Walking Dead S05E16 Recap: Conquer

It's been a long season full of heartbreak, and now the finale is upon us. Rumors have been swirling for weeks that we're going to lose yet another beloved cast member. Fan have feared for Daryl, and personally I've feared for Glenn, those little nods to baseball bats have been almost too much. But I'm really worried about Abraham, he bites the big one in the comics too. Who lives, who dies. Lets find out.

Morgan sleeps in a car that's seen better days. It's been awhile since we've seen Morgan. He looks up at a lucky rabbit's foot and smiles. Around a small fire, Morgan makes his meal. A man approaches with a gun. He thinks Morgan's breakfast looks good. Morgan asks what the W on his forehead means. He gives Morgan a little history lesson. He likes Morgan. He doesn't usually get to chat with the new people he meets. He sees new people often, but its usually when his group is overwhelming another, and not on equal ground. The man wants everything that Morgan has, every last drop. Morgan asks for just a little so that he can survive, but the man is taking everything, Morgan included. He tells him that some of the first tribes thought that people turned into wolves. Morgan doesn't want any ugliness. He can have the supplies, but Morgan just wants him to leave him be. He tells Morgan to just be still, Morgan has cat like reflexes and he uses his bo to take out the guy coming at him from behind. Morgan tries to give the pair of guys a chance to leave in peace, but they refuse. Morgan gives them a beat down. A walker approaches, and Morgan raises the gun of the fallen wolf. It's empty. Morgan dispatches the walker with his staff. He places the pair of men in the car he slept in the night before, honks the horn, takes the rabbit's foot and leaves them behind. They really should have taken him up on his offer to leave in peace.

Daryl and Aaron are back out on their mission of recruitment Aaron is content to let Daryl take the lead as he heads into the woods.

Rick wakes up in a dark room. He's amused, but Michonne isn't so much. He's surprised to see that she was there the whole night. She wants to know what was so funny. His surroundings remind him of the Terminus train car. Deanna asked for him to be placed in the cell like room. Rosita patched him up, Carl came and checked on him before she sent him away. Michonne asks him what he's doing. Pete's been moved, he could have told her what was happening. Rick could have admitted he was thinking with the wrong head, instead he tells her that he couldn't reveal he had a gun, she wanted this place too badly. She points out that they were out there too long, they were changed too much. They're there now, Michonne reminds him he just said he wasn't. Carol asks where he got the gun as she, Glenn, and Abraham arrive. Giving him a cover story that he took it, just in case. Someone is covering their ass big time, considering that she practically goaded Rick into going after Pete and claiming Jessie. There is a meeting planned. Abraham wonders if its to kick Rick out. Glenn tells them that Maggie is trying to find out information, he's unsure the purpose of the meeting. Carol coaches him, that Rick is going to tell them that he took the gun just in case, that he went to talk to the man he knew was abusing Jessie and that man ended up attacking him, that he's to sell the people whatever story they want to hear. It's what she's been doing since she got there. Michonne is shocked. Carol tells them that the people of Alexandria are children, and children like stories. What happens when the nice words are done? They prepare for the worse. If things go badly Rick will give the signal, and then they will spread out, and take key hostages. Michonne thinks that words will be enough. Rick hopes that its enough, but if it isn't they say that they will slit the throats of Deanna, Reg and Spencer. Glenn doesn't like the sound of that reminding him too much of Terminus. Rick hopes it to be an empty threat. Glenn wonders if Rick wanted this. He didn't, but outcome is the same. He excuses himself to get some sleep.

Maggie watches Father Gabriel go about his life as if he didn't have a care in the world as she waits for Deanna. Reg comes to retrieve her. Deanna doesn't seem all too open to her. Maggie's come to talk about the meeting tonight. Deanna wants to talk to everyone about what happened. Maggie is blunt, if it includes sending Rick away, it won't work. Deanna wants clarity. She let Rick in, all of them. She made that decision, and now she wants to let a group of very frightened peopled without the full story to make a decision. It's not leadership. Reg claims that it is a forum. Rick wasn't in his right mind because of the things he's seen, lost, that their whole group has. Deanna is upset that Rick took a gun and pointed it at people, that it was a miracle that he didn't pull the trigger. Reg points out that Michonne stopped him. Deanna tells her that she is going to do what she has to do. Maggie leaves frustrated and Reg heads after her. He tells her that the cavemen who didn't evolve died, and the rest evolved into what they are. Civilization starts when you stop running and live together, when you stop sending people out to die. That's what he's going to tell the people at the forum.

