THE WALKING DEAD 8x01 "Mercy"

Season 8 of the returning zombie horror juggernaut The Walking Dead may have begun with a bang - a procession of bangs - but none were as big as I had anticipated. In fairness, it's difficult to imagine The Walking Dead could ever produce a more stunning premiere than season 7's "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", which saw Glenn and Abraham brutally served their P45s, and "Mercy" was never likely to match its brilliance. I find this problematic only because "Mercy" doubled up as the series' 100th episode - and that's a milestone that, in my opinion, must be honoured with an episode that ranks among its best. The Walking Dead definitely didn't achieve that, but it didn't go full Elementary and just completely ignore its entry into triple digits either.

   It began with an extremely over-dramatic rallying cry from Rick, added to by Maggie and the caricature King Ezekiel, following which a slow burning episode gradually built to a tame confrontation (more accurately, the sheltered deliverance of an ultimatum), while Daryl, Carol and other characters I find tedious delivered to the Sanctuary's doors a horde of hungry walkers.

   This negotiation struck me as similar to that of the season 7 finale when Negan arrived at Alexandria's doors, though this episode didn't telegraph its twist like the s7 finale did with Sasha; when Gregory popped out of the Sanctuary to try and prevent the Hilltop from aligning themselves with Alexandria, I was genuinely surprised. Not because this was uncharacteristic - Gregory's a self-serving weasel as cowardly as Eugene - but because I simply wasn't expecting the negotiation to take that turn.

   Naturally, however, the Hilltop are frustrated by Gregory's cowardice, and none back down from the fight. Purpose served - for now - Gregory is shunned by Negan's right hand, Simon. And we stick with Gregory when the negotiations turn hostile; as the walkers arrive and Rick tries his luck at killing Negan, it's Gregory who ends up in the most peril. The combined forces of Alexandria, the Kingdom, the Hilltop and Oceanside had complete control of the situation from the moment they began to enact their plan, and Gregory was the variable they hadn't predicted. It's therefore Gregory who appears most likely to perish in this season opener - although, disappointingly, no one comes at all close. Gabriel, however, gets left behind after trying to rescue Gregory and being betrayed by him, and in a glorious scene spoiled in the trailer, he winds up escaping the walkers only to fall directly into Negan's gloating arms.

   It's a scene worthy of serving as any episode's cliffhanger, but The Walking Dead chose not to utilise it as one. It returned instead to a continuation of the rallying cry scene that set the episode in motion, and then latterly to the final scene in a series of confusing scenes in which Rick appeared to be an old man, but Michonne was unchanged in age. I won't even attempt to analyse them, because the honest truth is they went over my head.

Overall, this was a good, if tame, premiere. With every facet of Alexandria's plan going like clockwork, the episode was robbed of any suspense; it would have been devoid had Gabriel not fallen into Negan's arms in one of the final scenes. But The Walking Dead certainly doesn't like to overplay its hand early on, and so it has done what it does best: move pieces into place for some high-stakes storytelling in the future.

RATING: 8/10

POINTS OF NOTE

• No amount of shoehorning Rick and Michonne's relationship into the show will make me believe them as a couple. They have as much chemistry as I have regard for my mobile phone. I really should stop throwing it around if I'm honest.
• Negan gets all the best punchlines, even if they're a little cheesy.
• Seriously, can anyone explain to me the meaning of those flash-sideways/forwards/dream sequences, whatever they were?
• Eugene appeared in this episode but had no lines. Easiest few grand Josh McDermitt will make in his acting career.