Tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead, 9×07 “Stradavarius,” continued the story of the 6-year time jump, as we saw Carol reconnect with Daryl who’s been living like a hermit, Michonne clash with Magna’s new group of survivors as she led them to the Hilltop and we followed on from the shock cliffhanger of last week’s installment, with Eugene and Rosita hiding from what they thought was a herd of walkers – though fans know they’re really creepy human villains the Whisperers.
Next week, the Whisperers will make their mark for real as we reach the mid-season finale. Titled “Evolution,” episode 9×08 looks like it’ll see some of the survivors discovering the truth about the chilling community, teasing the major threat that they’ll face in the second half of the run. For more, here’s the official plot synopsis:
“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.”
Though the series has deliberately been teasing that walkers have learned to talk – something also hinted at in the title “Evolution” – anyone familiar with the comics will know the real explanation here. The Whisperers believe the opposite of our heroes. In this post-apocalyptic world, they haven’t tried to rebuild civilization but rather, have embraced the savagery and have become practically inhuman, wearing walker skins to blend in with the monsters, and assigning themselves numbers.
Their leader, Alpha, is played by Fantastic Beasts’ Samantha Morton. She’s got a lot to live up to in following in the footsteps of TWD’s previous villains, but producer Greg Nicotero has said that he believes she’s the best of the lot as she gives a “terrifying” performance.
And we’ll get to judge if that’s the case for ourselves whenThe Walking Dead‘s mid-season finale airs next Sunday, November 25th on AMC.