OK, before I get into anything, keep in mind that spoilers for the season finale of The Walking Dead season finale are incoming.
Spoilers on the way.
Really, stop reading now if you haven't watched it yet.
OK, that's about enough of that. So how about that season finale! Rick's alive. Daryl's alive. Carl's alive. Pretty much anyone you heard was going to die - yeah, they're alive.
The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 2 A House Divided Review: Can You Stand It?
So what did we learn in this new episode? (All gifs coming up thanks to UpRoxx)
Rick is a badass
In case you forgot amid his early-season farming escapades and barely-alive ambling after taking the beating of his life from the Governor, Rick is a boss. Don't mess with him. He will quite literally rip your jugular out of your throat with his teeth and spit it out (suck it, Joe!).
Rick also delivered his best season-ending line since Season 2's "This ain't a democracy anymore," although as he and Chris Hardwick mentioned in Talking Dead last night, "They screwed with the wrong people," probably would've been better suited to be filled with some comic-esque F-bombs all over the place. But that would have obviously been pushing it for cable TV, which Dead does on a weekly basis as it is. I just filled in the blanks myself in my head.
Regardless, it looks like Rick has reached a whole new level of killer instinct here. For readers of the comics, you've got to hope that he hits "Rick vs. the hunters" levels of crazy here. For those who aren't comic readers, he basically does the same thing to a group of cannibal "hunters" that he did to Joe's group, but worse.
Terminus is, of course, super evil
I mean, did anyone actually believe this place was going to be a real sanctuary? Not me. Apparently 88% of people didn't believe so either.
So Terminus... yeah, they eat people. It was made obvious during Rick's group's running through the compound that those "steaks" on the grill were not of the bovine variety- there were piles of bones (definitely human bones) littering the way. As they ran by a bunch of shipping containers, there was pounding and people yelling for help (Beth? Please be alive Beth). To top it off, we got to see an ominous message plastered in the creepy candle room:
Also, up until Rick's group went into the train car, I really thought that the reason that the "Termites," as Lincoln called them on T-Dead, had Herschel's watch, Maggie's poncho and Eugene's armor was because Maggie, Eugene and Glenn were being served on the grill, but luckily that was not the case. Oh, and when Rick's group was heading up to that train car...
I totally thought Carl was a goner for a second there
There was rumors that because Andrew Lincoln was appearing on Talking Dead that Rick was toast. I didn't really buy that. Another theory, however, that gained a little steam on message boards this week was that Carl would bite the dust. I was skeptical at first (after all, Carl is the future for this group), but at the very end there... Definitely thought the Termites were going to shoot him just to prove that they don't mess around. Plus, they've got to be looking at Carl like a prime cut of veal right now.
Luckily they did not, because as much as Carl was one of my most-hated characters by the end of Season 3/beginning of Season 4 (he was just so angsty), he redeemed himself to me during the back half of this season and I really hope he sticks around. Although I do have a huge worry about Chandler Riggs aging too much before Season 5 begins filming - the kid is clearly growing like a weed right now, and there won't be the customary time lapse between seasons this time around (at least you'd think there wouldn't be, because things will likely move very quickly to get our folks out of Terminus).
Ok, so that's some things we learned, but what about some things that will need to be tied up next season? Let's hop in.
Where are Carol, Tyreese and Judith?
Last we saw this little group, Carol had to murder a murderous kid and Tyreese didn't murder Carol for murdering his girlfriend. Lots of murder and doom and gloom in that camp. But what happened after they left that house in the woods?
Well, they were headed for Terminus too, but they weren't in the train car. I really doubt that they would just kill off three major (and well-loved) characters like that off-screen, so my guess is that the odd couple are on their way to Terminus still. This is purely theory, but here's my prediction:
Carol and Tyreese get to Terminus. They're emotionally exhausted and just need a friend. Neither of them are detective types like Rick or Glenn and they're both still emotionally spent, so they don't notice the little things like the poncho, the watch or the body armor as suspicious right away. They're not stupid, however, and they will eventually start figuring things out. Maybe Carol sees Daryl's crossbow or something. Those two do some digging (or maybe just Carol, who seems to be the brain to Tyreese's brawn), and find their buddies either in the train car or in a holding cell. They then serve as moles, collecting intel about how to bust everyone out in a timely and efficient manner. I'd be willing to bet that one character will die in the process of escaping, however. Something tells me Tyreese will also bust some skulls, because he's Tyreese and that's what he does.
But then there's still the question of...
Where's Beth?
Poor Beth. She gets kidnapped way back in Episode 13 and then is barely brought up again. But I'm still very much interested in what happened to Beth - if she comes back alive and well, that'll make for such a touching moment as she and Daryl embrace and finally own up to their love for one another. If she's Termite food, Daryl's gonna find out and he's gonna go on a serious Daryl rage. As cool as that second option sounds, I'm still pulling for the first. Here's my two theories on the matter:
1. Beth is alive: Remember that car that took Beth away? Let me refresh your memory:
Doesn't that look an awful lot like a cross in the window? Well, that would kind of make sense since Daryl and Beth were at a morgue of sorts. But it could also signal the appearance of Gabriel, the preacher from the Dead comics. It would certainly be a much different reveal for him, but the time period fits based off of the comics. When the (very differently-constructed) group found Gabriel in the comics, they were being chased by the hunters and used his church as sanctuary. Maybe the morgue was being used as a trap by the Termites and Gabriel forcefully took Beth to "save" her. Or...
2. Beth is dead: That car taking her was actually a Termite taking her to Terminus to be eaten. If that's the case, I'd be willing to bet that the show gives a shout-out to the Walking Dead game with a reveal moment like this (after all, you have to keep your human meat alive nowadays to stop it from turning):
Of course, it could just be:
3. I'm totally wrong.
But I'm thinking Beth is either going to touchingly be alive or gruesomely be dead.
And lastly, and probably the most important:
What's next after Terminus?
I mean, obviously these guys are going to get out of there, sooner or later. Do they start blazing a trail for Washington, D.C.? That would seem to make the most sense, since you know once Rick finds out about Abraham's mission to get Eugene to Washington his hero drive will kick in big time. Things get really crazy once the group gets to D.C. in the comics (and there's at least one reveal on the way there that, if they translate it to the show, will make you very angry), so that would be the logical next step since the show follows the comic's lead, if not 100% by the book (which is a good thing).
What do you think? Have some theories about the new season? Think mine suck? Let us know in the comments!
