‘The Walking Dead’: Ezekiel Proposes to Carol in Season 9 Premiere

During The Walking Dead season nine premiere, there was a bright spot in a dreary world dominated by zombies and death. Early on in the episode, a marriage proposal was unleashed.

The new season started after a time jump and we find Ezekiel (Khary Payton) now in a romantic relationship with Carol (Melissa McBride). Ezekiel tries to make a big gesture by telling Carol he loves her and proposed to her. However, she rejected him, saying she should not be proposed to while on a horse.

Carol turned him down immediately, and it appeared that this was not the first time Ezekiel popped the question. While the two are happy together, it looks like Carol does not want to take this relationship to another level.

Fans at home were not exactly impressed with the proposal.

“Trying really hard not to troll tonight but that was the lamest proposal in TV history,” one person wrote.

Fans also enjoyed seeing Carol pass on that.

A tight relationship between Carol and Ezekiel was teased during AMC’s season nine preview special. Actor Khary Payron praised McBride during one of his interviews, telling viewers she is “always amazing.”

“I’m personally having a lovely time,” Payton explained in his answer to a fan question about a potential wedding. “Working with Melissa is always amazing. I always say she is the best acting coach I’ve ever had! It just so happens, I don’t have to pay her. Whatever I’m feeling about a scene, she can say something or point something out, and my world changes.”

Showrunner Angela Kang also said in other interviews she plans to show new relationships between unexpected characters.

“We want to show what happens to people over time, the ways in which they change and grow,” she told The Wrap in July. “We want to look at these, like, very long-standing relationships between the characters who are now all so, so different from when we first met them.”

The second half of season nine will also show us how the characters will handle life without Rick, as Andrew Lincoln is leaving during the first half. Upcoming episodes will also include cameos from Jon Bernthal, Sonequa Martin-Green and the late Scott Wilson. However, these appearances did not materialize in the first episode. Wilson’s appearance was filmed only weeks before his death at age 76 on Saturday.

New episodes of The Walking Dead air on AMC at 9 p.m. ET on Sundays. New episodes of Talking Dead with Chris Hardwick air right after the new episodes.

While Talking Dead usually airs live, this weekend’s episode was taped at last week’s Los Angeles premiere, before Wilson’s death. Hardwick confirmed on Instagram that the episode will not feature a tribute to the actor, who played Hershel Greene.

Photo credit: AMC