Jeez, Lydia is one messed up individual.

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 10 went in an interesting direction by diving into Lydia's past as we discovered just how twisted her mother is.

It was a surprising decision to touch upon Lydia and Alpha's backstory so soon, but it was an enthralling glimpse into both character's pasts that provided some great twists and juicy revelations along the way.

Flashbacks have always been far and few between on this series, so when they do occasionally make an appearance they always put a compelling story on display, and "Omega" was no exception.

Was anyone else surprised by the decision to showcase Lydia and her mother's past so soon?

Related: AMC launches ad-free streaming service

While their group had gotten teased for a while before their debut, the Whisperers are still a relatively new addition to the series, so to already try and humanize some of these characters so quickly after their introduction is a bit unexpected.

But I loved every second of it.

The Walking Dead is guilty of becoming a bit too predictable and monotonous over the last few seasons, so shaking up its storytelling mechanics is always a welcome change.

The purpose of the flashback was obviously to try and get us to sympathize with Lydia and her messed up past, and it mostly succeeded in that regard.

I still don't trust her as far as I can throw her, but after seeing how utterly insane and manipulative her mother is, it's difficult to no have some empathy for her.

The girl has some major issues, but we already knew that considering she's part of a group that wears dead people's skin.

Initially, the flashbacks insinuated that Lydia's father had a few screws loose, but the reveal that those memories were actually of her mother was a brilliant twist.

Granted we already knew that her mother is no saint considering that she's the leader of such a barbaric group, but showing Lydia's real memories of her mother replacing the corrupted ones of her father was done incredibly well.

It makes me wonder if Lydia's mother always had psychopathic tendencies.

It was rather alarming how easily she killed that man who was freaking out. She almost looked as if she was enjoying taking that poor fellow's life.

Some people ain't meant to be parents.

Daryl

• Permalink: Some people ain't meant to be parents.

The odds are that wasn't the first time she's done something like that considering how easy it seemed for her.

There's no doubt that Lydia's mother cares for her.

We've seen the likes of Rick and Daryl do questionable things to protect the people they care for, so one could easily argue that the horrific things that Alpha has done have only been to protect her child.

Being a fan of both the series and source material, learning about Lydia and Alpha's past brings about an interesting dynamic to their characters, as the comics never delved into either's backstory.

At the same time, it does take away a bit of the mystique surrounding this group.

Related: The Walking Dead Renewed for Season 10

Regardless, the flashbacks served their purpose in revealing just how brutal and dangerous Lydia's mother is.

Daryl: Your mom, where is she?
Lydia: Be glad you don't know.

• Permalink: Be glad you don't know.

My suspicion of Daryl using Henry to get information from Lydia proved correct, and as expected, Henry was mighty pissed when he found out Daryl had been using him.

And just when I think Henry can't possibly get any dumber, he goes and lets Lydia out of her cell.

What in the world was he thinking!? I've tried time and time again to give this kid the benefit of the doubt but he still continues to make one idiotic move after another, and it's beyond infuriating.

I'll likely have a red handprint on my forehead from that facepalm for a few days.

There was a brief moment where I had hoped that Henry was in on the charade and Daryl told him to release Lydia to see what she would do.

But no, Henry was only being Henry and let "psycho" girl out on his own.

If it weren't for Lydia reclaiming her actual memories, she likely would have killed Henry -- which in all honesty wouldn't have been the worst thing to happen.

Then again, I suppose there was never any real danger since Daryl was watching the whole ordeal from a distance.

He knew exactly what Henry was going to do.

Related: The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 9 Review: Adaptation

Now that Lydia remembers her mother's true nature, will Lydia voluntarily offer up information on her mother and the Whisperers, or will she be quick to rejoin her former group out of fear of what her mother might do?

And now that Alpha and the Whisperers have arrived on Hilltop's doorstep, things are about to get mighty interesting.

Daryl: What would your mom do if she crossed some of our people? Would she kill them?
Lydia: If she had to.

• Permalink: If she had to.

Other tidbits from the episode:

• No Negan this week. Bummer.
   
• Daryl was easily able to relate to Lydia's issues with her parents, as he had his share of problems with his abusive father.
   
• Henry mentioned Carol cutting her hair to prevent her abusive husband from grabbing her.
  
  It's possible this parallel's Lydia's mother shaving her head in the flashback. Could she have had a history of abuse which triggered her psychotic behavior?
   
• The Kingdom hasn't been showcased much throughout this season. Hopefully, we'll check in with Ezekial and the others soon. We need more Jerry!

Now it's time to hear from you, TV Fanatics.

What did you think of "Omega"?

Did the reveal of Lydia's traumatic childhood leave with sympathy for her?

Do you think Henry is actually developing a rapport with Lydia or is she just using him?

Hit the comments below and let me know.

You can always watch The Walking Dead online right here at TV Fanatic.