When Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) left the series early in season nine, it was questionable how The Walking Dead would survive without him. The show was moving into the Whisperer storyline from the comics which heavily featured Rick and Carl Grimes, two characters no longer on the show. However, non-comic character and fan-favorite Darryl Dixon took on a larger role and Carol has survived much longer than her comic counterpart.
Angela Kang stepped into the showrunner role from season nine and the quality and pacing she has brought to the series is evident. The series no longer has numerous anthology episodes focusing on just one character and the entire Whisperer arc is coming to a close after 1.5 seasons, feeling much less drawn out than the Saviors arc. Below are the five best and worst Whisperer episodes which unfortunately doesn’t include the season ten finale as it’s postponed indefinitely.
Worst - Season 9 Episode 6: Who Are You Now? (83%)
This episode was the first episode to feature the Whisperers and also the first in a post-Rick Grimes world. The ending of the previous episode established that six years had passed since Rick blew up the bridge and reveals that in that time Michonne gave birth to a child, Rick Jr.
Judith Grimes leads a new group of survivors to Alexandria where it’s decided that the group can stay at Hilltop and Michonne will escort them. Meanwhile, Eugene and Rosita travel to a water tower to install radio communications equipment. A herd of walkers chases them, forcing them to hide, where they hear a walker whisper the words “Where are they”?
Best – Season 10 Episode 4: Silence the Whisperers (94%)
Another episode directed by alum Michael Cudlitz, who played Abraham Ford, before meeting his end at the hands (or bat) of Negan. In the middle of the night, a tree collapses at Hilltop which causes major damage to the surrounding walls. The next morning the residents find a large herd of walkers has appeared outside and fight them off.
At Alexandria, a group of teens ambush Lydia and start violently attacking her until Negan comes to her rescue, throwing one of the kids against a wall, accidentally killing her. Negan is taken back to his cell while the council decides what action to take with him. The episode ends with Negan’s prison cell open, and it is left ambiguous who helped him escape.
Worst – Season 9 Episode 8: Evolution (82%)
As Eugene is still missing, a rescue mission is undertaken by Daryl, Jesus and Aaron where they encounter a large herd of walkers. They find Eugene hiding under the floorboards of a barn, where he informs them about the strange behavior the walkers have been exhibiting. They soon mount an escape, with Daryl attempting to create a distraction to lure them away, however it fails.
Eugene, Aaron and Jesus become trapped inside a cemetery when Michonne arrives to provide assistance. Jesus stays behind to fight the remaining walkers when one of them dodges his attack and stabs him. Daryl arrives and takes out the walker, where it is revealed to be a human wearing walker skin. The episode marks the death of the character Paul Monroe AKA Jesus.
Best – Season 10 Episode 7: Open Your Eyes (95%)
This Siddiq heavy episode continues to show him struggling with visions from the night Alpha held him captive and killed the rest of the group. Elsewhere in Alexandria, Carol locks a Whisperer in a cell and she along with Daryl try to interrogate him in the hopes of turning him away from the Whisperers.
Siddiq discovers that someone has tampered with the water supply which has caused the residents of Alexandria to fall ill. It’s later revealed to have been caused by Dante, who is secretly a Whisperer working for Alpha and was there the night she decapitated the victims at the Kingdom.
Worst – Season 9 Episode 7: Stradivarius (79%)
This was the first episode directed by former The Walking Dead star, Michael Cudlitz. It’s revealed that in the time jump since Rick’s apparent death, Maggie had moved away to join Georgie’s group leaving Jesus in charge of Hilltop with Tara’s assistance.
Michonne, Siddiq and DJ take Magna’s group to their former campsite to collect some supplies including a Stradivarius violin. Michonne decides to return back to Alexandria as she does not want to see Maggie, presumably as she blames her for Rick’s death. The episode introduces Daryl’s dog and reveals that he has been searching for Rick’s body for the last six years.
Best – Season 10 Episode 6: Bonds (95%)
An episode focusing on the relationships between characters with Carol and Daryl out in the woods searching for Negan. They spend quality time together, reconnecting after being apart for so long. Back at the Whisperer camp, Alpha requests Beta to take Negan out in the woods to test him.
This episode features a great Negan moment, when Beta returns to Alpha to inform her that Negan failed the test. Straight after Negan comes out of the woods covered in blood and holding a makeshift weapon, which he places in front of Alpha and pledges his loyalty.
Worst – Season 9 Episode 11: Bounty (79%)
Following the end of the previous episode, Alpha along with other Whisperers stand outside Hilltop requesting Lydia be returned to them. Daryl is the first to confront Alpha and threatens to take them out before seeing they’ve brought a baby with them. Alpha also reveals that she has taken Luke and Alden hostage which she will return in exchange for Lydia.
The babies’ cries begin to attract walkers, so the mother is forced to abandon the child but Connie intercepts and saves the child, later handing it over Earl and Tammy to raise. Lydia decides to hand herself over to the Whisperers and they leave. Henry, unwilling to let Lydia accept her fate, decides to go in search of her.
Best – Season 10 Episode 9: Squeeze (95%)
Picking up from the mid-season finale, a group consisting of Daryl, Magna, Connie, Aaron, Jerry, Kelly and Carol try to find a way out of the trap Alpha has set for them. This is the central focus of the episode as the characters navigate their way throughout the cave.
At the Whisperer camp, Negan informs Alpha that there is a traitor among them which he assumes is Gamma, which she later discovers is true. Toward the end of the episode, Alpha leads Negan out into the forest and forces him to undress. Negan assumes that Alpha is going to kill him but when he turns, he sees that she is also undressed offering herself as reward.
Worst - Season 9 Episode 10: Omega (79%)
This episode features the first appearance of Alpha after being mentioned earlier by Lydia. The start of the outbreak is explored from Lydia’s point of view as she talks to Daryl and Henry from her cell. Some of the Hilltop members leave to search for Alden and Luke but return when they believe the risk is too great.
Daryl continues to question Lydia about the whisperers and Alpa to gauge how serious the threat is. In another flashback, Alpha kills a survivor that’s suffering from a panic attack which demonstrates her sanity unraveling. Later that evening, the man turns and bites Lydia’s father which further affects Alpha. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Alpha and the Whisperers arriving outside Hilltop requesting Lydia.
Best – Season 10 Episode 10: Stalker (100%)
This episode includes a strong horror film vibe, particularly in the scenes with Beta when he infiltrates Alexandria and begins to kill the residents. Daryl confronts Alpha and the two fight, resulting in them both becoming severely injured. They both make their way to an old gas station, slowly becoming weaker due to their wounds. Meanwhile, Beta finds Gamma in her cell where he takes her with him but not before killing former savior Laura.
Lydia arrives at the gas station where Alpha reveals she was training her to be her replacement. Lydia refuses to kill her mother and instead leaves her to pass out from blood loss. Daryl wakes up the next day to find that Lydia has nursed him back to health.