The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln has shed some light on what fans can expect from his character, Rick Grimes, in the upcoming second half of Season 7.

　　Spoilers follow below.

　　Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Lincoln said the attitude Grimes has in Season 7 may surprise you in some ways. He also teased that the "thrill of the fight" is back for the second half.

　　"There's a lot more levity, if you can believe that, than you've ever seen before in Mr. Grimes," he said. "There's sort of a freedom in him, a feeling that comes from losing everything, and also the thrill of the fight. It's the thrill of the fight again. He's back in. All I'm saying is that the band is back together."

　　Also in the interview, Lincoln said there is going to be a marked tonal shift compared to the first half of Season 7. "It's probably the opposite of what you just witnessed," Lincoln said. "Certainly from Rick's point of view. You see a man in action again with some of the members of his closest family."

　　Finally, Lincoln talked about how one script in particular, for Episode 16, got him particularly excited about...something.

　　"Wait till [episode] 16. I promise you, there is one beat in 16, I dropped my script and started punching the air and did a little jig," he said.

　　The Walking Dead Season 7's mid-season finale in December drew 10.58 million viewers, which was the worst viewership for a mid-season finale of the show since 2012. The second part of Season 7 premieres February 12 on AMC.

　　An eighth season of The Walking Dead is on the way; it is scheduled to start in late 2017 with the show's 100th episode. Showrunner Scott Gimple is coming back for the new season.