How It's Gotta Be

"How It's Gotta Be" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the eighth season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and seventh episode of the series overall. It premiered on December 10, 2017. It was written by David Leslie Johnson & Angela Kang and directed by Michael Satrazemis.

Plot
Every story and battle from the first half of the season comes crashing together.

Synopsis
A visibly shaken up Rick tries to contact the snipers surrounding the Sanctuary but gets no response.

In a flashback, Rick and Carl discuss Siddiq and the war with the Saviors.

In the present, Rick leads the Scavengers to the Sanctuary only to discover piles of dead walkers and is greeted by gunfire. As Rick takes cover, he is abandoned by Jadis and the Scavengers, but is rescued by Carol and Jerry. As they drive away, the three decide to split up.

In the flashback, Carl and Rick continue discussing the Saviors and what might happen after the war.

In the present, Enid and Aaron are on their way to Oceanside, and Aaron mentions how he and Eric used to find people to bring to Alexandria. They discuss the risks concerning the people of Oceanside, decide to bring them a gift, and drive off to Roanoke Way Distillery.

In Alexandria, Michonne and Daryl talk about the situation at the Sanctuary. At the same time, Carl sits alone in a room, looking through papers and finds 'just survive somehow' written on a page. Elsewhere, Rosita and Tara unload some equipment.

Aaron and Enid, having found a truck marked 'Roanoke Way Distillery', stop and wait for people from Oceanside. After nightfall, Aaron sees a figure in the dark and both go to check it out. Aaron is attacked, but Enid shoots the attacker, who turns out to be Natania.

Back in Alexandria, Michonne finds Carl bringing supplies to a sewage entrance. Carl tells her that the items are meant for Siddiq. The duo's conversation is interrupted by Negan who bangs Lucille against the safeheaven's gates and offers them a deal over a loudspeaker: either the people of Alexandria can line up in front of their homes, decide who's going to be the offering for Lucille, have Rick killed in front of everyone and then everyone can move on with their lives or else the Saviors will bomb everyone with grenade launchers. Negan gives three minutes for them to decide while Carl decides to stall the Saviors while the Alexandrians head to the sewers. In a following scene, Jerry is seen crashing against an incoming vehicle.

At the Kingdom, Ezekiel is reading a note left by Jerry, sitting next to his throne and holding Shiva's leash. He then hears a truck slamming through the town's gates, and he escapes his throne room as Saviors pour in through the doors.

Maggie, Jesus, and a convoy are heading presumably towards the Sanctuary in the hopes that the Saviors will surrender. Maggie spots a fallen log which has blocked the road. Jesus assures her that trees can do that, but Maggie is sceptical and blames the Saviors. Maggie radios to the back of the convoy and tells them to turn around. With no response, the Saviors apprehend the convoy, and a truck parks in front of Maggie's car. From inside, it is revealed that Jerry was captured by the Saviors and is badly injured. He is then dragged outside along with a wooden box. Simon jumps out of the truck and states what a "damn nice night it is."

​Co-Stars

 * Kerry Cahill as Dianne
 * Lindsley Register as Laura
 * R. Keith Harris as Harlan Carson
 * Joshua Mikel as Jared
 * Briana Venskus as Beatrice
 * Nicole Barré as Kathy
 * James Chen as Kal
 * Peter Zimmerman as Eduardo
 * Mike Seal as Gary
 * Nadine Marissa as Nabila
 * Adam Fristoe as Dean
 * Mandi Christine Kerr as Barbara
 * Ted Huckabee as Bruce
 * Aaron Farb as Norris
 * Matt Mangum as D.J.
 * Alan Heckner as Savior
 * Karl Funk as Neil

Uncredited

 * Chloe & Sophia Garcia-Frizzi as Judith Grimes

Deaths

 * Natania
 * Neil
 * Dean
 * Many unnamed Saviors

Trivia

 * This episode marks Chandler Riggs' 75th appearance on the show.
 * Last appearance of Natania.
 * Last appearence of Neil.
 * Last appearence of Dean.
 * This episode is 88 minutes long, with commercials, according to AMC's schedule.
 * It is the fifth extended episode this season and the twenty-third overall.
 * It is the second mid-season finale to be extended, the first being "Hearts Still Beating".
 * This episode marks the first time that Rick and Daryl have appeared in all (8) episodes of an entire half season of the show ever since Season 2.
 * References to previous events are made in this episode:
 * In a flashback, Carl tells Rick "If you care, you do something; you don't just... hope." This is a callback to when Carl witnessed Rick telling Deanna "You want to live? You want [Alexandria] to stay standing? [...] Things don't get better because you 'want them to'. [...] If you don't fight - you die." in "Try".
 * Carl holds a piece of paper reading "Just Survive Somehow". This is a reference to "JSS" and Enid's motto throughout it.
 * It could also be a reference to when Carl told Enid "Just survive somehow..." when he locked her in a closet in "Last Day on Earth".
 * Carl's bite is a callback to Andrea, Jim, and Bob Stookey; both Carl and Andrea revealed their bites to Rick and Michonne when they are discovered suffering from a fever; Carl and Jim were both bitten on their abdomens; and Carl and Bob both hid their bites from the group.
 * Similarly to Andrea's death in "Welcome to the Tombs", Carl reveals a bite he's gotten, moments before the camera starts moving backwards from the spot.
 * Negan reminds how Carl had to kill his mother, referencing the conversation they had in "Sing Me a Song".
 * It is revealed in this episode that Carl got bitten on his lower torso by a walker in "The King, the Widow, and Rick" when with Siddiq.
 * Negan's attack and bombing of Alexandria is adapted from Issue 119 and Issue 120 from the Comic Series.
 * Dwight drawing his pistol and killing his own Saviors as well reminding Daryl he's on Alexandria's side and that he needs to be trusted is adapted from Issue 120.
 * Enid killing Natania while she was about to kill someone else was foreshadowed in "Something They Need", when she snuck up behind her ready to shoot her when she was holding Tara hostage.
 * Gavin telling the Kingdom that the Saviors will “hang their hats” at the Kingdom while the Sancturary is rebuilt is a callback to the first time the Saviors appeared in “Start to Finish”, where the Lead Savior told Daryl, Sasha Williams, and Abraham Ford that they will discuss who the Saviors are while they drive them back the Alexandria and “take a gander at where they hang their hats”.
 * Daryl reclaims his Wing-Vest from Dwight which he hasn't worn since "East".
 * This episode's title comes from Carl's speech to Rick about not killing all of the Saviors.
 * This episode continues the tradition of killing off a female character in the mid-season finale with the death of Natania.
 * Sophia Peletier was killed in "Pretty Much Dead Already".
 * Penny Blake and Donna were killed in "Made to Suffer".
 * Meghan Chambler, Lilly Chambler, and Alisha were killed in "Too Far Gone".
 * Beth Greene and Dawn Lerner were killed in "Coda".
 * Deanna Monroe was killed in "Start to Finish".
 * Olivia and Isabelle were killed in "Hearts Still Beating".