The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1 Review: Lines We Cross

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Bad things are coming. 

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1 found our heroes dealing with something they don't deal with regulary.

As if the world isn't bad enough, they're dealing with natural disasters, too, when a forest fire threatens lots of lives. 

The Whisperers Return - The Walking Dead

It was quite the surprise, but it was the perfect way to reintroduce us to the world after, you guessed it, another time jump. 

Unlike some of the other time jumps that have been used as plot devices on this series, it seems like this one has actually benefited the story. 

Michonne Fights Through the Fire - The Walking Dead

Our heroes are at different stages in their lives. Some are ready to fight back against the Whisperers while others are too consumed by fear to do anything. 

Aaron was the most surprising character on "Lines We Cross." His views opposed Michonne's, and for the first time in ages, it was difficult to agree with Michonne. 

Related: Enjoy UNLIMITED access to thousands of Movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video

Aaron wanted everyone to be in the loop about the potential of the Whisperers returning, and he was right.

If people are on high alert, then they won't make silly mistakes and could live to fight another day. 

Michonne: Well, that was stupid. We agreed not to cross their borders and start anything without a reason. I lost Rick on a... If it was them, you could have died. And it wasn't them, and you could have died, for what?
Aaron: We've all been acting like this is normal. Holding our breaths for months. This isn't normal.
Michonne: We have to keep our cool or they win.
Aaron: I've been keeping my cool my whole life, I've always been the nice guy. The good samaritan, but the thing is, Eric is dead, Jesus is dead, and I'm god damn sick of being nice.
Michonne: Good, because nice never got me anywhere. But smart did. They have a nuclear weapon and we don't. It's not about being nice or good or anything, but keeping our people alive and not having them die over nothing. Believe me. I hate this too.
Aaron: We should get back before dark.

Romance is Brewing - The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1

The new and improved Aaron was a breath of fresh air. It's about time the character got more meaty storylines.

He's just existed on the show for years, but given the rate beloved characters are getting killed, he's one of the more familiar characters. 

Related: The Walking Dead Season 10 Review: A Breathtaking Return to Form

Michonne is frightened that she makes her people go on high alert over nothing, but Alpha's attack should have taught them that being on edge is the best foot forward. 

Did she forget that the Whisperers butchered almost a dozen of their people on The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 15

Michonne Chats About the Drama - The Walking Dead

It's natural for there to be opposing views when it comes to keeping people safe, but my one, true hope is that Michonne doesn't get killed for not worrying enough about the clear and present threat that is Alpha. 

Negan: Hey kid, everything okay?
Lydia: Fine. Exactly the same as it was 20 minutes ago.
Negan: What's the big meeting for? Why are folks giving you the side-eye?
Lydia: Same folks eyeing you. What have you done in the past however many years you've been here?

If the uncovered mask and the Whisperer' body on their side of the border is the shape of things to come, then our people should be terrified. 

Throwing an exploding satellite into the mix was a good idea. 

It successfully brought everyone together to fight the fire to the point they had to enter Alpha's land. 

If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know our heroes already tempted fate by walking through the Whisperers' land to survive the harsh winter, and there's no way the villain is not going to know about that. 

Rosita is a Mother - The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1

The leaders of the groups can easily explain to Alpha that they entered her land on this instance to prevent the fire from spreading to not only their land but her own. 

There's no way Alpha would buy it.

She's probably counting down the days until she gets to take off some other beloved character's head. 

The main positive on "The Lines We Cross" was the way the characters united on Oceanside for some good old training.

Eugene on the Radio - The Walking Dead

Instead of rushing into battle with bullets and trying their best to kill some people, they will have strategies in place. 

Aaron: We made the right choice.
Michonne: Let's not push our luck.

Making shields as a line of defense against the Whisperers is a good idea, especially when you don't know if these deranged individuals are packing weapons. 

Related: The Walking Dead Scores Early Season 11 Renewal

Carol's poker face while saying she had not even thought about Alpha was second-to-none.

If there's one thing we know about Carol, it's that she will bide her time and unleash holy hell on anyone who pisses her off when she gets the opportunity. 

Lydia Makes a Friend - The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1

Carol appeared to be refreshed thanks to her time at sea, but it's obvious she's just waiting for the opportunity to take Alpha and the Whisperers down. 

Going beyond the border was a dumb move for both Carol and Daryl, but it seems Carol wants Alpha to react so that the Whisperer war can commence.

Related: Third Walking Dead Series: Watch the Trailer

There's no telling what Alpha will do now that she knows for sure the good guys are using her land. 

Hopefully, we don't lose any other fan-favorites at the hands of this Alpha because that would suck. 

Strolling Through the Camp - The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1

The biggest surprise of the premiere was Siddiq's struggle with PTSD.

It's only natural given that his life got spared while he watched his friends get beheaded, but it seems like the type of storyline the show would brush under the rug. 

There's got to be a part of Siddiq wondering why he was the one chosen to survive to tell the tale, and that's going to be exciting as we approach the Whisperer War. 

Will he want to take part? Will he stay behind and offer help to those in need?

Negan Smiles - The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 16

The minor niggle I have with this storyline is that it seemed like a poor way to introduce Dante, another character from the comics. 

It's understandable that he joined the group during the time jump, but hopefully, we get a flashback-heavy installment to give us some insight into that. 

Related: The Walking Dead Casts Dante

Negan saving Judith's life earned him some time away from his cell.

He's not the same man he was when he butchered Glenn and Abraham, but not everyone is willing to let him move on with his life. 

Lydia and Negan becoming friends makes sense. 

Michonne and Yumiko Talk - The Walking Dead

They are both outsiders and are probably going to prove to be valuable assets when the war kicks off.

Lydia will be able to tell the others what her mom is planning, while Negan should be a good fighter. 

This was an excellent premiere that set the stage for the conflicts to come convincingly. Now, all we can do is wait to find out who takes the first shot. 

What did you think of the premiere? 

Are you ready for this war to get underway? 

Hit the comments below. 

The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC. 

Lines We Cross Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (17 Votes)

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 1 Quotes

Michonne: You know, we may never find an answer to this.
Aaron: They covered their tracks. There's a mask, there's a reason.

Michonne: Well, that was stupid. We agreed not to cross their borders and start anything without a reason. I lost Rick on a... If it was them, you could have died. And it wasn't them, and you could have died, for what?
Aaron: We've all been acting like this is normal. Holding our breaths for months. This isn't normal.
Michonne: We have to keep our cool or they win.
Aaron: I've been keeping my cool my whole life, I've always been the nice guy. The good samaritan, but the thing is, Eric is dead, Jesus is dead, and I'm god damn sick of being nice.
Michonne: Good, because nice never got me anywhere. But smart did. They have a nuclear weapon and we don't. It's not about being nice or good or anything, but keeping our people alive and not having them die over nothing. Believe me. I hate this too.
Aaron: We should get back before dark.