'The Walking Dead' Mid-Season 9 Finale: Evolution

On Sunday night, AMC will air the eighth episode of The Walking Dead's ninth season, the show's final episode of 2018.

The Walking Dead Episode 9x08 is titled, "Evolution." The official synopsis for "Evolution" reads, "A small rescue mission braves a dangerous herd in their hunt for a missing comrade, only to discover a surprising threat that could doom them all." It is directed by Michael Satrazemis with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.

Evolution will center around the core group of survivors, heavily following the rescue mission of Eugene. Eugene was last seen in Episode 9x06, being chased by the Whisperers with Rosita, before she left him in a barn and ran away herself. Meanwhile, Michonne's differences with the Hilltop will be further explored as her first journey to hey allied community in years is carried out.

The Whisperers first appeared in The Walking Dead comics in issue #130. The issue was the fourth to follow the "All Out War" story, which saw a massive time jump carried out between issues #126 and #127. The group was first overheard whispering about members of Rick's group they had encountered, leading survivors to think they were either going crazy or that the walkers were evolving and starting to talk. This seems to be where the episode's title of "Evolution" is coming from!

The walkers are not talking, however. The Whisperers wear the skin of the dead and walk among them, keeping their voices to a whisper as a means to blend in. This allows them to move freely through the world without fear of threat from the undead but also allows them to use the undead as weapons.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com's After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.