Saying that the cast of The Walking Dead has been through some tough times lately is the understatement of the century. The mid-season finale ended on a hugely tragic moment, and fans have only had to deal with the initial shock so far because the show went on hiatus before anyone could really see the fallout. There's honestly no telling where things will go during the rest of the season, and that's why the current plot is so compelling.

The wait for the second half of the season is almost over, and AMC has released a brand new trailer for The Walking Dead's return. It's a far more polished glimpse than the teasers that were released a few weeks back, and a downright fantastic trailer on its own:

The fog, the silhouetted figures, Rick's ominous narration: there's so much atmosphere in the 'Surviving Together' trailer, you could cut it with a knife. Of course, there's not a whole lot of story in the trailer, but that doesn't really matter: it's a moody, vague, mysterious trailer that's a nice change of pace from what previous seasons have set up. It's quiet and suspenseful, two aspects of the show that have been placed on the backburner in recent seasons.

One thing to make note of is the fact that there's no telling who Rick and the others are shooting at. Yes, this is The Walking Dead, and it could just be zombies...but given everything that the group has gone through over the past few seasons, it could be something far worse than walkers...

The first half of season five was amazing, and if the new trailer is any indication of where the series is headed, the second half should be just as good, if not better.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Feb. 8 at 9pm EST.