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Sidiq vows to honor Carl for saving his life: \"That it meant something.\"

Back at Kingdom, they take Ezekiel back to the theater, but Gavin is wavering.

There's an explosion. Negan's men fire at the source: \"Give up or he's dead.\" A backdrop falls, and out come Carol and Morgan, guns blazing.

Negan's men are cut down. Gavin is hit and drops his pistol. Ezekiel fires on a henchman, dropping him. Morgan is tackled and goes hand to hand with an injured Savior, only getting the upper hand when he reaches into his wound and literally pulls the guy's guts out.

Gavin limps away. Morgan fires after him, then takes his staff to finish the job.

Back at the storm drain, Carl tells his \"best friend\" Michone to be strong, for his dad and Judith and herself.

Moments later, Rick and Michonne carry a fading Carl into an Alexandria church that had since stopped burning.

\"PHOTO:
AMC
PHOTO: Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes in 'The Walking Dead', season 8, episode 9.
>

Back at the Kingdom, Morgan finds Gavin hiding. \"Thanks for getting me here,\" Carl says, meaning, \"Thanks for making it so I could be who I wound up.\"

At Kingdom, Ezekiel urges mercy for Gavin. \"I have to,\" Morgan says through tears. But before he moves, young Henry runs the guy through the neck from behind, stunning the others.

In the church, Carl explains that the \"Old Rick\" visions we've been seeing are actually Carl's vision of the future at Alexandria. \"Everybody living, helping everybody else live,\" he says. \"That's how it could be.\"

\"I'm gonna make it real. Carl, I promise,\" Rick tells his son. \"Carl, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. A father's job is to protect his son!\"

\"Love,\" Carl corrects. \"It's just to love.\"

\"PHOTO:
AMC
PHOTO: Josh McDermitt as Dr. Eugene Porter, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, season 8, episode 9.
>

Carl unholsters his pistol. \"I have to do this,\" he says. \"I love you,\" he says to both Michonne and then his dad.

The pair sit outside the burned church when a silenced shot rings out.

As the pair dig a grave, little Judith walks up to a bearded man in an other Old Rick flash-forward.

\"Morning!\" she says. The man turns -- to reveal a smiling ... Negan! \"Good morning to you, darlin!\" he smiles.

We're left with Rick, in the present, sitting with his back against a tree, bleeding from a wound in his side.

\"The Walking Dead\" returns next Sunday, March 4, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

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