Warning: General spoilers ahead

The Walking Dead has really spiraled the past couple of seasons. The characters have suffered, fans have suffered, but most notably, the ratings have suffered. 2016 was the year that Negan and the Saviors began their reign of terror starting with that unforgettable Lucille scene, and it was also the year that ushered in our own era of darkness with the 2016 Presidential election. Since then, our nation has been divided, and to be honest, so many people feel hopeless on a daily basis. So, it stands to reason that very few people would want to turn on the television only to witness further despair on The Walking Dead. Season 9 wants to change that, shifting the series away from the perpetual bleakness that saw so many tuning out, and injecting the series with a little bit of hope for these dark times.

In its season 9 premiere, ‘A New Beginning’ – written by newly-appointed showrunner, Angela Kang,  directed by Greg Nicotero – that message of hope and the potential for future prosperity is apparent from the very start. It’s been approximately 2 years since the war with the Saviors, and during that time, Alexandria has rebuilt, the Hilltop and the Kingdom continue to prosper, and the Sanctuary – having surrendered following Negan’s defeat – is growing into a stable, more egalitarian community. The survivors have started down the road towards civilization, but it’s a long road with its own obstacles, ones that can’t always be solved with a bullet or a blade.

When Kang took over as showrunner of The Walking Dead for season 9, she promised a “fresh look and feel” for the series and a stronger focus on the “core character relationships.” Thus far, at least with the premiere, season 9 seems to be delivering on that promise, kicking off the new season with an episode that finds interesting ways to create tense moments, but also makes room for those quiet, one-on-one scenes between our favorite characters.

The episode begins with Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Maggie (Lauren Cohen), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Carol (Melissa McBride) and most of the core cast travelling to Washington, D.C. in search of the materials necessary to build the civilization they’re striving for, per the “instruction manual” provided by Georgie last season. Specifically, the group visits the Museum of Natural History and collects farming equipment, tools, and heirloom seeds that they can use to sustain their growing agricultural endeavors. As Rick later explains, “We’re looking to the past to help us with the future.” It turns out Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh)  is instrumental in this endeavor, and with that, we learn more of her backstory, the details which may surprise you. On an even more positive note, some of the events of the trip cause a relationship between 2 characters to potentially move forward, and that is perhaps my favorite part of the episode.

Of course, being The Walking Dead, every success comes at a cost, and their trip to D.C. is no different. Tragedy strikes and works to highlight the already existing tensions between communities as well as the people within those communities – whether it’s Maggie and the residents of the Hilltop, or Daryl and those looking to him for guidance at the Sanctuary. These may be peaceful times, but for many it’s an uneasy alliance, and hostilities are still simmering just beneath the surface.

As should be expected, ‘A New Beginning’ leaves off on a dramatic note that will undoubtedly have repercussions as the season progresses. It’s an ending that while violent (but also somewhat expected for those who have read the comics), feels appropriate for the direction season 9 is taking. With several major characters exiting this season, others will need to step forward to take up those positions of power. There are tough choices on the horizon, and only those willing to make them will be left standing long enough to face what comes after.  It won’t be an easy transition, but it’s a necessary one – and seeing as AMC wants to grow The Walking Dead universe into something even larger, a savvy business decision to boot.

The Walking Dead season 9 premiere feels like the fresh start the series so desperately needs, trading gloom and doom for a more peaceful period of growth and reflection. On the other hand, season 8 also had a strong opener that quickly spiraled to episodes where the narrative stalled or became almost nonsensical, and so, one strong episode isn’t necessarily enough to right the course of a whole season. Still, for the first time in nearly 2 years, The Walking Dead may actually have something of a bright future ahead of it. Whether that’s enough to rein back in the viewers that have been lost, that remains to be seen.

The season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead is titled “A New Beginning” and airs Sunday at 9/8c on AMC.

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