That final sequence was as effective an action-horror scene as The Walking Dead has ever done. It was scary and atmospheric and duck-stab combo made me yell "oh s---!" out loud as I was watching. It was a great cap on the best half-season of The Walking Dead since at least Season 6 and maybe even Season 5. We'll see if showrunner Angela Kang can keep the momentum going -- the show is often better when it doesn't have a singular human enemy and the characters are just reacting to each other within the group and to their environment (see Season 2 and Season 7 for evidence of each) -- but Samantha Morton, who'll be playing Whisperer leader Alpha, is a phenomenal, Oscar-nominated actor. As long as the writing stays passable and doesn't devolve into previous showrunner Scott Gimple's tedious speechifying, she should be able to sell it. And as long as the material stays equally strong for Michonne and Daryl, the back half of Season 9 shouldn't see a significant drop in quality.