Now that Fear the Walking Dead has raised the bar for writing in The Walking Dead universe and arguably evolved into a better show than the original, season nine of The Walking Dead has its work cut out for it. Ratings have been drifting downward, and the two-and-a-half year Negan and Saviors storyline has left it in a rut.
However, like Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead begins next season with a fresh perspective in new showrunner, Angela Kang, who has consistently been one of the show’s best writers. It also appears that the next season of the series will blend elements from both the comic book and storylines original to the show, like the brewing showdown between Maggie and Rick over Rick’s decision not to kill Negan. We know now that Maggie will return for season 9, but we don’t know for how long.
But there is also Georgie, who may or may not be a character from the comics, and there’s still the mystery surrounding that helicopter, and whether Georgie and the helicopter are connected.
Moreover, one element that the series appears to be keeping from the comics is a time jump after the All-Out War. Last week, we learned that AMC producers secured a permit to build a windmill in Alexandria, one they expect to keep for up to three years.
More evidence of a time jump came yesterday when we got the first photo from the set on the day that shooting began.
Season 9, Day 1. #TWD #TWDFamily pic.twitter.com/c42lyqjrPv
— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) April 30, 2018
That’s more than just a slate; it also shows a water tower has been erected on The Hilltop, which again suggests that season 9 will kick off after a period of rebuilding. However, I would not necessarily expect a time jump of two to three years, as in the comics. Scott Gimple has suggested there would be “a time jump tease, but it wouldn’t be exactly as we expect.” I suspect that the time jump will only be far enough into the future to allow Alexandria and The Hilltop to rebuild using the blueprints that Georgie left behind. I think that The Walking Dead likely wants to remain in the vicinity of the same timeline as Fear the Walking Dead should the two series need to intersect again, exchange characters, or even combine for a The Walking Dead feature film.
We will know more when The Walking Dead returns this fall with Greg Nicotero back behind the camera to direct the season premiere.
