The season finale kicks off with Officer Bob running away, still handcuffed, after knocking out Sasha and escaping. Rick tries to get him to stop but Bob still runs. Rick finally gets in a patrol car, speeds up, and runs Bob over. Rick gets out of the car and tells Bob that it didn't have to end this way. Bob is pleading for his life and tells Rick they are all doomed. A bullet to the head from Rick quickly shuts Bob up.
Back in the camp where the Terminus freaks camped out, Fr. Gabriel is exploring the area, completely oblivious to the group of walkers nearby smushed at the front doors inside a building. He picks up a Bible and sees the name Mary on it. He then looks at what remains of Bob's nasty leg corpse and flips the pit over, crying out of anger. Soon, the walkers smash the door and chase after Gabriel. Gabriel limps through the woods, barely making it back to the church. He runs to the door, screams for help to Carl and Michonne as the walkers close in on him, despite landing in a few stick traps. Michonne and Carl rush to break down the wood barrier over the door and rescue Fr. Gabriel just in time. Michonne hacks and slashes a few walkers that are hoarding into the church but is easily outnumbered so they rush in Fr. Gabriel's office and lock the door. Fr. Gabriel leaves the door shut and tells Michonne and Carl to take Judith and go through an escape door underneath them. They all successfully get out, kill more walkers stuck in the traps and then lock them all inside the church.
Rick goes back to where the group's at and tells them that Bob had to be killed. They convince the two remaining officers they are holding that they will convince Dawn that Bob was killed by walkers and go through with a peaceful exchange.
In the Hospital of Horrors, Beth is cleaning up while Dawn is trying to radio her officers while on a stationary bike. Beth asks her if something's wrong and Dawn gets nervous when no one responds to her radio calls. Beth finds a photo of Dawn and Capt. Hanson, the officer that was in charge before Dawn. Beth asks what had happened to him. Dawn insinuated he had to be killed because he lost sight of all the risks that came with saving people. Dawn told Beth that Handson was her mentor and that she missed him.
At the church, the trio are outside and keeping an eye on the boarded front doors where the walkers are trying to break through. Abraham and company show up in the bus just in time and driving through the doors. Maggie breaks the news that Eugene was a fraud. Michonne tells Maggie that Beth is alive and at Grady's Memorial Hospital. The group get ready to head on in that direction.
At the Hospital, one of the cops yells and even pushes an old man down for not being able to stich a hole in his uniform. Seeing Beth, the man calls for her but Dawn butts in and says she's working on something else. Beth ends up sitting on the edge of the elevator shaft later on, thinking and pondering. Dawn comes in to try to talk to her. Beth tells Dawn that this world is it and it's not going to get better. Dawn patronizes Beth, reminding her that Dawn covered her butt when Beth killed a police officer. Dawn fires back that she didn't want to kill him. Before they can clear the air, Officer McDonnel walks in. He demands that Dawn "make a change" and step down as leader. Dawn draws her gun at him, reminding him she took out Hanson and will take him out. McDonnell charges after her, throwing her gun into the elevator shaft. The two ensue in a fight and when McDonnel overpowers Dawn, Beth tries jumping on him to distract him. Dawn then overpowers McDonnel and when he stumbles back, she yells at Beth; Beth pushes him down the elevator shaft to his death.
Later on in Carol's room, Beth is sitting against the wall while Dawn sits on Carol's bed. "It's okay to cry," Dawn says. "I don't cry anymore. Do you cry?" Beth asks. "When no one is looking..." Dawn admits. Beth pulls out a flask and starts drinking. Beth tells Dawn she knows that she protected Beth only to protect herself. Dawn disagrees. Beth exclaims that she will leave like Noah but Dawn disagrees, stating that "they always come back". Dawn tells Beth she is needed and Beth killing two dirty cops wasn't a loss to the world.
On the rooftop on a building nearby, Sash and Tyrese are on surveillance duty. Tyrese reminds Sasha that she shouldn't be hard on herself over Bob's death. Tyrese confesses to Sasha that the man Sasha killed back at the church was Martin, whom Tyrese claimed to have killed earlier but didn't have the heart to. He tells her how they are alike and haven't really changed with the rest of the world. Sasha is glad Tyrese hasn't changed but she knows she has. Daryl then joins them and Rick is walking towards the hospital when a police car shows up. Two officers come out of it with their guns drawn. Rick tells them that he too was a deputy and that he wants to make the trade. The cops tell Rick to put his weapons down, which he does. The cops demand to know where Rick's people are and Sasha responds by shooting a walker from her rifle near the cops. "They're close," Rick replies.
Back in the hospital, Beth is getting dressed in her regular clothes and slips a pair of scissors in her cast. Dawn and her officers, along with the Doctor wheeling out Carol with Beth walking nearby, approach a hallway as Rick and his group approach them. The officers held by Rick stay true to their word and aknowledge Bob was killed by walkers. The groups make the trade peacefully.
However, once the groups ready to part, Dawn demands that Noah stays because her officers died trying to save him. Rick is flabbergasted because it wasn't part of the deal, but Noah tells Rick it's okay and walks back to Dawn. Beth rushes to Noah to give him a big hug. Noah walks back to Dawn, with Dawn remarking; "I knew you'd be back." Beth, taken aback by this, tells Dawn "I get it now" and stabs her in the shoulder with the scissors. Dawn reacts and shoots Beth in the head. Dawn, horrified as to what she has done, tries pleading but Daryl shoots her in the head in retaliation as both groups look on, completely horrified.
The one female cop standing demands that everybody stand down.
The two groups are shooken up and the group of cops offer Rick and the gang a sanctuary at the hospital but he refuses. He then tells anyone in the hospital that if they want to leave and go with Rick, to walk forward. Noah joins them.
Just outside, Glenn, Maggie and the rest of the gang. Daryl comes out, holding Beth's body. Maggie drops her gun and falls to the ground, screaming in grief. Glenn holds her to try and comfort her. The group stands there, stricken with sorrow and grief over Beth's death.
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But before this chapter wraps up, we see Morgan exploring the schoolyard near the Church. He sees a walker lying down and puts it out of its misery and continues on. He stumbles across the church, completely disheveled. He arranges the altar and laughs. But then, he picks up the map with the note Abraham left for Rick Grimes....
So, I know I missed a couple episode recaps and I actually missed a few weeks'T....thank God for DVR! And with the way the season opened, I could NOT wait for the finale! I have been looking around different websites and many seem disappointed by the finale but I honestly loved it. I wasn't feeling the hospital sequence of events TOO much until much later on.
But the biggest question to me was...what did Beth mean with her final words "I get it now"? What was her true intent on stabbing Dawn? Did she just snap over Dawn being the control freak when she finally demanded to have Noah back? There's a lot of psychological clusterfunks over Dawn and the rest of her band of officers in the hospital; I am still trying to figure out if Dawn is evil and sinister or was originally good but over time, had to compromise so much of her standards and ethics just to survive. I'll have to rewatch this season and play especially close attention.
So, we finally see Daryl break down and show emotion. I also found it VERY interesting that Rick gave Officer Bob a quick, clean death because I could've sworn he'd leave him to the walkers like he did to the bad guys and gals back in Terminus (granted, there was a sense of urgency back then but still), plus he wouldn't use his gun to draw more attention.
So what did you think of the finale personally? A hit or a dud? What did you think of Beth's death and why she may have stabbed Dawn? What do you think is to come for the rest of the season?
Let me know either here or on Twitter @janespringfield
Picture Credit: The Walking Dead Wikia
GIF Credit: Tech Times
