5 Walking Dead questions that remain after the finale

The Walking Dead series finale episode has left the fandom divided. Many were pleasantly surprised by the ending, while others were left with more questions than answers. The creators did a great job with the time allotted to wrap up several characters’ storylines and leave doors open for others whose stories have yet to conclude. But there were many others whose fates we may never know.

Some of the questions viewers have will likely be answered in the spinoff series that will be coming in 2023. The Walking Dead: Dead City will feature Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) on a mission to Manhattan. This series will premiere in April 2023, and Cohan has shared there is a bit of a time jump at the beginning of this series.

Daryl (Norman Reedus) will head to France for his next chapter, and there isn’t much news about when or where the Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) series will take place.

Showrunners had stated that the final episode wasn’t written to set up the spinoffs, but to give closure to this chapter in the story. While it tied up many loose ends, many feel it set up some of the spinoffs, and the process created even more questions.

5 Walking Dead questions

1) Where is Rick?

The series finale, “Rest in Peace,” took fans on an emotional roller coaster, and just when things seemed to calm, Rick Grimes popped up on the screen. After the initial emotions calmed down, many things could be determined from his scenes.

He is wearing a CRM (Civic Republic Military) jacket, indicated by the three rings symbol featured in several of the TWDU series. This confirms what was seen in his final scene from season 9 and reconfirmed by Warrant Officer Jadis Stokes in The Walking Dead: World Beyond; Rick has been at the CR.

Another thing learned from this scene is that Rick did escape at some point and was recaptured. This took place before Michonne ever knew of his survival. At the time of his recapture, he was near Philadelphia. But this took place several years ago, and the question remains: Where is Rick now?

2) Where is Michonne?

Another exciting moment from the finale coda scene was the reappearance of Michonne. Her scenes overlapped Rick’s, but her story was from a more recent period. She had Rick’s possessions and a new kick-butt apocalyptic outfit. Her scene doesn’t reveal as much as Rick’s, but viewers learn she is still actively searching for Rick.

At the end of her scene, she is seen riding off into a massive horde of walkers, leaving no clue of her location.

3) Why the sudden appearance of variant walkers?

Most fans remember the season 1 walkers who turned door knobs, scaled fences, and picked up teddy bears and rocks. These creatures were the brainchild of the original showrunner Frank Darabont. When he was fired, things changed, and the story reverted to the slow-moving walkers of the comic story.

So why introduce a variant in the last episodes of the final season? Showrunner Angela Kang said they were nods to the early walkers. But could they be setting up something in one of the spinoffs? We know Daryl will encounter the French variant in his series, but perhaps this is something Michonne and Rick will also come in contact with.

In the spinoff series The Walking Dead: World Beyond, the CRM had been conducting experiments on humans and the undead. Could these variants be results from their experiments, and that is why they are only recently being seen?

3) Where’s Negan?

Soon after Negan and Maggie have their emotional conversation, viewers watch Daryl looking out the window as he watches Negan walk away. He most likely made his way back to his wife Annie (Medina Senghore), who was last seen at Alexandria.

But after the one-year time jump, the only thing we see or hear of Negan is that he returned Judith’s (Cailey Fleming) compass to her via a delivery from Lydia (Cassady McClincy). Annie would have had the baby by that time, but there is no mention of the birth or where she and Negan relocated. They aren’t seen at Alexandria when Daryl visits Carol (Melissa McBride).

Perhaps this is a nod to Negan’s comic story, where he exiles himself from everyone, and Carl makes trips to deliver supplies to him. Maybe Lydia has taken up Carl’s comic role. This is something that will most likely be answered in Dead City. 

4) How will Daryl end up in France?

One of the biggest questions fans have is how Daryl will end up in France.  This seems like a very far-fetched storyline, but one that also piques interest. Will the CRM be involved in his story? This is the only organization large enough to pull something like this off. Reedus has shared that Daryl doesn’t arrive of his own free will, which makes sense because he wouldn’t just leave Judith, Carol, and the others to travel across the world.

5) How’s Pamela doing?

It seems very odd that Pamela isn’t shown in her cell during the one-year time jump. One of the significant storylines in the last episode was the rebellion against her. It would have been entirely satisfactory to see her in the jail cell one year later with long hair, no makeup sporting prisoner garb.

Many of these questions will be answered in one or more of the spinoffs, so it is only a matter of time. But there are numerous questions we may never learn the answer to. What exactly happened to Oceanside? Where are the characters we’ve never heard about, Virgil, Eduardo, Kal, and so many more?

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