We Went Down The Rabbit Hole For This New Walking Dead Conspiracy

UPDATE: Feb. 19, 9:30 a.m. ET Amy Heywood, the Etsy store owner behind the Season 8 rabbits on The Walking Dead, confirmed the stuffed bunny shown on Sundays episode is not one of the bunnies she created for Season 8.

Nope that wasnt one of my bunnies, she told us.

PREVIOUSLY:

Theres a recurring motif on The Walking Dead , one thats been around in the background of the series since Episode 1, rarely taking the spotlight. But after nine seasons, it seems like the prolific symbol is hopping into the light, finally motivating fans to ask one cryptic question: Whats the deal with all the bunnies?

Early Walking Dead fans probably remember one of the first rabbit appearances, when the shows inaugural zombie a little dead girl played by actress Addy Miller came wandering into the premiere episode wearing bunny slippers and holding a stuffed bear. It was the work of pilot director Frank Darabont, whom Walking Dead executive producer Robert Kirkman called very demented.

Bunnies also made an infamous appearance in Season 8, showing up in Episodes 1 and 2, both in Carls visions of the future with Judith and in present time in Baby Gracies crib. The Season 8 bunnies actually inspired theories that Judith would die, as her character does in the comics. In the future visions on the show, the girl we assume to be aged-up Judith is holding a rabbit that looks exactly the same as the one in Gracies crib, only more worn. So fans speculated that aged-up Judith was actually Gracie and that in the future, Judith had already died.

Of course, Judith hasnt died yet, but it was a big thing for a while. Bunnies were suddenly driving Walking Dead conspiracies. And now, with the latest episode, Omega, hare they are again.

What if the old man Rick scene in 8x01 showed Gracie, NOT Judith? #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/3rvdvb1nNO

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What if the old man Rick scene in 8x01 showed Gracie, NOT Judith? #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/3rvdvb1nNO
The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingNews) November 4, 2017

On Sunday night, we learned a bit about the Hilltops Whisperer captive, Lydia (Cassady McClincy), through flashback conversations with Daryl (Norman Reedus ) and Henry (Matt Lintz ). As Nicolas Cages Spider-Man Noir from Into the Spider-Verse might say, it consists of a hardcore origin story, and one Lydia herself only fully grasps through these conversations.

For most of Lydias life, shes thought her father was an abusive asshat and her mother was the consistently supportive parent. But through stories about the early days of the outbreak and her childhood, she comes to realize that her mom is actually the abusive one and has been filling her head with lies. (The now-leader of the zombie-skin-wearing Whisperers is a bad person? You dont say?) Lydias mother apparently went so far as to kill Lydias father to ensure Lydia would never leave her side.

Heres where things get leporine: In these childhood flashbacks, Lydia is seen with a stuffed rabbit. At this point, it feels like you cant get much more Easter egg-y than an actual bunny appearing in key moments. But what does it mean?