After the brief mid-season break, The Walking Dead shambled back onto our screens this weekend. The first half of season nine was surprisingly strong, with plot moving forward at a steady pace, interesting character interactions, and some tense moments of action, much improving on the rapid decline of quality in previous seasons. “Adaptation” (following “Evolution”) was a slow but decent return to the series. Here are five thoughts on the mid-season premiere. Beware: spoilers follow!
1. Wandering Free
One of the key—and most compelling—arcs in this episode was Negan’s escape. With the rogue breaking out of his cell in the mid-season finale, we finally see the aftermath. Negan emerges into Alexandria in the wee hours, witnessing what Rick had built for the first time. For years, he has heard about (and sneered at) the changes, but never actually seen them. He picks and eats a ripe tomato, steals a compass from Judith’s bedroom, and sets out on his way, with Judith—the apocalypse’s worst security guard—allowing him to hop over the fence, despite warning him there’s nothing out “there” for anyone anymore.
Throughout the episode, we follow Negan’s journey. He realises pretty quickly that the world has changed for the worst. His confident swagger is still there as he raids a men’s sportswear store, donning a new leather jacket, and possibly looking to replace Lucille. But that confidence is quickly rattled as he comes face-to-face with a pack of feral dogs, hungrily chasing him through the store. Jeffery Dean Morgan gives an excellent, largely silent performance throughout, really conveying the slow, disappointed realisation that this isn’t his world anymore.
This is most notable as he returns to the Sanctuary. Ruined and abandoned, he enters the building which once housed his empire with his signature whistle to find no response. His demeanour slowly deteriorates as he sees everything he had built destroyed, soil for planting crops ruined, and even the last of his remaining, loyal followers rotting away as a walker; a stark contrast to the hopeful, thriving community he explored that very morning. There’s nothing left for him to do but to return to Alexandria.
Judith promised to shoot him if he should ever return, and she does just that. As Negan flies back toward his prison on a motorcycle, a blast bursts his tire and knocks him off the bike. Sure enough, Judith is standing with her gun aimed at him. I was completely convinced this was a dream sequence, as I found it hard to believe Judith might be wandering the dangerous roads alone—even if there are search parties out looking for the escapee, and even if she is Rick Grimes’ daughter. But sure enough, they talk, and Negan explains that there’s nothing outside for him anymore before following her back to Alexandria. Whether this is a true sign of growth in Negan’s character or yet another of his tricks remains to be seen, but Morgan successfully gave us some deeper insight into a highly guarded character.
2. The Return to Hilltop
The remainder of the episode focuses on the aftermath of the mid-season finale. We open immediately after the events of “Evolution”, our heroes still battling their way out from amongst the Whisperers, trying to safely recover Jesus’ body. It’s a chilling cold open and nods towards the creepier horror elements we’ve been promised for the remainder of the series, as figures of walkers and Whisperers shuffle through the thick fog, their whispers echoing through the cemetery.
Michonne, Daryl, and Aaron quickly lead Eugene, Magna, and Yumiko toward Hilltop, clearly shaken by what they have just witnessed, rightfully questioning who would wear walker skins. They soon encounter another small herd. Daryl, once again proving he was side-lined as a moody loner in previous seasons, aims for legs instead of heads, trying to distinguish fake walkers from “original recipe” walkers. Sure enough, one walker cries out in pain, only to be devoured by the real ones he was travelling with. Two Whisperers reveal themselves, drawing weapons. One is slain, the other is taken back to Hilltop as a hostage (more on that shortly). Quick-thinking common sense like this has been lost for a while on The Walking Dead, so it was exciting to see a return to characters figuring out practical solutions to new threats.
Continued belowJesus is eventually returned to Hilltop where he can be mourned and buried by his people, who now look to Tara for guidance. We also uncover a messy love quadrangle, as Eugene, reunited with Rosita, declares his feelings for her. Rosita, however, is pregnant with previous beaux Siddiq’s baby, but is still with Gabriel. This will no doubt cause some tension within the Hilltop’s walls as the drama develops.
3. Lydia
Michonne, Tara, and Daryl take the Whisperer prisoner—a young woman—to the jail cells in Hilltop, where our friend Henry is still locked up for being a disorderly drunk. Michonne and Tara, clearly upset and shaken by the latest turn of events, angrily interrogate her while Daryl watches on. The girl gives them very little information, swearing they’re a small group with no names. Michonne is concerned that the Whisperers know about Hilltop and Alexandria, while Tara is heavy with the knowledge that people will look to her for justice now that Jesus is dead. Having confronted more than their fair share of chaos-loving maniacs ready for battle in the post-apocalyptic world, it’s evident to everyone that the girl is lying. Michonne leaves it to Daryl to get answers from her, explaining he’s the best judge of character she knows.
