Hmm. Hope so. Remains to be seen.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

Season 9 trailer looks good

It always does, does it? And still... ;)

Yes. It appears that they may redeem the show from the borderline cornball of the Negan/"All Out War" storylines.

I saw it again for the third time and noticed something I had no seen\heard... The last bit with the two people covering themselves in what seems to be walker guts to hide from an oncoming horde and a very walker sounding voice says "Where are they??" Holy whoa! Walkers are learning to speak?? Or at least one of them can!!

Are they evolving?? Will they soon be able to make rudimentary plans and execute strategic hits??

Till now they all seem to be in their own world; not even really aware of the others like them right next to them! Giving them a base sense of self and language changes everything.

@Oldnewbie said:

I saw it again for the third time and noticed something I had no seen\heard... The last bit with the two people covering themselves in what seems to be walker guts to hide from an oncoming horde and a very walker sounding voice says "Where are they??" Holy whoa! Walkers are learning to speak?? Or at least one of them can!!

Are they evolving?? Will they soon be able to make rudimentary plans and execute strategic hits??

Till now they all seem to be in their own world; not even really aware of the others like them right next to them! Giving them a base sense of self and language changes everything.

Hey, I didn't hear the "Where are they?" But from all I've heard, they were probably Whisperers-- people wearing walkers' skins.

@Satch_the_man said:

@Oldnewbie said:

I saw it again for the third time and noticed something I had no seen\heard... The last bit with the two people covering themselves in what seems to be walker guts to hide from an oncoming horde and a very walker sounding voice says "Where are they??" Holy whoa! Walkers are learning to speak?? Or at least one of them can!!

Are they evolving?? Will they soon be able to make rudimentary plans and execute strategic hits??

Till now they all seem to be in their own world; not even really aware of the others like them right next to them! Giving them a base sense of self and language changes everything.

Hey, I didn't hear the "Where are they?" But from all I've heard, they were probably Whisperers-- people wearing walkers' skins.

Ah! I recall the moniker "Whisperers" but had no details as to what they were. Sounds gruesome. But I suppose it is the old "If you can't beat them join them!" lol

Yes indeed! It is the Whisperers, lead by "Alpha" a female , and her second "Beta" a male. SPOILERS for the Whisperers

They skin a walker and use it as a shield over themselves. They can t,hen, move about with the dead, "unseen" as it were.

@lennonforever said:

Yes indeed! It is the Whisperers, lead by "Alpha" a female , and her second "Beta" a male. SPOILERS for the Whisperers

They skin a walker and use it as a shield over themselves. They can t,hen, move about with the dead, "unseen" as it were.

SPOILER I read up on the comic version of the Alpha since learned actress Samantha Morton will be playing her. She is just like any other megalomaniac leader of a crazy bunch of people we have seen. Course te TV version may play ti different but I doubt it. She is a female Negan.

@Oldnewbie said:

@lennonforever said:

Yes indeed! It is the Whisperers, lead by "Alpha" a female , and her second "Beta" a male. SPOILERS for the Whisperers

They skin a walker and use it as a shield over themselves. They can t,hen, move about with the dead, "unseen" as it were.

SPOILER I read up on the comic version of the Alpha since learned actress Samantha Morton will be playing her. She is just like any other megalomaniac leader of a crazy bunch of people we have seen. Course te TV version may play ti different but I doubt it. She is a female Negan.

Samantha Morton is a great actress so may be potential for that storyline. However, I remember many thought the same thing about JDM as Negan, and look how that turned out!

@jonnieblack said:

Samantha Morton is a great actress so may be potential for that storyline. However, I remember many thought the same thing about JDM as Negan, and look how that turned out!

In my opinion, Jeffrey practically killed the show, all by himself.

@Satch_the_man said:

@jonnieblack said:

Samantha Morton is a great actress so may be potential for that storyline. However, I remember many thought the same thing about JDM as Negan, and look how that turned out!

In my opinion, Jeffrey practically killed the show, all by himself.

I agree. That storyline and actor just did not work on the show. It was popular in the books, but somehow just did not translate well to TV. Maybe it was mostly on JDM.

@jonnieblack said:

@Satch_the_man said:

@jonnieblack said:

Samantha Morton is a great actress so may be potential for that storyline. However, I remember many thought the same thing about JDM as Negan, and look how that turned out!

In my opinion, Jeffrey practically killed the show, all by himself.

I agree. That storyline and actor just did not work on the show. It was popular in the books, but somehow just did not translate well to TV. Maybe it was mostly on JDM.

I don't blame JDM. I blame the writers.

The Negan character was good for the last episode of season 6 and, perhaps, a couple of episodes into season 7.

But they dragged the Saviors storyline out for two entire seasons, Wayyyy too long. From the CDC to the farm, to the prison, to the Governor to Terminus, we'd gotten accustomed to a rhythm with TWD mini arcs which should be exactly that - mini.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

@jonnieblack said:

@Satch_the_man said:

@jonnieblack said:

Samantha Morton is a great actress so may be potential for that storyline. However, I remember many thought the same thing about JDM as Negan, and look how that turned out!

In my opinion, Jeffrey practically killed the show, all by himself.

I agree. That storyline and actor just did not work on the show. It was popular in the books, but somehow just did not translate well to TV. Maybe it was mostly on JDM.

I don't blame JDM. I blame the writers.

The Negan character was good for the last episode of season 6 and, perhaps, a couple of episodes into season 7.

But they dragged the Saviors storyline out for two entire seasons, Wayyyy too long. From the CDC to the farm, to the prison, to the Governor to Terminus, we'd gotten accustomed to a rhythm with TWD mini arcs which should be exactly that - mini.

An actor alone cannot make or break a series\film. The writer and directors all have the onus on them to create a compelling character for the actor to play. I have seen JDM in many things, from "Watchmen" to "Texas Killing Fields" and he has always been terrific.

As for the arcs moving along, I recall way back forum people complaining that the group was staying too long at the farm! Ah, for the old days! lol

But as Daryl said to Rick "When we were a small group, we could do anything." He was right. This four ring community circus of Hilltop, Alexandria, Oceanside, and Sanctuary has all the leads split up trying to manage these places, with varied success. Oceanside wasn't displayed, but it seems Maggie's Hilltop is doing the best job; whereas the Sanctuary, full of people who never have taken care of themselves (not without pillaging and extorting) is not. It would seem from the trailer for the season and this coming ep that the tension between the Sanctuary and Hilltop\Alexandria will eventually boil over. Or maybe the battle scene on the repaired bridge are the Whisperers attacking??