Season 8 (TV Series)

Season 8 of AMC's The Walking Dead consists of sixteen episodes; it premiered on October 22, 2017. The show was renewed on October 16, 2016.

This season adapts material from Issues #115-126 of the Comic Series.

"Mercy"
Light plays across a sweating, seemingly exhausted Rick’s face.

Rick stands at the Hilltop graves, lost in thought.

Residents of Alexandria, Hilltop and the Kingdom prepare for battle at the colony; they prepare reinforcements and armour for their vehicles.

At the Sanctuary, a crossbow bolt pierces Dwight’s motorcycle tire. He unrolls the note that’s attached. It reads, “Tomorrow.”

Carol and Tara stand watch on a bridge. Tara checks the time. They spot a herd of walkers in the distance and smile.

Rick gives a rousing speech to the united communities, reminding them they’re fighting for their futures, for a bigger world. He vows to stop the Saviors and kill Negan, the only one who truly has to die. Maggie and Ezekiel echo Rick’s sentiments.

Dwight writes a response, secures the note to the bolt and shoots it back toward Daryl, waiting outside the Sanctuary.

Carol and Tara sit on the bridge and wait as the herd of walkers moves along the road below.

Rick sleeps in bed. His beard is full and white. Flowers sit on a nearby table. Hearing music, he wakes.

Carl searches a gas station for fuel. He comes across a nervous stranger who asks for help. He also says "May my mercy prevail over my wrath," adding that he's quoting the Koran. Carl raises his gun, but the man insists he just wants food. As Carl is considering his request, Rick appears and chases the man away with a gunshot above his head. Carl tells Rick that hope will not be enough in their struggle against the Saviors.

Daryl and Morgan kill Saviors at various lookout points. One by one, they cross the targets off a list supplied by Dwight.

In Alexandria, Rick and other community members mobilize for an attack on the Sanctuary.

Daryl joins Carol, Tara and Morgan on the highway.

Rick leaves Alexandria with a caravan of vehicles that have been retrofitted for battle. Rosita watches from her porch, still recovering. Michonne and Carl stay behind with a few other residents. As they watch the procession of vehicles, Michonne tells Carl that this is his show; Alexandria’s safety is in his hands.

En route to the Sanctuary, Rick comes across a lone Savior on watch; he stabs the man and sifts through his belongings. The injured Savior taunts Rick, telling him that he will kneel again before the Saviors, and that his son will die. Angered, Rick frees a walker tethered to a nearby electric post and leaves it to feast on the dying man. He then signals the caravan to proceed.

The caravan arrives in a large field, where members of all three communities are waiting. Dianne reassures Andy's safety as Tobin, Bertie, and Daniel chat nearby. Aaron approaches Eric and questions if he is praying. Scott and Freddie inspect armored vehicles as Jerry insists that Enid wear additional armor for her chest. Alvaroguides a leashed Shiva from a Kingdom bus. Other militia members mingle and mill about the clearing. Maggie insists on joining the initial phase of the fight, despite being pregnant. Ezekiel offers to let Maggie see the Kingdom’s doctor, but Jesus assures him they’ll retrieve Doctor Carson, who was previously taken by the Saviors. Rick vows to relinquish leadership and follow Maggie after the fight is over.

Carol, Daryl, Morgan and Tara wait on the highway until the herd arrives; they vacate the road in haste. Moments later, the SUV they parked on the exit ramp explodes. Dwight dispatches a large team of Saviors to investigate the explosion. Daryl and Morgan rig a tripwire across a road. They join Carol and Tara on a pedestrian overpass.

Rick’s group guns down two sniper lookouts at the Sanctuary as Dwight nonchalantly walks inside. The caravan arrives at the front gate, parking in formation to create a wall with the metal sheets retrofitted onto each vehicle. Maggie gives the signal and the group raises their guns toward the sky, shooting in unison. Negan steps out with his lieutenants.

Light plays across Rick’s face. He looks up at a stained glass window.

White-bearded Rick gets out of bed and finds Michonne in the dining room of their Alexandria home. He walks over to her with his cane, a noticeable limp in his stride. Carl joins them.

Rick tells Negan’s lieutenants — Dwight, Simon, Gavin, Regina and Eugene — that he will let them live if they surrender. No one accepts his offer.

The group on the overpass spots a walker nearing the tripwire.

Negan tells Rick that he lacks the numbers to win a fight against the Saviors. At Negan’s command, Simon brings Gregory outside. Gregory declares that the Hilltop stands with Negan and the punishment for fighting against the Sanctuary is banishment for the offenders and their families. “The Hilltop stands with Maggie!” Jesus shouts.

Morgan kills the stray walker endangering the tripwire and sees the caravan of Saviors in the distance.

Simon pushes Gregory down the stairs after deciding he’s no longer useful.

On the road, the Savior caravan trips the wire and sets off an explosion.

The explosion is heard at the Sanctuary. Rick tells Negan’s lieutenants to make up their minds; he begins firing when they don’t respond. Negan’s crew runs for cover in different directions. Rick’s group continues firing, blowing out the Sanctuary windows. The herd approaches, drawn by the explosion. Morgan and Tara get in a car, preparing to leave. Carol urges Daryl to be careful.

Rick’s group continues to spray bullets at the Sanctuary, then retreats to their cars for evacuation.

Daryl shoots a succession of explosive barrels while riding his motorcycle toward the Sanctuary, guiding the herd.

Gabriel positions the RV in front of the Sanctuary fence, and exits as it continues slowly moving forward. Rick uses the garage door opener to detonate the explosives in the RV, successfully breaching the gate. Negan takes cover behind a vehicle, as Rick continues firing at him. Gabriel urges Rick to evacuate. Before he goes, Rick uses an instant camera to snap a picture of the scene. Rick leaves as the herd closes in on the Sanctuary; Gabriel gets in his car, ready to follow suit. Just then, he sees Gregory crying for help and runs to his aid. Gregory jumps into Gabriel’s car and drives off, abandoning him.

Carl returns to the gas station and leaves two cans of food with a note, “Sorry.” The mysterious man watches from the bushes.

Rick’s group waits for Gabriel at their rendezvous point. Rick tells Daryl that Gabriel stayed behind to save him, but they can’t wait for him any longer. Daryl signals the group to get back in their vehicles. They prepare to enact the next phase of their plan.

A small group of soldiers from the militia (which includes Morgan, Tara, Jesus and Dianne) stands outside the fence of the satellite station outpost they previously cleared out. It has since been re-settled by Saviors. Morgan asks Dianne if she’ll be able to hit the guards through the fence using her arrows. She expresses doubt.

At a second Savior outpost, Daryl and Rick shoot a guard and enter the front gate.

Carol and Ezekiel lead another group toward a third Savior outpost. They see a Savior guarding the front entrance and shoot at him. However, they all miss and the Savior ducks behind a car for cover. He then throws a smoke grenade at the group which explodes, creating a big cloud of smoke.

Meanwhile, Walkers continue to flood into the Sanctuary's grounds. Gabriel takes cover inside a trailer only to find it already occupied by Negan. Walkers surround the trailer as they swarm the Sanctuary.

Judith, now a child of 6 or 7 years old, runs up to white-bearded Rick in the kitchen. They walk to the porch and see people setting up a festival across the street.

Lights dance on Rick’s face. He says to himself, "My mercy...prevails...over my wrath", chuckling.

Rick concludes his speech to the unified communities. He urges them to fight for tomorrow, assuring them they’ve already won. The crowd cheers, ready for battle.

"The Damned"
At a Savior outpost in an abandoned insurance office, a group of over a dozen Saviors are going about their business in the coutyard. The lieutenant, Mara, is overseeing activities and senses something is wrong. She orders the guards to lockdown the building, just as several vehicles from the Militia pull up at speed, their occupants opening fire. Several Saviors are gunned down and the rest take cover as Aaron, Eric, Tobin, Francine and numerous other Alexandrians exit their armoured vehicles and begin the assault.

