The Walking Dead returned yesterday for its ninth season and the premiere episode (titled “A New Beginning”) did just what it said on the tin by jumping forward 18 months and seeing the assembled communities striving to build a somewhat civilized, peaceful existence after the years of toil.
It was a strong season opener overall that promised a renewed sense of purpose for the long-running series and it seems fans couldn’t have been happier with it, according to the buzzing reactions on social media. To begin with, though, everyone was just excited that The Walking Dead was finally back on our screens after a summer away.
https://twitter.com/JenOdomOTH/status/1049101798924009472
https://twitter.com/MPerrotta7/status/1049102371094245377
Me hushing my family when #TWD starts #TheWalkingDead #TWDFamily pic.twitter.com/kfKC9FbXFK
— twd (@highkeydaryl) October 8, 2018
Relationships-wise, “A New Beginning” was important for finally seeing Carol and Ezekiel get together, when the king shocked us all by proposing. There’s been something bubbling up between them since Ezekiel first appeared in season 7, but this still caught fans off-guard. Particularly, “Caryl” shippers who’ve always wanted Carol and Daryl to make it work.
Carol, damn it! Not in front of Daryl. Look,what ya did to him. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/VyuvanNV6Y
— 💞Val💞 (@MolenaVal) October 8, 2018
#TheWalkingDead For the longest we all thought that Carol and Daryl would end up together but AMC got us like pic.twitter.com/rduf1z5hmG
— Joseph🇭🇹 (@Joey_Van_Gundy) October 8, 2018
Others were definitely here for Carol and Ezekiel finding some happiness, though.
https://twitter.com/michonnesokoye/status/1049109869981315073
Later on, people weren’t all that impressed with the death of Ken from Hilltop, a young kid who fell foul to a walker bite. It seems that after so many deaths of beloved characters, TWD fans just aren’t fazed by the killing of random redshirts on this show anymore. Particularly, when it happens so quickly. Don’t think we’ve forgotten Carl’s elongated demise last season, AMC…
That was the quickest death from a zombie bite ever. He was never gonna make it. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/GcTbFe8uLT
— Bryan (@bryan_phoenix) October 8, 2018
Did he even have a name? He may as well been a Redshirt crewman.#TheWalkingDead #TWD @TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/6soN9HZEgk
— King Beef (@marclaw69) October 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/ZacariasM/status/1049111938913984512
We’ll have to see if the rest of the season can keep fans so emotionally invested, but something tells us that won’t be a problem. Especially not when you remember the fact that Rick Grimes doesn’t have long left for the world as Andrew Lincoln’s set to bow out of the series in the first half of season 9. And we fully expect Twitter to explode when that sad day comes.
Be sure to catch The Walking Dead every Sunday on AMC.