The Walking Dead Series Finale (SPOILER WARNING)

[BroadwayHermione5]

Hi all

So minus a couple things here and there (also recommend heading to Insider to read Kirsten Acuna’s articles), I thought that was an excellent finale and I did cry.


Also imagine my shock when I open up twitter halfway through to see the announcement that Bob Iger is BACK!!!!!!!



Figured I’d give us all a place to mourn the end of a great series and discuss spin offs!

 

[macraven]

The ending did not wow me

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

The ending did not wow me

So here’s the thing: I don’t consider it among the best like Six Feet Under and Big Bang Theory. However I did enjoy it. I’d say solid B+…..more in lines with how I felt about Turn Washington Spies and The Last Ship finales, though better than the Gotham and This Is Us finales.

And as someone who read the comics, it’s not a bloodbath, so I was expecting somewhat of a happy medium which I think the show found.

I am happy with how it simultaneously left things open and also wrapped up things and set up the other series. Speaking of which I have to find it but Kirsten Acuna wrote about the original ending and how the new one came to be. While I would’ve preferred either, I hope they bring back the original later on.

Plus as always, excellent performances…and “Landslide” used with context always makes me bawl.

Also I will say: Iger retuning (thankfully) being announced halfway through the series finale of The Walking Dead was not on my 2022 bingo card lol.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Well I’m an idiot and didn’t realize I had the article I was telling @macraven about was already on my browser as I’ve been sharing it with friends.

https://www.insider.com/the-walking-dead-finale-ending-rick-michonne-explained-2022-11

 

[Skywalker3]

Been watching, and been a big fan since the first season. . This is one of the few series I've stuck with until the very end, watching live. I have not enjoyed the last few seasons at all. I had very, very low expectations, ok, may NO expectations for the finale, so I wasn't disappointed. DH was. I very much loved the goodbye between Carol and Darryl. They've been my favorites since the beginning. and it seemed so real. I think it was a bit real for the actors. I loved RIck and Michonne at the end. DH wanted them to show up. I love Ezekiel, so was glad that he gets to lead another community, and that Jerry and family were all ok. (and Diane,) The commercials with the previous actors/characters were HILARIOUS! I loved those. Great seeing Gareth from Terminus.
I too was quite distracted during the end, as I was reading the news about Chapek.
Currently have no intentions of watching spinoffs. So far, I'm sticking with FTWD, but this past season was also horrible. I just want to see what happens w Dwight , Sherry, and Morgan. Nobody else.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Been watching, and been a big fan since the first season. . This is one of the few series I've stuck with until the very end, watching live. I have not enjoyed the last few seasons at all. I had very, very low expectations, ok, may NO expectations for the finale, so I wasn't disappointed. DH was. I very much loved the goodbye between Carol and Darryl. They've been my favorites since the beginning. and it seemed so real. I think it was a bit real for the actors. I loved RIck and Michonne at the end. DH wanted them to show up. I love Ezekiel, so was glad that he gets to lead another community, and that Jerry and family were all ok. (and Diane,) The commercials with the previous actors/characters were HILARIOUS! I loved those. Great seeing Gareth from Terminus.
I too was quite distracted during the end, as I was reading the news about Chapek.
Currently have no intentions of watching spinoffs. So far, I'm sticking with FTWD, but this past season was also horrible. I just want to see what happens w Dwight , Sherry, and Morgan. Nobody else.

I actually have been a fan of the last few seasons (minus a few here and there this season and last). I think Angela Kang breathed new life into the show we needed. I also admittedly didn’t start watching until S3 and had to play catch up!

While I love the Daryl and Connie dynamic, Daryl and Carol will always be my faves. And absolutely gorgeous scene. I was bawling.

My expectations were not too high but also I kept my guard up so to speak in regards to the comics. Obviously there are changes but given how some things lined up (Mercedes’ storyline for example is insanely similar-also LOVE THAT MERCESS IS A THING IN THE BOOKS AND THE SHOW), but I knew that wasn’t a possibility.

Rick and Michonne was such a great ending-almost made me wish it happened post credits given how good it was (especially having read the article I attached).

Ezekiel being able to lead again was brilliant. Truly love him as a character.


I want to know what Ryan Reynolds said to get those 4 actors and the pitch in general. And he shared it very well mere hours before. It was brilliant. Also between him and Adele and Demi Lovato a lot more celebs watch the show then I realized lol

I wasn’t so much distracted by the Iger/Chapek news as I was trying to figure out where Michonne and Rick were. Thank god for DVR because I’m going back.

SPEAKING OF GOING BACK: Chandler Riggs apparently is in the Hilltop at the end! Gotta rewatch that!

Last season of Fear was bad. Especially given they actually had a really good season 6 even with the initial chaos of the pandemic. Season 7 I think just suffered. They are also having a time jump. I enjoyed World Beyond-never finished Tales (made it to the anthony edwards episode). I definitely want to watch Rick and Michonne. The Maggie Negan one has my interests. I love Daryl but boy how do you get to France (Fleur from the HP movies is also in it so I’ll definitely check it out as I haven’t seen her in a while!).

 

[barkley]

Daryl and Carol will always be my faves. And absolutely gorgeous scene. I was bawling.

it brought another level of depth to it with her decision to pull out of doing the sequel series with him.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

it brought another level of depth to it with her decision to pull out of doing the sequel series with him.

Yep.

