The Walking Dead season 9 is grinding to a blood-soaked, desperate and incredibly grim finale. The penultimate episode, ‘The Calm Before” seemed to show us a ray of light, but in true Walking Dead fashion, that ray of light was soon eclipsed by horror. Ezekiel’s fair, which for a moment seemed like an oasis of peace, turned into a bloodbath when Alpha and her Whisperers arrived, killing many and leaving the survivors in a pretty desperate state.
Now, with the Kingdom having fallen, the communities must face “The Storm.” This is both a literal storm (as in, there’s a blizzard) and a metaphorical one, with the survivors having to deal with some of the direst circumstances they’ve seen yet. Here’s the official synopsis:
“In the aftermath of an overwhelming loss, the communities must brave a ferocious blizzard; as one group deals with an enemy from within, another is forced to make a life or death decision.”
While we were waiting for season 9, many predicted that The Walking Dead was on its way out. Viewing figures had dipped, audiences were beginning to get zombie fatigue and it was known that some of the most loved and longest-lived characters were departing the show. But, while the ratings haven’t returned to the heights we saw in earlier seasons, critical reception to this run has been extremely positive and the fans seem very pleased with what’s transpired.
And, after nine seasons, “The Storm” will finally offer up something new to The Walking Dead. In the comic book, the survivors often have to battle against extreme weather, but this has been absent from the show as it’s a drain on the budget. AMC apparently has some money to splurge though, as the promo above indicates a truly relentless blizzard for them to battle against. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what transpires.
