Watch The Opening Scene Of The Walking Dead’s Midseason Premiere

We’re now under two weeks away from the return of The Walking Dead to our screens for the back half of its ninth season. The midseason finale, “Evolution,” ended on a major cliffhanger, as Jesus was killed by a surprisingly agile walker, revealed to be a human in disguise. In other words, a Whisperer, part of the creepy community that are set to be the new big bads of the show for the foreseeable future.

The first minute and a half of the following episode, “Adaptation,” has now been released online (check it out below), revealing that the action will pick up directly from where things were left before the winter break. Still in the misty cemetery, with Jesus’ corpse on the ground, the survivors have to make their way out of the zombie horde alive. They escape and bolt the gate behind them, but the last shot reveals that there are still Whisperers amongst the walkers, as one’s smart enough to unlock the gate.

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Much has been teased about the Whisperers since the midseason finale. A series of promos have introduced us to the group’s leaders Alpha (Samantha Morton) and Beta (Ryan Hurst) and also demonstrated how chilling the group really are. Then again, they’d have to be if they’re going to hang around with zombies all the time. Not to mention wearing masks made out of walker faces.

TWD showunner Angela Kang has also promised fans that, even if they’re familiar with the Whisperers’ appearances in the comics from Robert Kirkman, the TV show will follow its own path and deliver some surprises. Suffice it to say, we’ve got high hopes for the upcoming storyline, as producer Greg Nicotero has said that he thinks Alpha’s the best villain the series has ever had. Bold words, Greg, bold words.

Be sure to catch The Walking Dead 9×09 “Adaptation” when it staggers onto AMC on Sunday, February 10th.