The Walking Dead season 9

Did You Know?

• The teaser for the season was released on July 19, 2018, the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.
• The mid-season premiere was made available a week earlier, on February 3, 2019, via AMC Premiere.

Cast

The ninth season of the show includes nineteen actors who are considered series regulars. Katelyn Nacon and Tom Payne received opening credit billing for this season, and Khary Payton was added to the opening credits starting with the sixth episode, having previously been listed under "also starring." Callan McAuliffe and Avi Nash, who had recurring roles before, were upgraded to series regulars. Samantha Morton became a series regular and appeared in the opening credits from the tenth episode onward.

Andrew Lincoln plays Rick Grimes, the show's main character. He was a sheriff's deputy in Georgia and the previous leader of the rebuilt Alexandria community. He is dealing with the loss of his son Carl and is raising his daughter Judith with his partner Michonne. Norman Reedus is Daryl Dixon, Rick's trusted ally and a skilled hunter who used to be a recruiter for Alexandria.

He managed the Sanctuary after Negan was defeated but later left that role. Lauren Cohan is Maggie Greene, the widow of Glenn, a mentor to Enid, and the former leader of the Hilltop. She has a child named Hershel with Glenn and disagrees with Rick about letting Negan live. Danai Gurira plays Michonne, a warrior who wields a katana and is Rick's partner.

She acts as a mother to Judith and has a child with Rick. Melissa McBride portrays Carol Peletier, a survivor who has endured many hardships and now lives at the Kingdom with her husband Ezekiel. Alanna Masterson is Tara Chambler, a supply runner from Alexandria who now gets along with the former Saviors and lives at the Hilltop. Josh McDermitt plays Eugene Porter, a smart but timid survivor who helped defeat the Saviors and has hidden feelings for Rosita.

Christian Serratos is Rosita Espinosa, a practical group member who was once with the deceased Abraham. Seth Gilliam plays Gabriel Stokes, a priest who has adjusted his faith to fit the harsh realities of survival. Ross Marquand is Aaron, a recruiter from Alexandria who lost his boyfriend Eric in the war and now cares for his adopted daughter Gracie. Katelyn Nacon plays Enid, a Hilltop survivor who looks up to Maggie as a daughter. Tom Payne is Paul "Jesus" Rovia, a recruiter for the Hilltop and Maggie's trusted advisor.

Production

The ninth season of The Walking Dead was officially ordered in January 2018. With the renewal came a major shift behind the scenes: Scott M. Gimple stepped up to become chief content officer for both The Walking Dead and its spin-off Fear the Walking Dead, while Angela Kang, previously a writer and co-executive producer, took over as showrunner. Filming kicked off on April 30, 2018, with Greg Nicotero directing the season premiere. Michael Cudlitz, who played Abraham Ford, directed the seventh episode.

A fresh opening credits sequence debuted this season. The animated, graphic-novel-inspired title sequence highlights iconic items like Daryl’s motorcycle and crossbow, and Michonne’s katana. Kang explained that the season has a Western feel and nods to key moments from the comic, with nature reclaiming the world as structures fall apart.

Contract renewals were needed for most of the cast, and nearly everyone re-signed. The big exception was Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Greene. She pushed for a pay raise from AMC due to interest from other networks, and had signed on to star in ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier. That deal allowed her to appear in a limited capacity on The Walking Dead, and in April she confirmed she’d return for the first five episodes of season nine. Meanwhile, Lennie James, who played Morgan Jones, moved from the main series to Fear the Walking Dead at the end of season eight, as Gimple believed there were more stories for him there. In May 2018, Avi Nash and Callan McAuliffe, who had recurring roles as Siddiq and Alden in season eight, were promoted to series regulars.

Reception

The ninth season of The Walking Dead received favorable reviews, with critics observing a clear improvement compared to the prior two seasons. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned an 89% approval rating and an average score of 7.15 out of 10 from 365 reviews. The site’s critical consensus stated that the series felt more vibrant than ever, with increased tension and a revitalized pace that breathed new life into the long-running show. On Metacritic, the season scored 72 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating generally positive feedback.

In her review of the premiere, Sarah Moran of Screen Rant described the episode as the fresh start the show urgently required, shifting away from wartime gloom toward a calmer period of development and introspection, and she commended the adjustments made by new showrunner Angela Kang. Erik Kain of Forbes called the first episode the best since season six and superior to many episodes within that season. Brandon Davis of Comicbook.com gave a strongly favorable review of the initial three episodes, highlighting their character-driven focus.

Cameron Bonomolo, also from Comicbook.com, praised those same episodes, noting that the show had transformed into a political drama set against a zombie apocalypse, with more intricate character conflicts reminiscent of the first season under Frank Darabont. Bonomolo called the third episode “jaw-dropping” and said it delivered some of the finest mystery and drama in the series’ eight-year run. Jeff Stone of IndieWire gave the first three episodes an “A−” grade, calling season nine a major step forward and stating the episodes were as strong as anything from the peak of season four.