Now that’s a fake death: massive plot twist in The Walking Dead

NOW that was a shock death – or was it a bluff? After promising so much but delivering very little this season, The Walking Dead unleashed a huge twist in its series eight mid-season finale.

NOW that was a shock death – or was it just another bluff on The Walking Dead?

After promising so much but delivering very little this season, The Walking Dead unleashed a huge twist at the end of its series eight mid-season finale.

Prepare for a massive spoiler-filled review of episode eight.

Carl Grimes became the focus of the mid-season finale.

So, the mid-season finale goes for a little over an hour but all that counts is the last 30 seconds or so, when Carl Grimes reveals he was bitten by a Walker while rescuing new character Saddiq and now Rick’s beloved son is just hours from death.

If true, this is easily the biggest twist of the show’s long and violent history.

This isn’t Shane, or Lori or even Glenn. Carl Grimes is one of the two central planks on which this series is based. Without Carl Grimes, the Whisperer War plot (set to follow the war with Negan), falls apart.

The TV show has split apart from its source material in the comics but killing off Carl isn’t just a mild divergence, it takes the comics and wipes its arse on them.

So is he really dying? Well, a Walker bite on the torso is fatal. You can’t cut off your entire body. Unless Eugene and Dr Carson can invent a cure in the next 12 hours, when the finest minds in the world could not do that in 12 months, that is the end for Carl.

Or is it? Is it a real Walker bite?

Let’s face it, the show does have form when it comes to faking major deaths. Remember Glenn back in season six at the dumpster? Or how about Rick at the fun park with the deer and Michonne last season?

Michonne thought she “saw” Rick die last season.

Carl wanted to shake his father up and try and stop the bloodshed. We all know Rick would do anything for Carl. What about agreeing to his “dying” son to do whatever Carl wants to create a new world after Negan is defeated?

He could get Saddiq to bite him to leave the tell-tale marks but obviously not leave the Walker virus.

The timeline is also wrong. Most Walker bite victims go down within 24 hours (although that timeline does get rubbery, depending on the needs of the plot). That would leave Carl unable to lead the defence of Alexandria by then.

So, this might be another “Dumpster Glenn” scenario. Or he might really be dying.

Chandler Riggs has given an interview when he confirmed the character was dying. But, then again, Kit Harington spent months pretending that Jon Snow was dead as well. Until Rick tenderly stabs his son in the brain, we won’t quite believe he is dead.

If he does die, this could certainly signal the end of the show. If it is to end this season, then there is no need to keep Carl around for a Whisperer War. But it could also be a new start to the show, taking it in completely different directions. We could even see it merging with Fear The Walking Dead and the likes of Nick Clark taking on the role that Carl would have played.

Did Carl really get bitten? He didn’t react during the fight scene, nor complain afterwards.

It will certainly see fans itching for the second half of the season.

As to the rest of the mid-season finale, it was actually done quite well.

Negan unleashed his counter-attack on our heroes by invading the Kingdom, where Ezekiel got his people to safety before handing himself over to the Saviours. However, both Carol and Morgan are hovering, so I don’t think he will end up dead on a spike at the Sanctuary after all. Carol sends the Kingdom crowd off in the direction of Richard’s old caravan, which is conveniently full of guns and explosives.

Incidentally, how come Morgan got away from the sanctuary but didn’t think to warn anybody?

Ezekiel sacrificed himself for his people.

Anyway, Simon then set a trap for Maggie, killing one of her Hilltoppers and telling her to go back and farm for them. Instead she went back and killed one of the captive Saviours as a warning to the others and is preparing the Hilltop for a last stand. Damn, she is impressive.

Over at Alexandria, Negan sends in his full force. After first offering himself as a sacrifice to Negan, Carl then organises for the gang to bust out the back (with some help from Dwight) and then escapes into the sewers.

Did Carl do that because he knows he is dying from a zombie bite? If so, why didn’t he go through with it, because he looked to be actually reaching Negan … or is the bite all part of the “plan” he insisted Michonne and the others follow?

Maggie came out looking like a real leader and hero.

Rick arrives late (he, Carol and Jerry were involved in a car accident that saw Jerry captured by the Saviours but the other two get away. Don’t ask me how, it makes no sense).

Anyway, Rick goes to his house, which is the only one not on fire, and runs into Negan, where they both have a chance to kill the other but fail.

Michonne finds Rick and together they escape into the sewers.

The Saviours Dwight is a spy, setting it up for Eugene to become the new spy.

Dwight, meanwhile, has been outed as the spy for Rick, so has to join the Alexandrians. But not to worry, Eugene is coming to his senses. He lets Father Gabriel and Dr Carson escape but remains behind. At first I thought that was monumentally stupid but now it sets him up perfectly to be the new inside man for Rick and the gang.

So, all was poised for much more of the same in the second half of the season, until Carl’s revelation.

Sadly, we have to wait until at least February to find out if it really is true…