The Walking Dead Season 9: 4 Ups & 1 Down From ‘The Calm Before’

2. Carol's Heartache

While The Walking Dead has suffered in the past in regards to its narrative arcs, the one character it has never let down in this department is Carol Peletier. The development the grey-haired warrior has received has been second to none, evolving from a timid, abused housewife into one of the apocalypse's biggest threat.

After going through a bit of a bad patch during the sixth and seventh seasons of the show, Carol resigned herself to starting anew, promising that she wouldn't kill unless it was an absolute necessity. Six years on, and she's become a kind, approachable self-proclaimed Queen. Mind you, has she ever not been a queen?

The Calm Before sees Carol lose one of the few things that've kept her on this righteous path of hers. Yes, Henry's death is a huge blow for the Kingdom Queen, as she'd come to think of the him as a son.

As horrifying as it is to see Carol lose yet another child, the character thrives on tragedies such as this one as it's in tragedy that she often find strength - and this will likely be the case again, as this strength of hers will be required to take down Alpha and her Whisperers. Let's face it, if there's anyone capable of stopping Alpha, it's Carol.

Also, Melissa McBride deserves every award going for her performance in this episode.