Chapter Text
Miscellaneous
- The title is a reference to Rick’s speech to the Governor: “We've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We're not too far gone. We get to come back.”
- Not listed here are any scenes meant to be only vaguely reminiscent of another scene… some were intended to evoke the same impression as Alpha’s control over the walkers, or Daryl’s search through the tombs, etc, but these were not so specific that I thought I should mark them as references.
Homecoming
- Rick’s initial introduction to the aliens occurred while aboard the Atlanta, a reference to the location of the first seasons of the Walking Dead.
- The appearance of Lori as Rick’s hallucination in the hospital is reminiscent of Shane’s face appearing to him as he wakes from his coma.
Tribunal
- The woods into which Rick is looking are described as being in Georgia, the location of much of the Walking Dead.
- Carl’s grown-up appearance matches his look from season 8.
- Rick’s speech in front of the tribunal is composed of a mix between the speech from the original film and the speech Rick gives to the inhabitants of Alexandria post-fight with Pete.
- Rick’s position is described as “Deputy Sheriff”, which was his position in the police force before the end of the world
Meeting the Marines
- The name of the new ship is the Alexandria, which references one of the show’s main locations for seasons 5+.
- The interrogation of Michonne and Daryl as POWs mentioned here is a reference to the events of season 9 episode 14: Scars.
- Rather than saying “Is that supposed to be a joke?” as his corresponding character (Drake) did in the original film, Abraham says, “Suck my nuts,” in response to Michonne’s teasing. This is a reference to the first episode of season 8.
- Though their provenance is left open in this story, the scars on Daryl’s back are a reference to those shown in the show.
- One of the names mentioned while Rick is trying to remember Andrea’s name is Amy, that of her sister in Season 1.
- Andrea’s section also mentions her “shooting the cardboard cutout representing her partner because she thought it an enemy”, which is a reference to the scene in Season 2 in which Andrea grazes Daryl because she thinks he was a walker.
- Daryl’s takedown of the tank in Season 4 is mentioned in Rick’s summary of his file.
- The discussion amongst the marines at dinner quotes the discussion amongst the quarry women in Season 1. (“I do miss my Maytag.”...“I miss my coffeemaker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey.”...”I miss my vibrator.”…“Me too.”)
- When Jesus goes to do the knife trick and Abraham forces Merle’s hand nearer the blade, Daryl says, “Chokeholdin’s illegal.” This is a reference to a quote repeated twice in the show, once in Season 1 and once in Season 9.
- The model for Blake’s type of synthetic was the “Governor” model, which is a reference to his post-apocalyptic name.
Briefing
- Instead of “Gateway” station, the marines took off from “Hilltop," another of the main locations for season 6+.
The Drop
- Deanna’s question of “Where do you think you’ll fit in?” is taken from her questions from the entrance interview for Alexandria.
- Merle starts calling Rick “Officer Friendly," much like he does in the show.
- While this is also a reference to the original film character, Gregory’s repeated mistakes with names is taken directly from the show (as are most of the name choices).
Breach
- The subject who died during removal of the face-hugger was named “Wayne L. Dunlap” after the walker cut open for his intestines in Season 1 Episode 2: Guts.
Judith, But Everyone Calls Her...
- Abraham’s curse of “Mother dick” is taken directly from his dialogue.
- Daryl gives Judith her nickname of “Lil Asskicker," much as he did in the show.
- The lines Daryl speaks to Judith --- “Keeping you safe… that’s what’s important,” and, “That’s gonna be our priority” --- are taken from his discussion with her in Season 9 Episode 14: Scars.
- The red rag Daryl gives to Rick is a reference to the rag he always carries in his back pocket throughout the various seasons.
The Thing You Fear to Do
- The flashback to Carl’s childhood that Rick has is a reference to the scene mentioned in Carl’s letter to his father in Season 8.
- Gregory’s criticisms of Rick’s information and discussion of, “We had a deal,” are similar --- if not near-identical --- to their conversations about the Negan deal.
