AMC
Not sure where we last left off on The Walking Dead? Then prepare for the Season 8 premiere (and the 100th episode) with this recap of the Season 7 finale.
The episode was titled “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life.”
At the end of the penultimate episode for Season 7, Sasha had gotten a poisoned pill from Eugene in case she wanted to commit suicide. Dwight showed up at Alexandria, wanting to be a turncoat so he could help kill Negan. Rick’s group took all of Oceanside’s guns, and Gregory left to visit an unknown location.
The Season 7 finale began with Sasha listening to music on headphones and then falling asleep. Throughout the episode, she had visions of Abraham (and a few other people she was close to.) Some were memories, but some were hallucinations or visitations, depending on your viewpoint.
At one point she was listening to music and someone said, “Hey darling, wake up.” She woke up to Abraham telling her there was something wrong with Maggie’s baby and they were going to Hilltop. Sasha asked him not to go.
Next, Sasha woke to Negan opening the door to her cell.
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Sasha. You are going to help make sure things get back on track tonight.”
He brought her pancakes with a smiley face on them. He said no one wanted to watch her die, but someone had to die, even if it’s not her. “A couple others tops,” he said, “but not you and not most people.”
Then we saw a scene with Daryl and Dwight and Rick. Dwight was telling Rick he wanted Negan dead. Tara reminded him that he murdered Denise. Why should they trust Dwight?
Daryl also wanted to kill Dwight. (Remember, Dwight was in charge of Daryl’s torture at the Sanctuary.)
Rick pointed out that Dwight might just be there to see if Daryl’s there and report back to Negan. But Dwight said he’s not owned anymore. He followed Negan’s rules because of his wife, and now she’s gotten away.
Dwight insisted they could stop Negan together.
“You know I’m not lying,” Dwight said, while Rick let Daryl make the ultimate call.
Daryl didn’t kill Dwight. Rosita then arrived and told them that the Saviors have Sasha. This complicated things.
Dwight announced that Negan was coming tomorrow with 20 Saviors minimum.
I can slow them down… Buy a little time for you guys to get ready. If you can take them out, that’s where we start. You kill them, I radio back to the Sanctuary where Negan lives and say everything’s OK.”
Dwight said they’d drive the trucks back, he’d lead them inside the Sanctuary, and they’d kill off the rest. They’d get the workers on their side and go from outpost to outpost, ending the Negan reign.
They decided to let Dwight go. It was a gamble.
The next scene flashed to Sasha telling Abraham that she had a dream that he died. Then she was back with Negan telling her they would stand down, Lucille would “get her three,” and that would be it. Sasha said no one had to die. Negan disagreed but then relented, saying he’d kill only one, not three.
Next, Maggie told Jesus and Enid that Rick wanted them to stay at Hilltop. But she was thinking about fighting at Rick’s side, because Rick didn’t know that Gregory was gone.
The next scene brought us to the Kingdom. Morgan was planning to ambush the Saviors alone, he told Carol. Carol said that might cause them to lose their advantage. Ezekiel asked Morgan to join him to punish the Saviors for Benjamin’s death. Morgan finally agreed. They head out, with Shiva in the group looking ferocious.
After the commercial, the show returned. The Junkyard group arrived on bicycles and with dump trucks. Jadis asked, “What do you fight for? … We take, we don’t bother. Our way.”
Jadis asked Michonne if she cared if she slept with Rick after the fight (essentially to confirm they’re a couple.) Michonne just said, “We should get back to work.”
Next we cut to Aaron, Rosita, and Daryl making explosives.
Next, Negan and Simon were stopped by trees in the road, just like Dwight said he’d do. Eugene wanted to know if he could go and attempt to “slow their jets.”
Then we cut to another blockade of cars in the middle of the road. Michonne was on the wall of Alexandria, getting ready with the help of a member of the Junkyard.
Fans were wondering at this point if they could really trust the Junkyard group. Their motto is “we take, we don’t bother.” How does helping Rick’s group fit into that?
After the commercial, Sasha was listening to music again. Abraham asked, “How did I die?” She told him he died at the beach, getting pulled under, and she couldn’t find him. Then she started to drown. She tried to convince him not to leave and help Maggie.
The next scene flashed to Sasha and Eugene talking. Then to Sasha and Maggie sitting together. “Why are we here?” Sasha asked. “For this,” Maggie said.
Meanwhile, Eugene arrived at Alexandria with the convoy. He said every point was covered and he was hoping they would heed his advice. They have no options except to do what he says or die. “Will you comply Rick?”
There was a long pause.
“Where’s Negan?” Rick asked.
“I’m Negan,” Eugene said.
Rosita was at the gate, waiting for her signal. She had a remote in her hands. Despite Eugene standing right there, Rick gave her the signal. She hit the button, but nothing happened.
Jadis turned a gun onto Rick. Suddenly, the entire Junkyard gang turned on them. One of them opened the gate. Negan and Dwight exited the car and all of the Saviors were there.
The Junkyard group had guns on Rick’s people, and Negan was here. It was terrifying.
Michonne turned to find the blonde woman had a gun on her. “We win,” she said.
Things were looking very, very bad.
Negan looked up at Rick, satisfied and happy. “Did you ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick?” he asked.
Rick said no one was dropping any guns. Jadis explained her group’s actions: they simply made a better deal.
