“We owe you the completion of this Rick and Michonne story.“: Danai Gurira speaks to fans’ hearts when a new The Walking Dead series about the two departed main characters is surprisingly announced at San Diego Comic-Con.
After Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) disappeared into an uncertain future in season 9 of The Walking Dead, fans were promised three feature films that would continue his off-series story. After more than 3 years of waiting, the uncertainty is over: Rick and Michonne will not be returning to the big screen but in a series of their own.
The Walking Dead series starring Rick and Michonne starts in 2023 is for fans of the zombie franchise one of the best news for years. The return of “Richonne” has but also downsides. The end of The Walking Dead after 12 years and 11 seasons has suffered particularly badly.
Good news: The Walking Dead finally has its main characters back
Over a decade ago, we were introduced to the world of The Walking Dead through the eyes of police officer and family man Rick Grimes. The story of The Walking Dead is the story of Rick – at least until season 9. The series could still tell exciting stories even without its central protagonist, but it had lost its narrative core.
© AMC
The Walking Dead needs Rick and Michonne
Michonne left the series in season 10 and The Walking Dead once again lacked a clear main character with leadership potential. The greater the joy that the two significant characters are now returning and The Walking Dead as a whole thus back to its origins finds back.
Bad news: No Rick in The Walking Dead finale?
The Walking Dead can’t end without Rick Grimes. Unfortunately, that is exactly what is happening. The story of Rick and Michonne will not be continued in the main series but in spin-off form. The premise of the new series makes one emotional reunion between Rick and his kids at the end of season 11 sort of impossible.
Of course, there can (and certainly will) be a detached one at the end of the series finale Teaser of Rick’s fate and thus give to the next TWD series. It’s not the same as a proper reunion between Rick and his former comrades-in-arms, though.
Without Rick, fans will be disappointed with the series ending. An other possibility would be a time skip. It could show Rick and Michonne returning to Alexandria together years later. The problem with this: The end of their series together would be anticipated even before the start.
Good news: The eternal CRM hints are finally over
For several years now, The Walking Dead franchise has been building the mysterious community of the Civic Republic and its dangerous military, the CRM, as vast superiority and possibly ultimate boss of the post-apocalypse on. What all of this is supposed to lead to was not entirely clear until the very end. Because in the final season of the main series that played CRM and its helicopter armada no role at all.
Within the The Walking Dead timeline, Rick Grimes has been part of the Civic Republic for many years. Whether as a prisoner, influential politician or loyal CRM soldier has not yet been revealed. But the new series can now finally the payoff for all those years of CRM teasers deliver
Bad news: Rick’s return overshadows The Walking Dead finale
The new series with Rick and Michonne promises more than just an epic love story in the midst of the zombie apocalypse. The Civic Republic will also be a central area of action. It is the largest community in the The Walking Dead universewhose infighting could determine the fate of the entire United States.
That already sounds more epic and exciting, than all that season 11 aka the end of the main series delivers. The upcoming return overshadows The Walking Dead series finale. After all, who cares about a last fight against the puny Commonwealth when Rick Grimes is already visible on the horizon?
Check out the trailer for the latest episodes of The Walking Dead here:
The Walking Dead – Season 11 Final Episodes Trailer (English) HD
Popular main characters like Negan, Maggie, and Daryl are also getting spinoffs in the coming year. It seems as if The Walking Dead would simply spin off all interesting stories that no longer fit into the finale into individual series. The end of the series after 12 years is no more than just a farewell to supporting characters.
Good news: no more years of waiting for the cinema trilogy
The first planned The Walking Dead movie starring Rick Grimes went through development hell for over 3 years. Instead of having to wait even longer for a maybe 2-hour feature film, we are now getting six episodes in the coming year. the Running time of the series corresponds in principle to three films.
While it would certainly have been more impressive to see a new adventure with Rick (and Michonne) on the big screen, the series sequel is certainly a better alternative than wait many more years for possible follow-up films to have to.
Bad news: The Walking Dead just doesn’t want to end
A total of six episodes with Rick and Michonne await us over the course of the coming year. But is The Walking Dead finally over in 2023? no According to Entertainment Weekly the new Richonne adventure is not a miniseries but the first season of a potentially longer-running new TWD series.
At first glance, this news is a relief. Because 6 episodes seems extremely short for what is to be told here. The Walking Dead narrative pace is notoriously not the fastest. Rick’s story, Michonne story, the reunion and a story arc around it about the Civic Republic and the CRM: that takes time.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that The Walking Dead never ends. But we have one Conclusion of the Rick Grimes saga earned. And hopefully it won’t years and many more seasons take a while before we finally get it.
Will you be watching the new The Walking Dead series starring Rick and Michonne?