You can’t have missed the widespread reaction from a large section of the fandom claiming that The Walking Dead hasn’t been at its best for a few years now. In fact, many would go as far as to say that it’s on its last legs and should be wrapped up in the next couple of seasons. Now, a new bit of info seems to suggest that this is exactly what’s going to happen.

The big cliffhanger of The Walking Dead‘s midseason finale was the shock reveal that Carl Grimes has been bitten by a walker – meaning that he’s on his way out in the midseason premiere. In a rare feat nowadays, the twist remained largely unspoiled beforehand, though it was later revealed that The Spoiling Dead received a message from Carl himself, Chandler Riggs, asking them not to drop the revelation beforehand. Now that the episode has aired, though, TSD has shared the full email they received from the actor, and here’s what it said:

“So I’ve come to realize that you all have probably figured out the big reveal at the end of 808. I get that you guys have been doing this since we started, but I have a request. Out of respect for me, for Carl, and for one of the last few seasons of the show, I’m using you to not spoil the ending of 808 once your sources inform you of what happens. “I poured my heart into a couple of episodes this season, and 808 is one of them. I’m so proud of my performance and a lot of it rides off of a surprise ending. Of course this is what you all do, but the integrity of what happens is pretty crucial to my performance throughout the rest of the episode and I’d really appreciate it if you all would hold back just this one time.” “This is the only time I’ll request something like this, so don’t worry about me coming back later and doing the same thing.”

So, did you spot the interesting bit? Within this plea, Riggs casually mentions that season 8 is “one of the last few seasons of the show.” This is certainly news to us, as one producer has even suggested that the hit AMC series could last for a whole 20 years.

While no other cast or crew member has gone so far as to say that The Walking Dead is nearing its end, we have heard a fair bit of talk about the show maybe concluding with season 10. Showrunner Scott Gimple says he expects there to be a tenth season but wouldn’t confirm anything further, and creator Robert Kirkman has spoken about how he wants the series to last ten seasons in the past, too.

Whether anything official has actually been set in stone behind the scenes, we don’t know, but Riggs’ comments do heavily hint that some sort of decision has been made. Either that, or maybe there’s just a feeling amongst the cast that the series hasn’t got a whole lot of gas left in the tank?

Whatever the case may be, what we can tell you with absolute certainty is that The Walking Dead will return to our screens on February 25th, 2018.