The Walking Dead Season 10 Finale: We Are the End of the World

After an extended pandemic-related delay, the conclusion to the Whisperer War arrives in the Season 10 finale of The Walking Dead. Though titled “A Certain Doom”, this episode unravels quickly and shows that there is still a future worth fighting for and that all hope isn’t lost. The finale digs into the emotional bonds of some of the last remaining longtime cast members to go out with a bang, but still delivers on all the bloody grossness we’ve come to love from the long-running series.

There is a lot that happens in this Season 10 finale and maybe even too much for just one episode, but the most pressing matter at hand is obviously the Whisperer War. With Beta taking the reigns to the horde and surrounding the group, they give one last stand to both redirect the overwhelming force of zombies and fight the whisperers all at once. The scheme is a bit of a head-scratcher, I won’t lie, involving a cart pumping loud music from Luke to distract the zombies after a particularly dangerous foray into the horde itself. It makes for some really tense scenes though, that’s for sure. The briskness of the episode brings in a lot of different elements with a rapid pace, including the momentous return of fan favorite Maggie Rhee!

Gabriel foreshadows her return very early in the episode, describing the different participants in their battle against the Whisperers and including “the others”. A group who hasn’t arrived yet, different people all fighting to keep them safe, and while each plays their part, Maggie and her mysterious ninja warrior are definitely the most exciting of the bunch. These people give the group just the push they need to stand up against the Whisperers but the show gives the spotlight to Daryl and Negan when Beta finally falls. While some of the episode up to this point may have some questionable decisions that also don’t really line up with the comics, the payoff for Beta is still a bloody spectacle that feels more than worthwhile. When the plan to run the horde over a cliff comes up, it strikes a familiar chord from the comics but focuses on the emotional ties with Carol to help it hit harder. The result is a deeply engaging episode that knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The epic battle against the Whisperers could have easily been the entire episode and felt complete, but we also have Eugene, the King, Princess and Yumiko going to meet Stephanie’s people. This is the tie-in to the larger world to come that many have been waiting on and while I won’t spoil everything the final moments in the episode teases, it’s incredibly thrilling to see the white armored troops make their way onto the screen. All the pieces are coming together for the upcoming films and it’s incredibly satisfying to know we’ll be getting the full story in its entirety.

For those who have been following the story for years, and especially following after Angela Kang took over as showrunner, the finale was an episode that was absolutely worth the wait. It never loses focus on the powerful character drama that drives the series, delivers more than enough blood and zombies for a finale and leaves with a shocking TWD “oh s#!*” moment. It’s everything I wanted from the finale, honestly. Even though some of the more climactic moments do feel like they could have landed with more impact, there are a lot of surprising heartfelt moments that help the episode to stand out. Particularly between Carol and Daryl, who’s chemistry continues to be the heart of the show after Rick’s departure. The slight mention of New Mexico is just the tease many could be looking for regarding the duo’s future.

With 6 anthology type episodes now on their way acting as an extension of Season 10, multiple films, the return of Fear the Walking Dead and the exciting new series World Beyond, there is still so much for fans to get hyped for. The Season 10 finale episode does a great job in finally bringing the Whisperer War to a memorable end while also setting up a bright future