Opinion: Why ending The Walking Dead doesn’t make sense

Ending The Walking Dead with season 11 is a questionable decision

The Walking Dead is ending. After over a decade of being the number one show on television, the hit show is finally concluding with a supersized 24-episode season 11. The decision has fans going crazy on social media, with both sadness for losing a show that means so much to so many and excitement for what’s to come in the future.

I, for one, think this decision was the wrong one to make. The show has really hit its stride in these recent seasons, so to then have it taken away from us hurts. And yes, the Carol and Daryl spinoff series announced in conjunction with the show’s ending will be awesome, but it is really the direction the Walking Dead universe needs to go in?

There is a lot to think about when it comes to this groundbreaking news, but here are a few of my thoughts:

A dedicated – and now divided – fan base

Everyone knows that The Walking Dead has lost a lot of viewers in the past few seasons, particularly after the sluggish seasons 7 and 8. While this is obviously a disappointing thing to see for the show, there was a silver lining to the loss in viewership – the fans that are still sitting down to watch every week are as passionate as can be. With the show significantly improving in quality with season 9 and 10, these passionate fans were excited to see The Walking Dead continue for a long, long time.

The decision to now end the show sadly divides this loyal fanbase. We are even split on the issue here at Undead Walking, as I am not a fan of this decision while our very own Dawn Glen sees this choice as a good thing.

Some groups of the fandom, like the Caryl “shippers,” for instance, will be delighted to hear that the main show is making way for a spinoff focusing more on just those two characters. Other fans who have been equally loyal to the show for years but may be bigger fans of other characters will be devastated by this news, as we now have to say goodbye to some newer but still beloved characters, even if they may appear in one of the other shows or spinoffs.

Having some fans feel betrayed by the main show ending while others are rejoicing at the prospect of a new spinoff is a recipe for disaster in the fandom. It would be easy to just tell those not excited about the new stories in The Walking Dead universe to simply not watch, but that isn’t fair to say to people who have been fans of the main show for over a decade now.

Of course, nobody is entitled to anything when it comes to stories in The Walking Dead universe, but I sincerely hope the fanbase finds a way to appreciate what we had in the main show without losing empathy for those who are very upset with the decision. Nobody is right or wrong when it comes to their opinion on this announcement, but, as always, it is important that we respect each other’s opinions on the matter. They call us fans the TWDFamily for a reason!

Carol and Daryl spinoff

There’s no denying that the prospect of a spinoff series focusing on fan-favorites Carol and Daryl will be interesting and attract a lot of viewers. The show will dive into the always dynamic relationship between the two characters that have been around since season 1 of The Walking Dead. With Angela Kang at the helm, it is sure that the characters will be treated properly, and that the journey they go on will be fulfilling and entertaining.

Although fans will almost certainly enjoy the spinoff, do we really need it? As the show stands now in season 10, Carol and Daryl are at the center of basically every key storyline. The main show could continue focusing on those two once they reach the end of the comic storylines and things would not feel any different.

It also begs the question of whether or not this spinoff show will alienate a lot of The Walking Dead‘s fan-favorite characters. For example, Maggie is just making her return in the season 10 finale. Will she only be coming back for a single season when she certainly has plenty of stories left to tell with her son Hershel and a now-destroyed Hilltop? Are we just forgetting about Judith and RJ and the Grimes family at the center of the show from the very beginning?

Having an open mind

I may not be happy with the decision to end the show right now, but I am still going into the future of The Walking Dead universe with an open mind. Maybe season 11 proves me wrong and wraps up all the major storylines and character arcs in a satisfying way. The show was never going to last forever, so if Angela Kang finds a way to make the ending emotional, meaningful, and fulfilling, then we can all look back on this decision as the right one. For now, though, there is too much uncertainty to say that AMC made the right choice in ending The Walking Dead.

While the show may be ending for good in 2022 with season 11, there is still plenty more Walking Dead content to come. Whether it is the new Carol and Daryl spinoff, Fear The Walking Dead, the newly announced Tales of the Walking Dead, or future one-shot comics, fans will see a lot more of The Walking Dead universe in the coming years. Yes, the decision to end the main show is highly disappointing and doesn’t necessarily make the most sense, but there is still so much to look forward to in the future.

What do you think about the decision to end The Walking Dead with season 11? Let us know by leaving a comment!