u/ChickieN0B_2050

Watching it now and stricken by the recognition/realization of the theme that plays when Rick and Carl are sitting in the barn in that beautiful, golden, setting sun.

RICK:

No more kid stuff.

I wish you could have the childhood I had, but that's not gonna happen.

People are gonna die. I’m gonna die.

Mom.

There's no way you can ever be ready for it.

I try to be, but I can't.

The best we can do now is avoid it as long as we can, keep one step ahead.

I wish I had something better to say, something-- Something more profound. My father was good like that.

But I'm tired, son.

Please take it.

(HANDS CARL THE GUN)

The music is stripped down, a childhood melody, something that speaks of simplicity. And it’s that theme, here, that later plays during Carl’s death—the feeling of an ending, the feeling of an innocence lost. And I never put it together, until now.

Story completed, all hordes killed, still missing a few collectibles. 196 hours I’ve been playing this game…!

Thanks as always to everyone for their kind encouragement and support—couldn’t have done it without you 😊

I note that Rick, in the shower, is still wearing his wedding ring. I imagine he’ll have removed it by the time (or shortly thereafter) he and Michonne are a thing. Has anyone noticed his removal of it on-camera?

Between that and picking up/visiting the odd collectibles (“Visit Oregon” pamphlets, looking at historical markers and so forth), I think I’m…done? What else, if anything, should I be expecting…?

Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks, the lady of situations

HERE IS THE MAN WITH THREE STAVES, AND HERE THE WHEEL

And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card—

WHICH IS BLANK, IS SOMETHING HE CARRIES ON HIS BACK

Which I am forbidden to see

I do not find The Hanged Man

FEAR DEATH BY WATER

What is in the handcuff-attached briefcase?

What is happening here?

Sorry for the annoyance, all.

Am trying to determine whether or not I indeed do have all 18 pieces of the IPCA tech—I could swear I saw an “18/18” notation somewhere at least once before.

When I google “how to check how many pieces of IPCA tech,” it says “check Gear,” which I have done—am not seeing a notation for IPCA tech. And here’s what’s most weird of all: when I select the survival wheel and go “right,”I see only the SMP…which has a lock icon superimposed over it.

How is this even possible…? Could I have dropped the IPCA gun somewhere? And why are my sidearms locked? I’ve quit the game turned off the PS5, et cetera; no luck.

Thanks again, in advance, for your kind assistance.

I thought I’d found all the pieces, but it turned out I only had 18 of 19. Went back to my checklist, found the one I missed, put together the weapon.

Great! Only now, I can’t seem to equip it…am I missing something? Appreciate the kind advice; thanks!

(Glenn discovers the walkers in the barn; Maggie tries to convince him to keep it to himself with a bribe)

MAGGIE:

Here, enjoy.

GLENN:

Are you trying to buy my silence with fruit?

MAGGIE:

Of course not. There's also jerky.

So apparently there are three locations…and they are all daytime locations? I’m also having trouble figuring out where, exactly, the hordes are.

I’ve managed to roll up on a few, but, for the cave location, I can’t find the sodding (as Borislav would say, lol) cave. Can anyone point me to the specific spot on the map? Do I need to drive up and around (for reasons of topology) to find it!

Thanks for the help!

— Is rain a factor? In other words, do they wander away from their usual spots because of weather?

Really great ending, watching end credits now. 😢 Endless thanks to all you drifters who talked me through—couldn’t have done it without you.

Here’s to the broken roads.

CAROL:
Rick's gotten us a lot farther than I ever thought he would, I'll give him that.

DARYL:
Mm-hmm.

CAROL:
Shane could never have done that.

DARYL:
What's wrong?

CAROL:
It's that rifle. The kickback? I'm just not used to it.

DARYL:
Hold on.

(HE MASSAGES HER SHOULDER; CAROL SMILES TO HERSELF)

DARYL:
Better get back.

CAROL:
It's pretty romantic… Wanna screw around?

DARYL:
Pfft.

(BOTH LAUGH)

DARYL:
I'll go down first.

CAROL:
Even better.

DARYL:
Stop.

The music (instrumental score) that plays >!over her stumbling exit from the barn is so mournful, so beautiful.!<

CAROL:

You need to know something.

You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life.

DARYL:

I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't have done.

CAROL:

I know.

You're every bit as good as them.

Every bit.

My heart is beating like crazy, adrenaline overload, took out the Sawmill Horde, yeahhh boyyy—!!!

“You do know how to bite a dick. Eugene. I say that with the utmost respect. Welcome to Stage Two.”

“Don't need to welcome me. I've been here a while.”

I’m liking it thus far! (I’m not too far in yet.) Has anyone else read it/reading it/want to read it?

Love how, when Rick says…

“We…are the walking dead”

Daryl responds with, almost immediately…

“We ain’t them.”

I love also how the show often takes its titles from dialogue.