'The Walking Dead' season 5 finale: wolves lurking, deserving deaths?

Sure, we had close calls, including Daryl and Glenn.

But they are both alive as of the end of this episode.

Overall, the 90 minutes felt a little messy. From a story-telling standpoint, it was tonally up, down and everywhere in between with a half-dozen plots to grapple with. The fact it was longer than normal may have been part of the problem.

But the final minutes made it worthwhile.

Also, that scene between Carol, Pete and Carol's knife? Delicious. "It's like handing Pete's [you know whats] on a platter," actress Melissa McBride said on "Talking Dead."

So much happened. Let's summarize in no particular order the 10 nuttiest things that happened:

Morgan lives! We've seen him twice before this season. We know he's trying to find Rick again. In summary, he schooled Rick in the very first episode about life in the apocalypse. During season three, Rick, Michonne and Carl find Morgan in a crazy state after losing his son, hiding in a booby-trapped building (now for sale in Grantville.) He decided not to go with them. But later, on his own, he finds Abraham's apology note to Rick on a map in the church noting their trip to D.C. So he ends up not far behind Rick's gang.

Wolves lurk! We learn who has been doing all this "W" carving. This new evil set of "wolves" are first seen trying to torment Morgan. He has an oddly civil conversation while pointing a gun at Morgan (which he'll soon learn has no bullets.) Morgan's incredible calm implies he has dealt with issues like this before. He isn't scared. What we can figure out about the wolves: they seem to just enjoy turning humans into walkers for kicks. But instead, Morgan with his walking stick takes them both down. Then he keeps them alive because to him, all lives are worth saving.

Booby trapped!  The wolves sure like to play games with humans. What looks like trucks full of potential "food" is a trap that almost kills Aaron and Daryl. They had lost track of red poncho dude and opened a truck expecting cans of food. Instead, there are dozens of walkers. They manage to just barely escape into a tiny car and prep themselves to die. (Daryl fans are now crying: Noooooo!) Daryl says he wants to go first and provide Aaron a chance to survive easier. Aaron insists they work together and if they die together, so be it.

Good timing! Morgan  sees the trouble and helps both Aaron and Daryl get to safety using his walking stick for good effect. Then he hands Daryl the map Abraham had left behind at the church a few weeks (months?) earlier. Daryl realizes who this is and takes him to Alexandria.

Glenn vs. Nicholas: Glenn had warned Nicholas last week not to leave the compound. Nicholas was not intimdated. When Glenn sees Nicholas sneaking out, he decides to go after him. Nicholas shoots Glenn in the shoulder. Glenn appears to be in big big trouble. But instead of bleeding out, he sneaks up on Nicholas and they fight. When two walkers arrive, Nicholas scoots off - because that's what he does. Glenn looks like a goner yet again. But he survives and punches out Nicholas again after it's dark. Glenn sticks a gun to Nicholas' forehead but he isn't that guy. He decides to spare Nichola's life and they go together back to Alexandria. Buddies? Not really. But perhaps they will warily accept each other from here on in.

Tying up loose ends?  The writers wedged in a few minutes for Abraham's crew that seemed a wee bit incongruous. Eugene finally apologizes to Abraham for lying weeks earlier about being a super scientist. Clearly, they had been avoiding each other for awhile. Tara has no dialogue but she does wake up. Surgeon/domestic abuser Pete, of all people, helped save her.

What to do with Rick? Deanna seems naturally inclined to exile Rick after his crazy actions last week. She is also affected by what Gabriel had said not to trust them. Maggie hopes to make it all right.

Rick's plans: Amazingly, Deanna allows Rick to wander freely despite waving a gun around a day earlier. Rick is ready to shoot Deanna and "take this" if need be. He also apologizes for locking out Michonne from the Daryl, Carol and Rick plan to hoard guns just in case. He knew how gung ho she was about Alexandria and wasn't sure she would approve. Michonne is surprisingly zen about this breach of trust and takes the gun Rick hands her  just in case. She has his back, always will. She had knocked him out, she said, for his own good.

At the meeting: Rick isn't there. Where is he? Glenn's also absent, kind of busy dealing with Nicholas. Rick's allies defend him to the gills, with Carol pouring on the "he should stick around to save innocent folk like her" routine. Deanna repeats what Gabriel said and Rick's behavior confirmed in her mind that bringing them in may have been a mistake. Jessie questions Gabriel's words. Maggie leaves in frustration.

Boooo!!!! Gabriel lives! And the writers know everyone hates him. They even have a scene where he leaves the compound and approaches a walker and appears ready to be eaten. The walker stumbles toward him but... Gabriel at the last second decides to live. He kills the walker and manages to keep his white shirt bloodless at the same time. He also kills the man who was being eaten and then falls into a puddle of self pity. He returns to Alexandria in time for guard Spencer to ask him to help him deal with his brother's death because Gabriel is such a great "Man of God." Spencer also wants to go to the Rick meeting and leaves Gabriel to shut the gate because Gabriel seems so trustworthy. Naturally, we know better. Gabriel absent-mindedly leaves the gate open.

So close! Sasha is at a spiritual loss so she's in the church. Gabriel walks in. She seeks his guidance. He's no help. He says her deeds led to the deaths of Bob and Tyreese. She points a gun at him. Fortunately, Maggie arrives in time to calm Sasha down. Or is that unfortunately? Gabriel is still alive to torment us all. Maggie even acknowledges Gabriel's guilt for killing his flock but not in an accusatory way.

Intruders: Rick notices the gate open. He sees blood. He knows walkers got in. He fishes around for them. He finds two. One he knifes. The other gets on top of him. Rick squeezes his neck until his brain explodes. Now why do humans get sick after a bite but not when their brains explode all over your eyes, nose and mouth?

Proof: Rick finally arrives at the meeting late and bedraggled with a dead walker as proof that Deanna is living in a fantasy land. He said humans and walkers both will try to get inside those walls. The Alexandria folks are way too soft. He will teach them to toughen up. "They'll haunt us. They'll hunt us. They'll find us. They'll try to use us. They'll try to kill us... We'll survive. I'll show you how...You're gonna change. I'm not sorry for what I said last night. I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner. You're not ready. But you have to be. Right now. You have to be."

Two deaths in one minute! And like the mid-season finale, there are two unforeseen deaths, one accidental, one deliberate. A drunken Pete had taken Michonne's sword and arrives to try to (perhaps) kill Rick. Instead, he inadvertently cuts Reg's throat. ("Drinking and swording " is a bad combo).Deanna had just lost her son. Now she lost her husband! She gives Rick the okay to kill Pete. Rick obliges. And just as that happens, Daryl, Aaron and Morgan show up.

The sword: Michonne almost places her sword back above the mantle but decides to keep it instead. Even this sanctuary is not truly safe. She has to keep that in mind.

Tease for next season? The wolves lead their walkers back into the truck using a Brian Wilson song "Love and Mercy." And the two dudes Morgan allowed to live? They knife the red poncho dude, leaving him to  wander the fenced area as a walker. Cruel.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

"There's a vast ocean of sh** you people don't know sh** about and Rick knows every grain of said sh**." " -- Abraham to the Alexandrians