Sasha gathers up bodies of the dead, and dumps them into a grave. She struggles with one on a cart, it's arm coming off and she slides into the hole. She looks at the bodies, and lies atop them.

Daryl and Aaron follow some tracks in the woods. The footsteps are fresh, please let them be Morgan's. Aaron tells him about the people he brought back, that didn't work out. Two men and a woman, he thought that they would be fine. He drove them out, gave them a days worth of food, water and left them. Daryl is surprised to see that they just went. They had their guns, all of their guns. Aaron can't let that same mistake happen again.

Carol wakes Rick. She tells him that what happened last night was good, that it'll make everyone think they have Rick covered now. She gives him another gun, and Rick can't but wonder why she didn't want it revealed to the others they had more guns. Carol points out that Michonne knocked him out. Rick knows he deserved it, but that Michonne is with them. Carol isn't taking any chances.Carol points out that he said that he didn't want to take this place, or leave. He doesn't get both.

Daryl and Aaron watch the single person from a distance, its definitely not Morgan. All they know about him is that he knows how to keep mosquitoes off him. daryl and Aaron go in for a closer look.

Rick emerges from his recovery room. He does the whole man nod thing to a trio outside. He passes Deanna's without a word.

Nicholas spies on Glenn. Maggie gives Glenn the bad news. The forum is what they feared it would be. She wants to go talk to people, to solve this. Glenn is silent on the issue. He doesn't reveal to her the master plan. She has faith it'll be worked out. She heads off, and Glenn spies someone climbing over the wall.

Father Gabriel heads outside for a walk, unprotected.

Rick returns home, to find a relieved Carl. He's sorry for what happened. Carl understands, and he's heard about the meeting. Rick wants Carl to stay home, and this is their home. Carl is glad to hear that because the people of Alexandria need them. He urges Rick to tell them that. Rick isn't sure that the people want to hear that, that they'll be able to. But they need to.

The man give Aaron and Daryl the slip. Sometimes people give you the slip, and sometimes you have to turn back without them. Daryl wants to keep looking, but Aaron points out that they have a lot of good people back home, and the opportunity before them is too good to be true. Daryl gets the attention of the walkers inside the fence. Together he and Aaron kill them all and then head into the cannery. Inside Aaron finds an Alaska license plate. The guy was in a red poncho, they can probably find him again, but if they can come home with a trailer full of cans, consider it a win. Daryl agrees, and goes to open up one of the trailer. It sets off a trap, opening all of the trailers, full of walkers with W on their foreheads. Daryl and Aaron are surrounded, but they're not letting that stop them. They run one way, but there are too many. They head under a trailer, regrouping, looking for a clearing. Daryl heads out first, swinging a chain and taking out a trio of walkers. Aaron is on his heels with a machete. They make their way through the crowd, and into a car. They're safe inside for the moment, but utterly surrounded. Daryl suggests that they figure out a way to black out the windows so that they can't see inside, they'll lose interest and then they can get away. Aaron finds a note telling them to get out, bad people are coming. Well that's less than comforting.

Pete sits in a dark room, probably sleeping off a hangover. Carol is at his door with a casserole, and Pete isn't really happy to see her. She needs him to check on Tara. Pete remains bitter, telling her to get out. She pulls a knife on him. She could kill him, and no one would suspect it was because she didn't like him. They would believe that he tried to hurt her though. She dares him to come after her, but he refuses. Once this is played out he'll have his chance. He's here, and his wife is away from him. He's small and weak, and because of the way that the world is, he's weaker. If he plays his cards right he doesn't have to die. She tells him that she wants her dish back, clean before leaving. Pete drops the dish and its contents before going into the living room the thrash it.

Glenn continues to trail Nicholas, as he runs through the woods. He sees the remains of a zombie. Someone has been playing with the dead again. Glenn is shot, he goes down. Nicholas rushes forward to finish him off, but the body is not where he expects it to be.

Rick heads over to Jessie's. She tells him that he should go. Rick wanted to come and check on her. he asks about her black eye. Pete did it when she was trying to help him up. She thinks that people shouldn't see them talking at the moment. Rick isn't sorry that he and Pete fought, no matter the outcome, or what he has to do. He turns to leave, and Jessie has a confession for him. She asks him not to turn back around. He was right. Rick walks away, but Pete watches from his window.

