The Whisperers have fully revealed themselves, as Negan escapes his cell.
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Staff Writer
The Walking Dead: “Evolution”
Season 9, Episode 8
Airdate: 11/25/2018
***SPOILERS INCOMING***
The first half of Season 9 of The Walking Dead concluded on Sunday, ending arguably the best stretch of episodes the zombie drama has ever put out. It continues to be nothing short of astonishing how much both the writing and direction of the show have improved under new show-runner Angela Kang.
This season finale also saw the reveal of what exactly those talking walkers, otherwise known as the Whisperers, are. Comic readers obviously knew this arc was coming, but I personally wasn’t let down by that at all. “Evolution” was genuinely the most intense, frightening episode The Walking Dead has put out in some time and ended with a rather surprising death.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. Jesus has felt like a glorified extra for at least a full season now. His comic counterpart has been front and center in the medium’s stories, but Tom Payne hasn’t been given much to do in the role since his introduction in season six. That’s a real shame; he’s even said that he often felt frustrated in the role.
It’s now time to explain the Whisperers for those who may not be so familiar with what they are and how they operate. Of course, this will be revealed gradually in the show, but I’ll explain the basics here. The Whisperers are a group of people who disguise themselves in the skin of walkers, moving around in similar fashion to them. This makes it easy for them to blend in with a herd of walkers. It’s risky and stealthy, but it works for them. They are big on borders and will defend what they perceive to be their territory with deadly force. We saw it tonight with Jesus’s stunning death and, without spoiling what’s coming, we’ll continue to see it going forward. We’ll meet the leaders of the group in the second half of the season.
The other big event that took place during the episode was Negan’s escape from Alexandria Jail. Father Gabriel is left in charge of watching him and after he learns of Rosita’s injuries, he snaps on the former leader of the Saviors, telling him off. In his fit of rage, however, he forgets to lock Negan’s cell, and when Negan finds out about this he walks out of the door. This event also didn’t take me by surprise, but it’s a development that I am OK with. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has done some fantastic work this season, but Negan is a much more compelling character when he’s not literally boxed-in. Having him out and about is going to hopefully bring about some interesting plot developments, although it’s unclear exactly what they will entail.
That being said, it feels weird that Negan is still a part of this world and Rick is not. There’s nothing that can be done about that, but the relationship between Rick and Negan was a big part of the comic storylines heading into this Whisperers arc. Now that Rick is gone, Negan’s ultimate end on this show rather unclear, especially given that a confrontation with Maggie is what ends his story in the comics; we saw that confrontation earlier this season. I guess the question now is… can Negan actually be redeemed?
He spent eight years in a jail cell. He seems to show some level of remorse now, at least for the most part. Can Carl’s vision for the future be partially realized, and can Negan become a functioning, trustworthy member of the group?
Before we get there, though, Negan is definitely going to enjoy his sudden freedom for as long as he can. The sneak preview for the next episode even shows him breaking in to Michonne’s home with a shovel in hand. It also appears from another preview that he returns to his former home base, The Sanctuary, which has fallen. Before we get to the good stuff, we have to let Negan have his joy-ride.
SCATTERED THOUGHTS:
– I think this was the first time that Carol and Michonne had an actual, one-on-one scene with each other in the history of this show. I liked it.
– While we’re on the subject of Michonne, it has to be noted that she gets an ice-cold reception at The Hilltop, especially from Tara. Whatever happened, it seems that action that Michonne took may have been the catalyst for the schism between the communities.
– If Daryl’s dog dies, I’ll write a nasty letter to AMC. Keep Dog alive at all costs.
– Enid and Alden being a couple feels weird, especially since I thought that they were building to a relationship between Maggie and Alden.
– Nice to see Earl Sutton get some meaningful screen-time. I think he’s more qualified than anyone to comment on Henry’s drinking, especially given what we saw at the beginning of this season.
– Henry is still the worst kid in the zombie apocalypse. The kids who coerced him into hanging out with them are definitely a close second, though. Also, all of those kids are really bad actors.
The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its ninth season on February 10th.
