It’s been a WHOLE week since the season finale of The Walking Dead aired and I’m still suffering post-WD syndrome, so to get a fix I rewatched the season finale and found some clues that I missed the first time around since I was left pretty much with my mouth open after Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) bit Joe on the neck and ripped Joe’s throat out. SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched the season finale of TWD, which you either must be out of your mind or been on vacation somewhere really warm, then stop reading now and go back to your regular program and put on the season finale of TWD!
First clue: Rick (pre-throat biter) is showing Carl and Michonne how to trap an innocent bunny by building a walking path where the animal will most likely walk though and be snatched by Rick’s handy trap. Most of the second half of season 4 has been a trap set by the people at Terminus posting maps in various locations leading to Terminus. The separated groups have all seen the signs and believe the sign of “Those who arrive, survive” or at least believe that the others would have headed in that direction for sanctuary if they survived the Governor’s attack. In the penultimate episode, we saw Glen and Maggie and Co. walking into Terminus with Mary greeting them with some grilled meat. Yum! What looked like an insignificant moment of survival tip by Rick was foreshadowing the trap set up by the Termites.
Second clue: the flashbacks to the prison pre-Governor’s attack were a peaceful contrast to the gruesome reality of Rick sitting in a dazed shock covered in blood. In the flashbacks, Hershel is trying to show Rick to be a farmer so that in return Rick can show Carl he can do more than just killing. At one point the beloved and missed Hershel tells Rick that “It could be like this all the time.” Unfortunately, it can’t be as we see Joe and his merry men show up in the middle of the night to kill Rick, Michonne and Carl. This is when Rick goes all cannibal (hint!) on Joe and rips his throat out. You can’t blame the guy for doing it. He’s in a post-apocalyptic zombie world and he’s watching his son get molested by a fat guy and is just trying to survive. Can you then blame the people at Terminus for doing what they do since they are just trying to survive as well?
Third clue: the backpack, the poncho, the riot gear and the watch. After sneaking into Terminus and meeting Gareth, Mary is offering Rick and the rest of the gang some food but Rick notices the watch that Alex is wearing and shit gets real! Rick recognized those belongings to his friends and wants to know where they got it from. Gareth then orders his band of merry men to shoot at Rick but it seems these rooftop men are bad shooters since they are missing every shot. But the group is just being led to a TRAP through a maze in this big factory-like building, going from one creepy room to the next. In one warehouse, the room is lit with candles and phrases written all over like “Never Again,” “Never Trust,” and “We First, Always.” As the group is running, they run past a cage filled with bones with meat still on them. Finally, the group is lead into the train car. Mouse trap! (Aside: if Rick doesn’t trust Terminus before going in, why would the four of them all go in at the same time? Wouldn’t be practical to say have 2 people stay behind? End of aside)
The Walking Dead, AMC
Fourth clue: powder milk. When Rick is ordered first to go stand by the train car, he looks down and sees ripped cartons of powdered milk. No biggie, right? Or could this be, I don’t know, baby Judith’s milk formula?! Or could it be the food the Termites are giving the prisoners to fatten them up? Inside the car, Rick sees Glen and Maggie and Co. The gang is finally back together! Almost, we are still missing Carol and Tyrese but they could be in one of those train cars we heard people yelling from and Beth is still MIA or is she the grilled meat Mary was so kindly serving?
As you, no doubt gathered, the people at Terminus are not what they seem and if you are familiar with The Walking Dead comic books, you know these people are not vegetarians. TWD left me wanting more especially after Rick delivers the line “They’re screwing with the wrong people.” Badass Rick is back! What other clues or tidbits did you find after the third or fourth watch of the season finale? And what will you do on Sunday’s with no WD on? I’ll be ironing my clothes…
Jorgeisms 