The Walking Dead airs its season eight midseason finale on Sunday, and we’re 99% sure someone important is dying, but who? War comes to Alexandria in our preview for “How It’s Gotta Be.”
I have so many questions and bad feelings going into this episode, so I’ll start with what’s on everyone’s minds:
What do we know about the midseason finale and where do our favorites stand as we enter it?
The episode, “How It’s Gotta Be”, is running 90 minutes, so we’ll get more than any other episode this season. Since it is the midseason finale, we can expect some storylines to be wrapped up and a few deaths. Some will be minor characters but there’s much speculation that at least one death will be a main character.
First, where is everyone at as we start:
Carl, who has been left to defend the safe zone, is convinced if they last the night, they’ll be okay after Negan shows up. Michonne is there with him and so is Daryl.
Maggie and Aaron are on their way to the ASZ, but see the road is blocked, and this tells them that the Saviors have gotten out.
Rick waged war against him, and now it’s time for the ASZ to get theirs. Negan will personally deal that out at the ASZ.
Whatever Saviors are at Hilltop will probably try and take over there. They may end up dead, but could take a few Hilltop people with them.
The Kingdom is in shambles, but Ezekiel could still make a valiant effort to show that the men and women they lost didn’t die in vain. Will the King rise up and help Rick again? We’ll have to wait and see.
Like I mentioned earlier, as we go into Sunday’s episode, there’s a very good chance that someone important will die. By important, I mean a key, long-term character. It will need to be someone extremely important to Rick, too. This will explain the timeline from episode one where he is inconsolable.
Who could it be, thought? I have a top three guesses:
Carl
With Chandler Riggs starting college this fall, it may be his time to exit, but that would differ greatly from the comics as Carl Grimes basically becomes the main protagonist of the series. If he does die, though, it will destroy Rick.
Add in the character growth over the last few times we’ve seen his character, and you could argue that Carl has finally come full circle. He’s the person his dying mother always told him to be.
Michonne
Danai Gurira has joined the MCU and will be seen this February in Black Panther then again in May for Avengers: Infinity War. She’s also a talented playwright and activist, so she isn’t short of things to fill her time outside the show.
Her death would break Rick and also Carl, who sees her as a mother. It would also devastate fans.
Judith
A popular theory that circulated online suggests that Judith will finally die. In the comics, Judith died when the Governor attacked the prison the first time. This death is long overdue, and since Rick found Gracie and saved her, we have another baby in the series.
Adding to that, I feel like the title of the episode is a play on Bob’s words to Tyreese during his death scene: “It went the way it had to, the way it was always going to, just like this.” This would be a good way for the writers to officially kill of Judith since she was meant to go a long time ago.
If she does die, then it will most definitely be off camera, and will Rick be able to follow comic!Rick’s decision about Negan when the time comes?
Who do you think will take their bow on the show this Sunday? Will a Savior go down? Dwight or Eugene? Will Gabriel bite the dust?
Take a look at the clips and stills below go “How It’s Gotta Be”! You can also check out this teaser from TWD social media accounts HERE!
The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC at 9/8c.