Meanwhile, at the Satellite Outpost previously cleared out by the Alexandrians, Morgan, Tara, Jesus, Andy, Freddie and Dianne scout out the area. Having reclaimed the building, to provide extra protection from outside threats, the Saviors have constructed a moat surrounding it consisting of two fences filled in the middle with walkers. The group create a plan to distract the walkers, creating a gap and allowing Dianne to silently take out the guards with her bow. Elsewhere, at the Savior lookout post, Carol and Ezekiel lay stunned by the explosion of the grenade thrown by the lookout. As they recover, they are attacked by walkers, and are able to take them out with the help of the half dozen Kingdommers accompanying them. The Savior, Nelson, has escaped, and Carol warns that he will almost certainly be heading to the outpost in the woods to the north to warn them, in which case they will lose their advantage. Ezekiel confidently declares that they will catch up before he can do this, and tells one of his men to return to the staging area to bring the rest of the regiment along with Shiva.

Back at the office outpost, the militia and Savior frantically exchange fire. The Saviors are at a clear disadvantage, pinned into a relatively small area, outnumbered, and with inferior cover. Francine tells the others to keep them pinned so they will "have bigger problems than us." While this is happening, Rick, Daryl and three others enter the building from another direction, silently taking out the two guards. While the others stay behind to watch for Saviors retreating inside from the courtyard, Rick and Daryl go from room to room searching foe the weapons armory. Outside, Mara tells her people to try and create an opening to exploit. At the Satellite Outpost, Morgan attracts the walkers in the moat to a specific location, creating an opening which Dianne used to take out the two guards. They then enter the building armed with silenced handguns, taking out patrols as they make their way deeper into the compound alongside approximately two dozen militia soldiers. They form up outside the various inhabited rooms and await Jesus' signal to attack.

In the office building, Rick scrutinises the layout provided by Dwight. Upon rejoining with Daryl and having swept the ground floor, they deduce that the weapons, including 50 calibers, must be upstairs. Outside, Mara assumes that the Militia are too cautious to push up, and decides to take the initiative instead. When Scott raises his concern about the Saviors spreading out, Aaron reiterates that the plan is to keep them penned in. At the Satellite outpost, Jesus gives the signal, and the Militia soldiers burst into the rooms and begin taking out Saviors, catching them by surprise. Morgan, Freddie and Andy prepare to breach a door, but before they can do so, a Savior opens it, and they promptly gun him down. Unbeknownst to them, at least half a dozen others were behind a corner, and before they can react, Freddie and Andy are killed and Morgan is concussed.

Rick and Daryl arrive on the second floor, and Daryl expresses doubt that Dwight's instructions were accurate, but Rick points out that they have been so far. He tells Daryl that they will use the heavy artillery to take out the Saviors in the courtyard below, bringing a swift end to the battle. They split up. As they sweep the station, Jesus and Tara discover a Savior named Dean cowering in a closet, having seemingly peed himself in fear. He claims to be a worker from the Sanctuary forced from his family. Jesus decides to show mercy and let him live, but Tara is furious, desiring to kill all the Saviors out of revenge for Denise. Outside the room, Dianne and the others have been pinned down by Saviors, and the gunfire provides a distraction for Dean to take Jesus hostage, revealing his deception. Before he can shoot Tara, Jesus swiftly disarms him with his skills in martial arts. Regardless, he refuses to kill Dean, instead choosing to tie him up, much to Tara's disgust. Over the radio, the Saviors order a retreat from the outpost, so they join the others to press the attack. Morgan awakens, wounded but alive. He loads two handguns and pursues the fleeing Saviors.

At the battle in the office courtyard, Tobin is shot in the shoulder and taken out of the fight. As some of the fallen Saviors begin to reanimate around her, Mara realises, too late, that the militia never intended to press an attack. She is swiftly set upon by a walker and killed. In the woods, Ezekiel, Carol and the Kingdommers pursue Nelson, leaving a trail for the others to follow. Carol is pessimistic of their chances if he makes it back to the outpost, by Ezekiel reasons that pessimism doesn't bare thinking about, and remains confident of a successful outcome. They discover fresh blood, indicating that one of them hit Nelson, thereby slowing him down. With renewed optimism, they pick up the pace. Daryl searches the office block room to room and discovers a small cavity with a shackled handcuff and stale food; it is a cell for torture, similar to the one he was subjected to at the Sanctuary. Meanwhile, Rick finds a large living space, with a neatly kept bedroom. As he tries to break into a locked room, he is attacked by a Savior. The two grapple on the floor, the man pins Rick to the ground and repeatedly punches him in the face, but is forced off. They exchange blows and the man knocks Rick's gun away when he draws it. Rick finally gains the upper hand, kicking the man repeatedly before grabbing him in a headlock and demanding the location of the guns. The Savior denies the presence of any firearms, and as he is chocked out, an exhausted Rick throws him against a spike on the wall, impaling him.

At the Satellite Station, Morgan marches through the compound, killing every Savior he encounters in a trance-like state. He remembers the exchange he had with Rick several weeks earlier when he tried to talk them down from fighting the Saviors. Outside, Jesus leads the rest of the fighters to the back exit of the compound, intercepting around a dozen fleeing Saviors, including Alden, who appear to consist mostly of workers. Heavily outnumbered and outgunned, they surrender without a fight, but Tara angrily declares that even if Maggie listens to Jesus' reasoning, Rick will listen to hers. Meanwhile, Morgan continues his killing spree, before finally emerging outside. Still reeling and unbalanced, he is shocked to see the Militia taking hostages. He remembers his argument with Rick over whether or not it is worth preserving life, even that of an enemy. He is shaken from his trance when he sees Jared amongst the captured Saviors. He is prevented from killing him by Jesus, who insists that they do not kill those who surrender. Eduardo takes a polaroid photograph of the Saviors.

In the office building, Rick retrieves keys from the dead Savior's pocket, and enters the locked room. Inside, to his shock and horror, he finds a decorated child’s room, and a baby called Gracie, no more than a few months old, asleep in a crib. Realising that he had killed the infant's father, Rick reels in disgust and dismay. Back in the woods, Ezekiel and the Kingdommers finally catch up with the retreating Savior, just as the rest of their regiment, over two dozen strong, arrive on their heels. Shiva intercepts the Savior and mauls him to death. In the office courtyard, the militia start to take losses as the Saviors desperately try to push them back. Francine is amongst those killed, shot in the chest when she became distracted. Eric is witness to her death, and is visibly upset. Aaron and Scott attempt to get better angles on their adversaries, and Aaron sees that Eric is pinned down. He uses a Car to run over and kill three Saviors before rushing to his side. He is horrified to discover that Eric has been shot in the stomach and is bleeding profusely. He desperately carries him away from the firefight.

Ezekiel and his people regroup in the woods, where they hear on the radio that the nearby Savior outpost is sending out an active patrol, indicating that they know the Kingdommers are coming. Despite the concern of his closest advisors, Ezekiel is unfazed, and confidently prepares for the upcoming attack.

Rick comes across another living quarter in the office outpost, and discovers an old family photograph, which seemingly startles him. Just then, a man comes up behind Rick and holds him at gunpoint. As he turns, Rick is astonished to see Morales, alive and well, and clearly hardend by survival. He acknowledges Rick, who tells him that he was in Atlanta. Morales retorts that it was a long time ago, and firmly tells Rick that it is over; he reveals that he has called the Saviors back. A stunned Rick is at a loss for words.

"Monsters"
Deep in the woods, Ezekiel rallies and motivates his troops, over three dozen strong for the upcoming assault on the nearby Savior outpost. Carol notes that the Saviors most likely have the advantage of superior numbers, but agrees with Ezekiel that the Kingdommers have strategy on their side. Ezekiel is confident that if they stick to the plan, they will not lose a single person. Over the radio, the Saviors organize their forces. Later, Ezekiel leads a small number of his regiment through the woods, where they soon hear Saviors whistling. They are quickly confronted by a group of around 20 Saviors, who hold them at gun point. Carol emerges from the long grass with the rest of the Kingdommers and shoot the Saviors from behind, while Ezekiel's group drop to their knees and open fire as well, killing them all and sustaining no casualties.

