The Walking Dead season 9 episode 2 review: As good as the prison days

Warning: spoilers for The Walking Dead season 9 episode 2 follow

It’s all change at The Walking Dead. For its ninth series, the zombie dystopia has reinvented itself. There’s a new showrunner Angela Kang, a time jump that means the All Our War plot that consumed the last two series is well in the past, and the already publicised fact that Andrew Lincoln, who plays community leader Rick Grimes, is due to leave mid-season.

Not only did last week’s season opener – which showed off the gang’s seemingly thriving new world order – reinforce the feeling of rebirth, it suggested that the show has been creatively rejuvenated too. This season already feels like an improvement on previous seasons thanks to the absence of a continuing story which eroded this show’s energy years ago.

The network of communities, their names glimpsed on a Land’s End-style signpost, has sprung up, doing their bit for Rick’s new civilisation (alongside Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside we see the word ‘Toledo,’ a location we’re yet to be introduced to: it seems The Walking Dead will be up to its frustrating old world-building tricks again very soon).

While Rick’s plan to maintain the peace between the Saviours and Alexandria appears to be working, this episode hinted that cracks are consequently beginning to form in the friendships between old allies. Daryl (Norman Reedus), for one, appeared particularly irate with the way his old pal’s running things. “Are we on the same side?” he asked angrily, to which Rick – celebrating his 100th appearance – responded: “You tell me.” Could it be that Kang, a scriptwriting force behind the duo’s long-standing relationship, wants to prompt suspicion that Daryl will have something to do with Rick’s departure?

In recent years, The Walking Dead‘s chief problem was its bustling ensemble (17 characters at last count) which seemed to spread the writing team too thin. Last season split the action, meaning fans wouldn’t see the show’s most interesting characters for episodes at a time. No such problem with season 9 – uniting all the major players has been a genius stroke and one which injects its scenes with an excitement that’s been absent for about four seasons. Kang clearly has a firmer grasp on the material than her showrunner predecessor Scott Gimple, who oversaw production from its fifth season.

Partly this is to do with more developed characterisation – suddenly the antics of Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Carol (Melissa McBride) have become more intriguing. Yet if the characterisation has become more subtle, that doesn’t mean the season is holding back on the gore. Episode 2 featured the show’s most unsettlingly graphic moment in years, with the amputation of Aaron’s arm in a dramatic set piece that proved the show’s creative team – led by renowned makeup artist Greg Nicotero – are still finding fresh ways to dispatch of its zombies (in this case rolling logs taking out the undead like bowling pins).

More unsettling than the amputation, however, is the bizarre if not unwelcome romance that has developed between Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and the artist formerly known as Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh). Other new relationships emerging include Nabila and Jerry and, of course, Carol and Ezekiel who are now officially engaged, in what will be our first Walking Dead wedding (we’re hoping it doesn’t go the same way nuptials do in Game of Thrones).

For now, it seems as though The Walking Dead‘s ninth season has found a steady groove that recalls the glory days of seasons three and four. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The Walking Dead continues in the US on AMC every Sunday with the simulcast airing in the UK at 2am. The episode is also available to watch on NOW TV ahead of its repeat on FOX at 9pm the following evening