The Walking Dead Just Wrapped a Tremendous 2019
While The Walking Dead universe certainly had its stumbles in 2019, the flagship series had a [...]
While The Walking Dead universe certainly had its stumbles in 2019, the flagship series had a tremendous year with the back half of its ninth season having aired early in the year and the front half of season 10 rounding it out. Sunday night's mid-season 10 finale capped a great, albeit imperfect, first half for the tenth season. While the AMC zombie series has had its woes along the way in its first decade of being on television, new showrunner Angela Kang has been a great shot of life for the saga as characters and mystery have become the centerpiece, once again.
The year started with the introduction of Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the Whisperers. Fresh on the heels of Jesus (portrayed by Tom Payne, who has gone on to find great success with Fox's Prodigal Son) being killed by the Whisperers in a creepy graveyard sequence, the series shifted to a story of paranoia for those living in Alexandria. As the Whisperers grew closer, the tensions rose for those characters simply wanting to have a fair at the Kingdom. The viewers at home, knowing the comics, had a good idea of what was inevitably coming.
While the show did adapt the infamous pike sequence from the comics, its delivery on the grim moment was delightful in the presentation. As many expected the likes of Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) to bow out, the one-by-one reveal toyed with those expectations only to have the biggest shocks by Tara (Alanna Masterson), Enid (Katelyn Nacon), and Henry (Matthew Lintz). The payoff wasn't as heartbreaking or shocking by comparison to the comics but it was evidence that the series has gotten wise to its inability to bleed anymore key, beloved characters.
The back half of season nine seemed to be predicated on building toward the pike sequence, building up the uninteresting Henry character for much of it as a result. However, when the show focused on newcomers like Beta (Ryan Hurst) and developed a rivalry between him and Daryl (Norman Reedus), it became a well-paced and interesting ride. Meanwhile, Daryl's relationship with Alpha's daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy) also became a focal point as his history on the show and prior to the apocalypse became a sensible desire to protect the abused child. Of course, this also called for more conflict within the communities and would lead into a major story from the upcoming tenth season.
Season 10, the first complete year without the show's original lead Andrew Lincoln, would continue to capitalize on the void left by the absence of Rick Grimes. Siddiq (Avi Nash) would get some major spotlight, along with additional moments for Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Judith (Cailey Fleming), and Magna's (Nadia Hilker) group, for example.
Chief among the standouts in season 10, though, has been Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). The character who once plagued the series as a villain bullying the survivors in violent ways for all too long seems to have finally have been dialed in to become the best part of The Walking Dead. Despite being Danai Gurira's final season as Michonne, it is Negan who is standing out the most. The character has been on an interesting path this year. After being mostly quiet for the ninth season, Negan emerged in a big way in the year's later eight episodes. Not only would he rescue a bullied Lydia from a possible death but he would slaughter a young man who represented the terrible things once seemed to encourage. Currently, the villain is among the Whisperers, leading some to believe he is back to his villainous ways, while comic fans have other expectations.
Michonne's final season is suffering from Gurira's lack of appearances. When the character is on screen, especially when she is playing mom to Judith, she thrives. However, the actress was only willing to shoot a limited number of episodes for the tenth season, prompting a wild production schedule to accommodate her appearances as a means to spread Michonne's role out into 2020 rather than having her bow out after five episodes of a new season as Lincoln did.
Perhaps the most impressive feat of season 10 so far is the twist involving Siddiq and Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas). The characters were shuffled towards the front of the recent story, building an interesting bond and mystery as characters in Alexandria were getting sick. In one of the more interesting twists since Eugene had the Saviors' bullets backfire at the end of the Negan war (which took all too long to payoff), Dante turned out to be a Whisperer spy with no choice but to kill Siddiq when his cover was blown. Rather than drawing out this mystery for the back half or even saving its reveal for the mid-season finale, Kang made quick work of the thread by having Dante killed by Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) in a showcase of the character's evolution from a timid man locked away in a church back in season four.
Meanwhile, Carol's (Melissa McBride) story has become frustrating, leading the group into an outright stupid decision to end the year. The character is hungry for revenge against Alpha for the death of her son Henry. It has lead to great, heartfelt character moments between Carol and Daryl but has also stripped Carol of any rational decision making, as evidenced in the final moments of Sunday's mid-season finale. Apparently, it has also stripped those around her of such decision-making abilities, as well. As a result, some of the show's most powerful characters found themselves trapped in a pit of walkers by Alpha's doing as they unsurprisingly were being lured into a trap.
That Carol and Daryl relationship has benefitted from quality writing, while a relationship between Daryl and Connie (Lauren Ridloff) remains a question for both the characters within the series and the audience watching at home. It's been quite some time since The Walking Dead had such interesting character moments and story threads, many of which develop an emotional connection and response in all avenues.
The Walking Dead is without question back on track, offering up the character-driven horror-drama fans fell in love with early on. It's fresh with new, unpredictable villains and finally (mostly) has a sense of unpredictability to it. Let's hope the rest of this expanding Dead universe can follow suit.
