The Walking Dead season 10 starts slow but finds its groove

The Walking Dead’s tenth season shines brightest in episode 3. It’s ruthlessly unforgiving in episode 2 and starts off a bit too slow in the season 10 premiere.

The Walking Dead’s upcoming season 10 episode “Ghosts” is the main course of the first three episodes and feels likeTWD through and through, it’s worth waiting for. Melissa McBride shows a side of Carol fans have been waiting to return for a while post-love nest with Ezekiel. Norman Reedus plays off Carol sharply like a veteran. It’s obvious Reedus and McBride have worked together for a while because their on-screen chemistry as acting partners looks effortless.

The biggest distinction between Alpha and other Walking Dead villains in episodes 2 and 3 is the empathy Alpha shares with other mothers. It adds a unique element not explored on the series prior, despite Alpha’s otherwise viciously brutal viewpoints. “Mother to mother.” The origins of Alpha and Beta are explored in episode 2 “We Are The End Of The World” along with more insight to Lydia herself and it makes for a fresh episode. “We Are The End Of The World” has that shiny new feeling where it genuinely feels like season 10. These are villains worth investing in. Beta is a star on-screen; that voice alone commands attention.

Beta and Alpha share a tense dynamic, different than the obvious “Simon wanting to usurp the Sanctuary’s throne back from Negan” kind of deal. It never feels like Beta is ever fully 100 percent aligned with Alpha, despite being devoted to the cause. He’s always constantly examining for weakness, loyal or not.

The way Beta can take out Walkers with his bare hands really showcases his power and makes him stand out like an end boss in a video game. Lydia initially asking if “he’s a monster” in a flashback really sells the whole deal.

Negan fans will want to tune in because he’s finally back in form in episode 3 (“Ghosts”) this season after a worrisome premiere where it appeared like he might again be sparingly used. Don’t be dismayed by his few minutes of screen time in the premiere and give up on the series. Quite frankly, his temporary interaction with Lydia is one of the high points of the premiere despite it ending before you know it. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is too great of a talent not to be utilized whenever possible, so it’s good to see he will likely be a featured character this season.

The premiere is a bit too slow of a burn, again going with a time jump and a sort of reintroduction to all the characters. Sure, starting off with the viciousness of episode 2 (“We Are The End of The World”) might have been jarring for casual viewers, but it felt like new ground.

This premiere is mighty reminiscent of the post-Rick Grimes, time jumping season 9. There is also some gap between the originals and newer characters, which can be somewhat natural on a series running ten seasons… But it is noticeable. Simply put, scenes featuring Daryl and other originals feel like TWD while some of the newer characters feel like they’re more part of a spinoff. They don’t have that seamless character integration Beth and Maggie both had in season 2.

Fans who left with Rick Grimes who are tuning in out of curiosity won’t find that “it” factor in the premiere that they would in episode 3 or even episode 2 of the season. However, shippers will find plenty to talk about in regards to Daryl/Carol/Connie.

Speaking of relationships, TWD fans are going to feel bad for Eugene this season. Hopefully, things turn around for him as the season progresses and he’s perpetually stuck in a loop of what can only be described as “betaness”… And not the good kind like the actual Beta fans see in the sophomore episode of season 10. That’s a level of Beta that Eugene should aspire to be as it’s just sad to see what he goes through early on this season. He chose right with Negan way back when if this is the outcome… He should have stuck to the plan.

If you’re looking to get reacquainted with The Walking Dead after a long layoff, the premiere is comfortable. However, episodes 2 and 3 of the season are the ones you shouldn’t miss when it comes to following the narrative.

Overall, it wouldn’t hurt the series if they chose one character to lead and let the audience see from their eyes as they once had with Rick Grimes. A tight-knit group again might also be a plus over the vastness of all the characters spanning the various settlements. The Whisperers, however, remain just as fresh and intriguing of an opposition factor as last season. Though Lydia doesn’t have a lot of screen time in the first episodes, her story is similarly nowhere over. Lydia happens to work well with Negan as a father figure on screen; there’s definitely a lot to explore there.

Don’t forget to check out theFear the Walking Dead recap for last week’s season 5 finale!