Close Encounters
- Andrea’s protests about giving up her gun are quotes taken from various episodes and squashed together.
- Rather than the shotgun his corresponding character had in Aliens, Daryl has his trademark crossbow that he retains for fighting without rupturing the reactor.
- “She might have been clinically alive, but she was nothing more than the walking dead,” is a reference to Rick’s speech about his grandfather in Season 5.
Hearts Stop Beating
- The title is a reference to two things:
- Gabriel’s quote: “Anything is possible until your heart stops beating.”
- A twist on the title of the mid-season finale for Season 7: “Hearts Still Beating”
- Merle’s comment to his brother --- “Ya have a stroke, boy? Lose yer sense of direction?” --- is a reference to his comments when the two are in the forest in Season 3 Episode 10: Home.
- Merle starts referring to Daryl as “baby brother," much as he did in canon.
- Daryl’s statement of, “Bug out!” was taken from Season 9 Episode 2: The Bridge, during the scene in which the logging camp is overrun.
The Only Way to Be Sure
- Shane’s rejection of going back for Deanna and Michonne --- “No way. We do not go after them. We do not risk the rest of the group.” --- is a direct quote taken from his contemplation of returning for the missing group members trapped in the department store in Season 1.
- Merle says, “Whew, Officer Friendly, you’re cold as ice," much like he did in season 3.
- Shane’s statements about emotion (“You’re too damn emotional. You need to shut it down. Take all that guilt, take that fear, that being pissed off? Take it out.”) were taken from his lessons on shooting with Andrea.
- Rick says, “We have to come for them before they come for us," which is a quote from Season 6.
- Shane’s statement that “You wanna take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest,” is something he said in Season 2. The rest of this paragraph is not directly quoted, but it does consist of sentiments like those in which Shane believed.
Situation Report
- The section of this chapter in which Rick has to calm Merle down is partly dialogue from Aliens and partly dialogue from the canonical scene in which Rick first meets Merle.
Triggerfinger
- Title comes from the episode title and just makes sense here (could be Rick having an itchy trigger finger as he snaps and attacks Shane and or Shane pulling the trigger on the colonists’ expedition)
- Instead of using “xenomorphs,” the protagonists take to calling them “walkers,” much like in the show when discussing zombies.
- Much of Shane and Rick’s last part of the conversation is taken from parts of the show
- Shane’s quote about, “There’s nothing easy about taking a man’s life no matter how little value it might have… But, when you get it done, you have to forget it.” was part of his lecture to Andrea
- Shane’s next sentence --- “You can’t just be the good guy anymore.” --- is from the quote “You can’t just be the good guy and expect to live. Not anymore.
- “It ain’t hard; the right choice is the one that keeps us going,” was a variation of, “It ain’t hard. The right choice is the one that keeps us alive.”
- From Rick, verbatim: “I’m not the good guy anymore”
Bad News
- Merle referring to the walkers as “abominations” is a reference to one of Merle’s names for the walkers.
Baptism by Fire
- Rick trying/failing to break the glass and wishing for a grenade was a reference to his attempts to break the CDC glass in the season 1 finale.
Judge, Jury, Executioner
- Shane’s conversation about, “You think I’d shoot Rick?” was taken from s02e06 Secrets.
- Many of Daryl’s quotes in this section were taken from the show.
- s01e05 Wildfire: “Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance.”
- s02e11 Judge, Jury, Executioner: “You ever pick at a scab? After a while, you just gotta rip it off.”
- s01e04 Vatos: “Gonna start with the feet!”
The Exchange Principle
- Daryl’s, “Hey. Be safe,” was taken from s09e04 The Obliged as his final (thus far) words to Rick.
The Law of Averages
- Rick thinking about the law of averages while talking to Jesus was, while not a direct quote, supposed to be very similar to his principles throughout s06e10 The Next World.
Breathing Easy
- The final line was a reference to both the title and the quote that inspired that title (discussed earlier in references).