After 12 years, The Walking Dead will “Rest in Peace” this Sunday.
The hour-and-a-half series finale has plenty of explaining to do on a variety of subjects, ranging from the odds the Commonwealth and the Civic Republic Military (CRM) are connected, to whether we’ll actually see original protagonist Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) before the spinoffs arrive. We’re breaking down eight burning questions we have for the show’s final installment, titled “Rest in Peace.”
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What Is “Designation Two”?
This is an open door that might lead straight to CRM. We still haven’t gotten answers about where Connie (Lauren Ridloff) was supposed to go earlier in 11C. Supposedly, she wasn’t being sent to the labor camps: she was heading for something called “Designation 2,” a place that apparently people don’t usually come back from. CRM? It’s possible, if not likely.
What Did Lance Mean By “Alliances”?
Another thread The Walking Dead hasn’t tied up is a particular line from Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) about “alliances.” He tells Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) that if he’s gone, alliances he’s made might become a problem. Well, he’s gone. What alliances was he talking about? Oceanside? CRM? And speaking of Hornsby, he wasn’t shot in the head… is walker Hornsby coming in the finale?
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What’s Going to Happen to Carol?
Many characters’ fates are uncertain, but perhaps none more so than Carol (Melissa McBride). Originally, the character was meant to go with Daryl (Norman Reedus) on his spinoff next year. Plans changed, and now McBride is no longer part of it. So how will Carol’s story end, given the shift in plans for the character? Was an alternate ending filmed for her?
What Happened to Virgil?
We’re not holding our breath on this one, but it’d be nice to have an answer as to what happened with Virgil (Kevin Caroll). One minute, he was going to get help during a walker invasion in Alexandria… and he hasn’t been seen again since. Where did he go? Did he tell anyone about Michonne (Danai Gurira)? Come back to us, Virgil!
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Why Do Maggie and Negan Go to New York?
The Dead City announcement had plenty of fans scratching their heads. Uh, didn’t Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) kill Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) husband pretty gruesomely, right in front of her? (Yes. He did.) With that in mind, what on Earth would make these two ever team up? We’re hoping for an explanation in the finale, although it’s possible we don’t learn the reason until Dead City premieres.
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Will the Commonwealth Still Stand After the Horde?
In the comics, nothing awful happened to the Commonwealth itself in the last few issues. But the show isn’t following the comics, and it invented a horde summoned by Pamela that wreaks havoc on the Commonwealth. Once the horde is (hopefully) under control, will the super-advanced community still be an option for those who were living there? Or is everyone heading back to Alexandria?
Who Will the Last Major Deaths Be?
Pretty much every main character is in grave peril right now, so it’s safe to say we won’t leave the finale without any deaths. The question, though, is who’ll survive and who won’t? We know the spinoff characters are safe, but that leaves other beloved survivors like Aaron (Ross Marquand), Jerry (Cooper Andrews), Rosita (Christan Serratos), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), and a few others’ fates in question. Who lives, and who dies?
Is Rick Showing Up?!
Plenty of fans are likely watching this final installment in hopes of catching a glimpse of Rick. It doesn’t seem he’ll play a huge part in the last episode, but we’re hoping for something — even if it’s as small as the sound of his voice, or a post-credits scene. Come on, Walking Dead! It’s been four years!
The Walking Dead Series Finale, Sunday, November 20, 9/8c, AMC