Production
The episode was directed by Michael Cudlitz, who portrayed Abraham Ford on the series. This is the second episode Cudlitz directed for The Walking Dead, he previously directed the season 9 episode "Stradivarius." [1]
| "Silence the Whisperers" | |
|---|---|
| The Walking Dead episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 10 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Michael Cudlitz |
| Written by | Geraldine Inoa |
| Featured music | "Heaven I Know" by Gordi |
| Original air date | October 27, 2019 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Silence the Whisperers" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on October 27, 2019.
At Hilltop, a tree falls across the fence line and onto a barn, trapping people inside while walkers start to invade via the gap. Hilltop's people rally to contain the breach until it can be fixed. Connie, Alden, and Earl suspect that Alpha and the Whisperers knocked over the tree, and Alexandria is alerted to the situation. Michonne leaves with Judith and a small group to help out.
Meanwhile at Alexandria, word spreads that the incident was believed to be caused by the Whisperers, Lydia finds herself being tormented and bullied by Gage, Alfred, and Margo, accusing her of the other Whisperers' deeds. Lydia runs off to hide, only to be found by Negan who helps to comfort her and suggest she retaliate against the bullies. Daryl catches Negan talking to Lydia, and warns him that he should stay away from her, as he and Michonne are worried that Negan's influence may cause Lydia to act irrationally; they need to protect Lydia as she is believed to be what is holding Alpha back from unleashing a full walker horde against them. Daryl finds "Silence the Whispers" written across his house sometime later.
En route to Hilltop, Michonne spots Ezekiel all alone, and has the group continue on while she talks to him. She finds Ezekiel has become suicidal, and helps to calm him down from the brink of jumping, and he thanks her with a kiss, before he tells her about his sorrow at having lost his Kingdom, Shiva, Benjamín, Henry, and Carol. The two rejoin the others, and head on to the Hilltop.
That night at Alexandria, Gage, Alfred, and Margo corner and attack Lydia. Negan arrives to try to break up the fight, inadvertently pulling Margo off too hard and cracking her skull in the process. When Daryl discovers this, Lydia asserts that Negan was helping her and didn't mean to hurt Margo. Daryl locks Negan in his cell and puts Negan's fate to a vote before the Alexandria council. Back at the Hilltop, Michonne's group arrives and helps with pushing back the invading walkers long enough for the fence to be braced, and then she talks to Daryl through the radio, and she tells him to keep Lydia safe as she might be the only leverage they have against Alpha and tells Daryl to be her proxy in the vote.
The vote at the council turns out to be a tie, Gabriel being the tiebreaker takes the night to consider his vote. The next morning while thinking over his vote, Gabriel goes to visit Negan but finds the cell empty; Lydia claims she allowed him to escape, but Daryl had watched her all night and knows this is a lie. Lydia locks herself up, knowing that she does not fit in with their group.
As proper repairs on the fence at Hilltop start, there are reports of a Whisperer near Oceanside. Michonne heads there with Judith and Luke, with Eugene staying behind to help with repairs. Alexandria has more graffiti on its buildings, saying "Silence the Whispers".
The episode was directed by Michael Cudlitz, who portrayed Abraham Ford on the series. This is the second episode Cudlitz directed for The Walking Dead, he previously directed the season 9 episode "Stradivarius." [1]
"Silence the Whisperers" received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 7.13 out of 10, based on 15 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "'Silence the Whisperers' offers a meditative focus on the developments of some lesser characters, all while continuing this season's compelling narrative thrust." [2]
"Silence the Whisperers" received a total viewership of 3.31 million. It was the highest-rated cable program of the night; however, it decreased in viewership from the previous week. [3]
Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead, and the protagonist of its last three seasons, replacing Rick Grimes. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and does not have a counterpart in the comics on which the series is based. The character was introduced in the first season as a southerner, expert tracker, living in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his bad temper and volatility, he is tolerated by the core group of survivors due to his skills in hunting animals and fearless efficiency in killing walkers.
Michonne Grimes is a fictional character from The Walking Dead. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portrayed by Danai Gurira. Armed with a katana and harboring a mysterious past, Michonne is introduced clothed under a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified boyfriend and his best friend. In both the comic and TV series, she has a prominent role in the conflict between the town of Woodbury led by The Governor, and the Prison group.
Judith Grimes is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Cailey Fleming and previously by several child actresses when the character was a newborn.
Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Washington, D.C. In the comic book series, she joins Rick Grimes' group after they leave the prison and go to DC. Eventually Eugene is revealed to have lied but they continue on to Washington anyway, since he was still convinced the city would offer greater chance of survival, and they eventually find the Alexandria Safe-Zone.
Negan is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the Sanctuary that oppresses other survivor communities and forces them to pay tribute to him. In the comics, the character's appearance is based on Henry Rollins, as confirmed by Charlie Adlard. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays Negan in the television series, having first appeared in the sixth-season finale.
Aaron is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and television series of the same name. He is portrayed by Ross Marquand in the television series.
King Ezekiel is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, on which he is portrayed by Khary Payton.
Siddiq is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Avi Nash.
Alpha is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she was portrayed by Samantha Morton. In both universes, Alpha is the leader of a group of survivors called the Whisperers, a mysterious group that wears the skins of walkers (zombies) to mask their presence. In the television series, she first appeared in the ninth mid-season premiere.
Beta is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Ryan Hurst. In both universes, Beta is the second-in-command of the Whisperers, a group of survivors who wear walker (zombie) skin to hide their presence from actual walkers. He serves as Alpha's right-hand man and after her death, becomes de facto leader of the Whisperers.
Lydia is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Cassady McClincy.
Magna is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Nadia Hilker. In both universes, Magna is the feisty leader of a small group of roaming survivors and, as in the comic books, she is an LGBT character.
Connie is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and on the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Lauren Ridloff. In both universes, Connie is part of a small group of roaming survivors who are led by Magna. She is the first deaf character in the Walking Dead universe, and the actress who plays her on the television series, Lauren Ridloff, is also deaf.
"Adaptation" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 10, 2019. The episode was made available a week earlier on February 3 via AMC Premiere, the network's on-demand service.
"Bounty" is the eleventh episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 24, 2019.
"Guardians" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 3, 2019.
"The Calm Before" is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 24, 2019.
"The Storm" is the sixteenth and final episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 31, 2019.
"Ghosts" is the third episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 20, 2019. The episode was written by Jim Barnes and directed by David Boyd. In the episode, the threat of the Whisperers return leads to paranoia sweeping over Alexandria. In the meantime, Carol battles with the need for revenge.
