The Walking Dead Is Finally Solving Its Long-Running Ending Problem

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If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, it’s tempting to brush past problems with the show. However, there’s one issue that’s been hard to ignore, and it looks like the series might finally be addressing it. When the show first premiered in 2010, it quickly became a hit, attracting a large and ever-growing audience.

The show grew in popularity every year, eventually rivaling hits like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in the number of viewers – and often surpassing them. Andrew Lincoln’s outstanding portrayal of Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead was key to its success in the early seasons, before ratings began to fall.

While upsetting moments like Rick’s departure and Glenn’s death were expected in a show like The Walking Dead and likely contributed to fewer viewers, the biggest issue wasn’t those events themselves. The real problem was that the show didn’t know when to end, and it’s only now, after all this time, that The Walking Dead is starting to fix that.

The Walking Dead Has Always Struggled Knowing When To End

Look, as a huge TV fan, I’ve seen a lot of shows run their course, but The Walking Dead really stands out as one that just kept going long after it should have ended. It used to be the show everyone talked about – a total phenomenon. But it just kept limping along even as viewers started tuning out, and honestly, the quality really suffered. It’s a shame, but it’s a perfect example of a show overstaying its welcome.

Although opinions differ, a lot of fans feel the show peaked with season 8, as it wrapped up most storylines nicely. After Carl’s departure, it was hard to envision a future for the series, and things never really got back on track following Rick Grimes’ exit the next season.

While characters like Daryl, Carol, and Negan continued to be central to the story, extending The Walking Dead for three seasons too long ultimately hurt the show’s reputation, particularly with so many cast members leaving. This issue even affected the spin-offs; Fear the Walking Dead, for example, never regained its initial quality before ending.

Both Dead City and Daryl Dixon are continuing with new seasons – a third for Dead City and a fourth for Daryl Dixon. This shows that even almost ten years after the original series ended, the Walking Dead universe is still having trouble deciding when to wrap things up.

The Walking Dead’s Official Ending Didn’t Even Conclude The Franchise

After eleven seasons, viewers expected the series finale of The Walking Dead to fully resolve the story. While the characters did successfully establish a home in the Commonwealth and rebuild communities, the episode, “Rest in Peace,” ultimately left things feeling somewhat unresolved.

Honestly, when Daryl left, it felt a little weird. They said he was off on a mission for Maggie, but it really seemed like they were just setting up his own show. It was a strange way to say goodbye to a character who’s been with us since the very beginning, especially knowing this might be the last time we see him. And the same thing happened with Rick and Michonne – they popped up, but not really with our core group, which felt off.

This whole situation seemed designed to promote their new spinoff series, and it felt like a disappointing way to handle two important characters. Given that season 11 was the longest season yet, the show deserved a more satisfying conclusion. Instead, it felt like a convenient exit point for viewers who weren’t planning to watch the spinoffs, rather than a proper ending to a story that had been running for over a decade.

The Walking Dead Is Finally Bringing Its Spinoffs To An End

Despite two of the three newest Walking Dead shows still airing, the franchise appears to be realizing that shorter runs are better. Fear the Walking Dead wrapped up at the end of 2023, and World Beyond also didn’t last too long, with only two seasons.

After the main show ended, three spin-off series were approved. However, The Ones Who Live remained a limited series, finishing after just six episodes. Daryl Dixon will also conclude with its fourth season, indicating the showrunners are prioritizing complete stories over endlessly extending the series based on ratings.

The future of Dead City after season 3 is uncertain. Even if it continues, it would be the only Walking Dead show still actively being made, which is significant. While there’s talk of Tales of the Walking Dead possibly coming back, a lack of recent news suggests the franchise is moving forward with a fresh start.

This franchise has historically had trouble finishing storylines and often juggled many projects simultaneously. The fact that they’ve successfully concluded several shows recently shows they’re finally resolving this long-standing problem.

The Walking Dead May Never Fully Resolve Its Key Issue

Once Daryl Dixon finishes, viewers will be looking forward to the end of Dead City to complete the story. However, many believe the franchise won’t truly be over. While The Walking Dead isn’t as popular as it used to be, it remains a valuable series with a lot of possibilities for the future.

It seems likely that more projects will be approved soon. Scott Gimple, the franchise’s head of content, explained that expanding to different countries opens up many new opportunities. Dan McDermott, president of AMC Networks, even believes the series’ universe could continue for another 15 years, suggesting the story is far from finished.

Now that the spin-off shows are finishing, there’s growing speculation about a crossover event for The Walking Dead that could essentially act as a continuation of the original series, potentially revisiting its ending. If this happens, The Walking Dead might never truly tie up all its loose ends, even with all the new shows and projects it’s created.

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2026-02-21 18:39