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This post will contain spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 10, Episode 2.

“We Are the End of the World” focused on the Whisperers from several perspectives – the past, the present, and their potential future. The nomadic group came into play last season but this is the first time that The Walking Dead has taken a more extensive look at the group’s origins as well as the lingering bits of their humanity despite a pack mentality. It turns out that walker skins and a lawless way of life doesn’t stop a group of people from having the same issues that established communities have – particularly, inner conflict and lies.

The fandom finally got some answers about this group, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t missing pieces of the puzzle. Season ten may continue to do flashbacks and explain more things in detail, but this is what we learned (and still want to know) about the Whisperers.

They were formed seven years ago

This episode reveals that Alpha and Beta’s first encounter was seven years ago. This would have been around the time that Rick and the others were rebuilding post All-Out War, which means the apocalypse had already been going on for a few years. This is interesting considering Morgan’s claim back in season three about people wearing dead people’s faces. Perhaps there’s another group out there somewhere who lived among the walkers first? But it’s clear that whatever Morgan saw had nothing to do with Alpha’s group.

Beta’s face and shirt came from a loved one

Before Alpha, Beta (whom she originally called B) was living alone in an abandoned building for addiction treatment. He quickly built a strange connection to Alpha (then A), even though he refused to let her see his face. Alpha eventually discovered a picture of two people standing in front of the same building with the faces scratched out. The taller person was Beta but there was a guy with long hair and a smiley face shirt.

Beta went ballistic after Alpha killed the person’s zombified remains but she convinced him that this person could always be with him. So, Beta cut off his face, took his shirt, and moved on with Alpha. Yes, he’s been wearing this stuff for seven years. Gross.

Beta never outright says who this person is but the scene was juxtaposed with Alpha losing her grip over Lydia, so it was probably Beta’s son. This would also explain why he gives Alpha grace when she shows emotions over Lydia.

Jace Downs/AMC

Alpha shows mercy…or does she?

Last season, one of the Whisperers coldly left her baby to die among walkers. Connie saved the baby, but the woman never truly moved past sacrificing her daughter. Her sister warned her that showing emotion and daydreaming would lead to her death but it was to no avail. Surprisingly, Alpha showed mercy after the woman’s emotional breakdown.

But, her rare grace backfired when the woman later attacked her in the middle of a walker herding session. The walkers killed her and Alpha dubbed her loyal sister Gamma for putting the needs of the pack over flesh and blood. Alpha may have shown the woman mercy because of her own complicated feelings about Lydia.

Or perhaps she allowed the sister to stay alive knowing that she might try something ominous. Alpha was likely eyeing Gamma for something greater so this might have been the ultimate test to deem her worthy of promotion.

Alpha lied to the group about Lydia’s whereabouts

Alpha demands unquestioning dedication and zero emotion from her pack, but she’s not following her own rules. She told Beta and the others that she killed Lydia, which we all know is a big lie.

She likely said this to assert that she’s still in control and will kill anyone for disobedience, but it’s only a matter of time before Lydia is spotted by someone. And, who knows what will go down when that happens? Beta knows the truth but he’s far too intertwined with Alpha to ever spill the beans.

Jace Downs/AMC

The Whisperers have issues getting along

There are a few people in the Whisperer camp who are envious of what the Hilltop has to offer. Their way of life is supposed to reject anything that looks like civilization, but who can honestly blame them for being jealous?

There are lots of whispers and side conversations happening behind Alpha’s back, which may lead to some people breaking away from the pack.

Beta and Alpha may eventually have a showdown

The pair is super tight but this new leader might change things. Beta was clearly not happy about Gamma’s induction into leadership. He also high-key thinks Alpha is losing her grip. Gamma doesn’t exist in The Walking Dead comics so no one knows what the show is setting up here.

Will Beta fight Alpha to gain control of the group? It doesn’t seem possible considering his deep brainwashing but anything could happen this season. A Beta/Alpha fight for leadership could be an interesting twist to kick off another war.

Jace Downs/AMC

Where did “Alpha” and “Beta” come from? 

The flashback showed the pair calling each other A and B. So, when did they settle on using Greek letters replace their names? Did they give each other new names or did the pack start calling them Alpha and Beta? We will probably never know the answer.

