The Walking Dead Season 4 Spoilers: Rick and Carl take center stage in newest episode

Season 4 of AMC's wildly popular The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, Feb. 9 with a brand new episode entitled "After." The episode will focus on three of the main characters, and we will learn a whole lot more about them in the process.

Firstly, the "Ask Ausiello" column at TVLine reports that Carl is one of the focal points of the episode, and it seems as though we might all look at Chandler Riggs a little differently by the end of the hour:

"Not only does the Feb. 9 midseason premiere - titled "After" - further open a window to Michonne's past, it also kinda serves as Carl's official coming-of-age episode. And trust me when I say that you'll never again think about discounting Chandler Riggs as just a good 'kid actor' - his work here is exceptional."

The "Mega Buzz" column at TV Guide expands on this news somewhat with the following bits of information:

"Don't expect to see too many familiar faces since Rick and Carl take center stage when the AMC drama returns. While Rick heals from his beating from The Governor - whom you will see again - Carl will lose something very important to him. (No, not his innocence!) In other news, it won't be long before this mystery is blown wide open."

"This mystery" refers to the belief among fans of the show that Michonne had children prior to the zombie apocalypse. A TV Guide article back in October delved into this idea, and Danai Gurira (who plays Michonne) told the site "That's an interesting one. You have some good ideas." Showrunner Scott Gimple and creator Robert Kirkman backed up the notion.

Of course, fans of the Walking Dead comic already know that Michonne was a divorced mother with two children, both of whom died in the outbreak. She dated a man named Mike prior to the apocalypse, and he became one of her zombie pets that she hauled around on chains.

What do you think, fans? What does Carl lose? What will we learn about Michonne? Let us know in the comments below.