A New Beginning: Rebuilding the World in Season 9 of The Walking Dead

However, this peace is fragile. Tensions simmer between those who believe in Rick’s vision of mercy and those, like and Daryl Dixon , who cannot forgive the past. This ideological conflict culminates in the "death" of Rick Grimes. In a desperate sacrifice to protect his community from a massive herd, Rick blows up the bridge he worked so hard to build. While his friends believe him dead, he is actually rescued by Jadis and taken away by a mysterious helicopter. Shortly after, Maggie also departs the Hilltop, leaving a leadership vacuum that the series addresses with a massive six-year time jump . Evolution of Characters and New Threats

The season begins eighteen months after the defeat of Negan, with the united communities—Alexandria, Hilltop, the Kingdom, Oceanside, and the Sanctuary—attempting to forge a new civilization. The central motif of the first half of the season is the , symbolizing Rick Grimes' attempt to physically and metaphorically connect these disparate groups.