Story by Grant Dillard, Staff writer 

For nine years, “The Walking Dead” has focused on Atlanta sheriff  Rick Grimes leading his group on the path of survival during a zombie apocalypse. From the very beginning of the series, he’s the one who audiences have followed all the way through. But Rick’s time on the show has come to an end. It was reported by multiple sources on May 29, 2018, and later confirmed by Lincoln, himself on July 20 at San Diego Comic-Con, that he would be leaving the show during its ninth season. Now that episode has come, and it’s the best farewell to Grimes the show could have given.

The episode titled “What Comes After” picks up where the last episode left off, with Grimes seriously injured and pursued by a huge mass of walkers. While trying to keep the herd away from the communities, he is forced to face the past as he struggles to stay alive and finish the job.

It’s clear that a lot of effort, care and attention was put into the production of this episode. Greg Nicotero, the head of the show’s makeup department, directs the episode and does a marvelous job. Nicotero, who has previously directed many of the show’s best episodes, knows the right way to set up a shot, which definitely shows when it comes to scenery, establishing shots, and visual callbacks to Grimes’ past

Speaking of callbacks, “What Comes After” has a healthy amount of them. In fact, viewers should consider re-watching the pilot episode, “Days Gone Bye” before watching this episode. Some visual callbacks may be easier to spot, but there’s also a few smaller details that aren’t as obvious to catch, particularly a specific music track that plays near the end.

There are also a few familiar characters from previous seasons of the series who return for this episode, and fans will be really excited to see them once again. The returning characters were fan-favorites and contributed to Grimes’ life in the past. Even before the episode was released, it had been revealed which characters would be coming back but it’s best to go into this episode without knowing who exactly shows up, as it makes the reveals all the more special.

Along with the main storyline, there’s also a subplot featuring Maggie finally coming face-to-face with Negan who’s been imprisoned since the conclusion of season eight. At first, it may seem annoying that there’s another plot going on in what’s supposed to be a special episode dedicated to Rick Grimes’ last appearance, but this subplot quickly becomes just as engaging. Seeing Maggie finally confront Negan after what’s been established as a year and a half since Rick’s decision to spare his life is really intense, and leads to an unexpected yet fitting conclusion. This storyline also features what may be the best performance Jeffery Dean Morgan has given as Negan on the show so far, as well as yet another chilling performance from Lauren Cohan as Maggie.

Now, what viewers may be split on is the way the episode ends. The episode tries to have it both ways; that being a straight-forward ending, as well as an open-ended finale. Some may like the direction that the ending goes in, while others may find it underwhelming or a bit of a copout. Though on the plus side, the last few minutes do a really good job at teasing the new direction the series is going in, following Grimes’ departure.

Thanks to its smart direction, clever callbacks, plenty of surprises, and an amazing final performance from Andrew Lincoln, “What Comes After” serves as an excellent send-off to Grimes. Get some rest, Sheriff Grimes. You’ve earned it.