How did they get others to follow them?

There are a ton of terrible people in the world. But, even the worst ones probably wouldn’t want to dress up in walker skins and roam the woods. This episode only showed Alpha, Beta, and Lydia together but it didn’t explain how they recruited others into the fold.

Maybe they were able to find extremely desperate solo survivors who were willing to latch onto anything that seemed like a community. Daryl did this back in season four when he joined the ridiculous Claimers. There are Whisperers who look at Alpha like a savior or god, so this might be true.

But, Alpha and Beta probably strong armed anyone who crossed their paths into either joining them or facing immediate death. The Whisperers way of life isn’t appealing to the average person so becoming one by force is possible.

The curtains are finally opened on the Whisperers and their potential inner war. Let’s see how it all plays out as they restart their reign of terror on Michonne, Daryl, Carol, and the other community survivors.

Feature Image: Jace Downs/AMC

The post THE WALKING DEAD Explored The Whisperers’ Bizarre Backstory appeared first on Nerdist.

Source: Rich Polk / Getty

If I had it my way, my life would always be pretty much the same. Some say that’s because I’m a control freak. Others chalk it up to the fact that I’m a Taurus and crave stability and consistency. I wouldn’t argue with either, though I think the fact that I experienced a great deal of instability in my childhood leads me to do whatever I can within my power to minimize chaos and change in my life.

Unfortunately, that’s not life. The world around us is constantly changing and, try as we might to avoid being impacted by those outside forces, it’s simply not possible. Many belief systems suggest outward change is a necessary part of inner growth, and Sarah Jakes Roberts says the only appropriate response to transition is restructuring.

“If we are not intentional about restructuring our lives there is a version of us that will not live. And there is another version of us that will continue to live that should die,” she says in her sermon “Restructuring.”

The process of restructuring, however, isn’t easy. There is a great deal of doubt, the path you’re taking may not seem secure, and your faith in the outcome may be shaky. Add to that the fact that your own behavior and mentality has to change to reach the end goal and the reality that everyone in your current circle might not make it there with you and it’s clear restructuring isn’t for the faint of heart — or faith. In other words there will be many deaths — not necessarily physical ones — but losses. And, as Jakes Roberts explains, “These aren’t the types of deaths that you end up thanking God for the separation, not in the moment anyway. There are some things you lose along the way that doesn’t feel good.”

Having personally experienced the loss of physical life, professional opportunities, money, and more in the past couple of months, I can certainly attest to what doesn’t feel good. As a result, trusting God feels a bit harder these days.

“Sometimes trusting God is trusting that when you say goodbye to the good thing that it doesn’t mean you’re no longer going to grow, Jakes Roberts says. “There are moments when the good thing goes and we think that was my one shot and that was my only opportunity…just because that good thing is gone that didn’t have anything to do with your growth…you saying goodbye doesn’t mean that was the end of your purpose or your destiny.”

Because she can say it better than I can (and I’m still learning myself), I thought I’d share her message with you this Sunday in the hope that Jakes Roberts’ words will ease the discomfort, disappointment, and even confusion you feel in the midst of your transition and transformation. Check out the sermon below.

That whole “Storm Area 51” raid may have turned out to be a massive joke, but all kinds of people, including the most brilliant among us, still believe that alien life must exist (albeit on other planets). One of those brilliant people is Didier Queloz, a Swiss astronomer who took the opportunity of winning this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics to note, in part, that it’s quite possible people will discover alien life within the next 30 years.

Professor Didier Queloz of Cambridge University, who has jointly been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, says he strongly believes that alien life exists pic.twitter.com/Y3M4rKpVWf

— PA Media (@PA) October 8, 2019

Queloz, who’s now a professor at the University of Geneva and the University of Cambridge, shared this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics with astrophysicists James Peebles and Michel Mayor. But it seems to be Queloz alone who’s making the claim—at least at this juncture—that alien life must exist thanks to the number of planets and stars in the universe. The Telegraph reports Queloz told members of the media at the Science Media Centre in London on Tuesday about his beliefs. “There are just way too much planets, way too much stars, and the chemistry [for life] is universal.”

