The Walking Dead season 8 episode 1 spoiler-free review: Regains its stride with heart-stopping aplomb
Initial musings on the popular US drama's latest outing as it returns with its 100th episode
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.To non-fans, it's perhaps inevitable to assume that - after seven seasons and 99 episodes - The Walking Dead has outstayed its welcome since debuting back in 2010.
This notion was perhaps matched by even the most dedicated fan following the less than enthusiastic response to its seventh run last year.
Concerns for season eight were consequently rife but cast them aside: The Walking Dead has returned with a taut, thrilling and disarmingly optimistic outing that will silence any questions surrounding the relevancy of a long-running series in a time filled with new ones.
The premiere, titled 'Mercy,' features the usual - action, smirk-inducing character interactions and on-the-nose dialogue about “reshaping the world” and "hopeful tomorrows." The threat of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) looms large (it's only been a few weeks for our characters) and if season seven was our introduction to the new world once teased by Jesus (Tom Payne), this premiere is an introduction to something else altogether - a season of payoff.
Has everything been building to this premiere? Perhaps not, but it certainly feels like this series has been bolstered by a renewed sense of purpose in six short months. While paying homage to past seasons with callbacks to scenes from far simpler early days, 'Mercy' is refreshingly far more versed in where these characters are headed as opposed to rehashing the reasons why they're at war with the Saviours.
The Walking Dead has returned with an assured 100th episode that adeptly weaves between the large ensemble (last count: 19) while ambiguously touching upon the fate of select characters in an ambiguous series of scenes that'll provide audiences with one of the show's biggest talking points yet.
Most shows in their eighth season would be crawling towards cancellation but after 100 episodes, The Walking Dead has regained its stride with heart-stopping aplomb.
The Walking Dead season eight airs 22 October in the US on AMC with the UK premiere arriving the following evening (Monday 23 October) at 9pm on FOX and NOW TV
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments