Why Frustrated Walking Dead Fans May Be Pleased With How Season 8 Wraps Up

Daryl with his crossbow on his back

Season 8 of The Walking Dead has been an interesting one. With All Out War against Negan and The Saviors in full swing, the first half of the season was chock full of gunfights and action. And with the midseason finale providing Chandler Riggs' Carl a major cliffhanger, anticipation for the apocalyptic drama to return has been high. Since the conflict between Negan and Rick is set set to end by the time the season wraps up, all eyes are on what will happen with Season 8's back half. Norman Reedus recently teased exactly this, and it should put some of the naysayers at ease. Some closure is finally coming to The Walking Dead.

It's all resolution. It's all the tying up of these ends of what's laid out in front of us in all these different directions. There's a lot of closure coming in the back eight, which is great. There's been all this action and all the fighting and all these different factions that have been splitting off in these different directions, and it all kind of comes together in the end with closure in several different avenues. Some wrap up the way you think. Some wrap up not the way you think. It's all kind of a surprise where it all comes from.

It looks like the folks at The Walking Dead are aware of some fan reaction, and are making steps forward to keeping the series fresh and interesting for its millions of fans. The franchise is showing no signs of slowing down, so keeping the fanbase invested is no doubt a top priority for the network.

Norman Reedus' comments to EW about closure is exciting, considering on what unsteady footing the survivors have been on for the past few seasons. The official arrival of Negan was a game changer for TWD, and we've seen the various communities finally rise up against his tyrannic rule. There has been no sense of safety for many episodes, so finally having the conflict with The Saviors end is probably the right call.

Closure will also no doubt be a theme when The Walking Dead returns, due to the fate of Carl Grimes. The midseason finale shocked fans when it was revealed that Carl had been bitten in the abdomen when attempting to recruit newcomer Siddiq. He's expected to die in the upcoming premiere, and both Rick and Michonne will be mourning the death of their son. With the group currently hiding in the sewers underneath, the couple will also have to find a way to get everyone out alive and transported to The Hilltop.

Luckily, we won't have to wait too long for answers. The Walking Dead will return to AMC February 25th. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the chop last year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.