Fans React to ‘The Walking Dead’ Mid-Season 9 Finale

The Walking Dead’s Season Nine winter finale brought with it answers about new enemy group the [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

The Walking Dead's Season Nine winter finale brought with it answers about new enemy group the Whisperers — and their first major kill.

Daryl (Norman Reedus), Dog, Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Jesus (Tom Payne) have set off in search of the wounded and missing Eugene (Josh McDermitt), who was tucked away and hidden in a barn by Rosita (Christian Serratos) when pursued by a relentless herd of walkers.

The search party watches a crowd of an estimated 130 walkers strangely milling around as a storm rolls in.

Meanwhile, Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) is discouraged his therapy session with the jailed Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) doesn't seem to be taking hold. Hilltop messengers arrive soon after, alerting Alexandria they've taken in a wounded Rosita.

Stoic Alexandria leader Michonne (Danai Gurira) and right-hand man Siddiq (Avi Nash) reach Hilltop, where they receive an icy not-quite-welcome from Dianne (Kerry Cahill). The Alexandrians have come for Rosita, who was discovered exhausted and injured in the woods.

Michonne runs into Carol (Melissa McBride), who is warm to Siddiq but more reserved towards Michonne. After trading awkward pleasantries, Carol tries appealing to Michonne about the fair, but Michonne turns down her request for a delegate.

"Kingdom is Kingdom. Hilltop is here. And Alexandria is there. And in-between, there's a whole lot of broken world. And we cannot pretend otherwise," Michonne says. "We've got to take care of our own now. It's just the way it is."

While on the hunt for Eugene, Aaron tells Jesus he would make a "damn good leader" if he just stopped fighting it. But the reluctant interim Hilltop leader feels tied down to his responsibilities at the farming colony, many of which he ultimately delegates to Tara (Alanna Masterson).

Daryl employs an old alarm clock to draw the herd, which has grown noticeably larger in size.

At Hilltop, new blacksmith apprentice Henry (Matt Lintz) settles in. He's disappointed to learn crush Enid (Katelyn Nacon) is involved with Alden (Callan McAuliffe) but soon finds friends in Addy (Kelley Mack) and troublemakers Rodney (Joe Ando Hirsh) and Gage (Jackson Pace).

A frustrated Gabriel, upset and worried over girlfriend Rosita, is taunted by Negan. "It's bad enough I have to clean up your sh-t," Gabriel says, exiting Negan's cell. "I shouldn't have to listen to it, too."

Rosita wakes up panicked and warns Michonne and Siddiq the search party has "no idea what they're dealing with."

Night has fallen and the storm has arrived. Daryl, Dog, Aaron and Jesus discover Eugene hidden in the floorboards of a barn.

Eugene, petrified, tells the search party this "wasn't a normal herd" and that the reanimated corpses were "whispering to each other."

While Henry gets into trouble with his newfound friends — ending up in the Hilltop drunk tank, disappointing Earl (John Finn) — Daryl and the others are forced to flee when the sizable walker herd closes in. Eugene orders to be left behind, but Daryl splits off with Dog as Aaron and Jesus carry Eugene to safety.

At Alexandria, a bored Negan watches the wind rattle his cage and notices Gabriel failed to secure his cell door. Pushing the door open and stepping carefully outside, Negan grins and walks off.

Daryl sets off fireworks and instructs Dog to bark in an attempt to redirect the herd, but the walkers turn the opposite direction, pursuing the group into a nearby cemetery. Walkers fill in, trapping the group inside.

Aaron and Jesus withdraw knives and swords, dispatching walkers as Eugene struggles to escape because of his dislocated knee. The cemetery gate is unflinchingly rigid from erosion, preventing escape.

Michonne arrives with Magna (Nadia Hilkes) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) in tow. The three cut down walkers and dig the gate free.

Aaron orders Jesus to hurry along, but when dispatching walkers, one suddenly ducks, spins behind Jesus, and runs him through with a blade. "You are where you do not belong," the walker whispers.

Daryl inspects a corpse only to learn the "walker" is a now-dead person sewn into a mask — actually the re-purposed and skinned face of a legitimate walker.

As Daryl and Michonne are bewildered to learn their new enemies disguise themselves as the undead, the group learn they're helplessly surrounded as the Whisperers move in...

The Walking Dead returns with the back half of its ninth season in early 2019.

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