“You pushed me and you pushed me and you pushed me,” Negan said to Rick. “You just tried to blow us up.” He couldn’t believe Rick would try to do that to Eugene. “You people are animals,” Negan said.
Negan called for Dwight and Simon. They unwrapped a giant casket — very shiny and nice looking.
They stood the casket upright. “So you don’t like Eugene anymore. You guys gotta like Sasha,” Negan said. He knocks on the casket and said she’s in there, alive and well. He said he brought her so he didn’t have to kill them all.
“I want all the guns you managed to scrape up… I want every last grain of lemonade you’ve got left,” he said. And he told Rick to choose a person for Lucille. And, he added, he had to take Daryl back. “And the pool table,” he said. “I want it now or Sasha dies, and then all of you, probably.”
The scene was horrifying and incredibly tense. Negan was holding all the cards. But what about the Kingdom? And Maggie?
Negan said he didn’t want to kill Sasha. Rick wanted to see Sasha. Negan knocked on the casket. We saw Sasha inside, listening to music. “It felt real,” she said to Abraham. “Like we lost this. And this just started.”
Abraham kissed her. It was tough to tell if this was a dream, a flashback that she was remembering while in the casket, or a little of both. It was a welcome, serene place away from the violence, death, and pain.
Abraham was telling Sasha there was no way she really wanted Maggie to take care of herself. “It’s always for someone else,” he told her. “If we’re going to kick, there sure as hell better be a point to it. So maybe we feel there was a point to all of this… Maggie, she’s carrying the future.”
It seemed that her conversation with Abraham may have inspired her current choices, and that’s why she was leaning on this moment.
Next, we saw a flashback of Eugene walking Sasha outside. He told her it may take a few hours to get there. He gave her the iPod she was listening to. Negan told her she didn’t have to take the trip in the casket, but she insisted, as long as she had the bottle of water with her. “I know how tough this is,” Negan told her, “And I appreciate it.”
Sasha was in the casket, listening to music. She took the pill.
Back in the present moment, Negan was knocking on the casket. He opened it and Sasha in walker form attacked him. Carl fired his gun and everyone followed his lead. We saw Rosita get hit and Tara pull her into Alexandria for help.
Jadis had a gun on Rick.
One of the Saviors pulled Sasha off Negan, and Zombie Sasha killed that Savior.
Jadis shot Rick and kicked him off the wall.
After a commercial break, Rick was alive and somehow walking, and Jadis had a gun on him. There were bodies all over the ground. All of Rick’s people had guns on them.
Except Michonne. She won her fight with the Junkyard woman.
Jadis made Rick get on his knees in front of Negan.
Jadis to Negan: “The deal is for 12, yes?” Negan said, “Ten, people are a resource.” Jadis agreed to 10.
Negan told Rick he was going to wish he was dead. “If I had a kid I’d want him to be just like your kid, which makes this so much harder.” Negan told Rick he was going to kill Carl and then he was going to take both of Rick’s hands.
Rick said he was going to kill them all someday. “Nothing is going to change that,” Rick said. “You’re all already dead.”
Negan laughed. “Damn. Wow Rick. Ok.”
Before Negan could swing his bat and kill Carl, Shiva roared onto the scene and took out a Savior right behind him. It was EPIC.
The Kingdom has arrived.
Maggie arrived with her team too. The fight was on.
Shiva took out another Savior, right where Negan was standing.
Morgan killed someone who was going to attack Rick.
The battle was intense.
Someone sent up a flare.
People were fleeing Alexandria. They were falling back.
Ezekiel yelled, “Now we finish this!” He ran off with Carol at his side, because Carol will always pick the most epic side every time.
They closed the gates.
Daryl climbed the gate and looked over the side. Everyone was gone.
But could it really be over?
Rick found the woman Michonne was fighting on the ground, dead. Michonne was in the house, covered in blood, but still alive. They hugged, with Carl watching.
This battle was EPIC. The parts with Shiva were probably among the best.
Later, Dwight was with Negan and Eugene back at the Sanctuary. Negan asked Eugene how Sasha died in the box. Eugene said she ran out of air. There was a tense moment as Negan stared him down. “Maybe.”
A huge group of Saviors gathered. “We are going to war!,” Negan shouted. They shouted back in agreement.
The next scene returned to Alexandria. Maggie and Rick were talking while we saw clips of all of Rick’s people. Rick said Maggie made the right decision. She said the decision was made a long time ago. We saw, in a montage, Jesus having to kill Sasha-the-Walker, while Maggie cried at the sight.
This was a hard season for Maggie.
“You were in trouble. You were trapped. Glenn didn’t know you but he helped you. He put himself in danger for you, and that started it all,” Maggie told Rick.
We saw Carol sitting with Morgan, quietly.
Daryl was at the gate. He found a small statue of a soldier and someone wrote on the back, “Didn’t know.” Was this statue left by Dwight?
Tara was with Rosita, taking care of her. Michonne was with Rick, recovering.
Ezekiel addressed a crowd with Shiva at his side. Rick and Maggie were with him too.
Then we saw Maggie and Sasha sitting side-by-side.
Everything good that has happened, decisions to love and live and fight for each other, started with Glenn’s decision to help Rick.
Maggie was holding a watch at the end. It’s the watch that first belonged to her dad, and then to Glenn.
“I was just following his lead.”
The episode cut and ended.