Meanwhile, at the Office Outpost, Rick is held at gunpoint by Morales who orders him to disarm, realizing that he is the "Rick from Alexandria" the Saviors had been told about. He calls Rick a monster, and reveals that Negan has ordered Rick, the widow, and the king be kept alive if possible. He questions Rick's motives and angrily tells him that the Saviors will settle the score. Outside, the Battle rages on as the Saviors take more casualties. They receive Morales' order to return inside and do so immediately, killing the two men Rick and Daryl took with them. Aaron helps a gravely injured Eric away from the fight, and leans him up against a tree. The bullet went straight through his abdomen. Aaron regrets encouraging him to join the fight, but Eric disagrees. He tells a distraught Aaron to get back in the fight, which he reluctantly does.

Elsewhere, the Hilltop and Alexandrian forces that attacked the Satellite Outpost are escorting the around 30 captured and shackled Saviors along a road at by armed guard. Jared annoys Morgan by whistling loudly. Jesus remarks that they aren't far from the Hilltop, but Morgan is still angry with the decision to spare the lives of the Saviors. Jesus insists it was the right thing to do despite, telling him that no matter what they've done, they're still people. He firmly says that they don't execute people. Morgan retorts that he has in fact done so in the past.

Back at the Office Outpost, Rick inquires of Morales' family, and he reveals that they died on the way to Birmingham not long after they left the rest of the group. Morales refuses to accept Rick's sympathy even when he reveals some of the many people he has lost too. Rick recounts Glenn's horrific death at the hands of Negan, and how he met Maggie in the apocalypse, much to Morales' surprise. Morales tell him that he lost his mind after his family died, and that on his way north, he was found by the Saviors, giving him a sense of purpose since they saw value in him. Thus he declares himself to be "Negan" too, and tells Rick that they are the same; two assholes ready to do whatever is necessary to survive. He taunts Rick when he tries to reason with him, asserting that "Officer Friendly" died with the others. Just then Daryl arrives behind Morales and fires a bolt through his face as he turns around, despite Rick's protests. Daryl asks if he found the guns, and Rick replies in the negative. As they prepare to leave, the surviving Saviors from outside attack.

On the road, Jared continues to annoy Morgan, eventually mocking Benjamin's death. As Morgan snaps and holds him at gunpoint, a number of walkers roll down a nearby hill towards the convoy and chaos erupts. Two Saviors are killed, and as the Militia members are preoccupied with the threat, a group of 10 Saviors led by Jared make a break for it, running off into the woods. Morgan gives chase, firing at them as they flee. When he catches up to them, he kills the one that caused them to slow down, and is only stopped from executing the rest by Jesus' intervention. Dianne and 3 other Militia members escort the Saviors back to the road while Jesus tries to reason with Morgan, who insists that the Saviors will not and cannot change. He begins to mentally break down, ranting about how things never change. He insists that the Militia have to be killers just like the Saviors in order to survive. Jesus says that after the war is won they will have to find a way to live with the Saviors, but Morgan refuses to listen. He attacks Jesus who dodges his attacks and kicks him back. Morgan forms up with his Aikido and attacks again.

Ezekiel reminds his troops that the Saviors they just took out were only one garrison from a compound of 3. Later, they stealthily take out the 3 guards stationed at a building occupied by Saviors, before entering and killing the inhabitants, the first of 3 locations that make up the Outpost. Shortly thereafter, they ambush a second group of around 40 Saviors, killing them all. In the office Outpost, Rick and Daryl are pinned down in a hallway by 6 Saviors. Morgan and Jesus continue to fight. Jesus tries to get through to him, but Morgan is unresponsive, and continues to attack, to Jesus' confusion. He is able to avoid Morgan's strikes with his stick, and take advantage of the openings he leaves to wear him down. Still Morgan refuses to stop. He scores a hit on Jesus' stomach, severely winding him, and another on his arm, but Jesus blocks the third hit and kicks Morgan away. As he goes in for another kick, Morgan maneuvers back out of his reach, and takes his standing leg out from beneath him. He tries in vain to score several lethal hits as Jesus dodges and gets to his feet, knocking an increasingly erratic Morgan to the ground. He uses trees as cover to evade most of Morgan's strikes but is eventually apprehended and knocked to the floor. He manages to get to his feet and disarm his opponent, knocking him away with another kick. When he returns him his stick, Morgan holds it to his throat as Tara and Dianne arrive. Morgan finally snaps out of his trance, in a state of confusion, realizing what he has done. He tells Jesus that he isn't right, but that doesn't make him wrong either. He concludes that he can't be a part of the war, and leaves on his own.

Meanwhile, Rick and Daryl are on the cusp of running out of ammo. Rick shoots a fire extinguisher, creating cover to take out the Saviors at close range as Aaron and the Militia arrive with supporting fire, killing the remaining Saviors.

At the Hilltop, Enid is on guard duty when she spots Gregory arriving in the car he took from Gabriel at the Sanctuary. He pleads to be let back in. Maggie meets him at the gate and asks him what he's doing back at the colony after what he did. Gregory lies about finding the car empty, and arrogantly tells her that he built the Hilltop long before Maggie arrived. Maggie furiously tells him to shut up and stop pretending he didn't try to sell the community out to Negan. He protests that he was trying to save lives but Maggie tells him the people are fighting for a better life. She calls him a coward, and reveals that Kal told them that Gregory wanted to warn Negan of the Militia's intentions to fight. Kal overhears Gregory insulting him, and gives him the middle finger. Maggie makes to leave Gregory on his own outside the walls, but changes her mind when he desperately pleas for mercy, saying that he was scared and unsure if they could win in a fight against the Saviors. He apologizes and makes a scene. After listening to his pathetic cries, she lets him in, telling Enid that he isn't worth killing. Just then, Jesus' group arrives with the captured Saviors. Gregory immediately insists that they can't stay, but Maggie sends him away while she talks to Jesus. Tara says she agrees that they shouldn't be allowed to stay, and Maggie notes that with families and children at the Hilltop, the arrangement would be dangerous. Jesus insists they can't kill those who surrendered, and makes plans to keep them under armed guard in two empty trailers.

The battle at the office outpost is over; it is a victory of the Militia. Numerous reanimated Saviors are put down. Rick takes Polaroid photographs of the carnage. Wounded Militia soldiers are transported away in a pickup truck and the dead are prepared for burial. Aaron returns to where he left Eric, but finds him gone. In the distance, he sees the reanimated corpse of his boyfriend, shambling towards an oncoming herd. He breaks down in fits of sobs, and is escorted away by Scott. Rick retrieves Gracie from the building, and Aaron volunteers to take her to the Hilltop since he planned to go there with Eric after the battle to inform Maggie.

Rick and Daryl prepare to part ways, with Rick intending to talk to the Scavengers alone. They take fire from a lone Savior, Todd, hiding behind a tree. Rick negotiates his surrender by promising his safety if he tells them where the missing heavy guns are. He gives the man his word. Todd, injured from the battle, cautiously emerges and tells them the M2 Browing 50 caliber machine guns were moved to Gavin's outpost to the west, the day before. Daryl shoots him dead, much to Rick's shock. He remarks that Ezekiel's forces are at Gavin's outpost.

There, Daniel reports to Ezekiel that they sustained no casualties in the assault. He is delighted with the news, and informs Carol, who remains cautious and tells him they need to sweep the compound to be sure there are no survivors. He agrees and lets Carol taken point. While his men begin putting down the Saviors as they start to reanimate, Ezekiel tells Daniel that it was them or the Saviors. He notices a window in one of the buildings and realizes they are being watched. He yells for his troops to scatter as 50 caliber machine gunfire begins to rain down upon them. His closest advisers swiftly knock him to the ground, shielding him from the hail of bullets.

