The Walking Dead S9E6: Who Are You Now?

With Who Are You Now, season nine continues the trend upward for The Walking Dead under the direction of new showrunner Angela Kang. She has revitalized this series by bringing depth to the plot and heart to the dialogue. Following up one of the best episodes in series history is no easy task, yet they pulled it off last night despite a six year time-jump and the introduction of new characters after the loss of the main character.

Things appear to have progressed well in Rick’s absence. Both Alexandria and the Kingdom are growing. New family bonds have appeared, councils have assembled, and fields of expertise have been established. Henry has been adopted by the King and Queen of the Kingdom; Ezekiel and Carol. Gariel and Rosita are now an item. Michonne holds down the security portion of Alexandria’s council while raising Judith and her now 5 year old son of Rick Grimes. Gabriel has established himself as a confident faith leader, and even Eugene seems to have his fears under control. Immediately after the events which closed last week’s episode, Judith brings the group of unknowns she saved in the woods to Alexandria. She had to argue with Aaron and others to make this happen, and you could see the spirit of her brother Carl working in her with this decision. One of Carl’s last actions was to save Siddiq, now the community doctor. Judith is picking up where he left off.

Once at Alexandria, tensions are high with this group. Michonne arrives and is unpleased with them being brought there in the first place. “You know the rules”, she says to Judith. This flies in the face of the attitude we saw from Judith, and makes the audience wonder what has changed in these six years. Has something happened since Rick’s death to cause Alexandria to close themselves off? Will they not take in anymore people? Who are they now? This titular question drives the remaining scenes in Alexandria, and pits Judith against Michonne.

The council is assembled to decide how to deal with these unknowns. Gabriel, Aaron, Siddiq and others ask questions to determine their past, their intentions, and the type of people they are. Until Michonne spoke up, things were looking hospitable. Michonne clearly holds a large sway over the council. With Rick gone, she is the ipso-facto leader and nobody seems willing to question her. Except Judith.

It’s said that hope for the future is embodied in children. Parents devote decades of their lives in service to preparing the future for their children. The smallest of smiles or giggles from a child can inspire one to take on the most difficult of tasks, while the same from an adult might barely induce an eye roll. Our society functions on the premise of creating a better future, not for ourselves, but for our children. This is undoubtedly the aim even during the zombie apocalypse. So when Michonne says to Judith, “you know the rules”, it’s a method of protection for the whole community, with children like Judith in mind. The kicker is that this method is antithetical to the community that Rick and Carl envisioned. I’m guessing we’ll eventually get to explore when and why that changed, but Judith’s instinct to help those in need is the type of community originally envisioned, and it seems to be the type of community everyone but Michonne is willing to try.

It’s also said that “Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have established strength” (Psalm 8:2). Judith speaks, and doesn’t speak, in this episode as one with ten times her years in wisdom. Sometimes it’s demanding these unknowns are taken to Alexandria, others its remaining silent as her mother goes against her wishes. The best, however, came in a quiet moment with her and Michonne on the stairwell in their home. It’s honestly one of the most tender moments of the show because she’s recalling her father, and her brother, both of whom she was barely old enough to remember…

“I know you talk to him (Rick) sometimes. Carl too. I’m starting to forget their voices. I’m not trying to but they keep fading away. I hope you can still hear them.”

On the surface this is a sad statement from an 8 year old girl who misses her dad and brother. That’s also exactly why it’s so timely for Michonne. “I hope you can still hear them” isn’t just a hope for her to remember their voice or what they looked like. It also expresses a hope that Michonne remembers what they were about. This dual meaning feeds on her everlasting love for Rick and Carl, while also calling her to make real what they could only hope for; a community that opened its doors to those in need. This scene right here is a perfect example of how the depth of dialogue this season has propelled it back into “best show on television” discussion.

Judith’s hope inspires others to take action. Gabriel dusts off the old radio set in hopes to find others further away. This gets Rosita and Eugene out installing another tower. And Michonne decides to take the unknowns to Hilltop where the leader there (“she”, presumably still Maggie) may take them in. This wouldn’t be the Walking Dead though without a tease for next week. Rosita and Eugene are flushed out of their work by a herd. They plunge into a muddy creekside and camouflage themselves with mud. As the herd passes by, you can hear whispers among the groans and growls. “Don’t let them get away”. Graphic novel readers know what’s coming; The Whisperers. A group of survivors that has adapted to the zombie apocalypse by putting on the skin of the undead, literally wearing the dead as a protective covering. It’s been three or so years since this group was introduced in the comics, and I’ve long wondered how the show might go this route, or if it would at all. It has the feel of a clear “jumping the shark” moment for this show. But, Angela Kang has earned my trust with these six episodes, so let’s see what she’s got!

The one moment in this episode where I feared a revisiting of old storylines was when Carol and Henry were trapped by the remaining Survivors. Apparently the Sanctuary went under, either due to lack of resources or lack of people, and the man who confronted Carol in the last episode is left with ½ dozen followers, scrounging for scraps in an attempt to survive. I worried this was a mistake often made in seasons seven and eight of repeating conflicts to stretch out a story. Well, that was not what happened. After handing over much of her stuff, along with her wedding ring, Carol visits them in the night and sets fire to them all! If there’s anything in this world that remains the same, it’s that you don’t ever cross Carol.

My Rating: A

This episode excelled in its pace where prior seasons were failing. Fears of the same old conflicts rearing their heads with the old saviors still around were quickly vanquished. So quickly, in fact, it felt like a meta-statement in itself. “We’re setting fire to old storylines!” The progression of the communities and the characters was perfectly believable. I loved the touch of Negan tutoring Judith in math, but when she didn’t like his answer on an ethical question she ditched him. Negan looks somewhat renewed, by the way. Look for him to begin gaining some trust if the show fully goes down the Whisperers storyline.