This week’s Walking Dead borrowed moments from several issues of Robert Kirkman’s comics. See all the ways Episode 912 compared to the source material in our latest breakdown.
Henry’s Infiltration
The majority of Episode 912 centered around Henry’s mission to save Lydia from Alpha and the Whisperers. Of course, Henry immediately gets captured by a Beta, a giant Whisperer who takes him to meet Alpha. Henry’s bravery doesn’t impress Lydia, who socks him in the face.
In Issue 138 of the comics, Carl, who’s still alive, also gets captured by the Whisperers while trying to rescue his boo. Although Lydia wasn’t happy to see him, she doesn’t punch him in the face. Also, Beta doesn’t show up until MUCH later in Issue 154 when Negan meets him while trying to join the Whisperers. Negan gives him the fun nickname Frowny McTwoKnives and later tries to get romantic with Alpha. It’s a whole thing, we’re really hoping we see it next season.
Michonne’s Talks With Negan
In the show Michonne taunts Negan for returning to his cell and quips that the world spit him back out. Negan tells her he could have bashed everyone’s heads in but didn’t (isn’t that sweet?) A sort of similar scene plays out in the comics. In Issue 141, Negan finds his cell door open but decides to stay to prove his trustworthiness. But it’s Rick, not Michonne, who confronts him. Similar to the episode, Negan details how he could have killed everyone (but in much more colorful language) and should now be trusted for his restraint. Rick doesn’t give him any credit and leaves.
The Camp
In the show, Beta skins a walker for Lydia while Alpha taunts Henry. He vows to protect Lydia when suddenly a Whisperer couple challenges Alpha for her leadership. It…ends badly for them.
In the comics, the Whisperers also skin a fresh walker for Lydia. Alpha sits down with Carl to learn about how his people survived. He tells her they did it without wearing Halloween masks (burn) and that he’s not leaving until he gets Lydia out of there. Alpha refuses and vows to learn more about his people.
The Confrontation
One of the most shocking moments in the episode came when a couple foolishly challenged Alpha for her leadership position. Although this doesn’t happen in the comics exactly, we do have precedent for how she deals with challengers. In Issue 148, a Whisperer finds Alpha crying by a tree after making Lydia leave for good. He promises not to tell anyone but she cuts his throat and tells a witness that he tried to challenge her.
The Rescue
Finally, the episode concluded with Dwight and Connie’s daring rescue of Henry and Lydia from the Whisperers. To do it, they put on walkers masks and waited for the undead to attack the literal second before Lydia was going to murder Henry. Daryl shows up in Whisperer cosplay and takes Henry and Lydia into the woods before they could get eaten.
This scene happened a lot differently in the comics. Rick, not Daryl and Connie, tracks down Carl at the Whisperer camp and tells him to get in the house, it’s time to come home. Carl argues that he can’t leave without Lydia and that Rick’s too ashamed to look at him without his glasses. Eventually, Rick manages to leave with Carl and Lydia after Alpha decides her daughter’s weak and should be disowned. We’ll get more into this scene in a couple of episodes…
This rescue also gives a nod to a comic moment that happens much later. Issue 159, Dwight, who’s story is sometimes given to Daryl in the show, also dawns a Whisperer mask to infiltrate their camp during the Whisperer War, but it was for completely different reasons. So, in the comics Alpha didn’t try to get Lydia to murder Henry and there was no walker distraction attack that allowed them to escape. But the walker mask – spot on!
What Didn’t Happen In The Comics
Outside of those awesome comparisons…the explosive council meeting, Michonne’s talk with Judith, Eugene’s talk with Gabe, and Aaron’s talk with Michonne were exclusive to the show.
And that wraps up our comic/show comparisons for The Walking Dead Episode 912! Let us know what your favorite comic moments were and catch us next week for more!
