The Walking Dead Review: Omega (Season 9 Episode 10)
It’s all about Lydia on The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 10, “Omega,” as a look into the fall of Baltimore provides some clues to the Whisperers and their desperate beginnings.
The episode provides the context to know what the enemy is capable of, despite some shifts into shaky past territory with bad character decisions.
Lydia appears to be treating her time in incarceration at Hilltop as a means to manipulate and gain information, Cassady McClincy playing meek until she gets a chance to strike with great restraint.
It’s a compelling performance, where McClincy’s Lydia waits for her chance and strikes like a snake. Her chance at Daryl proves fruitless, and made the moment of her grasping the hammer to end Henry a fantastic moment of tension.
The flashbacks to the time Lydia is a child is a smart bait-and-switch, where her father is treated as the hardened, cruel one at first. It’s not until we see her mother react based on survival, and the marks on Lydia’s arm, where her mother is no longer seen in the same light.
The unreliable narrator technique is used almost like a coping mechanism, a framing device for Lydia and her mother, Alpha, to justify the terrible actions. It helps build the terror of not quite knowing what Alpha is capable of, just as she shows up to Hilltop.
Samantha Morton as Alpha is such a hard role to pin down. Morton is a genius actress, and she is playing Alpha almost as an unreadable blank slate, at least so far. The flashbacks somewhat being lies helps with this, but Alpha adds a level of disregard for anyone who isn’t Lydia which makes the character an interesting force.
One thing well worth mentioning is the hilarious reversal of awful character choices. Before, in earlier seasons, a character could do something worrying misjudged (to put it lightly) and leave everyone else in jeopardy.
Now, it’s used as a plot point, as Daryl uses Henry to gain knowledge of what Lydia is up to.
Magna’s group sneaking out in the middle of the night to find Luke is a little disappointing, in contrast, as it both doesn’t provide any resolution and seems like a really bad idea, given the enemy can attack at any point in the pitch black.
Plus, it provides a jump scare zombie out of nowhere in an open clearing, which is never a good sign.
Overall, it’s a slower episode, more about building up the new threat than progressing things further. For that, the episode finds success in making Alpha an enemy with a harsh view of the world. Outside of Lydia, everything is disposable and replaceable, even her own husband.
Some episodes are about the build-up, and this is one of those. With the Whisperers descending upon Hilltop, this lays the groundwork needed to know what they are up against. At least Daryl’s on top of things, watching everything closely.
What did you think of this episode of The Walking Dead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.