What's Next On The Walking Dead

Season 5 of The Walking Dead just came to an end and we're all left wondering what's next for Rick and the rest of the survivors. For the next several months until October comes around, we'll all be digging around for every bit we can find about what's in store for season 6, from San Diego Comic Con to Walker Stalker cons to teasers and posters.

Of course, there is an easier way to get an idea of things to come in Alexandria. The Walking Dead television series has been following it's 12-years-running comic book source material more tightly now than ever before. Be warned though, spoilers follow for the comics if you plan to read them, and probably for the television series, as well.

Season 5 left off with the Pete Vs. Rick feud coming to a fatal end, found Glenn and Nicholas helping each other back to the Safe-Zone after what looked like it would be a fight to the death, Maggie befriending a weak father Gabriel, and Deanna's husband, Reg bleeding out in front of the community.

The Rick vs. Pete feud went almost exactly as it went in the comic books. The biggest differences: the community was at a funeral, Pete used a kitchen knife, and Reg was Regina, the wife of Alexandria leader, Douglas (comic book counterpart of Deanna).

Afterwards, Rick and the group start to mesh into the community. Maggie emerges as a leader. Douglas becomes depressed following the loss of his wife and decides he is not fit to lead the community. He appoints Rick the leader. 

Following the execution of Peter Anderson in the comics, a group called the DC Scavengers is tipped off to the location of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Derek, the groups leader, hears the gun shot and leads his bandits to the Alexandria gate. When they arrive, they demand entry, saying, "Little pig, little pig, let me in." This likely ties the group to the mysterious, sadistic group teased in the entire second half of the season: The Wolves. Fun bonus fact, Rick and Jessie Anderson hook up and keep it a secret from the kids. Rick, though, has delusions thinking he hears Lori on the phone. Unlikely that we'll see this in Alexandria on the television series, considering we already saw it in the prison.

The DC Scavengers are quickly disposed of. Andrea posts up in the bell tower and snipes them one by one as a gun fight ensues on the ground. Although, we know Andrea is dead in the television series, it appears that Sasha will take her place in the bell tower should the television equivalent of the DC Scavengers vs. Alexandria community showdown happen at the front gate.

The aftermath of the gun shot that kills Peter Anderson doesn't end there, though. The gun fight with the DC Scavengers is very noisy. Noise attracts walkers. All of the noise baits an enormous herd of walkers to the Alexandria Safe-Zone. The walls fall and the community is flooded with undead. Douglas Monroe, among others, gets devoured by walkers. On his way down, he fires gun shots in every direction. One of those bullets hits Carl through his eye and exits through his temple.

Also, Morgan, who returned to show in the finale, had been with the group when they arrived at Alexandria. He became a chef and a member of the community. However, when the herd attacked, he is swarmed and bitten in the arm. He gives up and is ready to die but Rick kills the roamers and pulls Morgan out. Michonne cuts Morgan's arm off when he decides he wants to live, but much like Tyreese on The Walking Dead television series, he succumbs to his injury and Michonne puts him down. Worth noting: Michonne and Morgan had an awkward hook-up. Awkward because Morgan holds himself accountable out of respect for his dead wife.

Several Alexandria residents, in fact I'd go as far to say "most of" the Alexandria residents, meet their doom when the herd takes down the walls and runs rampant in the community. Jessie, and her son Ron, are among those people. Carl eventually wakes up after Rick pleads for him to do so, hoping he can see the larger world Rick sees in the future.

Carl does eventually wake up, scarred for life- missing an eye and part of his face. 

Outside of Alexandria, Abraham and Michonne run into Paul "Jesus" Monroe, who demands to meet Rick. He is of no known relation to Douglas or any other Monroe. Rick knocks him out. When he comes to, Jesus tells Rick about a Hilltop community which wants to trade resources with Alexandria. Rick takes Jesus prisoner and ties him up, eventually having Jesus lead Rick to the Hilltop Community. Paul "Jesus," the cunning and able man that he is, frees himself but stays captive, much to Rick's impression and surprise.

When the get to the Hilltop Community, Paul convinces Rick to come inside. When they get there, Rick is introduced to the leader, Gregory. Shortly after the introduction, a member of the Hilltop tries to kill Gregory so that a prisoner of Negan's would be freed. Paul tells Rick about Negan and the Saviors.

The Saviors are a ruthless group of crazy men who really don't seem have much of a choice but to follow their leader, Negan. They hold up in a warehouse type of building, guarded by chained up walkers, called the Sanctuary. Negan burns men's faces with irons who don't listen to him and takes their women to be his own wives. He also terrorizes the communities in the area by demanding a certain amount of their resources.

Rick is introduced to Negan while on a trip from Alexandria to the Hilltop, along with Michonne, Carl, Glenn, and a pregnant Maggie. Negan and a group of his soldiers cut off their van, ordering that they exit and get on their knees. After some racial slurs, lots of cursing, and other insulting, intimidating, and daunting remarks, Negan beats Glenn's head in with a baseball bat right in front of a defenseless Rick. From here on, Negan demands Rick and the Alexandria community offer up half of their resources to him at certain intervals when he comes to pick them up. Otherwise, more people will die.

Alexandria, the Hilltop, and other communities, including the Kingdom lead by Ezekial and his pet tiger, Shiva, band together to fight back. From here, the All Out War storyline begins. A traitor of Negan's group, Dwight, helps Rick, Paul, Ezekial, and their respective communities defeat Negan's army and imprison Negan. This is not without loss though. Before the major battles, Abraham is killed by an arrow through his head from a distance, Aaron's boyfriend Eric is killed by an unnamed member of the Saviors, and Michonne has been mysteriously missing in action since being wounded in the All Out War storyline, with several characters saying, "I miss Michonne," since a two-year flash forward.

Following the All Out War story line, there is the two year time jump I mentioned. Alexandria is prospering along with other communities. Politics become a central focus. Bullying among kids matters. Rick is a respected leader who walks with a limp after his fight with Negan, who is in jail.

Recently, The Walking Dead comic book series has introduced a group called the Whisperers. This group wears masks made of the undead's flesh so they can walk amongst them. They live without an ounce of humanity, but so far are not looking for conflict. A young girl, Lydia, was captured by Jesus and brought to the Hilltop where she makes a connection with Carl (and takes his virginity after a weird lick of his empty, scarred eye-socket) only to be unwillingly released back to her mother, "Alpha," in order to avoid conflict.

The Walking Dead has enough source material to run for 10 seasons and the comic books are still in print. If you don't read them, I suggest jumping on board. Even though you now know the major plot lines, a lot more goes on and if you enjoy the television show, chances are you'll enjoy the comics.

What happens in the comics can't be taken as fact, though. The show does vary things when adapting them to the television screen. For example, the Governor cut off Rick's hand in an issue that would have taken place during season 3. Daryl Dixon never has and never will exist in the comics. Judith died in Lori's arms during the prison war. Andrea is still alive and basically Rick's wife. While the show is following the comics tightly now, it does not always, and anything is possible.