I do know a lot happened to Melissa over the course of the show. And it is ultimately her decision to leave and look a dozen years is a long time. That making of the final episodes documentary she actually printed off something like 150 pages of credits off imdb, which proved to me she just needed a break but she loved being on the show. And I think it also proved to the stir the pot fans that there is no love lost between her and Norman on set and off.

Also before Ross, Copper and Josh McDermitt quickly entered, I guess the timing was off because she was the one introducing the final episode and she was crying standing next to Chris Hardwick.

I think they set it up for Carol to simply come back at some point. Even for a few minutes.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

SPOILER WARNING MAJOR SPOILER
WARNING
























Christian Serratos asked for Rosita to die. This interview was done brilliantly:
https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-rosita-death-christian-serratos-finale-interview/

 

[elgerber]

I too have stuck with every episode for all 12 years. I have liked the last couple of years, a few years ago I was getting bored, but I stuck with it.
I liked the finale, I cried. Rosita broke my heart. Another child with no mother :-( And then Daryl and Carol set me off. I have long given up on them being a couple, but their friendship is amazing. I like him with Connie, if that ever happened I would be good.
I knew Rick would be there, but could it have taken any longer LOL? I was hoping he'd be in better shape/situation, but I didn't care, I was just so happy to see him.
Eugenes baby Rosie, oh my goodness.
Loved Negan and Maggies conversation.
I was happy with it.
Now bring on that Rick and Michonne Spinoff!

 

[slo]

The ending did not wow me

Same!!
I was hoping for so much more.

ETA….I did enjoy The Walking Dead themed commercials - those were fun and unexpected

ETA again….the jury is still out for me in regards to watching the new show. I’ve been so disappointed in the last couple of seasons of TWD, that I’m not sure I want to invest my time on a new show. I say this now, and I’ll probably end up giving it a try, but we’ll see.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

So a friend and I (we are both in the entertainment industry) we’re talking.

As fans we are satisfied. Could’ve been better, but not the worst finale either of us have seen. Plus we both admit that we didn’t know what to expect because the comics had such a calm ending.

We did do some digging. They did in fact ask back a bunch of people to do those voice overs at the end. Besides those in the episode: Lennie James, Michael Cudlitz, Steven Yeun, Sonequa Martin Green, Laurie Holden and Chandler Riggs all returned for voice over (I think I’m missing someone).

The actress who played NEGAN’S wife had Covid and could not participate due to SAGAFTRA rules.

The scene between Daryl and Connie was done with doubles because of Norman Reedus’ concussion.

Now for our thoughts as industry humans.

*She is a lot more in behind the scenes than I am (she went to school for writing and directing I went to school for acting but we’ve both done both) and she basically said this finale will be one people will look towards for inspiration because it is far from the worst.

*We also know that there is still a lawsuit out against AMC that goes back to the Glen Mazzara years-hence why Gale Ann Hurd hasn’t been around and Robert Kirkman was not there. Some stuff went down with Kirkman as well with Skybound so who fully knows what’s going on.

*We commend Angela Kang, Scott Gimple and the writers for listening to the actors and really letting everyone have one final moment.

*Whether the spin-offs were announced or not (we both forgot they announced Daryl’s (with carol) originally when the final season announcement was made due to their contracts.) they did make the right decision not to fully tie into those specific spin-offs. Would a fear and WB tie in have been appreciated yes but it actually made sense to not incorporate.

*Besides the story that everyone now knows of they didn’t really get a chance to tell everyone before the news broke thanks to a British tabloid (Incase you didn’t know, Angela only had the chance to call Norman, Norman then started calling others and only got to apparently Melissa and JDM), we both wish they would’ve had a season 11 and a season 12. Whether 11 was the stereotypical 16 and 12 was the last 8 of the 24 episode pick up or they split it 12 and 12 episodes each, it would’ve allowed for a more fleshed out story AND a couple episodes could’ve been used to tie in Fear (which is rumored to be ending this season) and as a back door pilot (potentially pilots) for the other spin-offs.

*We think the Talking Dead not being able to reunite everyone (which couldn’t happen anyway as we found out because people were filming or had prior commitments hence the videos from Steven and Andrew) and not being a big two hour thing may have soured the mood. It should’ve been an hour discussing the episode with everyone from the episode and then an hour of reunions and talking.



All in all, satisfied. Not nearly as good as Big Bang Theory and Sux Feet Under. But not as meh as Gotham and This is Us. Not nearly as awful as Games of Thrones. I put it along the lines of the Last Ship. Satisfied. (I am excluding Turn Washington’s Spies from my list because that is based off a true story and history and they ended it with what we pretty much know to happen in a great way). As another commenter posted BRING ON RICK AND MICHONNE (also I watch fear and will watch all of them because I want to see how/if they connect and they got some great supporting cast members new to the universe!)

 

[elgerber]

The actress who played NEGAN’S wife had Covid and could not participate due to SAGAFTRA rules.

She couldn't participate in the voiceovers, or the live broadcast?

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

She couldn't participate in the voiceovers, or the live broadcast?

No she couldn’t participate in the episode.
It’s why a lot of shows have backup scripts in case someone tests positive. She sadly just had poor timing. Theatre and tv/film still have a quarantine rule of 10 days.
She probably tested positive halfway through the shoot depending on what was needed.

The voiceovers is my guess they kept it to series regulars,

She was at the event and Talking Dead, but not on until the last shot (as was JDM’s real life wife Hilarie who played Lucille)