Fans of The Walking Dead are in for a bit of a wait as the show won’t be revealing the owner of that mysterious helicopter until at least Season 9.
In a world populated by zombies, a helicopter is a pretty handy tool to have to fight the undead. Season 8 of the show saw a cryptic reveal of the flying machine and linked it to Jadis and the Junkyard. April 1’s episode, “Still Gotta Mean Something” saw Negan and Jadis faceoff in the junkyard, with the latter trying to grab the attention of the helicopter pilot. Everyone has their own theories about who is behind the controls, but it won’t be resolved any time soon, apparently.
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Answering questions in Skybound‘s weekly “Mail Bag” segment, insider Johnny O’Dell revealed that the mystery will be going on a little longer. When asked if it will be confirmed before the credits roll on Season 8, he wrote that the helicopter won’t fly again for a while:
“Unfortunately, no,” O’Dell said. “You’ll have to wait until a later season.”
However, with only two episodes left and a whole lot of comic book material to get out the way, the helicopter is only a minor part of the story. Season 8 promises to wrap up the “All Out War” arc from the comics, meaning that one way or another, the war between the Saviors and the other communities will come to an end. Dropping the helicopter bombshell could’ve been a great way to set up the future of the show alongside Season 9, but it sounds like it isn’t meant to be.
Helicopters are nothing new to the show, having first been glimpsed in the pilot back in 2010, The Walking Dead has been teasing it ever since. Another was seen at the end of Season 2, and a third crashed by Woodbury in the third season. Eagle-eyed fans spotted what they thought to be a helicopter flying behind Rick Grimes in Season 7, which then turned out to be true in a shocking turn of events. Now, it looks like the show will finally get to the chopper in Season 9 and expand Robert Kirkman’s world even further.
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The most prominent theory is that the helicopter belongs to newcomer Georgie, who may be linked to a group in the comics known as the Commonwealth. Georgie actress Jayne Atkinson has also teased that this is the case, saying that if she was part of the huge Commonwealth group, they might have more advanced vehicles like helicopters. Elsewhere, some are guessing that even the writers don’t know yet who they plan to be behind the helicopter. On a show known for dragging out its cliffhanger storylines, the likes of Sophia’s disappearance, Beth Greene’s kidnap and “Who’s in Negan’s car?” have always kept audiences guessing. It looks like a big helicopter mystery is just another reason to turn in when Season 9 premieres later this year.