The Walking Dead 1009, 1010 preview: Classic horror, surprises galore

The Walking Dead 1010: “Stalker”

After the emotional roller coaster in “Squeeze”, “Stalker” grabs your heart and gives it a squeeze of its own. It’s a deliciously slow burn that portrays the hunter and the hunted, and what happens when nightmares come to life in the place where you’re supposed to be safe.

There’s a lot to unpack in 1010 as it moves from Alexandria to other locations in the area. We get to see what’s happening with Gabriel and Rosita while everyone else is stuck in the cave. Remarkably, Gabriel seems to be handling the whole Dante thing pretty well. That might have been the best move he could have made, if only because it gave him the confidence to lead that he had been lacking.

Thora Birch has an opportunity in “Stalker” to really show fans her range as an actor, and she absolutely delivers an incredible performance that will leave fans talking. Birch conveys so much emotion in her eyes. She is a lot of fun to watch.

One of my favorite moments of the episode is a quiet moment with Judith. We all know Cailey Fleming is brilliant, of course, but Judith’s role in the community really starts to shine through and hopefully it’s something that we get to see moving forward. She’s a very valuable resource, and it shows.

“Stalker” introduces a lot of information that will be very important in future episodes. Pay close attention to all of the information in the speeches, and watch for Easter Eggs. (I’ll give you a hint about one of them: “Easy Street”)

Shining Stars of 1010: Gamma, Rosita, Gabriel, REDACTED, Redacted and Redacted, and Judith.