"Some Guy"
The episode starts with a flashback to the Kingdom as they prepare for the upcoming war with The Saviors. Ezekiel dons his king attire before meeting with the townsfolk. His soldiers say their farewells to their families before heading off into battle.

Ezekiel addresses the people, acknowledging the hardships that his troops will face on the path to victory, and his certainty of their eventual triumph. He gathers the community together in a joyous embrace.

The scene cuts to the aftermath of the .50 cal assault. Bodies lay in pieces on the ground - the entire Kingdom army had been slaughtered. Ezekiel's hand bursts out from underneath the pile of bodies that had shielded him from the attack. Climbing out, a distressed Ezekiel observes his former soldiers on the ground, ripped apart by the hail of bullets. He stops over Daniel's body, letting out a scream of despair, before he notices that some of the fallen Kingdommers have begun to reanimate, including Daniel. Suffering from a severe leg injury and finding that most of his dead men's weapons are low on ammo, he can only crawl away before he is saved by Alvaro, who managed to survive the onslaught. He helps him to his feet.

In the outpost, the Saviors pack the .50 cal machine guns back into their cases for use at the Sanctuary. Carol approaches from the hallway, hiding when she hears another Savior calling out from behind, rushing the other Saviors into working faster. As they all gather into the joining room, they are all suddenly gunned down. Carol clambers down from within the ceiling panels. As she puts down the remaining Saviors, she is spotted by another group, prompting her to hastily escape. The men decide to ignore her, prioritizing the weapons' transportation.

As Alvaro helps Ezekiel to walk, he is suddenly ambushed and shot through the chest by another Savior, who captures Ezekiel and forces him in another direction, towards the outpost. Taking his sword, Gunther reveals his plan to escort Ezekiel to the Sanctuary. Ezekiel reminds him that the fences had been destroyed and that the compound is overrun. Gunther, however, figures that Ezekiel could be his way through the problem, by forcing him to assist with the transportation of the machine guns to the compound. As they walk, they are being tailed by a large herd of walkers.

Carol manages to catch up to the second group of Saviors as they begin loading the heavy weapons into a truck.

Gunther pushes Ezekiel too hard, causing him to collapse from his injured leg. Ezekiel refuses to let Gunther or the Saviors use him against his people, but Gunther insults the Kingdommers before standing on Ezekiel's leg and forcing him back on his feet. On the way forward, Gunther denounces Ezekiel's title and the Kingdom's way of life, exclaiming that under his kingly appearance and mannerisms is just "some meaningless conman in a costume".

Carol attempts to ambush the Savior crew, but is fired upon by two of the men, forcing her to take cover.

Gunther and Ezekiel make it to the outer fence of the outpost. As Gunther looks for a way in, Ezekiel attempts to retrieve his sword, but is incapacitated and has the weapon taken away from him again. Gunther marks Ezekiel's face with three lines of blood and mocks him before taking him further along the fence.

Carol is cornered by the Saviors, who are still peppering her hiding place with bullets.

Gunther and Ezekiel reach the main gate, where Gunther discovers to his dismay that the gate is padlocked. Ezekiel notes that the herd is bearing down on them and asks for his sword back, suggesting they fight them together. Gunther instead rips off his overcoat, intending to use it to safely climb over the razor wire fence and into the outpost. Ezekiel protests, reminding him of his injured leg, but Gunther kicks him to the ground, declaring that while Negan intended to have the three Militia leaders chained to the Sanctuary fences, he decided to take matters into his own hands with Ezekiel by beheading him and setting his head on a pike. As he gloats and brings Ezekiel's sword up, he hears a scream before he is completely bisected with one swing of Jerry's axe.

As Carol hides from the gunfire, she looks up and notices a button that activates the nearby gate. She slowly disarms herself and, putting on an act, offers to inform the Saviors of the whereabouts of her comrades.

Jerry, battered from the war, helps Ezekiel to his feet and props him against the fence. He puts down two former Kingdommers with Ezekiel's sword before returning it to him with a "your Majesty". Ezekiel, discouraged by Gunther's taunts and insults, denounces this, but Jerry insists that he continue bestowing that title on him. He takes his axe and begins swinging at the chain on the gate.

Deciding to take up Carol's offer, Yago, the leader of the crew, asks where her people are. Carol stalls long enough to disarm one of the Saviors who approached her, and demands that they lower their weapons. Joey pleads for Yago to comply, but he is ignored and is promptly shot in an attempt to kill Carol. Carol, in turn, manages to open Gate 04, allowing a group of walkers to stumble in.

Jerry continues to swing at the chain, but finds that it's not breaking. In a last attempt to breach it, he slips the axe's handle through the chain and tries to wrench it off, but breaks the axe head off in the process. The men find that the herd is closing in on them. With no time to break the gate open, both men decide to fight off the herd.

Carol re-arms herself and takes the fence gate keys from Joseph's body. Two of the Saviors are killed by the group of walkers, diverting Yago and the other Savior's attention away from Carol.

Ezekiel and Jerry begin to fight back against the oncoming herd. Jerry takes a moment to thank Ezekiel for "being such a cool dude" before continuing the slaughter.

After the two remaining Saviors clear out most of the walkers, they hide from Carol's gunfire. She declares that both parties need to end their conflict there and now and affirms that the .50 cal guns aren't getting to their destination. She moves in to finish them off, but finds Ezekiel and Jerry in danger.

Flashing back to the Kingdom during preparations for the war, Carol asks if Ezekiel's fought before, to which he confirms, adding that he is ready to fight in the upcoming battle and become a warrior. He recounts his former career as a zookeeper, describing his saving of Shiva as a seconds-long decision of whether or not to become the person who would take the risk to better those in need. He further recounts Benjamin's words to him several years afterwards - "If you're asked to be the hero, be the hero."

He asks Carol if becoming the stronger person she is now was part of her nature or if it was a choice, like Ezekiel's. She affirms the latter.

In the present, Ezekiel and Jerry continue to fight the herd, but Ezekiel begins to fatigue. Carol decides to assist them, mowing down half of the herd with Joseph's rifle, as the two Saviors drive away with the machine guns. As Carol opens the gates, Ezekiel inquires about the heavy weapons. Carol responds that nothing can be done about them at the moment. Ezekiel is dismayed at this revelation and opts to warn Rick, but Carol, hearing a motorcycle and a truck in the distance, assures him that the guns won't make it to the compound.

The two Saviors make a hasty getaway with the guns in tow, with Rick and Daryl in hot pursuit. One of the Saviors mans one of the guns and begins firing at the two, managing to cause Daryl to swerve off the road. Rick stays on their trail. Yago evades walkers on the road, throwing off the other Savior's aim and causing him to stumble. As he regains his position and continues to shoot at the other truck, Rick veers to the side, allowing Daryl, who caught up with the pursuit, to open fire on the Savior, hitting him several times and apparently killing the man.

Rick manages to catch up to Yago's truck and jumps on board, stabbing him in the gut and pushing him out of the vehicle before crashing it on the side of the road. Daryl arrives at the scene and meets up with Rick as both contemplate the condition of the .50 cal machine guns. They approach the truck to check on the remaining Savior.

Carol, Ezekiel and Jerry fight their way through more walkers. Ezekiel begins to falter and begs the others to leave him, knowing he'll slow them down with his injury, but they refuse. They eventually reach a polluted creek bed, where more walkers are roaming. They manage to push through, but Ezekiel turns back, fighting off the approaching walkers and yelling for the others to leave him. Jerry refuses to leave, feeling it is his duty to protect his king, but Ezekiel rejects his title, iterating that he is just "some guy".

Suddenly, Shiva jumps into the fray, mauling walkers and violently throwing several aside. As Ezekiel watches helplessly, Shiva is set upon and ripped apart by the small herd, staining the waters red, but allowing ample time for the three soldiers to escape. Ezekiel breaks down, totally devastated in losing his beloved friend and companion.

