The Walking Dead Season 9 continues, and episode 5 is the one fans have been waiting for. Are these really Rick Grimes' final moments on the show? Is there room for Andrew Lincoln to reprise his iconic role? These questions and more are answered in the latest spoiler report from The Spoiling Dead Fans.
It goes without saying that SPOILERS for episode 5 of The Walking Dead follow this break. If you don't want to know anything about Rick Grimes' fate, navigate elsewhere.
Before we get to Rick, let's first talk about Heath. We last saw him take off in an RV towards the end of Season 7, and Jadis' actions in the opening moments of episode 5 bring a slight sense of closure to that long standing mystery. She's seen driving the controversial vehicle, which implies Heath's disappearance may have something to do with being captured by the dumpster queen and her helicopter friends.
Elsewhere in the plot, Maggie finally has a chance to confront Negan. When she does, the villain begs her to kill him so he can be reunited with his wife. Maggie decides to spare him so he can live the rest of his life in pain.
As for Rick, he's whisked away to the infirmary, where he hallucinates scenes featuring deceased characters including Sasha, Hershel and Shane, Hershel's scene takes place on the Greene farm. He apologizes for his actions that cause Maggie to suffer and led to Beth and Glenn's demise. Rick asks to see his Alexandria family, but Hershel says they aren't there. For Shane, we see the scene where Rick gets shot. He jokes about Judith being his daughter and hopes that some of his jerkier tendencies have helped Rick survive. He tells Rick to "do what needs to be done."
In Rick's mind, Shane's message may or may not have something to do with the communal bridge. He attempts to collapse it by leading the walker herd from camp over it, but the structure holds. Maggie, Carol and other survivors come to Grimes' aid, but he has other plans. He shoots a nearby case of dynamite and the bridge goes up in flames with him on it.
In the wake of the explosion, Jadis arrives in a helicopter and scoops up Rick. She tells a man on a walkie that she "has a live one" and refers to him as a "B."
After that scene, there's a time jump of about seven years. Magna and her crew are attacked by a zombie herd, but they're saved by a 10-year-old stranger who is revealed to be Judith Grimes. She's holding a shotgun and wearing Carl's hat.
That's all there is to know about episode 5 of The Walking Dead.
Did Rick Grimes' final moments pan out just as you expected? Are you satisfied with the open-ended arc? Tell us in the comments section!
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