Daryl and Aaron haven't found a way out, and Daryl laughs. He felt all closed up back at Alexandria, but now he feels more like him. He was a tracker. He hated it. Aaron admits that when he was watching the group, and Daryl went off on his own, but when that storm hit, he lead the group to the barn, to safety. He knew then that he had to bring them back. They should have went after that guy in the poncho. He shouldn't have given up, Daryl didn't. Daryl pulls out a smoke. He'll go, lead them out. Tells Aaron to make a break for the fence. Aaron doesn't like that idea. This was his fault. Daryl isn't assigning blame, he just wants to finish his smoke. Aaron thinks instead that they shouldn't run, they should fight their way out, together. Whether they make it or not, they do it together. Oh please, don't let Aaron die. I've taken a shine to the guy. Daryl agrees. He begins to count it out, when a walker is bashed in the head outside his window. The pair head out of the car, prepared for the worst, and its Morgan, bashing walkers with his bo. Daryl and Aaron get out and beat their way through walkers. All three of them make it to the safety of the gates outside, closing the walkers inside. Aaron is thankful for his help, introducing them. Morgan tells him that all life is precious, which is why he helped. Aaron warns that there is a very bad group coming back who rigged the trap, but they have a safe place. Morgan thanks him, but he's on his way someplace, but he's lost. He asks if they can show him where he is on the map he has. Its the same map Abraham gave Rick. Daryl sees the message.

Gabriel whistles in the woods when he comes across a feeding walker. Rather than turning back, or trying to hide, he heads straight for the thing. Arms spread wide open he calls out to the thing. He's ready. The walker heads away from its meal towards Father Gabriel. Gabriel lets the think get close, and then he has a change of heart, grabbing the noose around its head and popping its head off. Smashes the thing's head before going to take care of his meal. He cries, falling to his knees in misery.

Abraham brings some flowers to Tara. Seeing Eugene, Abraham thinks to leave, but Rosita tells him that he's asleep. Abraham walks softly to avoid waking Eugene so that he can sit with Tara. Rosita knocks a pan off the table, making horrendous noise and waking Eugene. Eugene admits that Tara saved his life, and shook his beliefs with her observations, but he doesn't want to talk about that right now. Eugene admits that Abraham got them there. he just lied ad gave him a heroic reason to spur him into action. He finally apologizes for his deception. Abraham is sorry too. Eugene tells him that it is unnecessary. Abraham nearly killed him.

Father Gabriel returns. Spencer asks if he can makes some confessions to him later. he needs to talk to someone, but doesn't really have anyone. Father Gabriel agrees.

Nicholas runs through the woods looking for Glenn. He finds a walker instead. He hesitates to take aim at it, but as it draws closer, he finally does. Glenn uses that chance to run at Nicholas. The two scuffle in the woods, Nicholas taking advantage of the gunshot wounds he inflicted on Glenn. Walkers approach, and Nicholas abandons Glenn to them. That cannot be the end of Glenn! That would be such a waste.

Michonne goes to see Rick, asking if he's ready. Rick has a confession first. Carol, Daryl and himself worked out a plan to get the guns. Carol still has one. They lied because he wasn't sure how she would take it, what she would do. He offers her the gun he has. She asks if he thought she would try to stop him. He admits that she did hit him over the head. She did that for him, not the people of Alexandria. He was afraid she would talk him out of it. She could have. She tells him that they don't need the guns here, she doesn't need her sword. She thinks he could find a way, they can. If they don't then she's still with him. She knows something is going to happen, but asks that he doesn't make something happen. He offers her the gun again, but she pushes it down, telling him not to be too long.

Rick tries to get his head sorted, remembering a conversation with Bob about the nightmare world they live in, and how Bob reminded him that nightmares end. Rick looks out his window, something gets his attention, and he runs for it. He gets to the wall, finds one of the gates open. Something shoved into the lock, and there's blood. Rick pulls the item from the lock, and locks the gates up tight. Rick runs along the perimeter.

Gabriel returns to his church. Sasha is waiting for him. She came there, because she doesn't know what to do. She asks him to help her, but he refuses.

