‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Premiere Recap with Spoilers: A New Beginning

Horses ride into a fortified Alexandria. Time has past and the community has grown.

On the porch of Rick’s house, Judith paints on a canvas with Michonne. Rick joins them and they laugh together. Peaceful music sets a tone the shot is not accustomed to. Elsewhere, Rick, Michonne, and Judith watch a flock of birds in a field.

At the Sanctuary, Regina scares birds away. The crops are dying as residents work to create resources. Saviors are stringing up a walker on a cross to scare the birds away but Daryl isn’t for the barbaric practice. He puts it down. Hei s their new leader.

Tara rides down a street with a trail marked. Daryl and Jesus clear a path elsewhere. Eugene communicates a plan to them over the radio. Aaron wants to learn how to fight like Jesus. On another road, Daryl rides past Jerry, and they communicate that the paths are cleared.

In downtown Washington D.C., Rick and Michonne ride in, clearing out walkers. A group, with Ezekiel, Michonne, Alden, Gabriel, Cindy, Enid, Carol, Daryl, Aaron, Jesus, and others rides in with the Washington Monument at their back.

The new credits sequence for The Walking Dead plays.

Continued

Inside of an art museum, the group kills walkers and splits up on separate missions. Michonne and Ezekiel put down walkers. Maggie and Carol see a staircase as the former declares, “This is gonna work.” At he same time, they notice the glass beneath them leads straight to a pit of walkers. They start up the stairs just as a walker falls onto the glass. Daryl puts it down and they’ll figure out the glass situation later.

In another room, a walker gets a hold of Siddiq’s foot. Before he can put it down, spiders emerge from its eyes and mouth. 

Gabriel and Anne put down a walker, ironically pinning it as the next step in an “evolution of man” chart.

Cindy tries to get a canoe, prompting a conversation with Daryl about their pasts. Daryl’s memories of Merle involve fighting but also involved people who fought with him. They share similar grief over their pasts.

Anne has lead the group to seeds for the Sanctuary to grow into crops. She knows of them because she took a class trip here.

Carol, Maggie, and Michonne joke about Gregory being bitter over the Hilltop having a vote on its leader. Carol jokes that she is with a King now. 

Continued

Rick leads the group’s effort to move a carriage down the stairs and across the glass. It is rigged with ropes to try and move it. The glass cracks as the move along but they are successful. After everything has been transported, Ezekiel falls through the glass and is hanging above the walkers. The group manages to pull him up, though.

When he gets free of the treacherous situation, Ezekiel shares a kiss with Carol. The group moves out. 

The group rides down Route B. Alden talks with Ken about taking on a blacksmith apprenticeship with his father. Behind them, King Ezekiel proposes to Carol. She rejects it, saying it can’t happen on a horse. 

The group comes upon a bridge and elects to go another route, with Rick shutting down Maggie’s suggestion.

Continued

Along another path, the horses are growing tired, and the carriage is stuck in the mud. Maggie suggests leaving it and coming back with fresh horses but Rck wants to simply swap the horses they already have with them. The group pulls the carriage from the mud as walkers begin to approach. 

Daryl and Michonne start putting own walkers. Ken is trying to free the horses. As the group starts to flee from the walkers, Ken elects to go back and free a horse. He is, unsurprisingly, bitten on his arm.

Moments later, the group is surrounding Ken as Siddiq tends to his wound. His life fades, horribly upsetting Maggie and Enid. The group looks on as Maggie uses a knife to put him down. 

Continued

In the evening, Maggie breaks the news of Ken’s death to his parents, Tammy and Early. Tammy mocks her husband for not taking action. After Earl leaves, she turns her verbal assault to Maggie, and claims the Saviors should not be getting Hilltop supplies which their people are risking their lives for and that Gregory might be a better leader.

In the night, Alden sings as Ken’s funeral.

Meanwhile, at the Sanctuary, Rick and the group pay a visit. The Saviors are happy to see him but several need help from their new leader Daryl. Michonne spots writing on the wall reading, “Saviors save us! We are still Negan.” Daryl orders Justin to clean it up and gets a bit of pushback.

At Hilltop, Gregory gives a touching speech at Ken’s funeral. He tells Jesus he is grateful for what he has. 

Rick gives a speech to the remaining Saviors, promising resources and supplies. Moments later, Daryl and Rick argue about what’s the right move. Daryl insists this won’t work. Rick says things are different now and Daryl says Rick is the one who changed things. 

Daryl wants to go back to Hilltop but Rick could use his help at Alexandria. Daryl rejects it. 

Continued

Gregory approaches Tammy and Earl with a bottle of whiskey. She drinks herself to sleep, leaving Earl and Gregory to talk, with Gregory breaking Earl’s non-drinking policy and taking advantage of him. Through some cunning words, Gregory suggests Maggie does not have to be in charge here, anymore. 

During the night, Carol and Daryl talk outside of the Sanctuary. Carol offers to take over for him here before telling him that King Ezekiel proposed to her. He offers his approval, despite her rejection of the king’s proposal. 

Rick and Michonne get in their bed together. Michonne mocks him as “the famous Rick Grimes” to his dismay and laughter. They go on in their conversation to have Michonne suggest they create a charter to set rules for the communities. They turn the lights off, Rick realizes he is lucky to have her, and they get it on. 

Continued

At the Hilltop, Gregory and Maggie talk over her baby carriage in the middle of the night. As Maggie cuts off to put the baby to sleep, Gregory stops her to say that someone defaced Glenn’s grave. Maggie immediately investigates but is ambushed by a hooded and masked Earl. Baby Hershel is left crying when his stroller tipped over. Enid tries to help but is pushed to the ground and injures her head. 

Alden and Cindy rush to her aid. When Maggie sees it was Earl, she marches into Gregory’s room with blood coming down her face. She tells him he wants to lead this place but can’t murder someone right. He tries to stab her but she gets the upper hand and puts the knife to his throat. 

Continued

Carol says goodbye to Ezekiel outside of the Sanctuary, promising she isn’t running away. “I’ll be content to move at your speed,” Ezekiel says to her. Jerry is ready to go, too, promising to take care of Ezekiel for her. 

Michonne and Rick ride into Hilltop where they find bruised Maggie. Upstairs, Rick and Maggie talk near baby Hershel. Rick asks for help with the Saviors, which means resources, but Maggie wants too much in exchange. She doesn’t want ot help them. She points out that Rick said he would follow her and he hasn’t. She also has no interest in visiting Alexandria. 

That night, Gregory has Earl handcuffed and Gregory hanging from a noose while sitting on horse. He pleads with her not to kill him. She says she is not ashamed of it. Daryl sends the horse off, leaving Gregory to hang and die. Kids come out and see it. Michonne tries to have it delayed but it’s too late. Maggie orders the kids back to bed.

Maggie stands by her decision. “This is not the beginning of something,” she says. “I don’t wanna go through it again.”

Gregory’s back swings from the structure being built. Daryl cuts it down.