Season 5, Episode 16 *Spoilers*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Morgan is back! He's very Zen and apparently learned bo staff fighting somewhere. We get introduced to the Wolves. A murderous group that takes what it needs and wants from random strangers they encounter. And that includes their lives. This group carves "W"s into their own heads. Apparently the price one of their own pays for breaking one of their rules is a horrific death.
Rick wakes up in an empty house. Not even actually guarded by anyone. In fact, he can go outside and walk around pretty much as he pleases. (With one of the other guns Carol stole and hands to Rick after he wakes up.) Michonne let's Rick know that she knocked him out for his benefit. Not for the benefit of the Alexandrians. Sasha is definitely suicidal. She later goes to seek guidance from a far more suicidal Gabriel. He goes outside for a walk before encountering Sasha inside Alexandria. While outside, he tries to commit suicide by letting a walker bite him. But immediately changes his mind when he sees that the human snack the walker was nibbling on, is still alive! Gabriel gets his first walker kill. Then kills the literally half-eaten person whose face was eaten off as well. That one being a mercy kill. Returning, Gabriel has clearly lost it. When asked to close the gate, he half-asses it and leaves it quite ajar. He then gets into it with Sasha. And the confrontation turns violent.
Outside the walls, Nicholas tries to kill Glenn with the stolen Glock. Fails. And after getting a beating, Glenn still decides to let him live. Sasha struggles with Gabriel, but she too decides to let him live after Maggie walks in.
There's going to be a town meeting to decide what will be done about Rick.
Daryl and his new buddy lose track of a lone survivor in a red poncho. But they do encounter a food warehouse with trailers parked by the loading dock. Unfortunately, it's one of the traps that the Wolves like to set. Opening one of the trailer doors triggers all of them to open. With a $#
[email protected] of walkers inside. The two soon take refuge in a car. Pretty soon getting rescued by Morgan, who finally makes more than just a cameo appearance at the very start of the episode. And thankfully, he seems to no longer be crazy as Hell. Daryl has never met Morgan, but Morgan hands him a map with Rick's name written on it. Morgan and Rick are finally reunited at the very end of the episode. Before that, the guy in the red poncho is killed by two wolves.
Back in Alexandria, Carol confronts the abuser so that he can check on Tara since he operated on her. Unfortunately, Carol then horribly provokes him! Which will have consequences at the end of the episode. The abuser has been relocated to another house.... Literally next door to the old one where his wife still lives. Oh and he is also unguarded.
Though the armory is now at least guarded.
Sure enough, thanks to Gabriel, a handful of walkers get in. Rick realizes what happened. He shuts the gate and goes looking for the walkers. Oh yeah he soon finds them! And kills them. Though he pops one of their heads like a giant zit. With plenty of gore falling down into his eyes and mouth. But, Rick doesn't turn. Okay....
At the meeting, the Alexandrians seem shocked that Rick had a loaded gun on him. (And yet
again, everyone forgot that Rick had a fricking .357 Magnum strapped to his hip before that incredible fight with the abuser! What is wrong with everyone?! Was there a scene in which Deanna let Rick keep his Python, but he had to empty it?? If there was,
that was one scene they shouldn't have edited out.) Also, despite going to bat for Rick along with the other members of the Group; Maggie still keeps her mouth shut about the major atrocity Gabriel committed. Even when Deanna mentions how Gabriel warned her about Rick and the Group.
Eugene and Abraham finally work out their differences. Not with fighting. But by talking. As is typical among guys, the conversation is short and sweet. (Well okay, it was very short. But they worked it all out.) Rick decides to trust Michonne by telling her the whole truth. She let's him know they don't need the Alexandrians here. But she feels things can be worked out with them. Morgan's words echo in Rick's head. About how the world is now is just a nightmare. And that nightmares end. A hopeful message.
After the last walker is dead and the Group stands up for him, Rick arrives and dumps a dead-again walker by the campfire inside Alexandria where the meeting is taking place. Rick starts his rant again.... But with different words and a different tone. The abuser shows up. And he's got Michonne's sword! Reg makes the mistake of approaching him, and gets his throat sliced open before the abuser can be restrained. Reg dies in Deanna's arms. Deanna tells Rick to shoot Pete, the abuser. Rick obliges. And then Morgan shows up.
After the credits role, we see Michonne strap on her sword again. Despite having told Rick she didn't need it anymore. Also, we get a blatant message that in Season 6, the Wolves are coming. And they will be because one of them finds a certain set of photos that Daryl's new buddy (Aaron) uses to recruit survivors. So now the Wolves know all about Alexandria.