The Walking Dead (season 10)
The tenth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC premiered on October 6, 2019. The second half of the season premiered on February 23, 2020. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang as showrunner for the second consecutive season.
This season adapts material from issue #145 onward of the comic book series and focuses on the group's preparation and war against the Whisperers. Set several months after the massacre perpetrated by Alpha during the community fair, the season focuses on the united communities as they initiate a fight in order to end the threat of the Whisperers.
The tenth season is to be the final season for series regular Danai Gurira, who has portrayed Michonne since the third season. The season finale was scheduled to air on April 12, 2020, but post-production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the episode will air on October 4, 2020, with an additional six episodes added to the tenth season to broadcast through early 2021.
Cast
Main cast
The tenth season features nineteen series regulars overall. Ryan Hurst, Eleanor Matsuura, Cooper Andrews, Nadia Hilker, Cailey Fleming, Cassady McClincy, and Lauren Ridloff were all promoted to series regular status, after previously having recurring roles. Hurst is added to the opening credits, while the rest are credited as "also starring".Starring
- Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, a southerner and Rick's former right-hand man. He is a skilled hunter and a former recruiter for Alexandria.
- Danai Gurira as Michonne, a katana-wielding warrior and Rick's former romantic partner. She is also adoptive mother to Judith and mother to her and Rick's child.
- Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, a survivor who has overcome several traumas, is a skilled and ingenious fighter, and now resides at Alexandria. She is also ex-wife to Ezekiel.
- Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, a pragmatic member of the group who is mother to her and Siddiq's child. She is also in a relationship with Gabriel.
- Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter, an intelligent survivor who has overcome his fear of walkers. He also fell in love with Rosita.
- Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes, a priest and head of the council of Alexandria who has reconciled his beliefs with what needs to be done to survive. He is in a relationship with Rosita.
- Ross Marquand as Aaron, a former recruiter from Alexandria who lost his arm in an accident and adoptive father to Gracie.
- Khary Payton as Ezekiel, the charismatic former leader of the Kingdom and ex-husband to Carol.
- Ryan Hurst as Beta, the second-in-command of the Whisperers.
- Samantha Morton as Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who wear the skins of walkers to mask their presence and the main antagonist of the season.
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, the reformed former leader of the Saviors who is incarcerated at Alexandria. He formed a parental bond with Michonne's adoptive daughter, Judith.
Also starring
- Callan McAuliffe as Alden, a former member of the Saviors who resides at the Hilltop and now vows a retaliation against the Whisperers. He is also Enid's former love interest.
- Avi Nash as Siddiq, a doctor for Alexandria who is the father to his and Rosita's child. He is suffering from PTSD due to being a key witness to Alpha's killings of several members of his group.
- Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko, Magna's girlfriend who's a proficient archer.
- Cooper Andrews as Jerry, a former resident of the Kingdom and Ezekiel's right-hand man who is in a relationship with Nabila.
- Nadia Hilker as Magna, the feisty former leader of a small group of roaming survivors.
- Cailey Fleming as Judith Grimes, the daughter of Lori Grimes and Shane Walsh, and adopted daughter of Rick and Michonne.
- Cassady McClincy as Lydia, Alpha's daughter and former Whisperer, who now resides in Alexandria. She is also Henry's former love interest.
- Lauren Ridloff as Connie, a deaf former member of Magna's group who forms a close bond with Daryl.
Supporting cast
Alexandria Safe-Zone
- Lindsley Register as Laura, a former lieutenant of the Saviors who is a member of the council of Alexandria.
- Kenric Green as Scott, a supply runner in Alexandria.
- Mandi Christine Kerr as Barbara, a resident of Alexandria.
- Tamara Austin as Nora, a member of the council of Alexandria and Michonne's friend.
- Anabelle Holloway as Gracie, the adoptive daughter of Aaron.
- Antony Azor as Rick "R.J." Grimes Jr., the son of Rick and Michonne.
- Jerri Tubbs as Margo, a former member of the Highwaymen who resents Lydia.
- David Shae as Alfred, a former member of the Highwaymen and Margo's friend.
- Blaine Kern III as Brandon, a prison guard in Alexandria who watches over Negan.
The Hilltop
- Dan Fogler as Luke, a former music teacher who has come to appreciate safety in numbers.
- Angel Theory as Kelly, Connie's protective sister who has a gradual hearing loss.
- John Finn as Earl Sutton, the Hilltop's blacksmith and former husband to Tammy.
- Nadine Marissa as Nabila, a former resident and gardener of the Kingdom and Jerry's wife.
- Anthony Lopez as Oscar, a resident of the Hilltop.
- Gustavo Gomez as Marco, a supply runner of the Hilltop.
- Kerry Cahill as Dianne, one of Ezekiel's top soldiers and a skilled archer.
- Jackson Pace as Gage, a resident of the Hilltop who now resents Lydia over the deaths of his friends.
Oceanside
- Sydney Park as Cyndie, a young woman who is the leader of the Oceanside community.
