Those plans later morphed into a limited series, but the sense that “The Walking Dead” was no longer the priority in AMC’s “Dead” universe had been pretty well cemented.ĪMC also became overly enamored with extending the brand, introducing “Fear the Walking Dead,” following by “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” – essentially a teen-centric version of the show – and more recently the anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead.”ĭuring that period, audience consumption patterns have changed, even if zombie appetites haven’t. You see, Rick didn’t die, but rather left, with the promise that he would return in a series of movies. Yet the departure of Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, in 2018 turned out in hindsight to be a pivotal moment, not only dealing the show a creative blow but indicating the sleight of hand involved in trying to maximize it as a corporate commodity. Impressively, the series kept reloading with new players as well as new threats. In its early seasons, “The Walking Dead” excelled in part because of its unpredictability, as the montage of characters who had died reminded the audience. Daryl (Norman Reedus) bidding farewell to Carol (Melissa McBride) before riding away on his own mission to star in another show. A nice exchange between Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), with a heartfelt apology for what he had taken from her. Rosita (Christian Serratos) briefly turning into a superhero.
It was the smaller moments, actually, that stood out. And a one-year leap into the future, offering hope of greater normalcy, with Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Mercer having taken over. Some sobering losses, offering a reminder there is seldom gain in this dystopian world without sacrifice. What did that leave in terms of the episode, subtitled “Rest in Peace?” A cathartic comeuppance for Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), the Commonwealth’s amoral leader, with Mercer (Michael James Shaw) helping depose her. Watching the finale, it was acutely obvious that “The End” of the flagship show isn’t really intended to be the end of anything rather, the 90-minute finish was punctuated by promos for the spinoff series that are coming – “Dead City,” “Rick & Michonne” and “Daryl Dixon” – taking that much more suspense away from what transpired. At the same time, they appeared to be operating with a hand tied behind their backs, given the already-announced spinoffs that had to be planted, nurtured and promoted. The final season pursued an overarching plot, as the hardy band of core characters sought to escape the forces of the community known as the Commonwealth. Yet as the series comes to an end, finally, after 11 long seasons, it seems obvious that the network and the producers greedily bit off more than they could chew. Forgive AMC, at least a little bit, for almost drunkenly celebrating “The Walking Dead” in its heyday by feeding audiences as much content related to the zombie drama as they possibly could.
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