Night falls, and the forum has gathered. No one is speaking, Deanna wants to start, but Maggie asks if they can wait. Glenn and Rick aren't there. Deanna is going to start and talk about Rick and his actions. Michonne knows that Rick is coming. Even Carol is sure of that , and the fact that they can work it out.

Under the cover of night, Rick continues to run around on alert.

Father Gabriel asks her why she wouldn't want to die. She doesn't deserve to be there. The dead don't have a choice, they don't get to decide to take action. Bob died, he was mutilated because of her actions. He was a part of the madness, he didn't deserve to be there, she doesn't. Sasha loses it, and finally moves to shut Gabriel up.

Rick finds walkers inside Alexandria.

Michonne tells the people about being out there, and now not being out there can drive a person crazy. Rick wants his family to live, himself, and the people here to live. He is what they will turn into if they're lucky.

Rick goes up against the walkers on his own.

Gabriel tries to fight off Sasha.

Nicholas peers around some trees. Glenn knocks him out. He's not out of the game yet folks!

Carol tells how Rick saved her life repeatedly. There are terrifying people out there, and he rescued her. People like her, like all of them, need people like her. She knows that what happened last night was scary, and that he's sorry for it, but she suggests that they listen to what he's saying.

A walker gets Rick down on the ground, and Rick struggles to break the thing's neck with his bare hands.

Glenn beats the downed Nicholas.

Abraham lays down some knowledge that these soft hearted people need to understand. Rick has seen a lot, more than they don't realize, and there are worse people out there

The red poncho man sits outside of the factory. He was a set up, as he tells the walkers to calm down so he can reset the trap. He's killed by two of his companions, well that's one heck of a welcome home.

Maggie tells her own story of her father, and Rick. Rick is a man with a good heart. They were together before this place, and Rick made them a family. They can't stop that, they don't want to. They'll want to be apart of that family. Deanna decides to stop them all, in the spirit of transparency. She confesses that father Gabriel came to see her recently, said that their new arrivals can't be trusted, that they're dangerous, and that they will put themselves before the community. Then not one day later, Rick demonstrated that. She had hoped Gabriel would be there. Jessie points out that she's giving them hearsay. Maggie tells them that they didn't take Gabriel, and Deanna that Rick isn't there either. Maggie excuses herself.

Glenn punches Nicholas again. Noah died because of him, Glenn tried to enlighten him, to help save him and he tried to kill him as thanks. He points a gun to Nicholas's head.

Sasha does the same to father Gabriel.

The walkers are lured back into their trailer traps.

One of the men, Cody admits that he just wants to keep his family safe, but he's unsure if he knows what that means anymore. He's interrupted before he can vote to banish Rick. Rick appears, with a dead walker on his shoulder, dropping the body before the fire. The people are shocked to say the least.

Nicholas cries. he was scared. He doesn't belong he tells Glenn. Glenn just wants his silence, but he doesn't pull the trigger.

Father Gabriel asks for death. Maggie comes in, and pulls her back from the brink, and she lets her. Gabriel tells her that she should have let her, they died, they all died because of him. Maggie holds his hand, but doesn't take his guilt. they did she admits, as she pulls him to his feet.

Rick tells them that there was no guard on the gate. Spencer had asked Father Gabriel to close it. She sends him to check on him. Rick didn't bring the walker in, it got inside on its own, they always will. The dead and the living will come because they're there. The ones out there they'll hunt them, they'll find them, they'll try to use them, and try to kill them. Maggie and Sasha sit and pray with Gabriel. Glenn helps Nicholas home. Tara wakes up as Rosita reads to her. The zombies load up into the trailer. The guys luring the zombies look over Aaron's pictures. Rick promises to kill any one who threatens them. they'll survive and he'll show them how. He was thinking how many does he have to kill to save them. he doesn't have to do that though, because they're going to change. He's not sorry for saying what he did,he's only sorry that he didn't say it sooner. They have to get ready, luck runs out. Pete loses it. Rick isn't one of them. Everyone tries to calms Pete down, but he comes forward. Reg gets in the way, and gets his throat cut as Pete screams, thrown to the ground. Reg dies in Deanna's arms as she cries. Pete tries to blame his actions on Rick. Deanna turns to to Rick, telling him to kill Pete. She should have listened to him sooner. As Rick pulls the trigger, he sees Morgan, Aaron and Daryl.