twd the walking dead michonne boat trip virgil danai gurira

AMC

(Spoilers ahead for the Season 10 mid-season finale of “The Walking Dead” on AMC)

The first half of Season 10 of “The Walking Dead” has ended, wrapping up a rather interesting eight-episode run in which the Whisperers and the communities got into quite the will they/won’t they situation. And we managed to make it this far without Michonne (Danai Gurira) dying, which is nice.

The anticipation around Michonne’s imminent exit has been a cause for consternation among fans ever since Gurira announced that this would be her last season on the show. And that anxiety has only increased as this cold war has ramped up this season. Hell, at this point the actual war might have started. Maybe. It’s hard to tell, because it’s clear now that Alpha (Samantha Morton) clearly is enacting some kind of plan that viewers aren’t privy to.

War seems inevitable regardless, and I figured Michonne would either end up as a casualty of that war, or with her death being the catalyst for its beginning. But showrunner Angela Kang and the rest of the creative team on “The Walking Dead” might have another plan in mind for ending Michonne’s story.

Also Read: Here's What Happens Next With Negan and the Whisperers in the 'Walking Dead' Comics

At this point, the TV show version of “The Walking Dead” is taking a path that is pretty far from the way this conflict went down in the comics, with most of the happenings of the past few episodes being original to the show. And Michonne’s story is no exception. Given that Michonne made it all the way to the end of the comics, it seems likely that her divergent storyline as it unfolded in the finale might be how Gurira ends her run on the show.

So in the mid-season finale, one of the major events is that Michonne and her group encounter a man named Virgil (Kevin Carroll) at Oceanside, who claims to live on an island in the Chesapeake Bay with his family. Virgil is trying to return home, and makes a deal with Michonne — she makes sure he gets home, and she can have the stockpile of weapons to use them against the Whisperers.

The island in question is Bloodsworth Island. Michonne says there was a military base there. In the real world, Bloodsworth Island served as a bombing range for the U.S. military, and the public is not allowed to visit because the place is covered in old, unexploded ordinance.

Also Read: Lauren Cohan May Return to 'The Walking Dead' 1 Season Earlier Than Expected

And so Michonne sets off with Virgil. Just the two of them alone. Everything about this is a red flag.

First off, Carroll is not joining the cast of “The Walking Dead” just in a brief guest spot — he’s going to be around on this show for at least a little bit. Second: the last time a main character went off in a vehicle with somebody who wasn’t from one of the communities it was Rick in the helicopter with Jadis. Third: this little journey will take us to a brand new major location that none of the characters who were on the show before this episode have ever been to.

So there are wild cards everywhere. The boat trip could be Michonne’s back door into the “Walking Dead” movie that Rick flew away to in that helicopter. Maybe she’s going to die on the island and Virgil will take the weapons to Oceanside himself. Or maybe Virgil is a Whisperer or a member of some unknown faction and is going to instead take Michonne to someplace that isn’t Bloodsworth Island.

This is territory that has not been explored in the “Walking Dead” comics, so this situation feels pretty wide open. Literally anything could happen with this thread. But one thing is certain: at some point in the next eight episodes, Michonne is going to exit this series.

10 Zombie TV Shows Ranked, From 'The Walking Dead' to 'Santa Clarita Diet'

Netflix's new zombie apocalypse series, the "Z-Nation" prequel "Black Summer," is premiering Thursday, and what better way to welcome it than to rank other "undead" TV shows of the last few years from worst to best. We included the Rotten Tomatoes scores with each ranking for comparison. Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom.
Netflix
10. "Freakish" – Hulu

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64 %
A group of teens have to hide out in their high school after a chemical plant meltdown creates a bunch of zombie-like mutants, who take over the town. "Freakish" lasted only 2 seasons and had the worst Rotten Tomatoes score of the bunch. Critics said it suffered from thin, stereotypical characters, a flawed timeline and numerous plot holes.
Hulu
9. "Containment" - The CW

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
This ill-fated CW show lasted only one season. When a mysterious and fatal virus starts infecting people, part of Atlanta is quarantined -- but attempts to find a cure are met with the unravelling of a possible conspiracy. Critics said it used the same old end-of-days scenario without much in the way of originality.
The CW
8. "Helix" - Syfy

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
A team from the CDC makes a risky move by visiting a remote research facility in the Arctic to check on reports of a strange illness. They discover -- you guessed it -- a zombie-like plague that could threaten man-kind. “Helix” lasted only 2 seasons.

Syfy
7. "Z Nation" - Syfy

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Your typical zombie apocalypse aftermath show, except this time, someone survives the zombie plague. The show’s heroes embark on a quest to get the survivor from New York to California, where a lab waits to test his blood. Notable cast members included (DJ Qualls, Harold Perrineau). The show was recently canceled after 5 seasons, giving way to its upcoming prequel, “Black Summer.”
Syfy
6. "Fear the Walking Dead" - AMC

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%
For those who just couldn’t get enough of “The Walking Dead,” here is its prequel, which explores how the zombie apocalypse that dictates the story of “TWD” began. Though arguably not as popular as the original, the drama series has been going steady since 2015 and its fifth season will premiere on June 2.
AMC
5. "In the Flesh" - BBC

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Hailing from across the pond at the BBC, this short-lived series only lasted two seasons. Taking place after the zombie apocalypse is over, it follows 18-year-old former zombie Kieren, as he attempts to reenter society. Fans say it gives a brain and a heart to zombie drama, as it's less about blood and gore, and more about examining the stereotypes and knee-jerk reactions that lead Kieren’s hometown to discriminate against him. Brownie points for using Daniel Johnston's song "Devil Town" in the trailer.
BBC Three
4. "iZombie" - The CW

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Running since 2015 on The CW, Rose McIver stars as another cute, unconventional zombie lady named, ironically, Liv. She takes a job in a coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she must eat to maintain her bodily autonomy and avoid becoming a stereotypical zombie. In each new episode, her personality changes to match the latest brain she’s ingested, helping her gain insight into their mysterious deaths. Season 5 premieres May 2.
The CW
3. "Ash vs. Evil Dead" - Starz

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
This revival of the 1981 classic movie “Evil Dead” serves up action, comedy and lots of gooey-looking fake blood. The original hero Ash (played by Bruce Campbell) returns after 30 years to finally come to terms with what happened in that cabin. However, despite a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and much to the shock and horror of its legion of fans, Starz canceled the show after 3 seasons due to low ratings, leaving the final season's cliffhanger ending just... hanging there.
Starz
2. "The Walking Dead" - AMC

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
While there's no question that this is the most talked about zombie show on TV, it can be argued that “The Walking Dead” has declined in quality since Season 1. But even though we ranked it at #2, there’s something to be said for a show that’s been going since 2010 with no plans to slow down for its 10th season in 2020.
AMC
1. "Santa Clarita Diet" - Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Drew Barrymore may not be the most traditional zombie, but she’s certainly the cutest. When her character Sheila dies from a mysterious illness, she comes back to life without a heartbeat -- but with a curiously strong hunger for human flesh. To satisfy her craving, she and her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) set out on a path of death and destruction... together.
Netflix
Season 1 of “Black Summer” comes to Netflix April 11 -- we’ll see how this one ranks!
Netflix

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Ahead of Netflix’s new zombie-drama “Black Summer,” we ranked zombie TV shows from worst to best

Netflix's new zombie apocalypse series, the "Z-Nation" prequel "Black Summer," is premiering Thursday, and what better way to welcome it than to rank other "undead" TV shows of the last few years from worst to best. We included the Rotten Tomatoes scores with each ranking for comparison. Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom.

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