The Walking Dead Series Finale: What To Expect

The last episode of The Walking Dead is here. After eleven seasons, two related spin-offs, and a few standalone stories in between, it's finally coming to an end, begrudgingly at that. So, the question is, what should fans expect?

Spoilers Ahead!

Regardless of what we've hypothesized or gathered from the clues presented, it's shrouded in mystery. There's no doubt that TWD's conclusion will be epic in scale. But in terms of surprises, we may be in for more than initially anticipated.

Judith Dead, Or Not?

For one, Judith's fate will be a captivating subplot to follow. Pamela Milton shot the young Grimes girl in the chest, leaving Daryl (Norman Reedus) to carry her to the infirmary. Promos reveal that they make it to the doctor, though somehow Dixon gets knocked unconscious on the way there. Audiences need not worry since a spin-off starring the rugged survivor takes Daryl across the pond to France. Judith, on the other hand, is at an undetermined crossroads.

While the likelihood of her surviving is high, Judith perishing isn't entirely off the table. Fans keeping up with Walking Dead news know that Ms. Grimes joins the rest of her family in a mini-series next year, so she's presumably safe for the time being.

It's worth mentioning that Judith's medical condition may have unintended repercussions. The bullet impacted a vital area of her torso, and she was losing blood. We also don't know how long it takes Daryl to transport Judith to the infirmary. They were blocked in by walkers, meaning the group could become delayed.

Even so, making it to the infirmary is just one part of getting Judith the medical treatment she needs. Once there, Daryl also has to convince Tomi or another surgeon to operate on the girl, which will be challenging. The Commonwealth's people believe Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and his people are responsible for putting the community in disarray. So, they might not be willing to help, especially when the dead are closing in on them. At the same time, such a callous action could result in the young girl's death.

Then again, Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale) doesn't seem like the type to let anyone die if he can help it. Yumiko's brother wasn't initially thrilled about returning to surgical work in the Commonwealth. But, in life-or-death situations, he'd place the patient's needs before his desires.

Callback To Judith Grimes' Father

Another possibility is Judith (Cailey Fleming) winds up in a coma. We all remember that Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) coincidentally experienced a similar accident. Details surrounding his coma remain unclear, although Judith finding herself in an identical situation would be a unique way to call back to the start. Such a scenario seems fitting, especially when the flagship series is coming to an end.

Assuming that's the case, Judith could be asleep while the Rick-Michonne adventure plays out. Perhaps her critical injury is what drives them to rush back to Virginia. Rick Grimes — absent at the moment — would jump on the first helicopter upon learning his daughter's life hangs in the balance. Regardless of what deal he's made with CRM, Grimes would defy orders for his family. He witnessed one of his children dying needlessly. Rick won't stand idly by as it happens again when the resources to prevent Judith's passing are in his grasp. That's just the kind of father he is. Fans, too, have speculated that Rick is within earshot. He merely doesn't intervene for one reason or another.

Similarly, Michonne (Danai Gurira) jumps back in the saddle regardless of current obligations. She's been out of communication range, but that doesn't necessarily mean TWD's lady samurai is out of the loop. For all we know, she has enough faith in the group to stay put, knowing that her efforts could bring Rick back to everyone. The thing is, a grievous injury to her daughter will put the search on the back burner. At the same time, Judith's accident could force the Grimes to return.

Even though it's unlikely, the Grimes parents dropping down together from a helicopter would be a fitting conclusion to the story. Fans are wishing and hoping the pair have a role to play in saving both Commonwealth and Alexandria. Of course, the more plausible scenario will see them arrive as the action winds down, only providing a glimpse at the duo as they transport Judith and RJ to a CRM facility.

Then again, audiences should prepare themselves for an intentional misleading by the network. Perhaps AMC announced the inclusion of Cailey Fleming as a red herring to avoid anyone catching on to the plans for killing Judith off. The network tricked fans before to prevent spoiler leaks from getting out, namely when the Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) executions were talked about incessantly. So much so that an unknown party leaked the outcome.

Strangely enough, the network caught on and produced several different versions, meaning they may use another diversionary tactic to distract from what's coming. One might consider it unethical or dishonest to promote a spin-off cast to throw spoiler hounds off. Except when every Joe Schmoe with a blog is out to give away the finale's best moments, it's not that far of a reach for the network to take. Plus, cast listings fluctuate all the time. No one will admonish AMC for dropping Judith Grimes as a character in a story about Rick and Michonne. It'll lack a crucial family member, but fans are more interested in the elder pair than Judith, regardless.

Deaths To Come

Additionally, more shocking fatalities are bound to take place. Everyone assumes at least one central character dies, if not more, except their identities remain a mystery. The most plausible should be an ancillary character that no one will weep over. Though, the series' penultimate episode placed several of them in precarious situations.

First off, Jerry (Cooper Andrews) seems like a goner. His goodbye speech to Aaron (Ross Marquand) felt like that was the final one. The big man also left saying, "see you on the other side," as an allusion to reuniting in the afterlife. Jerry still has a chance, although lumbering around in a massive horde while the guts disguise wears off isn't good. And with intelligent walkers randomly popping up, it seems like he's stumbled into a death trap.

Another character giving off the impression that they're sacrificing themselves is Ezekiel (Khary Payton). He's spoken about persevering through it all, the losses he's endured, and continuing to smile regardless. Ezekiel, however, sounds like he's accepted death if that's to be his fate. He's had the mindset of living on borrowed time since his cancer diagnosis, so it wouldn't shock us to see him take a bullet for a friend. Who knows, Ezekiel might even sacrifice himself for Negan, albeit leaving him with the responsibility of taking care of others.

The most predictable casualty in The Walking Dead Series Finale has to be Rosita (Christian Serratos). Glimpses show the young mother leaping from a rooftop toward Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) in a window. She falls short, grabbing onto a drainpipe at the last second. Further glimpses show Rosita sliding down, reaching for a hand to rescue her.

Sadly, additional images reveal Rosita's bottom half submerged in the walkers below. She's either bitten during the havoc or consumed altogether. As such, it feels likely that Rosita will hand Coco off to Gabriel, then drop to her death. They'll probably rip her apart, so it's feasible that someone will put Rosita out of her misery before that can happen.

The Ending

As far as other expectations go, the Commonwealth's survival seems plausible. The current state makes it look like Pamela Milton (Laila Robbins) is sacrificing thousands for herself. Of course, with rebellion brewing and a coup driven by Mercer (Michael James Shaw), they may force Commonwealth's army to hold the line instead of surrounding Pamela's residence. Combined with the Alexandrians' forces, beating back the horde shouldn't be a problem. Someone needs to take care of Pamela, though. As long as that happens, the Commonwealth should survive.

Last but not certainly not least is the conclusion. Everyone has a theory on how the show closes out. From a grim fate for all to an end identical to the source material's finale, there's a plethora of directions it can go in.

In all likelihood, there'll be a reason to celebrate. Besides the inevitable casualties approaching, at least a few fan favorites make it out. Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan all have separate adventures to go on. They can be marked safe for the time being, knowing that spin-offs will keep them around. Although, fans should remain wary because of something Reedus said.

The actor mentioned that "everybody dies" in the finale, albeit without specific context added. Reedus might be exaggerating how many characters meet their ends. The more feasible explanation, however, is he's playing coy about a particular scene from the graphic novels playing out.

In Kirkman's novelization, the story jumps forward 25 years during the final arc. What that means for the television adaptation is something similar may happen. That would provide context to Reedus' vague statement about everyone dying because, in a 25-year period, it's logical that the characters we've come to know would die. Not everyone, but for the most part, the majority would be.

As such, Reedus might have already spoiled the finale. He hasn't ruined anything or violated the terms of his contract. Reedus merely teased fans with what to expect. In all fairness, it's a good direction to take. There's no easy way to say goodbye to so many characters in a single 90-minute episode, so having the time skip forward solves that dilemma.

The Walking Dead Series Finale airs on AMC on November 27, 2022

(Sources: The Independent, Deadline, YouTube, Entertainment Weekly)