[CorsiHockeyLeague]

So after this week's episode here's how I would do the Whisperers.

Rick continues his efforts to recruit people to try to fight Negan. Things seem to be looking good, but a swerve of some sort occurs - Negan finds out what they're up to and traps them somehow, or maybe the Kingdom gets involved and Negan kills Ezekiel. Whatever it is, it gets Carol involved. She then learns what happened to Glenn and Abraham and it's on like Donkey Kong. The result is her essentially massacring large swaths of Saviors, and, as advertised in this episode, losing what's left of her fragile psyche ("there will be nothing left of me"). When Rick ultimately spares Negan (probably at Morgan's urging), she's disgusted - she just gave up everything to get this guy back and Rick and Co. are soft. She leaves.

Then you get the break. After the break, it's a year (or more) later. The communities are generally functioning well. The first few episodes are spent introducing this structure and dealing with some threats - a herd and the Gregory insurrection issue. Throughout the first half of the season these are dealt with, but there are hints of the Whisperers (scenes where walkers seem to talk). The whisperers are ultimately introduced... and the big mid-season reveal is that Alpha is Carol.

Now you've spent an entire series building up this ultra-badass who kills everything in her path without mercy, who lost her humanity and left, and now they have to face the monster they created.

Yeah?