"A Certain Doom" is the sixteenth episode and second-part finale of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 4, 2020.
Engaging the final battle of the Whisperer War, Beta has led the gigantic horde to the Tower, where the survivors inside scramble to adjust their plan for survival.
Daryl, Carol, Jerry, Magna, Luke, Kelly, Beatrice, and Jules decide to venture through the horde covered in walker guts to engineer the escape plan.
The survivors set up Luke's sound system and begin playing Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" on repeat, successfully luring the horde away from the Tower, and giving the people inside an opportunity to escape.
Gabriel is nearly killed, but he is saved by a hooded, masked warrior in the company of Maggie Greene, who has returned after reading a letter from Carol informing her about the Whisperers.
Come daytime, Lydia, wearing Alpha's mask, successfully leads the horde to a cliff, intending this task as a suicide mission.
At night, Eugene's group has finally reached the trainyard which was designated as the intended rendezvous point to meet Stephanie.
After suffering a bicycle crash earlier, Eugene initially believes he has missed his meeting with Stephanie, but declares they'll continue to go looking for her after being inspired by Ezekiel.
"A Certain Doom" had initially been planned as the tenth season finale to air on April 12, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AMC announced on March 24, 2020 that the episode would be delayed.
The selection of Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" was a choice made after the script was completed, calling only for some piece of rock music to help draw the walkers away from the hospital.
Kang said many of the staff were Talking Heads fans and were drawn to the song since its lyrics matched the theme of the scene with the survivors up against impossible odds.
The site's critical consensus reads: "The Whisperers are finally shushed for good in 'A Certain Doom,' a tidy climax that efficiently dispenses with old enemies while teeing up a fresh crop of antagonists.
Club, Alex McLevy gave the episode a B, writing: "The back half of season 10 has been strong, and this installment makes for a fitting conclusion, given that it also dispatches its threat with a minimum of fuss.
"[19] "A Certain Doom" received 2.73 million viewers, down from the previous episode's rating and the lowest of the original season ten run.