‘The Walking Dead’ Season 3 Spoiler: Which Character Makes A Return To The Set?

AMC's hit series "The Walking Dead" won't air their third season until October, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until then to find out what's in store for the gang of survivors. Dread Central got their hands on two photos from a "Walking Dead" fan which reveal a HUGE season three spoiler...a long lost character returns.

This is your last chance to turn back before season three of "The Walking Dead" is spoiled for you.

Who is the returning cast member you ask? Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), Daryl Dixon's (Norman Reedus) brother who hasn't been seen since season one.

"The Walking Dead" fans will remember that in season one Rick (Andrew Lincoln) handcuffed Merle to a metal pipe on a department store roof in Atlanta after an altercation. Soon after, the department store became overrun with zombies and a rushed attempt to free him by T-Dog (IronE Singleton) resulted in the key to the handcuffs being dropped down a drain. Although the crew locked the roof top door before escaping, when Rick returned to free Merle they found only the handcuffs and Merle's severed hand.

While Merle hasn't actually been spotted since the roof top incident, Daryl had a hallucination in the woods in season two in which his brother made a brief appearance.

If you're not too familiar with Merle's storyline in the series, don't fret. AMC will be airing a season three "Preview Weekend." Starting at 11:30 A.M. on Saturday, July 7, and running into Sunday, July 8, AMC will run all the episodes of the first two seasons. On Sunday at 9 P.M. a live (and one-time-only airing) of "The Talking Dead," hosted by Chris Hardwick, will air, followed at 10 P.M. by a never-before-seen black and white version of "The Walking Dead" pilot. According to AMC, "The special version of the series' first episode was created specifically for fans of 'The Walking Dead,' as it holds true to the original black and white comic book, written by Robert Kirkman."

Besides the special version of the pilot, fans of the series should also tune in to catch a view of the new season three set, along with behind-the scenes footage and interviews with the cast.

To see two photos of Merle on "The Walking Dead" season three set click here and here.