Preview: The Walking Dead, Season 9

4th October 2018 Off By Kamron Kent

With Rick (Andrew Lincoln) set to depart from the show, season 9 looks to be an emotional rollercoaster, showing the aftermath of the war between Negan and the rebuild of the communities.

Rick is seen a few times sitting down throughout the trailer talking to Negan (Jeffery Dean Morgan), as if it’s an AA meeting. This may develop as the story heads into the characters rebuilding the society of their pre-outbreak world, towards rehabilitating people who have done wrong.  Whether they can be built back up to normal life, after years of being able to murder whoever they felt like, remains to be seen!

Maggie (Lauren Cohen), after some complications to her pregnancy, finally had her child that she has carried since Season 6. Was this the longest TV pregnancy ever?! According to the comics, she names her baby after her deceased father; Hershel – who died in season 4, decapitated by the Governor. Unfortunately, the baby will be fatherless due to losing his dad: Glenn Rhee yielded Negan’s iconic weapon of choice, the baseball bat Lucille.

From first appearances – and following the comics – there is to be a slight 2-year time jump between the end of the war and to where it picks up. From what can be seen, Rick and co. have now improvised some of their weapons, with Rick taking some inspiration from Negan, arming himself with a medieval looking bat.

Since season 8, the main communities – The Hilltop, The Kingdom & Alexandria Safe Zone – were all fighting against The Saviours, the group formerly lead by the tyrant Negan. Now after the war, Rick states to everyone to “help get the sanctuary [the Saviours’ home] back on its feet”. Showing an aim to build the first normal society since the outbreak and become one big district with a series of communities.

Rick is seen having a slight confrontation with other main characters. Maggie is confronting him about a promise he made (in season 8) to follow her after the war. Daryl (Norman Reedus) questions Rick’s leadership and tells him things don’t feel right. Could this be due to Rick helping the Saviours? Could this be an early sign of an exile from the communities for Rick, prompting his departure?

After some small fights start out in the communities, Michonne (Danai Gurira) imposes the idea of laws to be introduced in agreement with all of the communities to bring normality to everyday life. This could mean another council could be set up like season 4, eventually leading up to rebuilding functional government.

Rick in one scene looks to be injured, grabbing his side with Daryl and a large group behind him – possibly friendly, possibly with his knife drawn at the ready. Could Rick be bitten? Could this result in his death instead of his exile? Could this be the reason Michonne is seen lashing out on a few walkers in slo-mo?

Finally, The Whisperers. At the very end of the trailer, one walker can be heard whispering “Where. Are. They?”, much to the horror of the 2 survivors hiding away. The Whisperers, a large group of people who kill walkers and wear their skins to disguise themselves, have the potential to be as evil as Negan, if not worse.

They have arrived.