The three make it back to the Kingdom, battered, bruised and broken. The townspeople gather to find that Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry are the only survivors of the fight. Broken-spirited, Ezekiel is at a loss for words and, unable to address the mourning crowd, limps off to his quarters.

"The Big Scary U"
In a flashback, Negan, Dwight, Eugene, Simon, and Negan's other lieutenants listen to Gregory plead his case for the Saviors to spare the Hilltop community, vowing to evict any of those going along with Rick's plan from the community. Simon assures Gregory that he trusts him despite Negan's non-plussed nature. Just then, gunshots ring out, signaling the start of Rick's attack.

In the present, Negan and Fr. Gabriel are trapped in a trailer surrounded by walkers within the fences of Sanctuary. Negan doesn't kill Gabriel, but does express concern that without his leadership, the Saviors will start to fall apart. Gabriel believes he ended up trapped with Negan to help him confess, specifically speaking to him about how he treats the workers within Sanctuary as well as his wives. Negan wavers a bit, describing his life pre-epidemic, including having worked with kids and his wife, but then explains that after the epidemic, he came across numerous groups feuding against each other, and gained control of their key leaders as to form the Saviors. Negan lets his guard down as Gabriel explains his own past and the death of his congregation. This allows Gabriel to grab his gun before locking himself in the trailer's second room. Negan opens up about his first wife, prior to the epidemic, and convinces Gabriel they have to work together to get out of this mess.

Within the Sanctuary, Simon discusses the situation with the other lieutenants, believing Negan may be dead, and the power vacuum that that creates. Gavin raises the possibility that the only way Rick's army could have taken them like they did was if they had inside information, likely from someone in the room. Dwight, who secretly did provide this, diverts their attention to the growing issues of the workers who are becoming restless being holed up in the building. They decide to take no immediate action. As they return to their rooms, Eugene brings Dwight a jar of gherkins as an expression of thanks. Eugene notices a chess set that Dwight has been working on, and inadvertently picks up a piece that still has wet paint on it. Later, Simon makes a decision to turn off the Sanctuary's power since they cannot access the fuel reserves.

The workers, suffering from the heat, move up onto the second floor, against their normal orders, knowing something is wrong and they demand to see Negan. The lieutenants try to vouch for him when suddenly they hear Negan's whistling, and they all fall onto their knees. Negan and Gabriel, who escaped the trailer by covering themselves in the viscera of the walkers, have made it safely here. Negan reaffirms his power, and the workers quickly agree to return to work. Negan orders Gabriel to be kept in a cell. Later, Negan and the lieutenants find some of the weapon bags left by Rick's group, and realize that the weapons they had were stolen from the Sanctuary. Eugene observers the bag and sees a spot of paint on it, the same color as that on his finger from touching Dwight's chess set. Privately, Negan tells Eugene he will reward him handsomely if he can figure out the mole within the Saviors, but at the same time will kill him if he can't, albeit quickly. Eugene later goes to see Gabriel and finds him suffering, and calls for medical attention.

Elsewhere, Rick and Daryl deal with the truck that was transporting weapons back to the Sanctuary. Daryl violently interrogates the driver, barely alive, to try to learn more but Rick suggests other ways. The man shortly dies, so they turn their attention to the weapons. They find a supply of dynamite and Daryl thinks they can use it for the fight, but Rick protests thinking there is a better way. The two get into a fight, during which Rick grabs the bag with the dynamite and throws it back at the truck, causing it and the rest of the weapons it carries to explode. They return to their vehicles, but Rick finds his truck does not start, and Daryl refuses to give him a ride. The two men bitterly separate. Rick continues on his own until he sees a helicopter fly overhead and gives chase. Rick is spotted by a Scavenger as he approaches the Junkyard.

"The King, the Widow, and Rick"
On a desolate road, Rick retrieves two letters hidden in a small pile of junk. Meanwhile, at the Kingdom, messengers deliver two letters to Carol with reports from the Alexandria and Hilltop soldiers. Back at Alexandria, Tara and the Alexandria fighters return home. She gives two letters to Michonne and Carl with reports about the Kingdom and Hilltop outpost battles. And at Hilltop, Aaron returns with baby Gracie and hands two letters to Maggie.

The recipients read the letters, which update them on the outpost battles and the state of the other communities.

In her messages, Maggie explains how Jesus brought Saviors back to the Hilltop as prisoners. Carol's note from the Kingdom recounts that everyone was killed during the attack on the Savior outpost, except for herself, Ezekiel and Jerry. In his letter, Rick reports that their plan is working, walkers surround the Sanctuary and their snipers are standing guard to make sure no one escapes; meanwhile, conditions are worsening for those inside. He explains that he’s on his way to execute the next stage of the plan and will meet everyone at the Sanctuary in two days to end this.

At the Heaps, Jadis builds a wire sculpture in the middle of the junkyard, but is interrupted by three loud knocks at the storage container entrance. Unsure, she signals two guards to get the door.

Jesus hands out food to the Savior prisoners who are chained up outside the Hilltop wall. Maggie admonishes him for wasting food on the Saviors, but Jesus defends his decision to feed the POWs.

At the Kingdom, Carol pounds on the auditorium door, urging Ezekiel to help her muster fighters so they can rendezvous with Rick, but she gets no response. On her way out, Henry follows her and offers to help fight the Saviors, but she angrily turns him away.

Rick shows Jadis some instant photos of dead Saviors in the aftermath of the three outpost battles, as proof of their impending defeat. He asks Jadis, once again, to join his alliance. Jadis rejects his offer as Scavengers take his weapons and lead him deeper into the Heaps.

At the Hilltop, Gregory advises Maggie to ignore Jesus and recommends she follow her gut in regards to the POWs. He warns that they can’t have wolves wandering amongst the sheep.

In Alexandria, Michonne recuperates from the battle wounds obtained during Negan’s attack on Alexandria, Unable to wait any longer, Michonne decides to see the besieged Sanctuary with their own eyes. Rosita tags along after a failed attempt at convincing Michonne to stay.

Meanwhile, Tara is surprised to find Daryl waiting on her porch; when she vows to kill Dwight after the war is over, Daryl proposes they kill him together and suggests they don’t have to wait.

Jesus guards the POWs overnight and hears sounds of construction coming from within the Hilltop walls. Unsettled by the mysterious sounds, Alden tells Jesus that he merely joined the Saviors for the security that Negan provides.

While on the road, Michonne and Rosita hear music in the distance. They get out of their car and follow the sound until they arrive at an empty building.

Carl returns to the woods, in search of the man he met at the gas station. He finds the mysterious stranger and gives him food and water. After introducing themselves, he learns the man’s name is Siddiq. Carl tells Siddiq about his community and asks him Rick's three screening questions. Siddiq explains that he’s killed 237 walkers to honor his mother, because she believed killing them freed their souls. Carl then invites him to Alexandria.

In the woods, Carol finds Henry fighting two walkers with his stick. She shoots the walkers and admonishes the young boy for putting his life in danger. Henry, still seeking revenge for Benjamin’s death insists on fighting the Saviors. After some consideration, Carol relents and gives him a gun.

At the Hilltop, Enid instructs Jesus to bring the Saviors inside the walls.

Inside, Jesus sees a newly built holding cell. As the Saviors file into the makeshift pen, Maggie declares that they will not mistreat the prisoners. She then sends Gregory into the pen with the Saviors, despite his loud protests. Jared tries to escape, but Maggie hits him with the butt of her rifle, knocking him down.

On their way to Alexandria, Carl and Siddiq come across a small group of walkers feeding on a dead elk. Carl suggests they kill the walkers to honor Siddiq’s mom. After a slight struggle, they kill all the walkers and continue towards Alexandria.

Michonne and Rosita sneak into the building and overhear two Saviors plotting to use the loud music to draw the herd away from the Sanctuary. Michonne’s light movement alerts the Saviors to their presence. Rosita takes down one of the Saviors with a rocket launcher, but the other Savior escapes in a truck.

