AMC
Alpha is a new character on The Walking Dead that we’re going to learn more about tonight on Season 9 Episode 10. She’s a central part of the upcoming storyline. Read on to learn more about the actress who plays Alpha, and then what happens with Alpha in the comics. We’ll warn you before the comics spoilers appear.
Alpha is played by Samantha Morton. She told Comicbook.com that she doesn’t see Alpha as a villain on the show. “To me, I don’t see that I’m playing a villain at all. I’m playing somebody with absolute determination and conviction in her beliefs, and in a way, almost kind of evangelical with it,” she said.
She added: “I see her as an incredibly powerful, awe-inspiring woman, with so much courage and strength and love, weirdly. But it’s how she shows that love is not as we would expect anyone to.”
Alpha is the character who told Luke and Alden: “Trail ends here.” She’s a dangerous character that you shouldn’t take lightly.
Samantha Morton, who plays Alpha, has been nominated for two Oscars. In 2000, she won a Golden Globe for Longford. She also won a BAFTA award in 2010 for The Unloved. Morton has a long and impressive credential list. Her previous credits include, but aren’t limited to, Harlots (Margaret Wells), Rillington Place, The Last Panthers (Naomi), Fantastic Beasts (Mary Lou), The Harvest, Cider with Rosie, Max & Ruby (Ruby), Cosmopolis, The Messenger, Control, Longford, Free Jimmy, Lassie, Minority Report, In America, Code 46, The Fear, The History of Tom Jones (Sophia), The Vet, Band of Gold, Soldier Soldier, and much more.
Alpha Spoilers from the Comics [SPOILERS]
Alpha is an important figure in the comics. But as we’ve recently seen, the show is diverging from the comics a lot lately, so it’s unclear how closely the show will follow Alpha’s comic storyline.
Major spoilers for the comics and possibly the show beyond this point.
In the comics, Alpha is Lydia’s mom. Lydia is also held in a call in the comics, but she develops a romantic relationship with Carl, not Henry. Ultimately, Lydia reveals that she was raped by some men in The Whisperers group, as that’s part of the culture.
Lydia ultimately sides with The Hilltop group and considers them her family, which ultimately causes dissension with Alpha, who disowns her.
Alpha is first encountered in the comics in Issue 132, and she’s known to be cunning and savage. (You can learn even more about her on The Walking Dead wiki here.) She abused her daughter and let others rape her. But she still felt some kind of maternal instinct toward Lydia because when she disowned Lydia, she asked Rick to protect her. (Well, it’s a sure bet that won’t happen on the TV show.)
Alpha doesn’t just kill for survival, but to send a message to people who defy her. (That kind of sounds like Negan.) Not much is revealed about her pre-apocalyptic life in the comics. Over time, she became the leader of The Whisperers. In the comics, she first attacks Dante and tells him they are on the Whisperers’ land. She first introduces herself (and her army) to Maggie, saying she’s only there for her daughter. She’s ready to exchange Ken and Dante for Lydia. When she leaves with Lydia, Carl follows them to make sure Lydia is safe. (You can already see where things are diverging in the show just based on the characters involved.)
At one point, Rick tries to achieve peace with Alpha and tells Carl he thinks it’s possible, but Carl doesn’t believe it.
Alpha is ultimately killed in the comics, but we won’t share by who even here because that’s a huge spoiler.
It’s unclear how closely the show will follow the comics. Morton’s interview about Alpha makes it sound like she might be less savage than she was in the comics, but that remains to be seen.