“The Walking Dead” finale is finally back from the dead! Well, sort of. Since the final episode of season 10 was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been some changes to the franchise. And things got a bit weird on Sunday.
Though AMC recently announced that it’s killing off the main “Walking Dead” show, it also added episodes in season 10 and supersized season 11. Before it can finally be laid to rest, the show will feature 30 more episodes to air through 2022. Additionally, there will now be a Daryl and Carol spinoff, said to be a road trip show.
“Walking Dead” universe chief content officer Scott Gimple recently told Decider that the announcement of the spinoff was a spoiler he wishes he didn’t have to say. The news essentially ensures Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) are safe through the end of the main series.
With that in mind, Sunday’s original “Walking Dead” season 10 finale was a little awkward.
Earlier in the season — perhaps hinting at their upcoming road trip — Daryl and Carol talked about driving out to New Mexico. That conversation was referenced again on Sunday, when, following the end of the confrontation with the Whisperers, Daryl tells Carol, “New Mexico’s still out there.”
She replies, “Maybe someday,” adding, “We still have things to do here.”
If this had aired ahead of the announcement about the series coming to an end and the spinoff, it would’ve read as pretty innocuous. Following the news, however, the scene seems like a plea directly to fans to stick around until the end of the main show.
Carol might as well have said, “Wait, y’all! Don’t go yet! We still got 30 episodes left of this nonsense!”
Considering Carol is also almost staring directly into the camera, the scene is just a bit too meta.
There were plenty of moments in the finale for fans to get excited about. Though the zombie-skin-wearing Whisperers were closing in on our lovable survivors, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and her group showed up in the end to save the day.
Daryl and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) ended up taking out Beta (Ryan Hurst), courtesy of some stabs in the eyes. (What’s the deal with Negan and eyes?) And it appears Eugene (Josh McDermitt), in an attempt to contact his possible future boo, Stephanie, has been ambushed by a group that looks like the Commonwealth from the “Walking Dead” comics.
But when it comes to wishing he could’ve held back on that spinoff announcement, it seems like Gimple had a point.
Just wait everybody! It’s not dead quite yet!