Color us not even a little bit surprised.
Just a week ahead of the intensely anticipated season seven premiere, AMC has announced that The Walking Dead will return for a season eight.
Not only that, but that eighth season will kick off with the series' 100th episode, and 16 new episodes of Talking Dead when it debuts late next year...even if it will be returning without which ever beloved character (or characters?) we'll be losing when season seven finally arrives.
We're obsessed with this news, and we're also kind of loving the opening of AMC's statement that came along with it:
"Eeny, meeny, miny, more," AMC president Charlie Collier said, emulating Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan. "What a joy to partner with Robert Kirkman, Scott M. Gimple and some of the hardest-working people in television to bring The Walking Dead to the fans. And, most important, thanks to those fans for breathing life into this remarkable series right along with us."
The Walking Dead returns next Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9 p.m., followed by a 90-minute live episode of Talking Dead, broadcast from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, featuring host Chris Hardwick and the cast members from Negan's line up.