The Walking Dead: Who died in Last Day on Earth?

[Spoiler Alert: This post discusses events that occurred in Episode 16 of The Walking Dead.]

The season 6 finale of The Walking Dead has left us wanting for more. But why might that be? Could it be because of who and what we lost in this episode? Or might it be because we don’t even know who we lost?

Rick’s group embarks on a journey in the RV in hopes of reaching the Hilltop community to obtain medical care for an ailing Maggie who may be losing her baby. Unfortunately, they encounter many obstacles and losses along the way. Let’s examine further to find out who or what did not survive the ‘Last Day on Earth’?

Escaping Library Man

We received a glimpse of what happens to survivors who disobey Negan and the Saviors’ laws. This poor fellow tried to escape the clutches of the Saviors and was subsequently chased down, dragged into the street, and spray painted with an “X”. And all this occurred before he was dropped over a bridge to be hanged in front of Rick’s group.

Surviving Savior

The final Savior from Jiro’s group last week survived long to hobble into the field and we suspected he was going after Carol. Sure enough he catches up to Carol in the season finale and shoots her multiple times and waits to watch her suffer as did the member of his group that Carol shot. When she challenges him to finish the job, Morgan comes to her rescue fatally shooting the Savior. The two are then met with assistance from the “armored” gentleman looking for his horse.

Walkers in Episode 16Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC, The Walking Dead /

Some Iconic Clothing Accessories

Rick’s group begins to encounter a series of roadblocks established by Negan’s band of Saviors. At one such stop, we see Michonne’s leather vest on one of the walkers in a chain gang style roadblock. Another walker is seen wearing the long-sleeved black shirt that Daryl often dons underneath his winged vest. Rick and crew begin to figure out that the series of roadblocks are not coincidental but orchestrated.

Rick’s Confidence

Rick’s confidence takes a major blow in ‘Last Day on Earth’. He spouted his assurances that the group could handle the Saviors if they stayed together. He expressed this to Michonne last week and to a very sickly Maggie this week. Carl tells his dad that he agrees with him on this. The point was most certainly driven home — that Rick’s group cannot rest assured that they will always come out on top. Standing together does not make them immune to the evil in the “New World”.

The physical roadblocks established by the Saviors created very effective imagery of Rick metaphorically confronting his vulnerability. And by the end of the episode, Rick is visibly shaken in those final scenes when Negan confronts the group. We actually see Rick Grimes nervous and scared. How could he not be??

Stuff and Thangs

Sorry, I could not help myself. Negan makes it very clear that everything belongs to him now. They may only have to give Negan half of their stuff, but the Saviors can come for more at any given time. Rick’s group does not really own anything anymore.

Michonne (Danai Gurira) in Episode 16Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC, The Walking Dead /

Our Minds

Some fans may feel like they have lost their minds after emotionally gearing up for this episode, only to end up with a big question mark for who died. While I certainly did not want to see anyone brutally killed, I braced myself for the loss of one of our favorite characters. And while I am very grateful that AMC did not actually show the act itself, we were still left wondering who became Negan’s “example” in the final seconds of the episode.

Final count: 2 known men, 1 unknown member of Rick’s group

We definitely have a lot of time to speculate who else died in the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead. We have until October to rewind our DVRs, perform complex math calculations, and create dynamic physics models to attempt to figure out who that bat landed on. Who has not yet tried to evaluate camera angles against that lineup of characters? Furthermore, is there anyone who has not already memorized the lineup itself? It will indeed be a long wait. Commiserate with your fellow fans and we will get there together!

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