Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S08 Finale

the-walking-dead-episode-816-rick-lincoln-935

While Walker Simon guards the gate, Eugene turns 100% traitor. Father Gabe will need to do more than pray to save his friends. Dwight has sent the wrong message, and now, Team Rick is walking into a trap. I don’t know what’s going to happen on tonight’s finale, but “The Walking Dead” is the only show that can keep my mind off a president that launches missiles as a distraction to cover up an affair. Meet me after the jump.

Wraith

Anger! Both Team Rick and Team Negan are harnessing their anger for the war, but there is time for talk. After we get a flashback to happier days when Rick and his very young son walked hand in hand on a farm road, Rick asks Siddiq how it happened. Siddiq tells Rick about his mother’s belief that walkers should be killed, but respectfully because they still had souls. Carl died honoring Siddiq’s mother’s wishes. It made sense to Rick. Siddig may have given Rick the closure he needed. His son, Carl, died honoring a woman he never met. If you’re going to die, it might as well be doing an act of kindness.

the-walking-dead-episode-816-michonne-gurira-3-935

After Eugene lets Negan test one of the bullets, the war begins in earnest. Negan is ready to fight, but first thing on the list is to kill the men who teamed up with Simon. Negan not only has them killed, but he leaves another false clue with one of the bodies. Negan, for some strange reason, takes Gabe into the car with him, Eugene, and Laura. Negan’s confession to the man of cloth is his boasting about the fake clue for Rick. Gabe jumps from the car but is quickly caught by Eugene and Laura. Negan could have killed Gabe, but he didn’t. Why? Was it Carl’s letter? Gabe needs to say a whole lot of Hail Mary’s to save his people.

Morgan

Our Ninja Warrior is losing it, and he’s scaring the hell out of Carol, and almost kills Henry. Morgan is still seeing the ghost of Jared, and Jared is speaking some good advice. Jesus also gives Morgan good advice: use one end of the stick (pointy) for the walkers, and the other end for the living. Morgan truly believes that he can’t die, but he’s had enough of the living.

Conclusion

I’m not sure how I feel about the season finale. It sure as hell wasn’t what I expected, but it was better than I feared. There was a hero tonight, and it was a total surprise. Rick and his people were outnumbered. They were surrounded with nowhere to go, but when the shooting began, Negan’s men died. It was Eugene’s bullets that saved the day. Eugene had not turned traitor after all.

the-walking-dead-episode-816-rick-lincoln-3-935

Where we expected enemies, we found friends. Alden has proven that he wants to be part of Hilltop. While Maggie’s people hid in the woods, Alden offered to stay behind with her, and Aaron’s visit to Oceanside, convinced the Amazon women to join the battle. Rick could have killed Negan. He would have been in his right to kill Negan, but you see…that letter from Carl changed everything, and we also have to give some credit to Morgan, our gentle Ninja.

Negan and Rick’s fight ends with Negan ready to swing Lucille at Rick’s head, but Rick asks for ten seconds to talk about Carl. It’s funny how a kid can affect people. Negan was fond of the boy. He would have killed Rick right off if it wasn’t for Carl. Maybe Negan saw something promising about the future when he first met the boy. I think this was the reason that Negan lowered his bat. Rick didn’t kill Negan, and for that, he’ll have to watch his back with Maggie. She is pissed off, and so is Jesus and Daryl. Negan will live, but he’ll spend his life in jail.

Eugene saved the day. Maggie, Jesus and Daryl are talking treason. Carol and Henry go home with Ezekiel and Jerry. Daryl gives Dwight a second chance for happiness. I hope Dwight finds his wife, because he owes her a honeymoon. Morgan goes to live at the Junkyard, and we learn that Jadis is really Anne. Gabe’s church is destroyed, but that’s okay because you won’t find GOD in any building. He lives in our hearts.

fear-the-walking-dead-episode-401-morgan-james-7-935

Morgan becomes a hermit and even though his friends try to talk him into coming home, he takes his staff and heads out on a journey… a journey that takes the fabulous Lennie James via a cross over to the fourth season of “Fear the Walking Dead” and the Clark family. Review will post on Monday.

I’ll miss Carl. I wish he didn’t have to die, but as we’ve seen in recent events with all the school shootings; it will be the children who will lead us into a better world.