The escapee drives out of the building in a jerry-rigged truck with giant audio speakers tied to its flatbed, expecting the blaring music to redirect the herd away from the Sanctuary. Out of nowhere, a garbage truck rams into the Savior’s truck, stopping it in its tracks. Daryl and Tara climb out of the garbage truck and shoot the driver.

Michonne explains the Savior’s foiled plan to Daryl and Tara. Daryl declares that they have a lot more work to do.

Carol enters the Kingdom auditorium and urges Ezekiel to resume his role as king, pointing out that his people need him. Ezekiel insists that after his failure he can no longer play their king, and tells Carol to leave him alone.

Inside the Hilltop’s POW pen, Jared quietly tries to free his tied-up hands, slowly cutting the rope with a rock. Alden, worried that Jared will get them killed, knocks the rock from his hand. Jared smirks, predicting that they’ll be able to take over the Hilltop. Gregory silently witnesses the exchange.

In the library, Aaron shares his feelings of loss with Maggie, who understands his pain firsthand. Jesus arrives with an update and reports that Gregory is in the process of sucking up to the Saviors. Jesus thanks Maggie for sparing the POWs, but Maggie shuts him down, saying that the prisoners will be good hostages to trade in the future and warns Jesus that they can’t let any untraded Saviors live.

Enid sees Aaron getting in his car and asks where he’s going. “To make sure we win,” he says. She agrees with his sentiment and joins him.

Daryl’s group parks close enough to the Sanctuary for Michonne to view the siege through a detached rifle scope. Daryl declares that they’re ending this now.

At the Heaps, Jadis writes an “A” on Rick’s cell door. Rick sits in the dark, alone but composed.

"Time for After"
Rick sits in the dark container, thinking to himself, when the doors are opened. Jadis stands outside with a camera. Rick informs her that his proposed deal still stands. Jadis begins taking photos of Rick at different angles. When questioned, Jadis responds that she intends to use the photos as references for a sculpture she plans to create of him, before the container doors are shut again.

Eugene sits in his room, attempting to brainstorm a list of facts he knows about the current situation. He then confronts Dwight in his room and makes it known that he is aware of his involvement in Rick's plan. He attempts to talk Dwight down from any further opposition in exchange for keeping his involvement a secret, but Dwight insists that, with all that is occurring, the Saviors are sure to face defeat. Eugene refuses to defy Negan and walks out, warning Dwight not to try anything else that would result in any harm to the Sanctuary's inhabitants.

Eugene observes the front doors of the compound, still swarmed with walkers. He asks Laura how long the barricades will hold - she theorizes at least one or two days.

Eugene is called to the infirmary by Dr. Carson, who is tending to Gabriel's worsening condition. Carson speculates several infections, and that Gabriel does not have long before his situation grows dire. While he shows concern due to not having the right medicine, Eugene condemns Gabriel's actions as a member of Rick's militia, deeming it partially his fault for his current condition.

Carson leaves Eugene in charge of watching Gabriel while he ventures to the marketplace to search for the appropriate medicine. Gabriel awakens, asking if Eugene is willing to help him break Carson out of the compound. Eugene reminds him that the area is overrun and that he is someone who only looks out for himself. They share a talk about the principle of doing the "right thing" - Eugene is adamant that doing the right thing for one could mean trouble for another, while Gabriel argues that doing the right thing requires faith in one's self and believing that God has a plan for everyone.

When Eugene deems Gabriel's beliefs as absurd, he retorts that as a man of science, Eugene would have initially doubted the concept of walking corpses, showing that the unbelievable is still possible. With this concept, Gabriel expresses hope that Eugene will eventually know when to do the right thing when the time comes. Eugene ponders his words, looking down at the dry red paint on his thumb.

Morgan scans the perimeter of the Sanctuary, observing the bustling herd outside the compound doors and checking the windows. He receives a report of a truck outside the compound and investigates, finding out that Daryl is driving it.

Eugene is visited in his room by Tanya, who inquires about a broken radio that Eugene was tasked with repairing a week prior. He explains that he was unable to complete the task due to the current situation, and expresses concern that Tanya does not seem troubled; she recounts that she's already felt trapped while serving under Negan. Tanya give Eugene one more day to fix her radio, but he asks for the second bottle of wine that she is holding before she leaves, explaining that it'll help him sleep. Tanya explains that she also has trouble sleeping, due to the stress of not being able to rid the Saviors of Negan and the unsuccessful attempt of enlisting Eugene's help with the task. She condemns his choices before handing him the bottle and leaving. Laura then walks in, informing Eugene that Negan sent for him.

Daryl, Michonne, Rosita and Tara discuss their rogue plan; Morgan joins them soon after. Rosita shows doubts about the plan, concerned about the workers inside the building and the plan going awry. Daryl argues that, without the Kingdom's forces, they do not have the numbers to force a surrender, but Rosita reminds them of Rick's proposition to the Scavengers. Tara confronts her about her apparent change in attitude towards the Scavengers, but Rosita insists she's just following Rick's plan.

Tara recounts how she had waited before telling Rick about Oceanside and their weapon cache, showing regret at the fact that she had not informed him earlier, which could have helped better their situation. She explains that she is not going to wait again and is willing to follow with Daryl's plan, with or without Rosita. Rosita opts out, but approaches Michonne before leaving, asking if she is okay with the plan. When Michonne insists on seeing it through, Rosita points out that it may be easier to wait than to take risks, explaining that she used to believe in rushing ahead and taking action to better themselves until she witnessed Sasha walking out of the coffin - a result of them both taking matters into their own hands.

Eugene meets with Negan in the conference room. Negan expresses an increasing worry for the safety of his community, while praising Eugene and his efforts in the compound. He shakes his hand, explaining that not many people receive the same privilege of mutual respect. Eugene accepts this, declaring that there is work that needs to be done before leaving the room.

Getting to work on the radio, Eugene extracts one of the speakers, inspecting it. Gaining a fresh idea, he searches one of the storage rooms for materials. He comes across the coffin used to transport Sasha, having vivid and disturbing flashbacks to her shocking reveal as a walker. He opens it, discovering her discarded iPod still resting at the foot of the coffin.

Daryl, Tara and Michonne drive the truck to the edge of the Sanctuary's perimeter as Morgan keeps watch. As Tara takes point, Daryl turns to Michonne, asking if she's prepared. Having taken Rosita's words into consideration, Michonne decides the risk is not worth it. Daryl allows her to leave.

On one of the Sanctuary's balconies, Eugene sets his new contraption - a makeshift drone fitted with a speaker and an iPod - on a ramp leading out and above the walker herd, in hopes that the herd will follow the blaring music when it goes airborne. He records an audio log of his observations, but as he prepares to activate it, he is called out to and held at gunpoint.

Tara, Morgan, Daryl and the lookouts set themselves up for the breach.

Dwight orders Eugene to step away from the drone. Eugene relays his plan to Dwight, insisting that he'll be saving the lives of the Savior workers and soldiers, but Dwight argues that his actions will also lead to the deaths of Rick and his men - people who Eugene now considers former travelling companions. He informs him that the plan will save the lives of both the Saviors and the Militia, and that taking out Negan is the number one priority and goal. Eugene remains firm that Negan will prevail, causing Dwight to threaten him further. Despite the gun to his head, Eugene proceeds to activate the drone and pilot it over the herd.

Daryl starts the truck and speeds toward the Sanctuary.

As Eugene flies the drone, Dwight turns his gun's aim towards it and fires several times, destroying it. Eugene looks down and sees Daryl's truck heading toward the building. Several Saviors perched at the window are fired upon by Tara, Morgan and the lookouts as Daryl crashes the truck into the Sanctuary, breaching the walls and allowing the herd to pour in.

