The Walking Dead/What Comes After

What Comes After
Season 9, Episode 5
Airdate	November 4, 2018
Teleplay by	Matthew Negrete
Story by	Scott M. Gimple & Matthew Negrete
Directed by	Greg Nicotero
Stream
← 9x04 The Obliged	9x06 → Who Are You Now?
The Walking Dead — Season Nine

What Comes After is the fifth episode of the ninth season of The Walking Dead, and the one hundred twentieth episode overall.

Starring: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Alanna Masterson (Tara Chambler), Josh McDermitt (Eugene Porter), Christian Serratos (Rosita Espinosa), Seth Gilliam (Gabriel Stokes) (credit only), Ross Marquand (Aaron) (credit only), Katelyn Nacon (Enid), Tom Payne (Paul "Jesus" Rovia)

and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan)

Also Starring: Khary Payton (Ezekiel), Pollyanna McIntosh (Anne), Callan McAuliffe (Alden) (credit only), Avi Nash (Siddiq) (credit only)

Guest Starring: Eleanor Matsuura (Yumiko), Dan Fogler (Luke), Cooper Andrews (Jerry), Nadia Hilker (Magna), Lauren Ridloff (Connie), Cailey Fleming (Judith Grimes), Sydney Park (Cyndie), Kerry Cahill (Dianne), Nicole Barre (Kathy), Kenric Green (Scott), Traci Dinwiddie (Regina)

Special Guest Stars (end credits): Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha Williams), Scott Wilson (Hershel Greene)

Co-Starring: Angel Theory (Kelly), Briana Venskus (Beatrice), Aaron Farb (Norris), Chloe Garcia-Frizzi (Judith)

Uncredited: Lennie James (Morgan Jones) (voice), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes) (voice), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham Ford) (voice), Emily Kinney (Beth Greene) ( voice)

Plot Overview

Bleeding out, Rick leads the herd away as he teeters on the edge of death.

Maggie finally confronts Negan.

Notes

Music

• Wang Chung - "Space Junk"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The fight at the camp led to several deaths, but the overall consequences and body count are unknown.

• Rick stops the herd when he blows up the bridge as they cross it, destroying many as more follow off into the river.

• Six years later, a small band of survivors are rescued by Judith Grimes.

Characters

• Maggie is ready to kill Negan, only to find he is literally begging to be killed, something he do himself. Maggie decides he's worse than dead and leaves him be.

• Rick is assumed dead when he blows up the bridge. Unbeknown to everyone but Anne, he was blown clear. Anne, who had been setting the helicopter to pick up an "A" tells them she has a "B". Rick comes to, strapped to a gurney and with Anne, in the helicopter as it leaves.

• Six years later, Judith has grown up to learn to use a gun well enough to be a good shot.

Referbacks

• A good deal of the hallucinations focus on the events of "Days Gone Bye", from Rick in the hospital, to he and Shane talking in the police car as they eat fries, and their talk of the third man responsible for putting Rick in the coma.

• Rick apologises to Shane for killing him after being led out into the field in "Better Angels".

• Shane mentions Rick biting out Joe's throat ("A") and killing Gareth with the red machete in Gabriel's church ("Four Walls and a Roof").

• The appearance of Hershel and the setting at the farm are from circa Season 2.

• Rick apologises to Hershel for his death ("Too Far Gone"), what happened to Beth ("Coda") and Glenn ("The Day Will Come When You Won't Be").

Trivia

The Show

• AMC promoted this episode as Rick Grimes' Last Episode.

• The RV Anne is seen driving is the same RV as Heath's.

• The title of the episode shares its name with that of Volume 8 of the graphic novels.

• Shortly after the episode aired, it was announced that Lincoln would reprise his role as Rick in a trilogy of telefilms that would explore the community to which the helicopter belongs.

Behind the Scenes

• Last acting appearance of Scott Wilson who died a month before the episode's airing.

Allusions and References

• The sight of Rick standing among a ground covered with dead bodies is based on an alternate cover of issue 100 of the graphic novels.

Memorable Moments

• A group of survivors are encircled by walkers when gunshots go off, clearing a way for their escape. They find the shooter is a young girl who puts on a familiar sheriff's hat. They ask her name and she tells them, "Judith. Judith Grimes."