Talking Dead Season 10 - Episode 29

"Lines We Cross" is the premiere episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 6, 2019. The episode was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on September 29, 2019.[1]

Talking Dead Season 10 - Episode 29

Beginning with this episode, Alanna Masterson and Katelyn Nacon are removed from the opening credits. According to showrunner Angela Kang, the idea of using a satellite was part of the writing team's take on trying to keep the show fresh. It was used both to show how the longer-term effects of the apocalypse have affected other parts of society - a long-forgotten satellite falling out of orbit with no one to monitor it - and helped to introduce technology that would become part of the season's arc.[2] This is the first episode to feature Ryan Hurst (as Beta) in the show's opening credits, after he and six others were promoted to series regulars for season 10.[3][4]

"Lines We Cross" received critical acclaim from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 92% with an average score of 7.48 out of 10, based on 25 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "'Lines We Cross' sets the stage for TWD's 10th season with a fierce momentum that delivers equally on satisfying character moments and tense plotting."[5]

The tenth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 6, 2019, and concluded on April 4, 2021, consisting of 22 episodes.[1] Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang as showrunner for the second consecutive season.[2] The tenth season received generally positive reviews. It was nominated for multiple awards, including a fifth consecutive nomination for Best Horror Television Series, at the 46th Saturn Awards.[3]

The tenth season is the final season for series regular Danai Gurira, who has portrayed Michonne since the third season.[4][5][6] The planned season finale was scheduled to air on April 12, 2020, but post-production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the episode aired on October 4, 2020, with an additional six episodes added to the tenth season that were broadcast from February 28 to April 4, 2021.[7][8]

The tenth season features twenty series regulars overall. Ryan Hurst, Eleanor Matsuura, Cooper Andrews, Nadia Hilker, Cailey Fleming, Cassady McClincy, and Lauren Ridloff were all promoted to series regular status, after previously having recurring roles. Hurst is added to the opening credits, while the rest are credited as "also starring".[9] Beginning with episode 17, Lauren Cohan was re-added to the opening credits and as a series regular.[10]

In February 2019, the series was renewed for a tenth season.[63] Filming began in May 2019.[64] Andrew Lincoln expressed interest in directing an episode for season 10, but he was not able to due to scheduling conflicts.[65] Michael Cudlitz, who directed an episode in season 9, returned to direct the fourth and seventh episodes of season 10.[66] Production for the original 16-episode order of season 10 was completed in November 2019.[67][68] Production resumed in October 2020, for the six additional episodes for season 10.[69] The series moved from shooting on 16 mm film to digital beginning with the six bonus episodes. This changed was prompted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and safety precautions with there being fewer "touch points" with digital than film.[70]

In February 2019, it was announced that Danai Gurira, who portrays Michonne, would exit the series in the tenth season. Gurira appeared in a limited capacity, in a handful of episodes that was interspersed throughout the season.[5] Later, in July 2019, Gurira confirmed her exit at a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, and stated:

As part of the extended episodes for season 10, one focuses on Negan's backstory and introduces his wife Lucille, who is played by Morgan's real-life wife, Hilarie Burton.[38] On November 19, 2020, it was announced that Robert Patrick and Okea Eme-Akwari had been cast for the extended episodes as new characters Mays and Elijah, respectively.[37][74]

AMC announced in March 2020 that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, post-production on the season finale could not be completed by its planned April 12, 2020, airdate, and instead would air on October 4, 2020.[7][8] Showrunner Angela Kang stated that the delay on post-production was related with coordination of the worldwide production studios doing their special effects before the state issued its shutdown orders that effectively shuttered their California production studio to combine those into the final episode package.[76] "Home Sweet Home" premiered a week early on February 21, 2021, on AMC+ before its televised air date and subsequent episodes were released every Thursday ahead of its AMC linear premiere on Sunday.[77]

The tenth season of The Walking Dead has received generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a score of 77% with an average rating of 7 out of 10, based on 6 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "A few changes in front of and behind the camera allow TWD create space for compelling new stories and some seriously scary new adversaries."[79] Commenting on the season premiere, Brandon Davis of Comicbook.com called it a "perfect return" while Alex Zalben of Decider wrote that the episode is "gross, scary, and big budget storytelling the way only Walking Dead can do. Season 10 is already off to a promising start".[80][81] Paul Tassi of Forbes praised the writing and direction, writing: "The writing remains on point, the direction is solid. The show is still in a good place."[82][83]

In further reviews based upon the first three episodes available to critics, Tassi wrote that "they're all good episodes, and I think I liked each one more than the last" and "they're very solid and continue my confidence in the Angela Kang era of the show, showing that season 9 wasn't a fluke. The show is genuinely good now, and I can't wait to see what's next".[84] Cameron Bonomolo of Comicbook.com praised the episodes for its horror elements, writing: "The Walking Dead Season 10 recaptures the same tone of raw realism established by first-season showrunner Frank Darabont, expanding on it with a flavoring that is deliciously eerie. Not only is The Walking Dead straight-up scary, it often feels like a genuine horror movie, a feat achieved either through atmosphere and tension-building or pop-up spooks."[85]

Not only is Scott M. Gimple the showrunner of The Walking Dead, but he will also take on that duty for Fear The Walking Dead in season 4. Gimple will have plenty of insight into episode 802 as well as plenty of looks into the production and the future of the franchises.

As a result, the show created a giant mystery around Beta's identity before the apocalypse. Late in season 10, viewers finally received a concrete answer about who he was before marching with Alpha and the undead.

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Though no debut date has been announced for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, which finds the potentially but probably not dead Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and company dealing with a new community, we can sort of extrapolate when it might have premiered. The new spinoff The Walking Dead: World Beyond was supposed to premiere on April 12 right after The Walking Dead Season 10 finale (more on this in a second). The first season of that show was (and is) 10 episodes, so if it ran straight through would have wrapped up around June 14.

Fear has alternated between an April and June debut date for the past few seasons, so it stands to reason that AMC might have premiered Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 after the World Beyond finale, or the week following that. Then in usual circumstances, Fear runs its 16 episode season in two chunks, with a two-ish month break in between.

The credited writers for this episode are Mark Frost, Harley Peyton and Robert Engels. However, David Lynch revised their script significantly sans credit, maintaining the episode's general structure but altering much of the dialogue and many scenes (most notably in the Red Room/Black Lodge sequences, making them more akin to the dream sequences in the first season). Lynch also added more characters to the episode (probably in deference to the fact that this would be the final episode), some of whom had not been seen in the series for some time. The major differences between the episode as originally scripted[2] and as actually filmed are as follows:

The Walking Dead Holiday Special will feature cast members Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Josh McDermitt, Khary Payton, Eleanor Matsuura, Cooper Andrews, Cassady McClincy, Lauren Ridloff, Cailey Fleming, Emily Kinney, IronE Singleton as well as Walking Dead Universe Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple and The Walking Dead Showrunner and Executive Producer Angela Kang. The special will include a performance of "Up on the Housetop" by Kinney, a parody on the "Twelve Days of Christmas," sung by Payton, Andrews, Matsuura and McClincy, and other festive moments throughout, and will debut an exclusive new table read video from "Diverged", one of six new episodes in the extended 10th season. 041b061a72