Did this line in the 'Walking Dead' premiere reveal how the season will end?

What's This?

Hidden among the cacophony of time jumps, sniping of Savior guards, and motivational speeches, you probably missed one key moment in the Season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead.

Sure, you saw Rick looking distraught, muttering something about mercy and wrath, but that line could easily get lost with all the other crap going on. Many viewers were left to wonder when, exactly, that scene was taking place, and what it all really meant.

But the comics can once again can shed some light on what the hell is going on with this show. (Spoilers for the comic books, and potentially the show, ahead.)

At the end of the All Out War comics storyline that this season will surely follow, Rick and his army defeat the Saviors. 

After Rick suggests that the various communities involved in the war begin to work together instead of fighting, Negan realizes that he's completely in the wrong with everything that's gone on between the groups. He finally understands that people can coexist peacefully instead of trying to constantly dominate each other. He finally sees things Rick's way.

Negan, realizing he's a garbage human being

Then Rick cuts Negan's throat.

It's not quite enough to kill him, though. Negan fights Rick to the ground, then passes out. Rick insists that Negan's life be saved, despite the objections of Carl, Andrea, and pretty much everyone around him. They instead put him in a makeshift prison, intending to keep him there for life. 

This appears to be the moment displayed on the show, when Rick echoes Siddiq's words earlier in the premiere, whispering, "My mercy prevails over my wrath." 

"My mercy prevails over my wrath?"

Taking Rick's red-rimmed eyes and shakiness at face value, if that flash-forward does follow on from Rick taking down Negan, the show version of Rick seems to grapple with this choice a little more than his comic counterpart does — but that's in line with what the show's been doing. Book Rick tends to be just a little more level-headed at times, while Andrew Lincoln's version of the character can be a little more emotional. 

So if this is indeed the same moment, that means Rick isn't going to follow through with the one thing he's been claiming he'll do — kill Negan. Hopefully what happens in the next 15 episodes of the series will justify this radical shift in Rick's plan, and this decision doesn't jar the audience too much.

But if you thought the discord and heated conversations following the cliffhanger from Season 6 were bad, get ready for a whole new issue to fight about with other fans. Comic readers are still arguing over Rick's decision to let Negan live, because yes, he's still alive in the books.

Is this bat-wielding murderer worthy of redemption? Definitely not. But it appears that our hero is going to give him another chance anyway. 

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.