The Walking Dead Season 9: 5 Ups & 1 Down From 'What Comes After'

3. Strong Writing

Although there have been a few glimmers of hope scattered throughout, it's pretty safe to conclude that the writing in The Walking Dead simply hasn't been up to scratch for the past couple of seasons. From repetition of storylines, to long-drawn out narratives featuring the same antagonist - not forgetting the extended episodes devoted to tertiary characters - the show became a shell of what it was a long time ago.

The introduction of Angela Kang as showrunner from Season 9 onwards has seen a significant improvement in the standard of the episodic output - as well as the longform stories - but What Comes After takes things to a whole new level. The episode not only manages to write Rick out of the show in a poignantly satisfying way, but it also manages to push the season's narrative arcs forward - without them getting in the way of Rick's farewell.

The decision to re-introduce characters from the past reminds us of how good the show used to be, while Maggie's redemption and Anne's surprise highlight how the show still has plenty of story left to tell.

Regardless of where you stand on the whole No-Rick-No-Walking-Dead situation, What Comes After ultimately proves to be the strongest episode of The Walking Dead since The Day Will Come When You Won't Be.