi Nash, whom you may recognize from Silicon Valley or Barry. Nash is simply credited as "Strange Traveler," which should be clear based on his jumbled ramblings during his scene with Carl. With a little bit of digging, it's easier to nail down how this man may impact the show on a larger scale.

Related

How The Walking Dead Honored Late Stuntman John Bernecker in Season 8's Premiere

Earlier this year, The Walking Dead put out a casting call for a new character named "Abbud." According to TV Line, Abbud is an "innately likable Muslim American whose nerves are, let's say, jangled, because he's flown solo for too long in zombieland." This description definitely fits our rattled comrade in the season eight premiere, who not only continually mumbles nonsense as Carl approaches, but also scampers off when Rick fires his gun. Even though the character has no name and seems inconsequential, the fact that Carl returns to give him food at the end of the episode suggests he will factor into the story in the weeks to come. This is why Nash could be playing the recurring role of Abbud.

In the case that this guy isn't Abbud, there's also the possibility he's an important character who surfaces in the comic books named Siddiq. First introduced in Issue #127, he's a survivor from the Oceanside community. What's more, he's actually the person who tells Rick about Oceanside in the first place, rather than Tara (who tells him on the TV show). In the comics, Siddiq assimilates into the Alexandria community, sparks a romance with Rosita, and plays a pivotal part in fighting against the enemies that surface after the war with Negan.

Story continues

Related

The Walking Dead: Things Get Tense For Morgan in the Preview For Next Week's Episode

Therein lies the point of contention: the only reason Nash might not be Siddiq is the fact that the character doesn't enter the comics until after the war with Negan. Then again, since the Oceanside community has already been introduced (and much earlier than the comics), it could explain why Siddiq might be introduced prematurely as well.

With all that information, there are a few possibilities for this character. He could be Abbud, who will show up at some point this season based on the casting call information, or he could be Siddiq. Or perhaps, in the TV show's world, Abbud is a sort of mash-up version of Siddiq who may take on other storylines in the future. Then again, there's always the chance that Nash is playing someone else entirely. In any event, let's just hope he lightens up on all that nonsensical rambling.