In the past, Alpha and Lydia meet Beta for the first time; in the present, Alpha contends with a Whisperer who begins to shake Beta’s faith in her.
Adaptation Expansion: The comics never showed this much of Beta’s backstory nor how he and Alpha met.
Alas, Poor Villain: It's kinda hard not to feel sorry for Frances (a member of the Whisperers) in this episode.
Back-to-Back Badasses: Alpha and Beta make a great team clearing out the walkers who managed to make their way into the asylum.
Beneath the Mask: Beta observes that the Whisperers are envious of the normal, peaceful life lived by Hilltop and the communities.
Bloodier and Gorier: This is easily the goriest episode in a while since it mostly revolves around demented, bloodthirsty psychopaths Alpha and Beta. Particular mention goes towards the random woman getting slowly, painfully ripped apart while a young Lydia can only watch in terror, and later Beta helping Alpha go through a walkers’ innards - and ripping open its rib cage with his bare hands.
Continuity Nod: Frances was the Whisperer who was forced to abandon her baby during the standoff at Hilltop in Season 9’s “Bounty”.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Alpha admits that even though she wasn’t the daughter she wanted and who she abused regularly, she could never bring herself to kill Lydia. Meanwhile, Beta had a genuine friendship with a fellow resident of the asylum, and takes his shirt as well as his face to use as his own mask. Averted with Gamma, who ends up feeding her sister to the walkers when she attacks Alpha.
The Faceless: Beta’s face is not shown when he allows Alpha to see it.
Madness Mantra: Beta’s is “I am the end of the world”, which he has scribbled all over his private quarters in the asylum.
Mama Bear: Alpha is shown to have been violently protective of Lydia, even against a masked man twice her size.
Mook Promotion: Alpha rewards the Whisperer who sacrifices Frances to save her life by giving her the title “Gamma”, making her third in command.
No Name Given: Beta’s pre-apocalypse name is not revealed, nor are the names of present day Whisperers Gamma (before her rechristening) and Frances.
Pet the Dog: Alpha doesn’t kill Frances for nearly losing the walkers, and instead comforts her, knowing what it’s like to lose a child.
Tragic Keepsake: Beta was unwilling to leave behind his long-dead friend from the asylum, so Alpha convinced him to use his skin as his mask.
Villain Has a Point: Beta wisely surmises that their time away from their territory will eventually cause the communities to lose their fear of them. To their credit, however, they only crossed their land in desperation during the winter, before Carol and Daryl’s intrusion.
Villain Episode: This episode focuses entirely on Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Frances.
