The Walking Dead: Recap of season 10, Silence the Whisperers

Silence the Whisperers is the fourth episode of season ten of The Walking Dead, and TWD alum Michael Cudlitz directed it. He has directed three Walking Dead episodes and two of the spinoff series The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

This is an excellent episode, and I believe the song used at the beginning and end of this episode really sets the tone. The song is performed by Gordi entitled “Heaven I Know.”  Some of the lyrics that fit so well read: “Wear me, wear me out. It’s all strung out. You found what carried you.” And, this group is worn out.

The episodes start with many people in the group going about regular tasks. Daryl eats with Michonne, RJ and Judith. Gabriel and Rosita take Coco for a late-night stroll while Siddiq looks on visibly upset. Lydia is out taking a walk and sees Siddiq and smiles at him before he runs off. Yumiko and Magna share an intimate evening. Carol eats the meal that Daryl left outside her door. Ezekiel struggles with some turmoil.

It seems like this could be a regular evening with regular people going about life in a world the way things used to be.

The Silence the Whispers episode has a lot of heartbreak for viewers to take in.

Back at Hilltop, we hear a loud crack as people run to see what has happened. We see that a tree has fallen and has crushed part of the wall. Many people were injured and people look to Ezekiel for guidance and he stands frozen with a distressed look on his face.

Hilltop feels this is the work of Alpha and her Whisperers. They move into action to take care of the injured and assess the damage. Walkers are heard growling at the opening in the wall. Later in the episode, we see a group trying to kill walkers outside the walls, but there are just too many coming at them. Hilltop is fighting like hell to keep the walkers from entering the community, but there are overrun. The horde pushes through another section of the wall just as Ezekiel and the reinforcements from Alexandria arrive.

Back at Alexandria, Aaron is holding combat training and a group is taunting Lydia. She goes off to hide only to have Negan find her and he tries to talk to her. Daryl breaks it up, telling her she will never fit in if she hangs out with Negan. Lydia confronts her bullies and Daryl tells her she needs to calm down in order to live at Alexandria. Lydia storms out, and the three people who have been bullying her attack her, and Negan saves her killing one of the people in the process.

Margo, one of the Highwaymen who have been bulling Lydia, is the one who is killed while Negan protects Lydia. The members of Alexandria are out for blood where Negan is concerned. The council meets with the two remaining bully’s trying to figure out what happened while Daryl confronts Negan in his cell.

After the attack on Lydia, Siddig is called out to the scene, and he continues to have terrible flashbacks of what he experienced with the Whisperers.

While on the road to Hilltop, Judith, wise beyond her years, tries to talk to her mother, Michonne, about Alpha and her recent actions. They have an excellent conversation about dealing with bullies.

Michonne notices Ezekiel on a horse by himself. She follows him to find him standing on the edge of a platform overlooking the river, where it looks like he is contemplating suicide. She hugs him and tells him it will be OK. They ultimately discuss what Ezekiel feels are all his failings, including losing the Kingdom, Henry and Carol. Michonne shares that she can relate to his losses and not wanting to live. It is a touching moment between the two. Then, Ezekiel recites his ever-popular phrase, “And yet, I  smile.”

Daryl and Carol share a moment outside Daryl’s house. She is curious about what Daryl is going to do about Negan and Daryl confides that he believes Lydia’s side of the story regarding the attack. Carol reminds him that the real enemy is still out there and remarks that they should have gone to New Mexico.

Daryl radios Michonne to update her on what has transpired. They discuss keeping Lydia safe at all costs, feeling that this is why Alpha only took the land and did hurt them as punishment.

Gabriel finds Negan missing from his cell and goes to tell Daryl. Lydia tells them she is the one who let Negan out.  Daryl doesn’t believe her because he kept watch all night, and she never left. He finds her locked inside the cell, where she tells him she feels safer.

After re-watching this episode and knowing how the whole Whisperer’s war turns out, there were a couple of subtle clues as to who let Negan out. I just didn’t notice them at the airing of this episode.

We hope you enjoy our series of articles to recap each episode of season ten of The Walking Dead. This will be a count down to the AMC+ release date of February 21, when the first of the six bonus episodes releases. AMC will premiere this episode on February 28.