The Walking Dead Series Finale Recap: Who Lived, Who Died... or Worse

"I'm allowed to be a little sad." Toward the end of the series finale of The Walking Dead, as Carol said goodbye to Daryl, she couldn't hold back the tears — not all of them, anyway. He was heading toward his spinoff out on a very personal mission (more on that later), and his BFF was staying behind in a new role (more on that later, too).

And us? We were left a little sad, too. After 11 seasons of blood, sweat and fears, we had probably seen the tag team together with Maggie and Aaron, Gabriel and Rosita, and the whole gang for the last time. Heck, we definitely had seen at least one of the aforementioned characters for the last time (more on that... Oh, by now you know the drill!).

Along the way, we learned whether or not Judith joined mom Lori in the afterlife, saw the Commonwealth's vile governor get served her just desserts, watched one couple reunite and found out exactly where another, inarguably more prominent one stood.

And now, at last, it is "later." So keep scrolling, and we'll go over all of the major developments in "Rest in Peace," from beginning to the ultimate end.

Picking up where "Family" left off (read the recap here), the episode started with Luke and Jules being bitten as our heroes fought the walkers that had cornered them in a Commonwealth alley. As she was eaten alive, he was rushed to the hospital, where he gave Yumiko, Magna, Connie and Kelly his harmonica before succumbing to the injuries he'd sustained in the attack and subsequent amputation. 

In the bed next to Luke's, an unconscious Judith was given a transfusion by Daryl, who knew that he was a universal donor (owing to Merle having forced him to sell his blood for money as a kid). When the youngster awakened, she admitted to Daryl in her delirium that she couldn't die, because Michonne was searching for Rick, and their whole family was supposed to be reunited someday.

After Rosita, Gabriel and Eugene at last found Coco and the other kids, their getaway ambulance was surrounded by walkers. To escape, they shimmied up a pipe and maneuvered themselves in a window — with babies strapped to them! Last one up, Rosita fell back into the undead, then burst free, got on top of the ambulance and jumped (!) all the way to the pipe to climb to safety.

Since Maggie continued to reject Negan's offer to team up to take out Pamela, he set off to do it himself. When Maggie stopped him, he explained that nearly being executed with Annie had made him realize how Maggie must have felt when he murdered Glenn before her eyes. Negan could never give back what he took from her and Hershel, but he was sorry and wanted to assassinate Pamela for her.

During a rare moment of peace, Rosita revealed to Eugene that yep, when she'd fallen earlier, a walker had sunk its teeth into her. She didn't want everyone else to know, though — not yet. Meanwhile, after Tomi operated on Judith, it appeared that she was going to be OK. She was even well enough to apologize to Daryl for keeping from him that Michonne had set off in search of Rick.

At The Estates, Pamela was having her troopers shoot Commonwealth citizens off the gates anytime they attempted to climb over when Mercer, Daryl, Carol & Co. — as well as a bunch of troopers who didn't like the taste of the governor's Kool-Aid — intervened and arrested her. Maggie even shot a reanimated Lance rather than let Pamela commit suicide by letting him rip off her face.

To dispatch the horde, our protagonists lured the walkers to The Estates by blaring Living Colour's "Cult of Personality," then blew up the whole place. The next day, Maggie told Negan that nope, she could never forgive him for what he did to Glenn. But "I'm trying," she said, "because I don't want to hate you anymore." In other developments, Lydia was reunited with Elijah, and Jerry, with Nabila.

At a feast that was as perfect as the Season 7 picnic during which we saw Glenn enjoying a future he wouldn't get, Judith fed scraps to Dog (yay!), Yumiko and Magna kissed and made up, and Rosita... aw. She confided in Gabriel that she didn't have long. After they said their goodbyes and he took Coco away, it was just Rosita and Eugene. "I'm glad," she smiled, "it was you in the end."

One year later, we saw that Eugene and Max had had a baby girl, Rosie. Ezekiel was now the governor of the Commonwealth; Mercer, his lieutenant governor; and Carol, the new (and improved) Lance. Negan sent a package to Judith containing the compass she'd let him use; he hoped it would help her find her dreams. And Daryl and Connie made small talk like pals, nothing more. Huh.

Meanwhile, Carol attempted to say goodbye to Daryl, who was setting off on his own journey, hoping to find Rick and Michonne. "It's not like we're never gonna see each other again," Daryl assured Carol. But still. "You're my best friend," she told him. Before he rode off into the sunset, Judith promised to look after Dog for him (and Carol!) and made sure he knew that he deserved a happy ending, too.

As the series concluded, we glimpsed — ta-da! — Rick and Michonne, both writing letters to Judith. Based on Michonne's attire, she'd fallen in with the group we saw her approaching in her last episode. He was wearing a CRM jacket and being apprehended by soldiers in a CRM chopper. Nonetheless, "I will find him," Michonne told Judith, "because I know he's trying to find us."

So, what did you think of the series finale? And Season 11 as a whole? Read showrunner Angela Kang's explanations about who died, who didn't and more here. Then hit the comments with your reviews.