The Walking Dead Ends in 2022

On September 9th, The Walking Dead announced that the main series would be concluding with an over-sized 24-episode eleventh and final season.

It’s not exactly shocking news. Despite the once lofty ideals that the series could run forever, there has been a lot of grumbling that the series would end after season 12. With season 11 getting 24 episodes, almost double that of a normal season, it’s as if it is ending with a twelfth season but they just felt they didn’t want to admit it.

Also unsurprising, the series has mostly been following the comic book series and as it is near the conclusion of the comic-arc, so should the television series end. Unfortunately, there have been too many big changes in the television series that means the comic-book ending must live on only in the comics (Carl and Rick gone) which will ultimately mean the TV show has to end in another and better way. When this show has gone on to try and tell its own story with these characters before, it has fallen flat. Hopefully it won’t disappoint for it’s grand finale.

But although The Walking Dead is to end, the world of the walking dead lives on. Fear The Walking Dead isn’t set to end anytime soon – a show that in its last two seasons has really come into its own and provided pure entertainment. The new Walking Dead show – The Walking Dead: World Beyond – is set to debut this year AND there are the Rick Grimes movies to look forward to, so we’re not going to be without zombie content.

Perhaps the most shocking piece of information to come out of this is that a brand new spin-off series is coming in 2023 which will follow the lives of Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). This brings us hope that the pair will survive the main series – they should, they are the most badass couple on the show. But also fills us with a little apprehension. Despite being the show’s power couple and the two having an unbreakable bond – having the pair in a spin-off raises the idea that the pair may become something more. Relationships between the two should not enter the romantic. That is what keeps these two alive.

Finally, there is going to be an episodic anthology series too – ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ which sounds like the idea they have wanted to do for a while and bring back old characters. We might see more of Shane’s backstory, Abraham and Eugene. Perhaps even Glenn – although actor Steven Yeun has said he’ll never return. Maybe we’ll get to see what else happens in the comic book Negan Lives told on the big screen?

So whilst The Walking Dead is coming to an end, The Walking Dead franchise lives on and appears to be stronger than ever.

I’d like to thank everyone who has worked on or in The Walking Dead, it has been my guilty pleasure for so long now and I’m glad to be a part of the world however insignificant. It does mean this website might need to branch out…

We are The Walking Dead.