The Whisperer arc in The Walking Dead seasons 9 and 10 have avoided the mistakes that the AMC series made when it adapted the All-Out War story from the comics. When Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) became fed up with working for the Saviors, war between the communities ignited, with the Kingdom, the Hilltop, and the Alexandria all working to defeat Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Saviors.
Following his defeat and incarceration in the season 8 finale, The Walking Dead took a small break from long, overarching storylines. This ended a few episodes into season 9 with the emergence of Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the Whisperers, a group of survivors who masquerade as zombies. Conflict between them began when the Whisperers attacked them for encroaching on their territory. Relations between them worsened as the season went on and more people lost their lives, particularly during the Fair. In season 10, the main characters were back in the same situation that they were in season 8 when war finally erupted.
Since then, the people of the Hilltop, Alexandria, and the Kingdom have been engaged in a struggle to overcome the Whisperers’ forces and win the war. Though their losses have been great indeed, the fight hasn’t gone so well for the Whisperers either. Though the fighting has yet to reach a conclusion, the Whisperers have already lost their leader and are now relying on Beta (Ryan Hurst) to get them through the end of the war. Meanwhile, the main characters are hoping to survive a desperate situation and may have no choice but to depend on the interference of others. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Walking Dead hasn’t been able to finish its Whisperer story yet. But since its expected to be wrapped up as soon as the long-delayed finale is released, it’s not premature to say that this current arc has improved in areas where the All-Out War story went wrong.
Problems With Walking Dead's All-Out War Story
There were quite a few problems with The Walking Dead’s storytelling that held back its All-Out War arc. As the culmination of a two-season conflict, it should have been a much more epic and satisfying conclusion, but for a lot of fans, it failed to live up to expectations. Though Carl’s death may be the most frequently-criticized plot point in season 8, the real heart of the issue was the season’s cluttered and disjointed feel.
The Walking Dead has long had a tendency to do episodes that focus on just or two characters, but when using this approach, it has to be handled carefully. Otherwise, it can end up delivering stories that are considered boring and uninteresting. That’s essentially what happened in season 8 when it did a Tara-centric episode that introduced Oceanside which didn’t service the show’s main story, nor did it push it forward. Even now, it’s regarded as one of The Walking Dead’s worst episodes.
The Tara episode touches on another of the arc’s biggest problems. The Walking Dead tried too hard to introduce new groups to the series. It already brought in the Kingdom in the beginning of season 7, and perhaps that’s where it should have stopped, or at least for the time being. Working in the Scavengers and Oceanside slowed down the story and the obstacles they added allowed it to be dragged out for a while longer. The Walking Dead’s All-Out War became so inclusive that it ultimately hurt the show. Viewers were forced to follow several different groups at once, and sometimes it would take too long for them to get back to the meat of the story and advance the main plot.
Walking Dead's Whisperer Story Has Been Short & Concise
The Walking Dead’s Whisperer arc has been comparably shorter and more concise. It started midway through season 9 and is already about to be concluded. Unlike All-Out War, it wasn’t built on two seasons of setup. The show still boasts multiple settlements, but that hasn’t been that much of an issue this time around, partially because the series has found ways to fix its old problems. Jumping around from group to group was how The Walking Dead handled its Savior storyline, and though that’s still the show’s formula, it’s happening less and less due to the fact that the series has lowered the number of involved parties. For instance, the Kingdom has fallen, which means that the characters who live there - like Ezekiel (Khary Payton) - have been moved elsewhere. Also, while Oceanside is still around, they haven’t received any screen time during the Whisperer War. This has made it easier for The Walking Dead to focus on just Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Whisperers.
This has been good for The Walking Dead because each episode has felt like a meaningful installment in the Whisperer arc. Just as it should, every episode has mattered in terms of the season's progression. Furthermore, The Walking Dead didn’t make attempts to prolong Alpha’s defeat, as she was killed off a few episodes short of the season’s end. Additionally, this season has been a true fight between Alexandria and Alpha’s people that hasn’t lost any of its steam along the way. Season 10 has featured several intense battles and climactic moments, such as Beta’s ruthless assault on Alexandria, the fall of Hilltop, Daryl’s bloody encounter with Alpha, and Negan’s treacherous move against Alpha.
Can The Commonwealth Story Follow The Whisperers' Arc?
The Whisperer War proves that The Walking Dead has learned from its mistakes, but does this mean that the show will keep this up in season 11 when it moves on to the Commonwealth? That remains to be seen, but all signs indicate that it can. Being cluttered with too many groups and characters is certainly something that the show will risk when introduces this massive network of communities.
Viewers may once again have to follow along with multiple plotlines if a group of characters head to the Commonwealth to check it out while the rest stays behind. This is similar to the direction that the comics took, so it’s likely to happen. But, The Walked Dead may have already stopped this from becoming a major concern in season 11. By getting rid of the Kingdom and the Hilltop, the series has succeeded in narrowing its focus to Alexandria. That feels like a necessary move, considering that the show’s world is about to get significantly bigger anyway.