The Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 10 Review: The Next World

Are we still watching the same show? Did the battle for Alexandria feature in another series or has The Walking Dead just reset itself? It was a bold episode, but bold doesn't always mean 'great'. There are a million different paths that Episode 10 could've followed, yet it opted for one of the most bizarre options, and once again, just to clarify, Rick and Michonne actually happened. A real, actual thing that happened.. The internet-dubbed 'Richonne' was always going to be a crowd-pleaser, but seriously, who was expecting that timing? All of a sudden, Daryl being an all-round badass - despite his strongest episode in a while - isn't the main talking point. Watching 'The Next World' was like observing an alternate reality, and while the unexpected end scene was a moment of relief for both characters, the entire episode feels far too soon. Rick's just watched Jessie get torn apart by walkers and one episode later he's with Michonne... And all of a sudden we've leaped from Carl clinging onto his life to being allowed to wander OUTSIDE the walls as if nothing has happened. Re-inventing the show every eight episodes is Scott M. Gimple's way of keeping the show fresh, but it doesn't feel right that we've jumped so far ahead with barely a reference to the previous carnage. How did they fortify? How did they turn a warzone back into a pristine little town? How long has it been since the massacre? HOW? The Walking Dead's biggest problem has always been consistency and unfortunately, a stellar episode has been followed up with a strange installment that neither addresses earlier issues or drives the show forward towards a new threat. It's just kind of...there. Michonne found screen-time and showed flashes of her fantastic character in the woods with Spencer, who boosted his reputation and got closure upon killing Deanna's reanimated body. Carl and Enid reverted back to their sneaking ways, while Rick and Daryl's buddy road-trip led them to a brand new character who looks set to play a big part in the future of the show. There were positives in there, for sure. It certainly wasn't a terrible episode, it just feels like a square peg in a round hole. I'm all for unpredictability, but there were huge sections that simply didn't make a lot of sense to include. Fans are slowly dropping away from the show, and episodes such as this one unfortunately contribute to that. Paul/'Jesus' being introduced was a particular highlight, and he will surely provide a catalyst for big events in the episodes to come, but what do we really know about him? We've got all of the talking points right here in 10 Questions We're Asking After 'The Next World'. Episode Rating: C

The Walking Dead, Mondays at 9pm on FOX (UK).