No, I’m not talking about the satellite that fell from space in this episode.
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Online Editor
The Walking Dead: “Lines We Cross”
Season 10, Episode 1
Airdate: 10/6/2019
***SPOILERS BELOW***
While not quite as good as some of the Season 9 episodes, Season 10 of The Walking Dead got off to a great start in “Lines We Cross.” It’s clear that the show is building up the conflict though, and the results should create some real fireworks.
Speaking of fire, a defunct Russian satellite literally falls from the sky, right into Oceanside’s territory. Everyone works throughout the night trying to put the resulting fire out, not only to save the Oceanside community but potentially the Whisperers, who haven’t been heard from in months.
Several months have passed since the end of Season 9, and everyone is still on edge. Aaron is constantly worried, Lydia is struggling to adapt to life in Alexandria and feels more lonely than ever, and Carol has abandoned the communities completely, instead choosing to work on a fishing boat rather than dealing with Henry’s death and her broken marriage with Ezekiel. Ironically, Michonne and Daryl seem to be handling things the best, but that’s probably because they’ve been through this kind of situation multiple times before.
So far, conflict has been avoided, mostly because no one has crossed the Whisperers’ border. That’s about to change. While digging up for souvenirs at the Oceanside beach, RJ Grimes finds a Whisperer mask, which sends everyone into a panic. And at the end of the episode, while attempting to convince Carol not to run away again, Daryl takes her to the place where Alpha’s gigantic walker herd was located, only to find the place empty. But as they are leaving, Carol spots Alpha watching her from the clearing. The Whisperers are back, and they are watching.
Unlike the rest of the characters, it’s clear that Carol has no respect for the Whisperers’ borders, and it’s abundantly clear that a confrontation with Alpha is brewing. It’s not smart, though, to count out Negan’s involvement, if nothing else as a way to pay tribute to the comics. Negan is now getting some time out of his jail cell, working in the Alexandria garden and attempting to give Lydia some advice. In the comics, Negan played a big role in the Whisperer War arc, and it’s clear that he’ll play a big role in the television adaption of it; the exact details of his role have yet to be revealed, aside from the fact that he’ll be allowed to fight in the upcoming conflict.
In addition to telling Lydia to watch her back, Negan also advises Gabriel to lie to the community about the threat to keep the community safe; more accurately, he advises him to use some “strategic omission” to make things seem scarier than they really are. “If that’s what keeps people alive,” he says, “what’s the harm?”
While Gabriel harbors an intense disdain for Negan, it’s clear that he agrees, and makes the decision to basically lockdown Alexandria without consulting Michonne. It remains to be seen if there will be any repercussions from that decision.
SCATTERED THOUGHTS:
– It’s worth noting that the television series has an endgame to go off of now, should they choose to do so. The Walking Dead comics came to an abrupt end this past summer with Issue 193, and Rick Grimes bit the dust just an issue before that one. I never thought we’d get to a time where the show would outlive the comic, but here we are.
– Speaking of the show’s future, it was just announced at the New York City Comic Con that The Walking Dead will have an 11th season… and that Lauren Cohan will return as Maggie Greene for that season! While I don’t think that the show has suffered in her absence, her return is certainly a welcome one. There’s plenty more stories for Maggie to be a part of, and the Hilltop does need a leader right now.
– While I haven’t seen them yet, screeners for the next two episodes were released a while back, and the embargo on those episodes has now lifted. Via Paul Tassi of Forbes, I can share details about the next two episodes: Episode 2 focuses entirely on the Whisperers, and features both flashbacks and scenes from present day. Episode 3 picks things back up with our characters in Alexandria dealing with yet another massive walker threat.
– Dante is a character from the comics, and he makes his television debut here. I was rather annoyed by him, and I’m not sure that’s what the show was going for.
– There are so many comic scenes/arcs in this episode that get remixed with different characters: Carol working on a fishing boat is an arc belonging to Michonne in the comics; Gabriel’s conversation with Negan in his jail cell is sort of a different take on a scene with Rick and Negan from Issue 149; Brandon, who’s in charge of Negan while he’s out of his cell, is the one who helps him escape a few issues after that.
– As for Rick, he was mentioned a lot in this episode, especially when Michonne was present. It’s impossible for her upcoming departure not to involve him in some way. And as for where Rick might be, a trailer for the untitled feature film starring him features the Philadelphia city skyline. That might be the biggest hint about his current location.
– Now that Rick is gone, I have to say that I really enjoy Negan’s interactions with all of the other characters. In particular, his scenes with Father Gabriel are always strong; Jeffery Dean Morgan and Seth Gilliam have really great chemistry.
– Father Gabriel has come a long way from me actively rooting for his death in the Season 5 finale.
– Daryl is actually learning sign language, so he and Connie are definitely going to be a thing.
– I just wanted everyone to know that I don’t miss Henry at all and I’m glad he’s dead.
