The Walking Dead Season 10 finds the survivors engaged in a cold war with Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the Whisperers, who have imposed borderlines on the communities under threat of war and the release of a walker horde capable of destroying everything the communities have built. Alexandrian leader Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) are among those reluctantly abiding by these rules to prevent further loss of life, but the Season 10 trailer reveals a hooded figure stealthily spreading anti-Whisperer propaganda — a move sure to be condemned by Michonne, who worries the growing fear and paranoia caused by the nearby but unseen Whisperers is enough to once again drive the communities apart.
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“One of the great things from the comic book that we got really excited about, there’s this idea of propaganda and paranoia, and this idea of ‘silence the Whisperers,’ which [creator] Robert Kirkman played really well,” showrunner Angela Kang previously told EW. “So there’s definitely a feeling as our group gets into this conflict that keeps building between the Whisperers that’s very different from how the Saviors war played out, where there’s just elements of paranoia but kind of a Cold War feel.”
In Kirkman’s comic books, it was Alexandria leader Rick Grimes who ordered the propaganda campaign urging the survivors to “silence the Whisperers.” As he told Michonne, “I don’t want people to forget about the Whisperers. I want people to be reminded of them every second of every day. I want them to be furious.”
A similar approach could have been adopted by Alden (Callan McAuliffe), the former Savior who has spent more than six years as an ally and a member of the Hilltop colony. There he established a relationship with Enid (Katelyn Nacon), whose life was cut short when she was abducted and then murdered by the Whisperers.
Following Enid’s gruesome death — where her decapitated head was displayed on a spike as part of a border marking Whisperer territory — Alden had sharp words for Alpha’s daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy), a former Whisperer who defected after being rescued by Daryl and Henry (Matt Lintz), the Kingdom’s prince who was also among Alpha’s victims.
Alden’s grudge against the Whisperers is personal, and he’s already openly aired his grievances against having a Whisperer among the survivors’ ranks. Graffiti reading “silence the Whisperers” is seen throughout Alexandria, Lydia’s new home, which might suggest the tagger is an Alexandrian — if it weren’t for official character bios potentially outing Alden as the culprit.
According to Alden’s character description for Season 10: “Alden is on a mission to avenge Enid’s death by attempting to fortify the communities with an impenetrable defense. Knowing defense is only one aspect of an attack, Alden is reactive and proactive in his thinking.”
Alden is also a member of the militia overseen by Daryl, who trains an assemblage of fighters from across the Alexandria, Kingtop and Oceanside communities — including Aaron (Ross Marquand), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Magna (Nadia Hilker), Luke (Dan Fogler) and Dianne (Kerry Cahill) — a defense force standing at the ready should the Whisperers resurface.
If there isn’t any one culprit, another possible suspect is Gage (Jackson Pace). Also a soldier of the militia, Gage is a Hilltop member whose three friends Henry, Rodney (Joe Ando Hirsh) and Addy (Kelley Mack) were all slain in Alpha’s act of terror. The tagger or taggers belonging to an outside community is a strong possibility because of Michonne’s stance towards the Whisperers, making Alexandria a prime target for an anti-Whisperer campaign.
Answers could be revealed as early as episode 10×04, “Silence the Whisperers.” Per its description: “Still paranoid Alexandrians get riled up over the Whisperers and take their fear out on Negan; back at Hilltop, the group deals with an unexpected safety issue.”
The Walking Dead Season 10 premieres Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9/8c on AMC. For more TWD Season 10 intel, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.
