The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd previews action-packed Season 4 second half

The Walking Dead returns on Sunday with the first brand new episode in Season 4 since the midseason finale in December. The episode will focus on Rick and Carl, along with Michonne's past, and executive producer Gale Anne Hurd spilled the beans on some more spoilers for the second half of the season.

Hurd spoke to E! Online and said Sunday's episode will look at the strained relationship between Rick and Carl.

"Any relationship between a father and a son, especially a son going through puberty and becoming a teenager ultimately, is going to be fraught with difficulty," Hurd said. "And that's amplified by the fact that they're now separated from the rest of the group, and Rick still isn't in good shape, so I think it's likely that the balance will go back and forth as to who needs who more."

Then there's that little matter of zombies roaming around all over the place.

Hurd added that Carl would have a particularly tough time in the next episode. "It gives you a glimpse into just how tragic and traumatizing the zombie apocalypse is for children," she said.

The EP also said "we've got our fingers crossed for [Judith's] well-being. I can't say more than that." In the comics, Judith dies during the Governor's attack on the prison, so her fate may not be too pleasant on the show, either.

Some upcoming episodes of the show will also point to the possibility of a cure for the zombie plague. "I think one always holds out hope that not only did certain institutions survive, especially scientific research institutions, but that a cure can be found-a vaccine, an inoculation, whatever," Hurd said. "That's a storyline that is in the comic books as well, that there's one character who might hold the key to that knowledge." 

Finally, Maggie and Glenn's impending wedding might have to be put on hold for the time being. "I think it would have been great to have a wedding, but everyone's on the run, and I think survival is first and foremost on people's minds," Hurd said. She later added, "I'd certainly love to see the antithesis of The Bachelor wedding. But ultimately it's not going to be the same without poor Hershel walking them down the aisle." 

What do you expect from the second half of the season? Let us know in the comments below.