The Walking Dead series finale made many changes from the comic source material, but might have sacrificed the perfect ending for the series by including one major difference. The final episode of The Walking Dead, "Rest in Peace," released on November 20, 2022, shows the closing moments of the survivors' fight for peace against the tyrannical Pamela Milton and the Commonwealth. As well as striving for the perfect ending to the long-running AMC series, The Walking Dead series finale set up the three upcoming spinoffs, that will continue the stories of some main characters on adventures of their own, but by doing this, it might have skipped the best ending possible.
In 2019, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman released the final issue of the comic book series that had started in 2003 and launched potentially the most successful zombie-horror franchise ever. The Walking Dead: Issue 193 begins with a time jump 25 years into the future after Rick Grimes' death at the hands of Sebastian Milton, catching up with Carl, his wife Sophia, and the rest of the peaceful community decades after the main events of the series. While The Walking Dead series finale tried something similar, the impact of this ending was lost as "Rest in Peace" closed with a time jump only one year into the future.
Jumping 25 Years In The Future Would Have Been Great For TWD’s Series Finale
A 25-year time jump in The Walking Dead's series finale would have shown audiences some dramatic changes in the new Coalition of communities, including the Commonwealth, Alexandria, the Hilltop, and assumedly Oceanside (even though this wasn't shown). Viewers could have seen how built up and advanced the communities would have become, and how characters would have changed, adapted, and perhaps even died, in the decades since the battle in the Commonwealth, not just months after. This would have allowed for more surprises, and perhaps led to a much more satisfying conclusion.
This isn't to say that a 25-year time jump wouldn't have also left some mystery about the ending of The Walking Dead, as even in the final issue of the comics, Kirkman deliberately left the fates of several characters unknown. But a massive jump forward such as this would have added some weight to the ending of the series and could have allowed audiences to be reassured that the communities and characters finally found peace. Interestingly, producers have revealed that the original plan for the ending of The Walking Dead series finale would have seen the grown-up children of the communities out scouting for new members to join them.
Why Did The Walking Dead’s Series Finale Only Jump One Year Ahead?
Instead of featuring a time jump 25 years into the future, The Walking Dead's final moments took place one year after the battle in the Commonwealth. The time jump shows that Ezekiel has taken over as Governor of the Commonwealth, with former Army General, Mercer, acting as his deputy. Alexandria and Hilltop, now rebuilt, are thriving, and Eugene and Max now have a child, named Rosie in honor of their lost loved one, Rosita. The one-year time jump does supply enough conclusion to the series to be somewhat satisfying, but there is one clear reason why it was one year and not 25: The Walking Dead's spinoffs.
Three spinoffs were announced to be coming after the ending of The Walking Dead, continuing the stories of several major characters from the main show, including Maggie and Negan in The Walking Dead: Dead City, Daryl in a solo series, and Rick and Michonne returning in a six-episode series. The Walking Dead's series finale seemed to lack a satisfying conclusion as it worked so hard to set up the upcoming sister shows. Since the time jump in the finale was only a year, the spinoffs can continue after the main show rather than turning into prequels, and everything can wrap up nicely and neatly when they conclude.
Could A Major Time Jump Still Happen In The Walking Dead’s Future?
The Walking Dead might be over, but the spinoffs will continue the story throughout 2023, and AMC could have more ideas to continue the series in some capacity after them with shows like Tales of the Walking Dead, and standalone stories like The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Many are wondering whether The Walking Dead spinoffs could lead to a reunion in the future, bringing beloved characters like Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes back together after being apart for almost a decade. This means that, if the characters come back together and find themselves back home, there is the possibility that a longer time jump could take place.
There is speculation that The Walking Dead's spinoffs could crossover into another miniseries (or perhaps even a TWD season 12) which would see these iconic characters back together at last. This would be the perfect opportunity to use the 25-year time jump from the comic ending, showing audiences a glimpse into the future once everybody is back home, safe, and happy. Seeing the new Commonwealth, Alexandria, and the Hilltop all inhabited by the core group of survivors again, as well as probably some new ones, would make for the best ending for The Walking Dead.