Rick Grimes himself stated that The Season 6 finale is going to be the darkest in The Walking Dead history. And in a show that revels in killing beloved characters (often in times of relative happiness) that’s really saying something. Warning: some spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the most recent episode.
The Wrap recently had a conversation with Andrew Lincoln, who had just finished filming this season’s finale, which is expected to air next spring. Regarding the final episode Lincoln said:
We just wrapped 24 hours ago on what I think is the darkest and most extraordinary season finale that we’ve ever attempted. To say that I’m excited would be a vast understatement. And it ends with a very big bang.
Did anyone else just get chills? This is a show that has made darkness its go-to, and yet Lincoln is promising us that Season 6’s finale will be the darkest? It almost doesn’t seem like we can get much darker than the places we’ve been so far, from church massacres to cannibalism, The Walking Dead has already been pretty damn dark.
As we gear up for the possible massacre that will be the mid-season finale, it’s scary to think that things are only going to get worse for our not-so-merry band of survivors.
Things are surely about to go downhill, as the final moments of last week’s episode “Heads Up” showed one of the panels of Alexandria’s wall falling, with a herd of walkers lurking just beyond its gates. In a moment that only AMC’s pride and joy can do, we saw a moment of hope in Maggie’s eyes, learning that Glen is alive right before the wall disaster happened.
The Walking Dead is one of the few shows on television where the characters you grow to love can truly die at any moment. As a watcher, I start getting anxiety any time there is a moment of hope, waiting for a walker to come out of nowhere and tear through one of my faves.
Since its premiere on Halloween 2010, The Walking Dead has captivated viewers with its depiction of a zombie apocalypse, and its adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. While dealing with a world-ending disaster, the series also focuses on the personal issues and relationships of its ensemble cast. By constantly surprising its viewers by killing off main characters, the audience is forced to treasure their time with characters while they’re still alive, and also open themselves up to accepting new stories and performances.
In addition to being consistently nominated for both Primetime Emmy awards for its special effects and Saturn Award, The Walking Dead boasts having the highest total viewership out of any series in cable TV history.
With rumor that graphic novel villain Negan will be making his first appearance in the Season 6 finale, I’m ready for things to get dark...er. For now, I’ll continue to theorize who's getting killed and when, and thank the zombie gods that Lincoln gave us that ominous insight into the season finale.
The Walking Dead airs at 9pm on AMC.
