Episode 23 was the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead and featured a shocking cliffhanger that has fans desperate to find out what happens next in the hit zombie apocalypse series.
Currently, the various communities originally taken in by the Commonwealth are involved in a bitter battle to leave the vast group.
Some are still held captive by the Commonwealth, whereas others are infiltrating the group in order to help them escape.
In the process, Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) was shot and now her life hangs in the balance.
The episode ended with her final fate unknown and the preview for Episode 24 doesn’t give anything away either.
However, with the focus on Judith, many fans might have missed some vital moments in the episode.
The opening music is significant
As pointed out by Insider, there are many moments of significance in the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead.
Even the very start of the episode contained an important moment. The music that played over the top of Judith talking about her family was the same music that was used during Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) final episodes.
Some might see this as ominous but, thankfully, while Rick appears to be dead in the TV show, he and Michonne are both still very much alive.
And with so many things coming full circle and throwbacks to older moments in The Walking Dead, it seems likely Episode 24 will be filled with many more moments like these as well.
Judith is a beacon for the new world
Many of the significant moments in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead center around Judith Grimes, and this could be because she will be the beacon for the new world after the conflict with the Commonwealth is resolved.
Most notably, Judith is seen picking up the charter that her adoptive mother, Michonne, made up for the communities of Alexandria, the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and Oceanside.
If Judith survives, could she now lead everyone into a new — and better world — based on her mother’s principles? If she perishes, could this charter be a reminder to everyone left behind what exactly they are fighting for?
And, if she does die, did Judith just pass the beacon on to her younger brother, RJ (Antony Azor)?
After all, Judith was shown giving her brother her hat, the same one worn by her brother, Carl (Chandler Riggs), and given to her before he died. In turn, that hat originally belonged to her father, Rick Grimes.
And, for those thinking that her time really might be up, a parallel can be made between the events leading up to Carl getting shot that also matches what happened to Judith. Both Grimes children insisted on joining in on tagging along and both were told to stay right by the side of the adult in charge.
Of course, while Carl did this, he was, ultimately, shot and nearly died.
AMC actually gave a secondary nod to this scenario in Episode 23, showing Daryl running frantically with Judith in his arms, much in the same way Rick ran with Carl when he was shot.
Pamela is predictable in The Walking Dead
Moving away from Judith, Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) employs a tried and tested method to control her people in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead. Although, this time it goes horribly wrong.
In the past, Pamela has used the fear of massive herds as a way to control her community when they start to get out of hand. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t predict the possibility of smart walkers appearing and messing things up for her.
In addition to her predictability, Pamela and Judith are also involved in a little role reversal.
In The Walking Dead comics, Rick Grimes is actually shot and killed by Pamela’s son, Sebastian. However, in the TV show, it is actually Pamela shooting Judith.
Both times Milton shoots Grimes, but because Sebastian is already dead in the TV show and Rick is missing, AMC shook things up to also give a nod to what happened in the comics.
Are Jerry’s days numbered?
Jerry (Cooper Andrews) has been a fan-favorite since he first appeared in The Walking Dead. However, a throwaway line could have just sealed his fate, according to Insider.
“Piece of cobbler,” Jerry says in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead, before heading off into a large herd of walkers.
This is a reference back to the first time we met Jerry in Season 7, where he mentioned having a thing for cobbler. Then, in a subsequent episode, he also offered this post-apocalyptic dessert to Carol (Melissa McBride).
While this could just be a reminder of Jerry’s character, it could also remind us of how much we love him — right before AMC kills him off!
The Walking Dead airs every Sunday night at 9/8c on AMC.