The main series of The Walking Dead may be ending, but Alpha is confirmed to be returning in the spinoff Tales of the Walking Dead. Viewers will remember that Alpha met her demise in The Walking Dead season 10, episode 12, “Walk With Us”, after her group, the sinister Whisperers from the comics, were infiltrated by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who gained her trust only to betray her. For the upcoming spinoff, the character is referred to as Alpha/Dee, suggesting it may not be the Alpha audiences are already familiar with.
Tales of the Walking Dead, scheduled to be released in August 2022, will tell six original stories of survivors both old and new as they live through the zombie apocalypse. Not much has yet been revealed about the contents of the six anthology episodes, other than that the show will introduce viewers to new worlds and new mysteries, told from different, unknown characters’ perspectives. Cast members confirmed to be appearing in Tales of the Walking Dead include Terry Crews, Olivia Munn, and The Boys A-Train star, Jessie T. Usher, but one cast announcement has left fans pondering the details of the series. In April 2022, Samantha Morton was confirmed to be reprising her role as Alpha, a.k.a. Dee, suggesting that the series will be taking place before her final appearance in The Walking Dead.
In The Walking Dead season 9, episode 15, “The Calm Before”, Alpha infiltrates the fair at the Kingdom, posing as a visiting resident of the Hilltop colony and taking on the name Deborah. With a fake accent, blond wig, and friendly demeanor, Alpha's disguise easily allows her to blend in at the Kingdom, allowing her to kidnap and murder several characters audiences had come to love, dealing a massive blow to the survivors. Interestingly, promotional material for Tales of the Walking Dead is now referring to Alpha as Dee, which all but confirms a long-standing fan theory that Deborah is in fact Alpha’s real name.
Character photos have been released for all six episodes of Tales of the Walking Dead, one of which features Morton as Dee sporting a full head of hair. Audiences have seen Alpha before she shaved her head in a series of flashbacks during The Walking Dead season 9, episode 10, “Omega”, showing audiences the few months after the start of the apocalypse. Alpha shaves her head during these flashbacks, meaning whatever episodes of Tales of the Walking Dead she appears in must take place before her time in the shelter in Baltimore. While not many details of the series have been released, it’s clear that viewers are going to see a very different Alpha in Tales of the Walking Dead.
Tales of the Walking Dead is the third spinoff to come from The Walking Dead’s main show, coming after Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Audiences have seen characters crossover into these spinoffs already, but the confirmation of Morton’s appearance as Alpha, a.k.a. Dee, is one which is very unexpected and creates a great link between these new, refreshing stories of the apocalypse and the main series. When Tales of the Walking Dead airs, it seems viewers will see Alpha back in full force.