And Queloz most definitely knows a lot about stars and planets. He, Peebles, and Mayor were awarded their prize for discovering the first exoplanet ever observed around a main-sequence star, which undoubtedly helped to spark widespread interest in exoplanets amongst astronomers and other researchers working in cosmology. As of May 2016, more than 4,300 possible exoplanets have been discovered.

“The chemistry that led to life has to happen elsewhere,” Queloz added in his statement to the media. He said that it’s even “realistic” to expect technology to advance rapidly enough to allow for the discovery of alien life within three decades.

Astronomers will probably need to be quite crafty when it comes to discovering alien life, just as Queloz, Peebles, and Mayor were when they discovered their exoplanet, a “Hot Jupiter” dubbed 51 Pegasi. The trio were able to determine the existence of the exoplanet thanks to the way its relatively minuscule gravity tugged on its parent star. (It’s obviously difficult to see lightless planets, and this is one of two ways researchers have of verifying their existence.)

An illustration of what 51 Pegasi may look like. M. Kornmesser/Nick Risinger

But even if the search for extraterrestrial life doesn’t pan out within our lifetimes, the search is still enormously valuable. The discovery expanded people’s horizons, Queloz said during his media conference, adding that “once you start doing that there are a lot of questions you can start asking [such as] why are we like [we] are?”

What do you think of Queloz’s prediction? Are we going to find alien life within the next few decades, or are we utterly alone in the universe? Let us know your Nobel Prize-winning opinions in the comments!

Feature image: NASA

The post Nobel Prize-Winning Astronomer Says We May Find Alien Life Within 30 Years appeared first on Nerdist.

October is the perfect time of the year to indulge in some very good horror films and though it isn’t out for a couple of months, one of the best of 2019 is just around the corner. Daniel Isn’t Real comes from the producers of the cult smash Mandy and the first trailer for the psychological thriller promises a similarly surreal ride alongside some serious scares.

From Shudder, Ace, and Samuel Goldwyn Films, Daniel Isn’t Real is a horror-thriller that plays on a near-universally relatable topic, having an imaginary friend. “Troubled college freshman Luke (Miles Robbins) suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind — and his soul.” The film also stars Sasha Lane, Hannah Marks, and Mary Stuart Masterson. The official description gives audiences an idea of the core conceit that drives the flick, but can’t quite express the disconcerting atmosphere that emanates off the film thanks to director Adam Egypt Mortimer. Luckily, the trailer does a great job at teasing what Daniel Isn’t Real has to offer.

Based on the book In This Way I Was Saved by the film’s co-writer Brian DeLeeuw, Daniel Isn’t Real has already been a hit on the film festival circuit with our own Lindsey Romain calling it “a bold meditation on mental illness” and giving the boundary-pushing genre flick 4/5 in her review from this year’s SWSX festival. The film’s depiction of mental health struggles has been a topic of conversation throughout the year with Romain ruminating, “I’m not sure the film is wholly responsible with its depiction of mental illness—psychiatric meds don’t work on Luke and there’s a feeling that maybe he’s a more interesting person when Daniel shines through—but it’s never entirely dishonest. Films about mental illness don’t need to be wrapped in a bow or hand-holdy; sometimes warts-and-all is the right call. It certainly is here, in the light-flickering halls of Luke’s disordered mind, a visualization I’ve never quite seen before and won’t soon forget.”

Ace Pictures

Miles Robbins already proved that he has horror chops in last year’s blockbuster Halloween reboot so it’s nice to see him taking a co-lead role, alongside Schwarzenegger who shimmers with threat as the imaginary friend who is now all grown up for better or (more likely for) worse. Shudder has been doing the work to put out interesting, exciting, and unusual films with the popular horror streamer responsible for finally bringing One Cut of the Dead to U.S. shores and theaters earlier this year. Daniel Isn’t Real continues this trend and could be a word of mouth hit in the barren cinematic-horror wastelands of December. Until then, just mainline this creepily cool trailer to keep you going until the movie hits later this year.

Daniel Isn’t Real is in theaters, On Demand and Digital December 6, 2019

Featured Image: Ace Pictures

The post The First DANIEL ISN’T REAL Trailer Is Seriously Spooky appeared first on Nerdist.