'The Walking Dead" Season Finale Recap: Alexandria Finally 'Conquer'ed by Rick's Law

The Walking Dead’s season finale “Conquer” just goes to show you never bring a sword to a gun fight. Or, perhaps, the zombie card trumps all. Either way by the end of the episode Rick law is in full effect, Glenn’s humanity continues to his poor decision making, and the longest and most poorly done tease finally comes to fruition. “Conquer” was another instance in which the easier storytelling choice was made but still represented a good finale.

In terms of Rick’s vindication there was little going on in “Conquer” until the final few minutes. He wakes up, finds that Michonne is still on his side, and gets some inspiration words from Carl. It’s not until Rick sees the front gate has been left open and that blood drops go into Alexandria where he really gets to do much -- and when Gabriel left it open who didn’t think this would happen? So Rick, in his first true act showing he cared about Alexandria, takes on a couple of zombies on his own while the forum discussing his recent actions commenced. When Rick shows up with a zombie slung over his shoulder, drenched in its blood, and Deanna’s husband is accidentally slain by Pete with Michonne’s kitana -- proving Rick was correct all along in what to do with Pete -- it was a mere formality that Deanna and everyone else would not only let Rick stay but also would take to his particular brand of justice immediately.

But where does this leave Rick and Alexandria? Earlier in the episode Carol calls the Alexandrians and especially Deanna’s way of governing childish. This is proven when she so quickly wants retribution for her husband’s untimely death and tells Rick he can shoot Pete. But Rick and company were equally as childish. The fact that neither were willing to truly talk things out, have discussions and compromises between the sides to hash out a better form of governance, and that Rick’s group resorted to violent threats -- especially Carol -- to get what they wanted is no less childish than Deanna’s naivete.

What both childish sides really exemplify is that The Walking Dead’s writing and plots are what is truly simple and childish about the show. This isn’t to say that there aren’t some adult moments, Tyreese’s inner monologue was a fairly adult turn in “What Happened and What’s Going On”, but usually TWD takes the easy way out. Instead of Rick having a strict code to protect Jessie he also had to have a crush on her. Carol seems to have learned nothing from threatening Sam once she realized he was being abused by Pete. But this is what The Walking Dead is, so it shouldn’t come as a shock.

Which is why Morgan’s final return is less exciting than it should be. After not having been seen for quite a few episodes, and only teased before that, Morgan makes his comeback in a big way in “Conquer”. He seems to be in a much better, more peaceful place since Rick found him holed up in his own booby trapped town seasons ago, as he believes all life is precious. He also just so happens to still be a badass when he quickly dispatches the still relatively unknown bad guys of the “W” gang (the guys who carve W’s into the foreheads of zombies and, as we learn, their own people -- or perhaps the zombies were their own people at one time). Morgan also saves Daryl and Aaron from the “W” gang’s well laid trap at the food warehouse. Of course it is later revealed the two guys who tried to kill Morgan earlier in the episode are also higher ups in the “W” gang, which continues the theme of being empathetic will have dangerous consequences later on.

Aaron promptly offers to bring him to Alexandria after this but Morgan initially refuses until Daryl sees the map Morgan is holding, the map Rick left for him earlier in the season. Morgan’s arrival as Rick executes Pete is some nice timing and it seems that he is genuinely in shock to see Rick as he is at that moment and since they both now have differing philosophical and spiritual viewpoints Morgan’s return could signal some interesting debate between the two. But then again this is TWD so don’t be surprised if there isn’t any or if it is done in such a facile way that it’s only mentioned a couple times and then forgotten because of the oncoming “W” gang threat.

Elsewhere in “Conquer” Sasha and Gabriel try to deal with their inner demons as they are both still lost in their past. Sasha lays amongst the zombies and Gabriel tries to let himself be eaten by one but instead just decapitates it by pulling the noose around its neck. Sasha comes to Gabriel for help but he begins to blame her for both Bob’s and Tyreese’s deaths in hopes of her killing him. Unfortunately Maggie arrives in the knick of time to stop it and they all end up praying in the most kumbaya moment of the whole season. In a season in which so many African-American characters have been killed off (Bob, Tyreese, and Noah, who we hardly knew) Sasha and Gabriel, especially Gabriel, were actually the two most deserving of being killed off. Despite the thick stench of irony coming from Gabriel’s multiple survivals his storyline has added next to nothing this season and is actually the least interesting of any of the characters’ struggles. At this point it doesn’t really matter if he becomes redeemed or not. His will he, won’t he relationship with God is already tiresome and his comparison of Rick and his group to satan while speaking with Deanna is still unexplained. But such are the living in TWD.

Also coming to a zombie head used as a silencer (thanks Rick) was Glenn and Nicholas’s feud. Glenn foolishly follows Nicholas out only to be attacked by Nicholas and be left for zombies to eat him up. How Glenn escaped no one will ever know but he does and finally gets his chance to kill Nicholas after catching back up with him. But he doesn’t do it. Some undeserved mercy from Glenn begs the question how will this come back to bite him in the ass later? Or maybe it won’t even be that much later since Glenn and Nicholas, both fairly injured, are in the woods at night and had not yet returned to Alexandria by the episode’s end.

This season of The Walking Dead was probably its best since the still stellar first season. The show is what it is and still opts for the easier way out in many situations but there’s no changing that this far into its run. “Conquer” did a good job of resolving the Rick conflict while also teasing the next villains Alexandria will be up against next season. Morgan’s return offers some intrigue. And so we say goodbye to another season of The Walking Dead.