Most of the times it turns out there is nothing to worry about though, and we’re most likely not going to see any significant changes about her character that are going to be taken in a negative way by the fans. Just because she’s absent from the first episode doesn’t have to be a bad sign.
Molly Quinn, who plays the role of Alexis Castle, has reportedly said that the new showrunners have put the production “on steroids”, as they have been changing things quite a bit. She seemed mostly excited about the new changes though, so it looks like the actors are happy with the new structure.
Susan Sullivan has given fans hints that they can expect some interesting surprises in the new season, including some special romantic moments. It’s not rare that the show features a good romantic subplot, and fans are always excited to learn about that, but we don’t know the exact details yet.
Whatever the producers are preparing though, season 8 is shaping up to be the most exciting one so far, at least in terms of the various kinds of changes that it’s going to introduce to the show, continuing a trend already set in season 7, perhaps even more actively than before.