Last night’s return of “The Walking Dead” was brought to a cliffhanger conclusion with the arrival of Whisperers leader Alpha, being played in the series by two-time Oscar nominated actress Samantha Morton. We can’t wait to see Morton in action, and EW kicks off the week by previewing a few shots of her Alpha unmasked from this Sunday’s “Omega.”

Looks like the episode will devote some of its runtime to digging into Alpha’s backstory, which should be interesting. Head over to EW to see more images where these came from.

In the David Boyd-directed “Omega,” airing Sunday night, February 17…

A new arrival at the Hilltop opens up about the leader of a group of mask-wearing savages.  A search party sets out on a daring mission to find two missing friends.

The second half of Season 9 finds our groups of survivors, both old and new, continuing to deal with the impact of events that took place during the six years that have passed. Since the disappearance of Rick, many of these characters have become strangers to each other, and in some ways, strangers to themselves. What they do know is that they are in undeniable danger. They will soon realize the world just beyond does not operate as they thought.

The group’s rules and ways of survival no longer guarantee their safety. A whole new threat has crossed their paths, and they soon discover it’s unlike any threat they have encountered or endured before. The group will start to question what they think they see. What may appear to be normal in this post-apocalyptic world could actually be more disturbing and terrifying than when the apocalypse first broke out. All that is certain is the stakes are high and numerous.

Samantha Morton as Alpha – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Scarlett Blum as Young Lydia, Steve Kazee as Frank, Samantha Morton as Alpha – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Samantha Morton as Alpha – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC