Carl’s last stand: The action-packed core of 'How It's Gotta Be'

"How It's Gotta Be" is the mid-season finale of Season 8 of The Walking Dead. First airing on December 10, 2017, it is the eighth episode of the season and serves as a pivotal turning point for several key characters and storylines. Full of conflict and chaos, the episode follows the aftermath of Rick Grimes and his allies’ failed attempt to overthrow Negan and the Saviors.

Negan launches a counterattack against Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom, using guerrilla tactics and exploiting the communities' vulnerabilities, while assuring viewers of an action-packed episode. Alexandria's destruction is all but complete, at this point. Negan and the Saviors arrive at Alexandria, demanding Rick's surrender and are very quick to wreck what they can out of retaliation.

By the time Rick arrives, the Saviors have bombarded the community with grenades, leading to significant destruction. Residents scatter and seek shelter, including Michonne, Carl, and others (evidently, none of them have pets, so perhaps no animals would have been harmed by Negan). However, Carl has a secret plan!

Yes, a surprisingly neglected character for much of the series, Carl takes on a leadership role, negotiating with Negan to buy time for others to escape. Keep in mind, Carl's the same character who had a chance to possibly kill Negan, but didn't...much like other characters in The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead starts to kill Carl off

During this shining moment, it is revealed that Carl has been bitten by a walker earlier, a devastating revelation for the group. Obviously, Carl had been through a lot; He had been shot in season 2, had to kill his own mother, and later on, lost an eye, and now this. What a life!

At the same time, The Kingdom falls. The Saviors seize control of the Kingdom, forcing Ezekiel to surrender. Ezekiel sacrifices himself to help his people escape but is captured. Things really are not looking good for our heroes!

Hilltop in danger

Maggie’s leadership at the Hilltop is tested when the Saviors take weapons, kill someone, and demand compliance. It's another sign that this is no mere placeholder episode of The Walking Dead. Maggie makes a strategic but painful decision which, in her view, is necessary to keep the community safe and find balance.

Rick vs. Negan is another key aspect of this episode. Quite simply, Rick and Negan have an intense confrontation at Alexandria. They engage in a brutal fight, but neither gains the upper hand. Rick ultimately flees to regroup with his allies.

What are the main themes?

Carl's bite reveal is obviously a big development here and reminds us that, yes, The Walking Dead does contain zombies...sometimes. The most shocking moment of the episode is indeed the reveal that Carl has been bitten, signaling his impending death. This development had a significant impact on fans and marked a divergence from the comics, where Carl plays more of a long-term role.

That it's the end for Carl is obvious, and it makes the community sacrifices seem even more tragic for our characters. The destruction of Alexandria, the fall of the Kingdom, and Maggie's moral struggles at the Hilltop underscore the fragility of the survivors' communities in the face of Negan’s might. Not even Carol can swoop in and save them like the bad-ass superwoman she has been.

Moral complexity is another theme here, but more in the overarching sense. The episode explores themes of leadership, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of survival as characters are forced to make impossible choices. Still, this one is somewhat more about action and devastating consequences than emotional character development.

Did people like this episode then, and do they like it now?

This Walking Dead episode predictably received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and fans when it originally aired. For some, there were positive aspects. They may have thought emotional depth, particularly with Carl’s reveal, and the action-packed sequences.

At the same time, there were, and still are, criticisms. Some viewers felt the pacing was uneven and were frustrated by certain narrative decisions, such as Carl’s death, which was seen as a major deviation from the comics. There was also a lot of uncertainty about what comes after Carl's death, and it may have seemed like a shocking moment just for the sake of shock value.

One thing that cannot be denied: This episode had an impact on the series. "How It's Gotta Be" served as a turning point for obvious reasons. Carl's impending death reshaped the trajectory of Rick's character arc, despite it not exactly being a "Rick episode" (well, a lot of episodes by season 8 were no longer Rick episodes).

The episode set the stage for a more fractured group dynamic, with communities needing to rebuild both physically and emotionally. Anxiety would be a problem, right? It also signaled a shift in the conflict with Negan, moving toward a more personal and emotional confrontation. Of course, another debate will always rage: Was Rick's group wrong to attack the satellite outpost? It sure seems like a "mixed bag" decision, at best, in the ever-expanding universe of The Walking Dead.

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