Be warned! This review will cover aspects of the episode. Spoilers will lurk like groaning cover’budge ers…###Welcome back to what the Walking Dead team possess’own’nurse long been promising is a intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully different reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue . The episode is even called A New Beginning We time jump in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ward 18 months after the end of the All-Out War and, from the first evidence, things are indeed quite different. People smile! More than once! The communities of Hilltop, Alexandria, Oceanside (mentioned, not seen) and even the Sanctuary are trying to work toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her to figure out the next step in human society. Which mostly means looking to the past to establish the present. As the infrastructure around them starts to decay – bridges are cratered by storms and cover’budge er hordes, petrol is starting to run dry – they're turning to horse-powered transportation (except in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Darryl, who clings to his own steel horse in/with regard to’concerning’regarding dear life) and looking in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ways to use old fashioned methods.###But does this mean incoming executive manufacture r Angela Kang and the crew possess’own’nurse really made a transform’alter ? Well, there's no Negan this episode in/with regard to’concerning’regarding one, even if we are reminded that he's festering away in a prison cell. And the episode feels a lot like a new pilot in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this latest shift in direction, laying out the various tensions as the communities figure out who should provide the food and in return in/with regard to’concerning’regarding what. There's also Maggie truly embracing the leadership of Hilltop (replacing Gregory – more on him shortly) and starting to feel that maybe she has a better handle on the overall enormous’vast’massive’tremendous picture than Rick.###Another addressed by the episode – if not solved, because that would be far too easy – is the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue 's recent seeming lack in its own title characters. The zombies possess’own’nurse long since been decrease’lessen’cut’allay d to little more than a nuisance, but here the zombie-powered tension is once again cranked up by Kang and regular premiere director/undead make-up maestro Greg Nicotero, staging a grossly different kind of set-piece in the museum with the slowly cracking glass and the cart the team is trying to manoeuvre. It's effective and pulse-raising, and the zombies feel like an actual concern. Even if the pressure is released because the person in real danger is Ezekiel, and you're left fairly certain he won't perish just yet.###No, the real test here is young Ken, introduced in this episode and summarily offed a few minutes later. The episode does at least make a stab at having us feel in/with regard to’concerning’regarding his death, even if it then leads to the least effective subplot in this extended season premiere: Gregory. Despite Xander Berkeley's best exertion s, it's hard not to see Gregory as anything but his usual snake-in-the-grass, pain-in-the-ass self. Even giving an emotional tribute to Ken. The less said with regards to’concerning’with respect to his stupid, visible-from-space plan to off Maggie, the better, despite’in spite of’albeit we're at least glad some consequences eventually’ultimately came his way.###If the end of the All Out War run hadn't ended so quietly, A New Beginning might've made you feel a touch of whiplash in/with regard to’concerning’regarding how primarily quiet it was. Kudos in/with regard to’concerning’regarding finding something in/with regard to’concerning’regarding almost eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone to do beyond Rick and the core gang, and the seeds (pun entirely intended) possess’own’nurse been planted in/with regard to’concerning’regarding some decent storylines. We know that a Big Threat is just around the corner, but in/with regard to’concerning’regarding now this was a solid scene-setting outing that actually delivered on its promise and was entertaining in a way the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue has rarely managed in years.###Highlight: The museum haul.###Lowlight: Gregory's hackneyed scheme.###Kill of the week: Poor exkendable.###Quote of the week: "It can't happen on a horse!" – Carol, on Ezekiel's proposing to her as they ride back from the museum.###Zombie of the week: Scarecrow zombie!###MVP: Maggie, making the tough choice.###The enormous’vast’massive’tremendous question: If the Sanctuary is really so useless, why not just ship the individual off to the other communities to help out? More farmers, more scavengers. They could just leave Eugene's crew making fuel and some defensive fighters. Also, didn't they possess’own’nurse a working in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ge? If the plan is to go back to blacksmithing, wouldn't that help?###Read last season's reviews below… The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 1: *Mercy###The Walking Dead Season 8, Episode 2: The Damned###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 3: *Monsters###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 9: *Honor###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 10: *The Lost And The Plunderers###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 11: *Dead Or Alive Or###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 12: *The Key###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 13: *Do Not Send Us Astray###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 14: *Still Gotta Mean Something###The Walking Dead* Season 8, Episode 15: *Worth###The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC in the States and Mondays at 9pm on Fox.