The Walking Dead (season 10)
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. 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. The tenth season received widespread critical acclaim. It  was nominated for multiple awards, including a fifth consecutive nomination for Best Horror Television Series, at the 46th Saturn Awards. This season adapts material from issues #145–174 of the comic book series and focuses on the group's preparation and war against the Whisperers. Set several months after the massacre perpetrated by Alpha (Samantha Morton) during the community fair, the season focuses on the united communities as they initiate a fight in order to end the threat of the Whisperers. The tenth season is the final season for series regular Danai Gurira, who has portrayed Michonne since the third season . The planned season finale was scheduled to air on April 12, 2020, but post-production was delayed due to the ongoing 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. Cast. Main cast. 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". Beginning with episode 17, Lauren Cohan was re-added to the opening credits and as a series regular. Episodes. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> Production. In February 2019, the series was renewed for a tenth season. Filming began in May 2019. Andrew Lincoln expressed interest in directing an episode for season 10, but he was not able to due to scheduling conflicts. Michael Cudlitz, who directed an episode in season 9, returned to direct the fourth and seventh episodes of season 10. Production for the original 16-episode order of season 10 was completed in November 2019. Production  resumed in October 2020, for the six additional episodes for season 10. 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. Casting. 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. Later, in July 2019, Gurira confirmed her exit at a panel  at the San Diego Comic-Con, and stated: In July 2019, it was announced that Thora Birch and Kevin Carroll had been cast; Birch plays Gamma, a member of the Whisperers, and Carroll plays Virgil, a survivor looking for his family. Regarding Lauren Cohan's status on the show as Maggie Greene, showrunner Angela Kang remarked in July 2019, "I'll just say that we're working on it." Cohan left "The Walking Dead" in its ninth season to star in the TV series "Whiskey Cavalier", however that series was canceled after one season. In October 2019, Kang affirmed Cohan  would return as a series regular in season 11, but also hinted towards her appearance in the second half of season 10. Kang said that in developing season, even before knowing of Cohan's return, they had kept seeding that Maggie was still considered part of the ongoing narrative so that they could work in her return if she had the opportunity. The teaser trailer for "A Certain Doom", airing after the broadcast of "The Tower", confirmed Maggie's return to the series. 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. 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. Release. The trailer was released on July 19, 2019, at the San Diego Comic-Con. The season premiere was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on September 29, 2019. 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. 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. "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. The 22-episode tenth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD  on July 20, 2021, with special features including multiple audio commentaries and an "In Memoriam" featurette. Reception. Critical response. 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." 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". 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." 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". 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." Accolades. The  tenth season of "The Walking Dead" received five nominations for the upcoming 46th Saturn Awards—Best Horror Television Series (the series' fifth consecutive nomination, with four consecutive wins), Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series for Norman Reedus (his fourth nomination), Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series for Melissa McBride (her seventh consecutive nomination, with two consecutive wins), Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series for Cassady McClincy, and Best Guest Starring Performance on a Television Series for Jeffrey Dean Morgan (his fourth consecutive nomination, with two wins). At the inaugural Critics' Choice Super Awards, the  season was also nominated for Best Horror Series and Best Villain in a Series for Samantha Morton. The first half of the season was nominated for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble a Comedy or Drama Series at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards (the series' eighth consecutive nomination). Additionally, Danai Gurira won the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama.