After 177 episodes and a mostly sluggish 11th season, The Walking Dead has done the impossible. The series has an almost perfect ending delivered, ending the 12-year journey on a highly emotional and hopeful note. And this despite the fact that the TWD universe will be continued with several spin-offs.
Fortunately, the franchise structure is largely restrained in the finale in order to allow numerous characters to say their goodbyes appropriately. Unfortunately, this does not apply to a character. Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) has to make a decision ahead of his upcoming adventure in France annoying decision meet, which overshadows the otherwise successful finale.
A successful The Walking Dead conclusion that isn’t one
The final XXL season of The Walking Dead had some problems to contend with. Spin-off announcements cloaked many main characters in impenetrable plot armor. There was a lack of urgency and for a long time it didn’t feel like the last 24 episodes were the closing event that fans deserve. The biggest surprise is that the series get the curve in the last few seconds Has.
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Daryl and Carol say goodbye
The finale is a departure from the otherwise dreary and sluggish season 11 on many levels. Creating the epic music, the fast-paced staging and numerous callbacks to the beginning of the story an exciting series experiencewhich The Walking Dead has rarely been able to conjure up in recent years.
The large ensemble of the zombie series can once again shine in suspenseful and highly emotional scenes before we are catapulted into a more colorful and hopeful future, which closes the thematic arc of the series. Team family has finally found the peace they deserve.
Of course, The Walking Dead ends openly at the end. That’s not really a problem. An ensemble series that focuses more on characters than plot, can’t come up with a definitive conclusion – unless she lets all characters die. And ending the zombie apocalypse was never the goal of The Walking Dead.
Even if there were no more new series, the ending as such could stand on its own. What will happen to the characters you have grown fond of in the future? Making up their own destinies and future adventures would be left to the fans imagination. Only the case of Daryl Dixon is another. Because here it becomes obvious that in favor of the next franchise project any character development thrown out the window became.
The Walking Dead prevents a satisfying ending for Daryl
The final 11th season made every effort to Establish Daryl as Judith and Rick Jr.’s surrogate fatherwho were left behind by their parents. In the Commonwealth, he took on the role of a single father who lives with his children in a small one-bedroom apartment and works hard as a soldier to get food on the table. This whole development is thrown overboard in the end.
© AMC
Daryl moves on
The biggest The Grimes kids’ fear of loss becomes a bitter reality. Judith previously confessed that she kept her knowledge of Rick’s survival a secret all along, fearing Daryl would abandon her again. And what does the grumpy loner do in the end? He simply leaves his foster children (and dog!) behind! He lasted at least a year.
The finale tries to keep Daryl’s new mission as vague as possible. We are talking about exploring the border area. But the farewell that follows is too emotional for a short patrol with the motorbike. That Daryl leaving all his friends behind again and going off alone throws character development back two seasons and years. He already spent the six-year time jump in Season 9 as a lone wolf searching for his brother Rick.
Even Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), who are also heading up their own series called The Walking Dead: Dead City next year, received a tearful conclusion to their conflict, complete with Negan’s poignant apology for Glenn’s murder. For Daryl, however, The Walking Dead ending consists of goodbyes. But the show itself can’t give us a definitive answer as to why even a declaration of love from Carol (Melissa McBride) can’t stop him.
More about the future of The Walking Dead can be found in the video:
This is how Rick Grimes, Michonne and Co. continue after The Walking Dead ends
Of the forced farewell to spin-off territory robs the character of a meaningful conclusion in the parent series. Given Daryl’s development so far, it would have made more sense if he ended up staying with his family.
Judith and RJ may live in a safe community now. But they are still children who left to their own devices by their most important caregiver will. In fact, Daryl could have realized that having family close by is more important than falling into old patterns and moving out on your own.
“Daryl, you deserve a happy ending too”, says Judith (Cailey Fleming) at the end from the soul of all fans. However, The Walking Dead denied the fan favorite a worthy conclusion and postponed it to an unknown time. After 12 years, Daryl and we deserved better.
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How did you like the farewell to The Walking Dead?