Let's be honest here: The Walking Dead was on the air for a very long time. The beloved AMC series first premiered all the way back in 2010 with a six-episode first season but it very quickly grew into a global phenomenon. And, before you know it, there are 11 seasons, 18-episode installments, and a world full of TWD Universe spinoffs. Yep, watching The Walking Dead was a whirlwind.
The franchise lives on in the multiple spinoffs that have graced our screens over the years, and that means that the story is continuing on, well after the original series' conclusion. It once again means that some of our TWD faves are in jeopardy if they're out on new missions in a new location (lookin' at you, Daryl and Carol, as well as you guys Maggie and Negan!). The same could apply to some of the fan-favorite characters we've come to know over the years who didn't return in the spinoffs. And with a series like The Walking Dead, you just never know which characters lived on (and which ones might have been killed off in the time-jump between seasons).
However, we do know that one character is alive and thriving after the conclusion of the original show, as he was namedropped in one of the spinoffs for the first time.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonconfirms that Jerry is still alive three years after the TWD finale
Today is a day to celebrate, Kingdom fans, for our great Jerry still walks among us! In the third episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, Carol refers to her good friend by name and refers to him in the present tense, confirming that he is still alive.
When Antonio reveals that he wanted to preserve movies for the future generations as they were a snapshot of what humanity was like before the fall of civilization, Carol smiles and tells him that he sounds like "my friend Jerry, from back home".
For the avid watchers of The Walking Dead, Jerry made his first appearance in the franchise during the seventh season of the original series. A part of the kingdom, he served as King Ezekiel's steward, bodyguard, and advisor, and he very quickly became a fan-favorite element of the show. And as Carol grew closer to Ezekiel (and eventually became the Kingdom's Queen), she and Jerry became the best of friends.
Jerry went on to marry Nabila and they had three children together, moving to Alexandria for the final seasons of the show. He was happy to be surrounded by his loved ones and always did what he coud to help others, proving himself to be a true friend - not just to Ezekiel or Carol, but to everyone.
Although it's not surprising to many that Jerry is still alive so many months / years after The Walking Dead series finale simply because he was alive at the end of the original series, it is reassuring. After all, this is the TWD Universe, and people often die suddenly - or, well, violently - at the heands of a walker or a new threat. But not Jerry, who is still hopefully having the best time living his life with his family at Alexandria (or the Commonwealth if he has decided to move there in the years since we've seen him).
Jerry deserves the best and we're so happy to know that he's still surviving and thriving like he should be.