The Walking Dead Season 9: 3 Ups & 3 Downs From 'Who Are You Now?'

1. The Walking Dead Can Survive Without Rick

There was a lot of doubt regarding whether or not The Walking Dead would be able to survive without Rick Grimes, and understandably so. While we've lost a lot of main characters over the years, Rick was the protagonist of the show, and as a result, it was his story we were watching unfold week after week. Though the showrunners did a decent job of making the series more of an ensemble piece from mid-Season 4 onwards, the thought of TWD without Rick Grimes just wasn't appealing for many people.

Shockingly, Who Are You Now? is pretty entertaining. The characters that we know and love are still very much at the centre of this story, and there's plenty to like about the new set-up. The new characters that arrive in Alexandria provide interesting dilemmas for our heroes, and there is some apparent conflict between Hilltop and the rest of the communities.

While Rick Grimes' presence will forever be missed on the show, adjusting to a post-Rick Walking Dead isn't anywhere near as hard as it should've been, which can only mean that the writers are doing a good job. Let's hope they can maintain this, because history has taught us to never get too excited about the show being good, because it so often disappoints us.