‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8 Finale ‘Wrath’ Recap: Welcome to the New World [SPOILERS]

The new post-apocalyptic world is all about mercy. “The Walking Dead” ended today in a surprising light note, far different from all the other season finales for the past eight years. Probably the longest feud with a TWD villain ever, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) finally ends Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) reign. In the Season 8 finale episode, titled “Wrath,” things wrap up to a glorious crescendo and a tear-jerking moment with Rick and Carl (Chandler Riggs). Finally, we say goodbye to the “All Out War” storyline, but it doesn’t stop there. Something sinister is also hidden within tonight’s finale, and it’s not one that you would expect to come from.

War-ready

“Wrath” opens with a tender moment between Rick and a very young Carl. They’re strolling along the country road, probably years or months before the zombie outbreak.

We then jump back to the present day, where Rick is taking care of Judith, moments before they head out for the final showdown with Negan and the Saviors. Siddiq (Avi Nash) offers to give Judith her milk, and this is where Rick finally breaks out of his silence and asks Siddiq about Carl. It’s a form of closure for Rick, and with Siddiq a living testament to Carl’s death, Rick seems to make peace with it finally.

The Hilltop is at its busiest, with Jerry (Cooper Andrews) confident that they’re not going to lose, despite how King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) accepts whatever comes their way. Rick, Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Carol (Melissa McBride), and Rosita (Christian Serratos) have doubts about the plans Gregory (Xander Berkley) brought them, but it’s worth a shot. They have to be ready for anything.

Later, Carol spots Morgan (Lennie James) in his delusional state again and freaking out about the Saviors coming to get them. The gates open, ushering in ex-Savior Alden and his group as they return from clearing out the path from Walkers. However, Morgan’s delusion is causing him to see everything in red, treating Alden and the others as enemies. As Morgan moves to attack, Henry (Macsen Lintz) tries to use his body as a shield, causing him to fall and Morgan almost striking him. Luckily, Morgan snaps out as Carol calms him down. Seeing this, Rick thinks that maybe Morgan should sit this out, but Morgan insists. He’s not well, and he needs this.

Gene Page/AMC

Meanwhile, at the Sanctuary, the Saviors are also prepping up for the fight. Eugene (Josh McDermitt) is ready after supplying all the bullets they needed for the war. Dwight (Austin Amelio) is in shackles, now a trophy to Negan and an example for everyone who’s thinking about switching sides. Eugene then gives Negan a gun to test out the bullets, to which Negan smiles in Delight. As the troops file out, Negan gives out their real map to one of the Saviors, so they can throw off Rick and his group when they move to the location of the fake map from Gregory. Negan then announces their departure, taking Eugene and Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) with him. In the car ride to the battlefield, Negan explains to Gabriel that he’s leading Rick to a trap.

The All-Out War

True enough, the small group that Negan sent out to block the roads were spotted by Rick’s gang. They smoke them all out, and Ezekiel finds the real map with one of the Saviors they killed. Now Rick knows about Negan’s exact plan. Back in the car, Gabriel gapes in shock as to how badly Negan wants them dead. So he sees a window of opportunity to escape and forcefully jumps off the moving vehicle. He runs off, but Eugene catches him. Negan then orders him to return to the car.

Rick’s group position themselves on the battlefield for Negan’s arrival. While on their way, Jesus (Tom Payne) proposes a practical method for Morgan to not resort to killing if he wants to clean thing up—the sharp end of his staff for the dead, and the curved end for the living.

Meanwhile, the guards stationed at the Hilltop spot a convoy of Saviors arriving. They then instruct everyone to take their weapons and evacuate. Back in the field, Negan whistles through a megaphone, surprising Rick and his troops. Negan then tries to intimidate Rick, what with his large army and the vast weaponry that they packed with them. He also tells them that he will kill Dwight and Gabriel on the spot so Rick would know how serious he is.

The Saviors then reveal themselves, surrounding Rick’s meager group. However, as Negan counts down to the rain of bullets, every gun trigger explodes in their hands, killing more than half of Negan’s men and injuring the others—including Negan. It turns out that Eugene is still on Rick’s side all this time! Rick then swoops in for the kill.

Gene Page/AMC

Negan is shocked, but Gabriel punches him. Dwight also joins in the fight to kick the hell out of Negan. However, with the help of Lucille, Negan runs away—with Rick in hot pursuit. Back in the Hilltop, Tara (Alanna Masterson) leads the other dwellers away from the place. But she couldn’t just run away. She tells the guards to take the people to safety, as she goes to buy them some time. Alden sees this and offers to help, along with the other ex-Saviors. Tara then hands them the bag of weapons, and they move in for the assault on the other Savior group.

Back in the field, a couple of Negan’s loyalists try to take a move on Eugene, but he shoots one of them. As more people go for Eugene’s throat, Rosita saves him by shooting them all. In the Hilltop, as the Saviors come closer to their gates, Tara and her men sit patiently for the kill. However, explosions ring out, killing the Saviors too. Tara and her group emerge from the bushes and see that the Oceansiders have decided to join them. In the field, the Saviors finally surrender to them.