This is a wise decision on Michonne’s part. And not once but twice in one episode, Daryl gets the opportunity to show that he has key skills beyond that of brooding, injecting life into the character once more. Daryl aggressively confronts the girl on his own, met only with sneering replies that confirm suspicions that their group is bad news with an “us or them” mentality, killing others purely because “it’s just what people do now.” Daryl threatens to drag the girl out in front of the crowd at Jesus’ funeral, a crowd that will demand justice. Amongst the shouting and screaming, Henry yells for Daryl to stop. Daryl storms off, and the two youngsters introduce themselves. We finally have a name for their captive: Lydia. As the two talk, Daryl sits upstairs, listening into the conversation. He has drawn Henry unwittingly into a game of good cop, bad cop in hope that it will provide answers. It’s a smart move, and hopefully one Lydia won’t use to manipulate her new friend.
4. Walls
There’s a lot of focus on inside versus outside in this episode. Negan escapes, only to discover the outside world doesn’t hold anything for him anymore; grateful to be contained within the four walls of his cell in a thriving settlement like Alexandria. Aaron tells Michonne that he agrees that people are safer inside, walled in, building upon what they have, promoting that isolationist view she’s held for a while now. There’s even the literal walled-in imprisonment of Henry and Lydia, most poignant for Henry, a floundering boy who feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere perhaps about to be duped into realising that he does have a purpose at the Hilltop—even if he’s unaware of it.
But as Lydia keenly points out, “walls don’t keep you safe.” Time and time again, we’ve seen settlements fall on The Walking Dead, new societies ruined and in need of being rebuilt. It’s not just the threat of walls falling that causes danger though. Michonne’s insular attitude means risk of threat cannot be shared by neighbouring villages. Had she not left for Hilltop, she wouldn’t have encountered the Whisperers, leaving Alexandria unprepared for any impending attack. As of yet, her people are still completely unaware of this new breed of enemy, but at least she has the information to share. Lydia may not have been completely wrong when she sneered at Daryl to change with the world. Societies closing themselves off behind walls closes them off to the opportunity to adapt and continue surviving. Just as bridges were key to Rick in the first part of season nine, I get the feeling walls—both literal and metaphorical—will be important to all of our survivors in this second part.
5. “Trail Ends Here”
The episode closes just as it opens: with heroes surrounded by the ominous figures of walkers. Newcomer Luke joined ex-Saviour Alden on a search mission, sweeping around the Hilltop’s parameter in search of Jesus, Aaron, Magna, and Yumiko ahead of their return. The episode dips in and out of their search, showing a fun budding friendship between the pair with banter flowing naturally between them. They follow a trail of familiar arrows, assuming it has been laid down by Yumiko, only to find they’ve wandered into a trap. Unaware of the new threat of the Whisperers, they aren’t alarmed by the large herd that walks by them, casually continuing about their search. This proves to be one of the most successful elements of introducing the Whisperers—our heroes (and thereby the audience) have become so used to dispatching walkers, that this new threat returns us to the edge of our seats when a walker shows up. Is it an ordinary zombie, or a next level threat waiting to catch them off-guard?
Suspense that has long been missing from the show has returned. And as Luke and Alden unwittingly wandered further into the trap set for them, horror elements returned too. A sole walker stood before them, staring. As the camera pans around, more zombified figures pop up in the background, watching, waiting. It’s incredibly eerie imagery. The silence is broken by a Whisperer (most likely Whisperer leader Alpha) who boldly approaches Luke and Alden, letting them know this is the end for them. What happens to the pair remains to be seen, but it was a chilling cliffhanger to end on.
Whilst still not quite reaching the heights of its glory days, new life is evident within The Walking Dead. Their ability to carry on without Rick at the helm, improving and introducing shelved or new characters, is encouraging, removing some of the dread of lead characters (such as Danai Gurira) stepping down in the future. The threat of the Whisperers is an exciting twist on the original walker threat, and it is obvious the team are having fun with a return to their horror roots, reintroducing some unnerving shots and creepy effects. It’s also great to see those characters who have been pushed aside in previous seasons get their chance to shine, acting with motive, common sense, and purpose, instead of just floating alongside a handful of leads. Let’s hope these new walls continue to hold as the season progresses.