- Avianna Mynhier as Rachel Ward, a teenage member of Oceanside, who represents her community.
- Alex Sgambati as Jules, a member of Oceanside.
The Whisperers
- Thora Birch as Gamma / Mary, a member of the Whisperers who is very protective of Alpha.
- Havana Blum as young Lydia.
- Juan Javier Cardenas as Dante, Siddiq's wise-cracking medical assistant and a spy for the Whisperers.
- Juliet Brett as Frances, a member of the Whisperers and Mary's sister, who abandoned her newborn-son under Alpha's orders.
- Mark Sivertsen as Rufus, a member of the Whisperers.
Bloodsworth Island
- Kevin Carroll as Virgil, a survivor who seeks Michonne's help to look for his family.
- Eve Gordon as Celeste, a resident of Bloodsworth Island, who was a researcher alongside Virgil and Jeremiah.
- Taylor Nichols as Jeremiah, a resident of Bloodsworth Island, who was a researcher alongside Virgil and Celeste.
- Olivia Stambouliah as Lucy, a resident of Bloodsworth Island, who was a janitor in the island's research facility.
Survivor Caravan
- Breeda Wool as Aiden, a member of a survivor caravan.
- Andrew Bachelor as Bailey, a member of a survivor caravan and Aiden's friend.
Miscellaneous
- Matt Lintz as Henry, the adopted son of Carol and Ezekiel who was killed by Alpha in the ninth season, appears in Carol's hallucinations. He is also Lydia's former love interest.
- Margot Bingham as Stephanie, a survivor from an unknown location who communicates with Eugene over the radio.
- Paola Lázaro as Juanita "Princess" Sanchez, a quirky and flamboyant survivor.
- Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Glenn's widow and the former leader of the Hilltop, who left with Georgie and is helping with a new distant community.
Episodes
Production
In February 2019, the series was renewed for a tenth season. Filming began in May 2019. Andrew Lincoln expressed interest in directing an episode for season 10, however, he was not able to due to scheduling conflicts. Michael Cudlitz, who directed an episode in season 9, returned to direct the fourth and seventh episodes of season 10. Production for season 10 was completed in November 2019.Casting
In February 2019, it was announced that Danai Gurira, who portrays Michonne, would exit the series in the tenth season. Gurira will appear in a limited capacity, in a handful of episodes that will be interspersed throughout the season. Later, in July 2019, Gurira confirmed her exit at a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and stated:In July 2019, it was announced that Thora Birch and Kevin Carroll had been cast; Birch plays Gamma, a member of the Whisperers, and Carroll plays Virgil, a survivor looking for his family. Regarding Lauren Cohan's status on the show as Maggie Greene, showrunner Angela Kang remarked in July 2019, "I'll just say that we're working on it." Cohan left The Walking Dead in its ninth season to star in the TV series Whiskey Cavalier, however that series was canceled after one season. In October 2019, Kang affirmed Cohan would return as a series regular in season 11, but also hinted towards her appearance in the second half of season 10. Kang said that in developing season, even before knowing of Cohan's return, they had kept seeding that Maggie was still considered part of the ongoing narrative so that they could work in her return if she had the opportunity. The teaser trailer for "A Certain Doom", airing after the broadcast of "The Tower", confirmed Maggie's return to the series.
Release
The trailer was released on July 19, 2019, at San Diego Comic-Con. The season premiere was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on September 29, 2019.AMC announced in March 2020 that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, post-production on the season finale could not be completed by its planned April 12, 2020, airdate, and instead will air on October 4, 2020. Kang stated that the delay on post-production was related with coordination of the worldwide production studios doing their special effects before the state issued its shutdown orders that effectively shuttered their California production studio to combine those into the final episode package.
Reception
Critical response
The tenth season of The Walking Dead has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a rating of 91% based on 287 reviews with an average score of 7.29 out of 10. The critical consensus reads: "A few changes in front of and behind the camera allow TWD create space for compelling new stories and some seriously scary new adversaries." Commenting on the season premiere, Comicbook.com called it a "perfect return"; Decider wrote that the episode "is gross, scary, and big budget storytelling the way only Walking Dead can do. Season 10 is already off to a promising start"; and Forbes wrote, "The writing remains on point, the direction is solid. The show is still in a good place."In further reviews based upon the first three episodes available to critics, Forbes wrote that "They're all good episodes, and I think I liked each one more than the last" and "they're very solid and continue my confidence in the Angela Kang era of the show, showing that season 9 wasn't a fluke. The show is genuinely good now, and I can't wait to see what's next. Comicbook.com praised the series for its horror elements, writing "The Walking Dead Season 10 recaptures the same tone of raw realism established by first-season showrunner Frank Darabont, expanding on it with a flavoring that is deliciously eerie. Not only is The Walking Dead straight-up scary, it often feels like a genuine horror movie, a feat achieved either through atmosphere and tension-building or pop-up spooks."