The Walking Dead returns next week, and a new promo video for the mid-season premiere has been released. It features interviews with the cast and crew, plus footage from the upcoming episodes. Check it out below:

　　The first half of Season 7 was a controversial one. The opening episode was the most violent of the entire series, leading to some fans complaining that it had gone too far. An initial suggestion that producers had toned down the violence elsewhere in the season was quickly denied.

　　Last week star Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick in the show, defended the season so far. "You don't want it to be negative, but if you're endeavoring to make something different and unique and challenging--and hopefully dangerous and new--sometimes it might provoke different reactions from people," he said. "But I stand by everybody telling this story, particularly the writers and everybody directing it. I think it's a very brave, bold, and also challenging story that we're attempting."

　　Lincoln went on to explain that the levels of violence early on, plus the slower pace of subsequent episodes, were very deliberate. "I know people want to watch more than one episode a week at a time just because it's kind of compulsive, the storytelling, and they want to know what happens next," he said. "And I think sometimes having to wait is a good thing because you get to recap on other things and view it in a different way."

　　The Walking Dead Season 7 returns on February 12. Last month, a series of cryptic posters were released. An eighth season is also on the way and is scheduled to start in late 2017 with the show's 100th episode.