Savior workers and soldiers alike run and fight for their lives as the onslaught of undead flood in. Several are killed, while most make it to the upper floors of the compound. Eugene arrives in time to witness the brunt of the assault. Shock and horror slowly turns to rage and fury as he observes the dead feasting on several innocent workers.

Storming into the infirmary, a fuming Eugene angrily rejects Gabriel's philosophies, blaming his and Sasha's downfalls on their choices of doing the "right thing" and refusing to help with Carson's escape, instead choosing to remain faithful to Negan and ensuring that Carson stays within the walls of the compound for his own sake. Gabriel says nothing as he storms back out.

Negan and Eugene propose a plan to clear out the walkers with whatever firearms they have left, with Eugene affirming that he will be able to stock the Saviors up on freshly-made ammo should they run low. He then proposes another solution to deal with the issue. Negan again praises Eugene on his initiative, but before he can hear the plan, the other lieutenants report to Negan about the situation with the herd. Negan has high hopes that Eugene's plan will give them the upper hand. Eugene stares intently at Dwight, then informs Negan that he intends to repair the intercom system, giving them an advantage in communications with the rest of the community. Negan is underwhelmed by Eugene's words.

Eugene sits in his room, the sound of gunfire outside ringing in his ears. Stress overwhelms him, and he hobbles toward his wine bottle, taking a shot before taking several swigs from the bottle.

Rick is brought out from the container by one of the Scavengers, who drags him to the center of the junkyard. He is forced to his knees, before Jadis and another Scavenger present a lightly armored walker as their method of execution. Rick is able to free himself and fight off the two Scavengers with the rod used to hold the walker - the sudden jerking motions with the rod cause the walker's head to become detached from its body. Knocking out the Scavengers, he then fights off Jadis, who makes several attempts to shoot him, before holding her on the ground in front of the walker's head. He asserts to the surrounding Scavengers that regardless of what happens, he will leave the junkyard to regroup with his people and, due to their rejection of Rick's deal, they will attack the Scavengers at some point in the future.

Jadis signals her people to stand down. She inquires Rick on what will happen if the Scavengers accept the deal. Rick relates the plan to have the Saviors surrender and Negan killed. The two quietly argue over what they will receive after the war before they reach an agreement.

Rick leads the Scavengers to the outer perimeter of the compound. Walking in, he finds one of his snipers dead, being devoured by a small group of walkers. Dispatching them, he calls through the walkie, but no one responds. He takes the rifle and climbs the water tower. He looks towards the front of the Sanctuary, but finds an abandoned garbage truck, an open door and no walkers in sight, alarming him.

"How It's Gotta Be"
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 the survivors three minutes for them to decide. 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 skeptical 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.

At Alexandria, Carl and the other survivors gather supplies for their escape to the woods. Tara suggests that they fight the Saviors, but Rosita denies this, saying they will another time. As the others depart, Carl heads to the gate.

Gavin and his men have gathered up the citizens of the Kingdom for an announcement that they and whatever they produce are now property of Negan and that the Saviors will make the Kingdom their home due to the Sanctuary being a wreck.

Simon orders Maggie and her convoy to give up their firearms to the Saviors or else Jerry is shot.

As three minutes have passed, Negan is preparing to light Alexandria on fire, but is interrupted by Carl who says that there are children and his sister taking refuge at the town; however, Negan states that they also have young people at the Sanctuary, as well as a baby whose fate Negan is wondering about. Carl offers his life as a punishment in the hopes that it would stop the Saviors from attacking. Negan partially shocked about this asks Carl if he wants to die, to which he replies he doesn't, but will.

As Negan and Carl are having their emotional conversation, Daryl leads a convoy of trucks smashing through nearby walls against a roadblock of vehicles set up by Dwight, Laura, and other Saviors and begin to chase the convoy.

Carl takes the distraction to his advantage and runs off with Negan cursing out the boy and ordering his men to begin the bombardment. As buildings explode around him, Carl covers his escape with a trail of smoke bombs.

At the Kingdom, Gavin is concerned about the whereabouts of Ezekiel and wonders if the citizens know of his whereabouts. He warns Ezekiel if he doesn't give himself up in five minutes, the Saviors begin to execute the hostages in "Negan's way".

Maggie asks Simon how the Saviors managed to escape their predicament. Simon indirectly explains his points and finally explains that it was Eugene who made it all happen as music begins to play from a distance, stating he was skeptical about the man at the beginning but saw that Eugene proved himself worthy in the end. Simon then gives Maggie two choices; either the Saviors kill Jerry on his knees, drag Maggie to the Hilltop in the wooden box, which the Saviors have made sure it won't suffocate whoever is in it, then kill Maggie in front of everyone and finally place her head in front of the Sanctuary as a warning to other troublemakers. Then the Saviors lead the walker herd to the Hilltop and pull off the same trick Rick and Maggie's people tried to do against the Saviors. Or Maggie and her convoy can head back to the Hilltop, unharmed, however, with the cost of one of their people's lives. Simon then shoots one of Maggie's people in the head and demands her to make a choice, to which Maggie in distress agrees, so that the Saviors won't have to do anything. Before the Saviors depart, Maggie asks the Saviors for the wooden box.

Eugene wakes up in the middle of the night and downs a shot of wine, before he breaks into tears.

Carl and other Alexandrians release smoke grenades throughout the dark streets.

Just outside Alexandria, Michonne, Daryl, Tara, and Rosita hide along the road, guns at the ready. Daryl throws a smoke grenade into the road.

Dwight and Laura see the smoke in the road. Despite Laura's protests, Dwight leads the Saviors toward the smoke. Michonne's group opens fire on the Saviors. Dwight joins the Alexandrians in shooting at the Saviors. Laura catches Dwight in the act of betrayal and shoots him in the arm before she's forced to escape.

Negan orders the Saviors to capture Carl alive.

Carl descends into the sewers.

Meanwhile, at the Sanctuary's infirmary, Eugene agrees to help Gabriel and Dr. Carson escape. He informs them that the guard at the North gate is severely ill after being slipped a laxative pill. Eugene then gives them a set of keys to a car parked nearby.

At the Kingdom, Ezekiel starts a fire in order to distract Gavin and the Saviors. He commandeers a bus and parks it in between the Kingdommers and Saviors, allowing residents to flee. Carol tells Nabila to get everyone to a safe house two miles away.

Once his community members are outside its perimeter, Ezekiel locks the gate from the inside. He turns and surrenders to Gavin.

Maggie and her convoy return to the Hilltop. Maggie kills one of the imprisoned Saviors then orders Jesus to fortify the walls and increase their guards. She declares that the Hilltop will be the last stand of this war.

Michonne, Daryl, Tara, and Rosita find Dwight hiding behind a car. Daryl asks Dwight if his improvised plan allowed the Saviors to escape the Sanctuary. Dwight tells them it was Eugene who helped the Saviors escape. He asks them to spare his life and explains that he can still help them defeat the Saviors. They decide to spare his life.

Maggie puts the dead Savior's body in the coffin-like box and scrawls a message on the cover: "We have 38 more. Stand down." She instructs Kal to leave the coffin where the Saviors will find it.

Gavin tells Ezekiel that the Saviors are going to put his dead body on the Sanctuary fence for all his people to see. Morgan listens from outside the Kingdom wall, unseen.

Daryl, Tara, Rosita, and Dwight descend into the sewers as Alexandria burns. Michonne remains above ground.

Rick arrives at Alexandria and heads towards his house, in search of Carl, Judith, and Michonne. Negan attacks him, catching him by surprise. During their fight, Rick gets pushed out a window, and he flees down the road.

Michonne savagely slays a Savior with her katana, releasing her anger with each blow. Rick finds her, calms her, and asks where everyone is.

Rick and Michonne descend into the sewers, joining the rest of the Alexandrians in the darkness. They find Carl, laying on the cold, hard floor, and looking sweaty and tired. Carl lifts his shirt, showing Rick an unmistakable bite on his abdomen. Rick and Michonne reel in horror as reality sets in.

