'The Walking Dead' season 7B spoilers news update: Andrew Lincoln addresses show backlash, teases about a bigger story

Since the end of season 6 and crossing over to season 7, it is safe to say that Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) team has not really been having the best of time in the AMC's "The Walking Dead." Chalk it up to the introduction of the suave yet very calculating, not to mention mercurial, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and cohorts. Fortunately, the prolonged agony may finally have come to start to have a payoff as the show ends on a hopeful note just before the midseason hiatus hits.

Daryl (Norman Reedus) is out of the sanctuary, Rick has finally come to his senses about just rolling over Negan's wishes, and the team, what has been left of it, gathered on the Hilltop to do some massive planning in case they move forward with standing up to the Saviors. But the road could still be a tricky one as there is no argument that they need to present to the other communities, including Ezekiel's Kingdom, to bring their toughest adversary yet to his knees.

Still, fans can hold on to the consolation that an all-out war — since the bat-wielding scruffy antagonist was confirmed to be fleshed out from the comic book series of the same name — is shaping up. But is it too late for "The Walking Dead" to pick up its pace and start delivering to its potential? No one knows as it all depends on how the rest of season 7 rolls out. But for Grimes, he asks fans to bear with the juggernaut show more as they have a great arc going leading to season 8.

"Obviously I've heard that people are not happy and that makes me unhappy because of the amount of work we all put into the show," the actor told The Wrap (via Comicbook.com) in a recent chat. "There is a sense of a bigger story that's being told and I have absolute faith in Scott [Gimple], the writing team, and the producers of the show. But I will say that I think the back eight are the exact opposite of the front eight."

With at least a full-and-a-half season still under their belt, "The Walking Dead" characters still have a lot of time to hone their stories and interest the fans who have left the show once again while keeping those who have stuck with them. But with the decline in viewership especially this season, folks behind the series might need to bring in the big guns sooner than later to keep the fire burning especially if they are holding out on key narrative pieces. 

"The Walking Dead" season 7B is expected to be back on AMC with new episodes sometime early next year.