WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the Season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead, "Mercy," which as of publication has not yet aired on the west coast.

The Walking Dead unveiled both its 100th episode and Season 8 premiere tonight. "Mercy" served as the opening gambit in the season subtitled, "All Out War," inspired by the 2013-2014 comic book storyline of the same name.

RELATED: The Walking Dead: What to Expect From Negan in Season 8

Rick's forces achieved a stunning victory against their nemesis, Negan's Saviors, but the episode focused on more than just setting up the season's primary conflict. Given that this was TWD's centennial episode as well as a season premiere, the show also made sure to pay homage to the previous seven seasons leading up to this milestone achievement.

It made for an hour of television that balanced action and reflection and looking forward while honoring the past. We've gathered the most exciting and significant moments in TWD100, so you can relive them and get goosebumps all over again.

Carl Follows in His Father's Footsteps

Carl Gas Station The Walking Dead Mercy

"Mercy" was not only The Walking Dead's season premiere, it was also it's 100th episode. Producers Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero commemorated the series' monumental achievement by rewarding fans who'd been with them from the beginning. One of the ways they decided to do that was to recreate, shot-for-shot, the pilot's opening sequence, but this time starring Carl instead of Rick.

ICYMI, the gas station where Carl finds the Muslim man his father scares off is the exact same one Rick comes across at the beginning of the show's first episode, "Days Gone Bye." He passes the same abandoned campsites, corpse-filled cars and empty gas pumps his father did a few years back. It's an incredibly detailed and subtle homage to where the series started and how far this world and the people in it have come.

Old Man Rick (Comes Downstairs)

rick-grimes-old-man-season-8-the-walking-dead

Unless you're a true spoiler purist you've seen this picture before tonight. A grey-haired Rick opens his eyes in a comfy bed, seemingly confirming that he lives to a somewhat ripe-old age, or at least through "All Out War." But "Mercy" did this shot one better and extended the flash-forward to include Rick actually getting out of bed, heading downstairs and revealing Michonne, Carl and Judith to still be alive and living as one happy family. Wut?

It sounds way too good to be true for a show as bleak as The Walking Dead, and the dreamlike quality of the sequences only underscore that. However, comics fans will look at these scenes with a far different perspective -- they would seem to indicate that the show's next stop after "All Out War" will be to follow the comics' two-year time jump to "A New Beginning." After Negan's defeat, Alexandria enjoys two years of peace and becomes pretty idyllic. In the show, Judith looks to be about two years older, and Alexandria appears to be thriving. We're either heading in that direction, or this was a very large red herring.

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The Sanctuary Falls

Sanctuary Falls The Walking Dead

While Rick's plan didn't go off without any hitches (Gregory's alive, Gabriel probably isn't for much longer), its incredibly ambitious endgame was achieved. After knocking out the Sanctuary's lookouts, Rick's forces divert the massive walker herd toward Negan's base. Rick beats them there in a caravan of makeshift armored cars, and after shooting up the Sanctuary and making noise that'll ensure the now close-by herd will come a-walkin', breaks down Negan's gates and leaves.

RELATED: The Walking Dead: Why Rick's Speech to the Survivors Matters

When the dust settles, Negan's stronghold, once thought to be essentially impregnable, is now completely overrun by thousands of walkers. Now, this is the season premiere, so in no way is this conflict finished, but much of the Saviors' power rested in their goods and walls. They could attract and protect the most people, so their power base was always naturally bigger. By eliminating those two elements, Rick dealt his enemy a decisive (and awesome) blow. Whose d*ck's bigger now, Negs?

The Hilltop Chooses Maggie

Gregory Simon The Walking Dead

This wasn't, like, a surprise, but it was still so, so sweet to see Gregory do the inevitable and betray his own community... only for everyone to realize that he's so redundant it doesn't matter. When it's revealed that Gregory's defected and sold everyone out to Negan in exchange for his own protection, it looks like Rick's plan is finished before it's even off the ground. Gregory declares that anyone in the Hilltop who doesn't abandon the mission then and there will be expelled from the community along with their families, and Rick's coalition can't take the loss in numbers.

Thank goodness Gregory's been a POS for as long as anyone can remember. When faced with the ultimatum, literally no one moves and Jesus yells that the Hilltop chooses Maggie, and Simon realizes he's been played for a fool by an even bigger fool. Then Simon pushes Gregory down the stairs and the cake, she is iced. What a douche. Unfortunately, the fall doesn't kill him...

Gregory Betrays Gabriel

Gabriel The Walking Dead Mercy

Since his arrival on the scene in Season 5, Father Gabriel Stokes has been divisive, to say the least. The priest carried powerful guilt that manifested itself in a mental breakdown that resulted in his betrayal of Rick's group to Deanna Munroe. He's since achieved a measure of peace and become one of Rick's trusted advisors. That's what made so utterly infuriating to see him achieve some damn heroism for once, only to be betrayed by the human stain that is Gregory.

Gabriel is about to follow Rick out of the Sanctuary as planned when he sees an injured Gregory pinned down by gunfire and walkers. Because he is such a good person now, Gabriel risks his own life to help Gregory, only to get betrayed and left behind. Then, he breaks out more badass than we've ever seen and makes his way through a throng of walkers to safe haven in a trailer... only to discover he's sharing with a very, very perturbed Negan. We're praying for you, Father.

"After This, I'm Following You"

Hilltop Maggie The Walking Dead Mercy

For the past few seasons, Maggie's been steadily honing her political and leadership skills, and she's shown herself to be both fair and capable. She smoothly slips the Hilltop out from under Gregory's control without firing a shot, all the while bearing the weight of Glenn's death and the pressure of her pregnancy on her shoulders. As their forces are they're about to leave for the Sanctuary, Maggie thanks him for showing her how to be someone worth following and Rick tells her that, "After this, I'm following you."

That's nothing if not a clear endorsement of her taking over the mantle of leadership from him. Taken in context, it's not really that surprising. Andrew Lincoln pointed out that Rick's never really wanted to be at the head of everything:

He's getting tired... he's not a politician. He's a general... he's a sheriff's deputy -- that's where he comes from, that's his DNA... Now, Maggie is different and Deanna sort of spotted her as a future political leader -- somebody that could run things. She's industrious... she's respected, principled and I think that Rick is very much [tired]. He just wants it done, and then other people can take over.


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