Yes! Seth Hoffman! He was involved in the main series. Notably he wrote "Too Far Gone". Remember watching that the first time? RIP Hershel.

Yes!  This season very much feels like those earlier seasons of the main series.  It even has wonderful callbacks to Old Hershel, with Maggie seeing glimpses of him in Young Hershel as YH works furiously and compassionately to save lives.  And we are starting to see the themes of those earlier seasons return: building society again, bringing out the best in people.  We even had a riff on the phrase, "The ones who live," last night, which gave me a sense that the show runner is looking at this universe as a whole for a change, and it gave me chills.  Somewhere out there, Rick and Michonne have raised their children, and they, too, are the ones who live.