The Walking Dead preview: Will the Whisperers strike in the woods?

This week’s preview trailer shows Rosita running for help in the woods while risking an encounter with the Whisperers’ herd.

After six years of mourning Rick’s supposed death, The Walking Dead has shown us a little glimpse of how it has affected the communities. Not enough to really know what’s happened over the years, just enough to see the change. The food and supplies seem to be thriving, but his friends (family, really) are altered.

Michonne trusts no one, Carol is back to being a no-excuses killer, and Daryl is a lone wolf in the forest. Putting the obvious aside, they’re not as optimistic as they used to be and that may be because Rick’s absence has left them with no hope.

Gabriel is the only one that hasn’t lost the optimism he learned to foster because Rick believed in him. Miraculously, Gabriel’s still hopeful even though he’s lost, Rick and Anne. And that may be because he’s on cloud nine because of his new found relationship with Rosita. He wants to recruit people using a radio and is so intent on finding people that he’s completely forgotten the danger that strangers pose. Maybe Gabriel needs to have a sit down with Michonne who has become a hardened, tough Rick 2.0.

Rosita shows her support for Gabriel by going with Eugene to a water tower to set up a radio device that will allow Gabriel to broadcast radio waves over a larger distance. Without warning, a nearby herd changes direction and bombards Eugene and Rosita forcing them to have to run and hide in the mud. While covered in mud, Eugene and Rosita hear The Whisperers who are hidden discreetly in the thick of the herd. The Whisperers, who are humans disguised as walkers, ask where Eugene and Rosita went and that’s how the last episode ended.

Watch a preview of “Stradivarius” here:

The trailer preview for the upcoming episode “Stradivarius” shows Rosita running in the woods alone and with a cut on her head. Being that Eugene injured his knee jumping off the water tower, Rosita may be going out for help alone. But is she being chased by the Whisperers or someone else? Rosita has a rough mission ahead of her to find help as soon as possible while Eugene waits it out risking that the Whisperers may find either one of them.

Meanwhile, Michonne and Siddiq drive a wagon with the group of stranger’s they are taking to Hilltop. But something seems to have disrupted their plans in the preview, with Connie spotting something in the forest. Based on the few clips of the group off the wagon and Michonne leading the way and unleashing her sword, I’d guess that they came across a herd. Could this be the same herd that has the Whisperers that were searching for Rosita and Eugene? Michonne may be in the right place to help Rosita if they’re close enough. The only good thing I see from this is that this moment of crisis may be what the strangers need for Michonne to finally trust them.

In the preview we also see a sneak peek of Aaron and Jesus witnessing a flare in the sky. Leaving us wondering who shot off the flare? Was it Rosita or even Michonne asking for help or is it a trap set up by someone else? We’ll wait to find out what danger lurks in the woods, and who may potentially be The Whisperers’ first victim (or victims).