"Honor"
Light dances across Rick's face.

A white-bearded Rick and Judith chat amiably with Jerry in a peaceful Alexandria.

Rick and Michonne dig a grave in Alexandria.

In a flashback, Carl and Siddiq fight walkers in the woods. Carl is caught off guard and gets bit in the abdomen.

Carl leads Siddiq down the utility hole outside Alexandria and explains that he must talk to Rick before bringing Siddiq into their community.

Carl patches up his bite wound in the bathroom and puts on a clean shirt.

Tobin gives Carl a note from Michonne and explains that she went to the Sanctuary.

Carl pens letters to Rick, Michonne and others in the group.

Carl and Siddiq set up a cot in the sewer.

Carl plays with Judith on the porch of their Alexandria home.

Back in the present, Morgan watches as Saviors shoot at walkers surrounding the Sanctuary, creating an exit path behind the piles of corpses. The Saviors escape and start firing at the snipers. Morgan ducks from their fire and escapes unscathed.

Gavin leads a caravan of Saviors down the road. Morgan follows them on foot.

In the woods, Carol tells the Kingdom survivors to seek refuge at her cottage while she rescues Ezekiel. She refuses to let Henry accompany her despite his insistence on fighting the Saviors.

In the sewer, Carl shows his bite wound to Rick and gives him the stack of letters that he wrote to the group. He explains that his bite was not the Saviors’ fault and that it happened while he was helping Siddiq.

Gavin guards Ezekiel in the aftermath of the Kingdom assault. Ezekiel urges Gavin to join Rick’s side before it’s too late for him.

Morgan stealthily enters the overrun Kingdom and sees Henry prowling in the distance. Carol joins Morgan inside the Kingdom walls. Morgan’s plan of attack involves killing all the Saviors, but Carol suggests avoiding them instead.

In the sewer, Siddiq gives Carl medicine and explains that he was a medical resident. Rosita suggests they all flee to the Hilltop while the Saviors destroy Alexandria above ground. Dwight points out that the Saviors will soon run out of ammo and insists they stay put until the siege is over.

Carol and Morgan kill a group of Saviors. Carol witnesses Morgan's brutality and worries about his renewed blood lust.

Gavin barks out orders to his men, but Ezekiel challenges his authority.

Carl urges Rick and Michonne to stop fighting the Saviors. They hear silence above ground. Daryl and Tobin resurface to confirm that the Saviors have indeed left Alexandria.

Morgan spots Saviors loading a truck and decides to kill them, despite Carol’s protest.

Gavin tries to contact two of his men via walkie but gets no response. He hears gunfire in the distance and retreats to the auditorium with Ezekiel and his remaining men.

Light plays across Rick’s face as he cries.

Judith and a white-bearded Rick greet a jovial Eugene in a garden.

Rick and Michonne shovel dirt onto a grave.

Rick insists on staying in Alexandria with Carl, who won't make it, while the rest of the group travels to the Hilltop.

Daryl takes Judith so that Michonne can stay with Rick and Carl.

Carl says an emotional farewell to Judith, telling her that sometimes kids must show their parents the way, and gives her his sheriff’s hat.

Siddiq vows to honor Carl by showing everyone that his choice to save him mattered.

Carol and Morgan ambush the Saviors inside the auditorium. Gavin is injured in the scuffle, but escapes. Morgan pursues him.

Rick asks for Michonne’s help carrying Carl out of the sewer.

Morgan stalks Gavin in the Kingdom.

Rick and Michonne carry Carl to the church.

Morgan finds Gavin hiding in a shed.

Rick and Michonne lay Carl down in the church. Carl expresses remorse over killing a boy when they lived in the prison.

Morgan shoves Gavin to the ground. Gavin begs Morgan to spare his life and insists Rick's group can’t beat Negan.

Rick tries to absolve Carl of his guilt over the boy’s death. Carl points out how easy it was to kill another human being.

Gavin tells Morgan that killing him won’t make a difference. Morgan hauls Gavin up to his feet.

Carl explains that Rick’s decision to stop fighting and welcome survivors into the prison was instrumental in shaping him. “It can be like that again,” he tells Rick.

Ezekiel urges Morgan to let Gavin live.

Rick reminds Carl that the war against the Saviors is different than their situation at the prison, but Carl is resolute that they can’t kill all of the Saviors.

Carol urges Morgan to spare Gavin’s life. Morgan is overwhelmed and tears up.

Morgan is surprised when a fighting stick pierces Gavin's throat and Henry is revealed to be the killer.

Carl describes his vision for a peaceful future in which the older, white-bearded Rick resides with Judith in a flourishing Alexandria. Rick promises to make Carl’s vision come true.

Ezekiel soothes Henry and tells him not to look at Gavin’s body. Carol berates Henry for disobeying her, but Ezekiel assures Henry that everything will work out.

Carl reaches for his gun and insists on shooting himself before he dies. He tells Rick and Michonne that he loves them.

Rick and Michonne wait outside the church, where they hear a solitary gunshot.

Rick and Michonne bury Carl’s body in the Alexandria graveyard.

In Carl’s vision, Judith walks down a garden path in Alexandria and greets Negan, who's working alongside others in the community.

Light dances on Rick’s face as he sits below a tree in a big open field.

"The Lost and the Plunderers"
TBA

"Dead or Alive Or"
TBA

Cast
Season 8 (TV Series)/Starring|Starring Season 8 (TV Series)/Also Starring|Also Starring Season 8 (TV Series)/Co-Stars|Co-Stars Season 8 (TV Series)/Uncredited|Uncredited

Deaths

 * Gordon (Zombified, Off-Screen)
 * J. Top (Off-Screen)
 * Roy (Off-Screen)
 * Andy
 * Freddie
 * Dino (Alive and Zombified)
 * Mara
 * Gracie's Father
 * Nelson
 * Francine
 * Miranda Morales (Confirmed Fate)
 * Eliza Morales (Confirmed Fate)
 * Louis Morales (Confirmed Fate)
 * Morales
 * Eric Raleigh (Alive)
 * Todd
 * Daniel (Alive and Zombified)
 * Rudy
 * Alvaro
 * Gunther
 * Joey
 * Shiva
 * Yago
 * Lucille (Confirmed Fate)
 * Siddiq's Mother (Confirmed Fate)
 * Leo
 * Zia
 * Natania
 * Neil
 * Dean (Alive and Zombified)
 * Duke
 * Paulie
 * Gomez
 * Gavin
 * Carl Grimes (Off-Screen)
 * At least 64 unnamed members of the Militia
 * At least 160 unnamed Saviors
 * At least 3 unnamed Alexandria residents

Trivia

 * This season is mainly based on "Volume 20: All Out War - Part One" and "Volume 21: All Out War - Part Two" from the Comic Series.
 * The season 8 premiere marked the 100th episode of AMC's The Walking Dead.
 * It has been announced that actress Maria Bello has been cast in Season 8.
 * Below are the changes made to the main cast in Season 8.
 * Khary Payton (Ezekiel), Steven Ogg (Simon), Katelyn Nacon (Enid), and Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis) have all been upgraded to series regulars after recurring appearances.
 * Seth Gilliam (Gabriel) and Ross Marquand (Aaron) are added to the opening credits after being listed in "Also Starring" in Seasons 5, 6 and 7.
 * Austin Amelio (Dwight), Tom Payne (Jesus), and Xander Berkeley (Gregory) are still listed under "Also Starring" despite being regulars in previous seasons.
 * This season has the highest death toll by far, with 238 deaths as of "Honor", beating Season 6 with 134 deaths. However, Season 6 currently still holds the record for the most named deaths.
 * AMC announced The Walking Dead Play Dead Sweepstakes, which gave four lucky fans the chance to play a walker in the 100th episode (Season 8 premiere) of The Walking Dead. The sweepstakes began with the Mid-Season Premiere of Season 7.
 * This is the last season in which Scott Gimple is showrunner for The Walking Dead.