Gene Page/AMC

“My mercy prevails over my wrath.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Rick is still chasing after Negan, and once he reaches him, the two engage in another brawl. It’s then revealed that the tree in which we see a red-eyed Rick is the same tree that the two leaders are fighting on. Negan almost overpowers Rick, but he asks for 10 seconds for Negan to consider what Carl wanted for both of them to do. Surprisingly, as Negan moves in to hit Rick with his bat, he puts it down and cries, crying over Carl. As Rick tells Negan about what Carl wrote in his letters, Rick suddenly swipes a broken glass at Negan’s throat. Images of Rick walking with a young Carl flashes in his mind, and when Rick looks back, he sees Maggie and the entire group with the Saviors surrendered to them.

Gene Page/AMC

Rick then calls out for Siddiq to tend to Negan’s wounds—causing Maggie to break down in anger. She shouts at Rick that Negan needs to die because of what he did to Glenn. Rick then tells them all that Negan’s way of doing things is over. He commands the remaining Saviors to go back home and reclaim the earth from the real enemy—the walkers. It’s time for them to embrace the new dawn, an era of fairness and finding common ground with each other. “The new world begins. All this is just what was. There’s got to be something after,” Rick declares.

Rosita and Eugene also share a tender moment of reconciliation, but not after Rosita punches Eugene for throwing up at her when he escaped. Now that the war is over, they now return to their homes. Morgan, on the other hand, tells Carol that he needs to go. We then see the red-eyed Rick, sitting under the tree and uttering, “my mercy prevails over my wrath.”

Gene Page/AMC

The New World Begins

In the Hilltop, Alden comes to Maggie to tell her that he can stay and help build what Georgie compiled in the book she offered in “The Key.” Maggie agrees. After all, Alden thought he never really belonged in the Sanctuary anyway. Meanwhile, Tara and Rosita head over to the Sanctuary to share the resources and food that they have, to help rebuild what they all lost. On the other hand, Daryl drives Dwight to the woods. Dwight kneels down and begs forgiveness, but is ready to die for what he’s done in the past as a Savior. However, Daryl tells him to shut up, hands him the keys to the truck, and tells Dwight to leave. He might even find his wife Sherry in the process. Dwight then stops to their former house and sees a note that Sherry left for him to find.

Morgan arrives at the dump, where Jadis sits alone reading a book. He tells her that she can now move in with them because Rick needs all hands on deck for the new world that he’s building. Relieved, Jadis asks for Morgan’s name and also reveals her real name, “Anne.” As she gets her stuff, Morgan tells Anne that she’s going alone. He needs to be by himself for now (a smart way to transition him to Fear The Walking Dead).

Back in the Hilltop, Maggie organizes a secret meeting with Jesus and Daryl. They all believe that sparing the remaining Saviors was the right thing for Rick to do. But not killing Negan and taking him in as a prisoner? This does not sit well with them. And so Maggie hatches a plan to play along and rebuild the new world. And when the time is right, they will all show Rick why he’s wrong.

Gene Page/AMC

Meanwhile, Rick and Michonne have Negan all bandaged up. They then tell him about what they’re going to build and how they’re going to make him watch their progress as he rots in a cell. His role is to see how they can all live harmoniously without the Savior way. In the burned chapel, Gabriel kneels down to thank God for giving him another chance.

The season ends with a final shot of Rick and young carl walking on the dusty road, with Rick writing these words to his deceased son:

“Dear Carl. I remember. I forgot who I was. You made me remember. I remember that feeling, walking with you that day. Like I finally knew who I was for the first time in my life. Thing is, we were walking side by side, but you were bringing me somewhere. Bringing me here. Bringing all of us to the new world, Carl. You showed me the new world. You made it real. I see it. I remember. Dad.”

Gene Page/AMC

‘The Walking Dead: Wrath’ Season Finale Overall Verdict

It’s been one hell of a season for AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” For two straight years, we’ve agonized over how Negan overpowered Rick and brought him down to his lowest. We’ve seen how Rick stood up to the challenge and vowed to eliminate Negan from the face of the Earth. But one thing stands in the end—mercy. Allegiances may fall, secrets may come out, and people might die. But there’s always hope for the merciful. There’s still hope for the new world.

Though an excellent finale that wraps up all the character narratives of “The Walking Dead’s” All-Out War storyline, it still fails to deliver us the zombie show that it once was. However, “Wrath” gives us a new room to breathe, to relax, and see where the next chapter takes Rick and the New World. Few questions remain, though. Who is Georgie? What does the helicopter have to do with the next season? Are they connected? More importantly, will the next enemy rise from within Rick’s camp? Is Maggie up to no good?

“The Walking Dead” might lose its traction over time, but it’s still the best Sunday night show out there.