The Walking Dead Season 9: 4 Ups & 1 Down From 'The Obliged'

2. The Season 1 Throwback

As Rick sets off on what is likely to be his last road trip, he does so on horseback. As he encounters not one, but two herds of the dead, he finds himself surrounded with no escape route.

While it's heart-racing and all of that, the brilliant thing is that it's a scene incredibly reminiscent of a similar one from the very first episode of The Walking Dead, where the just-out-of-a-coma sheriff found himself trapped among the dead while travelling on horseback. This scene is arguably the most iconic and recognisable moment from the entire series.

In The Obliged, the horse then becomes antagonised due to the oncoming walkers, and launches Rick from its back, which is what results in the main character of the show getting impaled. There'll be more on Rick's injury later, but for now it's also important to highlight that this is yet another throwback to that significant moment.