The Walking Dead returns to TV screens this weekend but, before it does, AMC has dropped this new sneak peak at the midseason premiere, titled “Adaptation,” which teases a triumphant moment for the survivors in which they manage to best their new foes, the Whisperers.
Michonne, Daryl and co. first properly encountered the Whisperers in the chilling midseason finale, in which they were ambushed by walkers while in a misty graveyeard. Except, it turned out that some of them were humans, wearing zombie facemasks to blend in. How are they meant to fight an enemy that can blend in with walker hordes? Well, this clip reveals that the gang will quickly find a way.
While crossing a bridge in a bid to get away from some walkers, Daryl has the idea to shoot them in the leg to see which are human and which are undead. He soon hits a Whisperer, causing the fiend to cry out, thereby setting the zombies on him for dinnertime. Their disguise shattered, another Whisperer attempts to take on Michonne, but she naturally makes quick work of him. Finally, the last Whisperer surrenders.
This is a smart idea of Daryl’s that got them out of a tight spot. However, this tactic likely won’t be too helpful when dealing with bigger herds of walkers and Whisperers. It did get the survivors a hostage, though. Presumably this is Lydia, the daughter of Whisperer leader Alpha (Samantha Morton). A previous promo teased that she’d end up captive at Alexandria, which will no doubt anger her mother even more.
In the comics, Lydia goes on to join the Alexandrians against her former people. But showrunner Angela Kang has promised surprises to come in the TV series’ adaptation of the Whisperer arc, so who can tell if this will also happen on the show. We’ll just have to wait and see as The Walking Dead season 9 – and the now confirmed season 1o – unfolds.
