‘The Walking Dead’ Star Andrew Lincoln Comments On Season 6 Cliffhanger Ending, Rick’s Fate In Season 7

It’s been a long, difficult wait for Season 7 of “The Walking Dead,” but rest assured that Andrew Lincoln and his co-stars feel the pain as well.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor, who plays Rick on the popular AMC series, revealed that he had heard fan complaints about Season 6’s cliffhanger ending but had been avoiding reading reviews. Lincoln, 42, added that while none of the cast wants to see the audience “divided,” they appreciate how invested their fanbase is in “The Walking Dead.” Aside from leaving fans split about how they felt about the final episode, Lincoln said that he’s been bombarded by questions about Rick’s fate in Season 7.

“Every time I leave my house. Every time I go through customs. Every time they are checking my belt going through security, everybody’s going, ‘Please tell me. Just tell me. Just whisper, who is it? Is it you? Why are you in England at the moment? What are you doing here? Why are you not working or filming?’ and all of that,” he said. “It’s hilarious. Absolutely insane. So, part of me goes, well, it’s people talking for a considerable amount of time. Whether you love it or hate it, it has kept people talking.”

Rick isn’t the only one fans fear may be in danger heading into Season 7. On Sunday, AMC released a new sneak peek video which many believed may have contained a shocking revelation about who Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) killed at the end of last season. The video, which is less than a minute long, focuses in on Dwight (Austin Amelio). The Savior member is shown driving along on his motorcycle when he happens upon a pack of walkers. He hops off his bike to take a closer look, but it’s what he’s sporting in the video that really has fans buzzing. Dwight is shown wearing Daryl’s (Norman Reedus) vest, which left many fans worried that it may have been him who was killed by the bat wielding villain of Season 6.

Lincoln isn’t the only member of “The Walking Dead” cast struggling with the finale. In June, Reedus told TV Line he was struggling to talk about what went down before the credits rolled on Season 6. His reasoning for struggling with the episode is far different than that of his co-star. Reedus revealed to the publication that he and his cast mates are close and, as such, they take some of what goes down on set home with them.

“We’re a very tight-knit group,” he said. “And we take it very personally, because we’re in it and living it. Every time you see us crying on camera, those are real tears. It’s a whole day of living that s---.”

Reedus also told TV Line that discussing hard-hitting topics like character deaths is especially difficult. He said that it’s more than just spoilers — it’s “real” for the actors. Reedus compared it to having to go to a friend’s funeral or, worse yet, your own.

“For us, it doesn’t feel like a spoiler, it feels like a moment that really happened,” he said. “And if there’s a death involved , it’s kinda weird to talk about it. It’s like going to our friend’s funeral or going possibly to our own funeral.”

“The Walking Dead” returns to AMC Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016.