*This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 9 'No Way Out'*
Fans of AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ got more than they bargained for earlier this week when the mid-season premiere, titled ‘No Way Out’, finally aired after an eleven week break.
The highly-rated, post-apocalyptic, zombie TV drama took its audience through a one-hour rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, as we said goodbye to the Andersons; Sam, Jessie and Ron and witnessed their brutal deaths, at the hands of both the zombie horde and Michonne’s sword.
This scene of course paved the way for an accident that readers of the comics and diligent fans had been waiting to see play out. Of course, things were changed-up a bit as they so usually are in ‘The Walking Dead’ TV series when compared to the comic, but the result was the same. Carl got shot in the eye.
After getting his son to the safety of the infirmary, Rick’s grief turned to rage. He grabbed an axe and headed straight out to fight the horde that had descended upon Alexandria since the wall fell. Michonne joins him, followed by the rest of Rick’s group. Slowly the remaining Alexandrians, even Father Gabriel stepped outside in order to battle to regain their community.
‘No Way Out’ was an episode which turned things on their head again and again. Yet it left Rick with a feeling, which he told an unconscious Carl, was something that he hadn’t felt since before the apocalypse began. Rick has started to feel hope. He is hopeful that life within the walls of Alexandria is possible.
Of course what Rick doesn’t realise yet, is that his right-hand man Daryl Dixon just single-handedly took out seven Saviours at once, with a rocket launcher at the start of the episode. This action will almost definitely cause a reaction which leads us to meeting Negan, leader of the Saviours and a charming, yet terrifying sociopath.
Robert Kirkman, creator of ‘The Walking Dead’ once said that Negan has his morality dial just a few clicks away from Rick, but leaning more towards dark aspects of his personality. He also pointed out that Negan is a strong leader who has managed to keep his group alive just as long as Rick has.
If the TV series is going to follow the comics, Negan's next step will be to kill a member of Rick’s group with a baseball bat covered in barbed wire, named Lucille. Is a fan favourite about to depart the cast?
Season 6 episode 10 ‘The Next World’ airs this Sunday at 9pm