【the eroticization of gender】

Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for Season 10,the eroticization of gender Episode 9 of The Walking Dead.

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There are two kinds of season and mid-season premieres that happen in The Walking Dead. There are the exciting ones that start everything off with a bang, and then there are the ones that set up something big for later in the season.

The mid-season premiere for Season 10 falls into the latter category.

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Episode 9, titled "Squeeze," brings us back into the rising tension between the Whisperers and all the other living people on the show. Almost immediately, we pick up at one of the more exciting cliff hangers from the mid-season finale in November: A group of protagonists stumbled upon the fabled herd of undead that Alpha has threatened them with many times before.

The horde was deep in a cave/mine system and now this group, which includes Carol, Daryl, Kelly, Aaron, Jerry, Magna, and Connie, are trying to get out without getting bitten.

Their escape is the action that the episode hinges upon and plays out in an exciting and creative fashion. What ensues is a sort of "the floor is lava" type game but instead of lava, the floor is inundated with walkers that the gang has to leap over as they navigate from stalagmite to stalagmite. The only issue is that the darkness of the cave makes it difficult to see everything clearly.

But that's not the only danger. The caves are also host to a handful of Whisperers hiding in the shadows. On top of all that, the cave that clearly hasn't seen regular use or maintenance in years isn't exactly structurally sound, which leads to a pretty intense and emotional moment.

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Elsewhere, we see the Whisperers plotting their eventual assault on the united communities, pointing toward what will probably be a giant battle involving both sides and the massive underground herd.

What's possibly the most intriguing development, though, is an alliance forming between Negan and Alpha, who seem to share a vision of the future and sign their allegiance to each other by stripping naked in the middle of the forest (minus Alpha's zombie skin mask) and presumably have sex. Gross.

While it's not the most exciting episode of The Walking Dead, the mid-season premiere bodes well for the rest of the 10th season, which will also be the final season for Michonne (Danai Gurira).

She still has some big plays ahead of her. Credit: amc

What's to come

In teasers, we've caught glimpses at a big battle featuring the folks of the united communities with huge shields in the battalion formations they've been practicing. Now that the united communities have confirmed the existence of Alpha's herd, things could start to heat up quickly.

While this information will be helpful to the protagonists, don't forget that there's a spy in their midst — Dante the undercover Whisperer. If word spreads, he'll be able to relay that information back to the Whisperers and attacks could be coming sooner than anyone expects.

Not everyone is cut out for zombie battles. Credit: amc

There's also the wildcard that is Negan. Sure, it seems like Negan could be choosing the Whisperers as his allies, but you can never really trust that psychopath, and it's possible that he, like Dante, is acting as an agent for the other side. Based on the teaser, we also see that he gets his bat (or rather, a bat) back. One thing is for sure: someone is getting backstabbed, probably literally.

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Right now, a big mystery looms over Season 10: How will Michonne leave the series? Will she be killed off like Carl or will she be whisked away in a mysterious aside like Rick? With all the nefarious pawns in play right now, it wouldn't be surprising to see her killed by some Whisperer treachery.

Based on the teaser, we know she won't be going out without a fight, and it looks like we see her taking hold of Negan's bat. We appear to be in for an intense, action-packed season.

Topics The Walking Dead