Sure, there have been lots of attacks on both groups' communities.

In the end, Rick doesn't kill Negan, confirming that previous flash-forwards to a bleary-eyed Rick weren't him truly lost, but rather when his mercy does indeed prevail over his wrath. So Siddiq explained how his mother had believed that the dead's souls were still trapped within them until they were killed.

In the comics, Dwight took over Negan's place and led the Saviors for over two years. Though they question it, they create their strategy accordingly.

There wasn't any fighting to speak of at Hilltop either, where another group of Saviors had been dispatched. Morgan says he needs to go so they can finish it.

Eugene and Gabriel watch as the Sanctuary prepares for war. The man offers to befriend Morgan after being lonely, but Morgan seems to be having none of it. At this point, Gabriel throws himself out of the auto, but Eugene and Negan find him in the woods and load him back up.

Despite the departure of Morgan to join "Fear the Walking Dead", the show must do relatively little reloading, a challenge it has regularly faced (and one of the things that has kept the narrative fresh), sometimes with uneven results. He tells Morgan that he doesn't have to kill everyone to save his friends. And for a moment, Negan hesitates, seeming to consider what Rick is saying.

But when the Saviors prepared to start killing, all of the bullets backfired and killed them. Eventually, Laura, of the Saviors, surrenders and the Saviors all kneel down.

"Carl said it doesn't have to be a fight anymore", said Rick. Then they give him an interesting storyline which makes this his second best character arc yet. Negan counts down and, for a brief second, thinks that maybe Rick is right.

Rick tells the Saviors to put their hands down. He believes that there has to be something afterwards.

So long Dwight: While the Hilltoppers were practically singing "Kumbaya" with their former enemies the Saviors, Daryl couldn't let his beef with Dwight go. How is it that Morgan will next appear on The Walking Dead's spinoff, Fear The Walking Dead?

Morgan went to see Jadis and invite her to go live with Rick, which she happily agreed to. He tells her that Rick is trying to build something, and he needs all the hands he can get.

Except when it's not, since Morgan himself doesn't want to be around people anymore. She asks for his name and then introduces herself as Ann. Maggie wants, and deserves, revenge.

"Her", of course, was Dwight's wife Sherry.

Jerry, Henry, Ezekiel and Carol head back to the Kingdom.

"Rick was wrong to do what he did". Pamela seems stern, but she's also compassionate. Daryl backs her up. Make it thrive for the people who live here.

Unfortunately for her, Rick chose for his life to be saved and Michonne restrained her from doing anything. And what became of those scenes of a red-eyed, tearful Rick from the season 8 premiere? First, they bring in Morgan, one of the original characters from The Walking Dead, onto Fear the Walking Dead. This is him turning over a new leaf and deciding there's a different way forward....

"When I read the script, I was a bit concerned when I slit his throat, because up until now, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been unbelievable, and one of the greatest assets he has brought to the show is the fact that at the end of each season, he does a three-page monologue".

Viewers now know that scenario is a possibility, although the finale shrewdly planted the seeds for future discord (this is a drama, after all), emanating from those who had been Rick's closing allies.

I was surprised that Eugene did what he did. Just how long will bygones be bygones?

Maggie and Alden are totally going to hook up, right?

Though James hasn't confirmed he's definitely making a return to "The Walking Dead", we imagine the conversation is one he's had with those in the know behind-the-scenes.

At the end of the eighth season of The Walking Dead, there's been a dramatic shift in the way the world works.

Why do you think Al is gathering so much information on survivors by wanting to hear their story? "So we're gonna bide our time, wait for our moment, and then we're gonna show him". We knew that was going to be the final masterstroke.

Though Rick won't like this, fans of the show can at least rest happy knowing this new development likely means Lauren Cohan will be back for Season 9, with a pretty meaty storyline to boot. This includes all past episodes of The Walking Dead as well.