Published Feb 21, 2026, 10:00 AM EST
Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1.
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As someone who loves The Walking Dead, it can be easy to forgive and overlook even the biggest of flaws, but one lingering issue has been impossible to ignore, and the franchise may be about to finally overcome it. AMC's hit zombie series made an instant impression when it first debuted in 2010, capturing a massive audience that continued growing.
Each year, the show kept on getting bigger, so much so that it was directly competing with Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in terms of viewership numbers, and it often came out on top. Andrew Lincoln's incredible Walking Dead performance as Rick Grimes was pivotal to the show reaching its full potential in those earlier seasons, before things started to decline.
However, given the nature of the series, moments like Rick's exit and Glenn's Walking Dead death were bound to cause frustration, but while these factors contributed to the dwindling viewership, they weren't the franchise's greatest problem. Instead, not knowing when to end is what really hurt the post-apocalyptic drama, and only now is The Walking Dead finally addressing this shortcoming.
The Walking Dead Has Always Struggled Knowing When To End
Many TV shows are guilty of overstaying their welcome, but The Walking Dead is arguably the biggest offender. Having once been an unmissable juggernaut that everyone was talking about, AMC's flagship series continued limping on, even when it was clear audiences were losing interest, resulting in a massive fall-off in terms of views and overall quality.
While everyone has their own opinion, many believe the main show should've ended with season 8, as it resolved pretty much all lingering stories in a satisfying fashion. Without Carl, it was always going to be difficult setting up a future for the franchise, and The Walking Dead never recovered from losing Rick Grimes the very next season.
Characters like Daryl, Carol, and Negan still drove the narrative forward, but going on for three installments more than necessary damaged the show's legacy, especially with the constant departures. Even the spinoff projects fell victim to this, as Fear the Walking Dead was a far cry from what it once was by the time it eventually called it a day.
In addition, Dead City is currently heading for its third season, while Daryl Dixon also has a fourth in the works, proving that nearly a decade after season 8's finale, the franchise is still struggling with knowing when to end.
The Walking Dead’s Official Ending Didn’t Even Conclude The Franchise
Having gone on for 11 seasons, it seems right that The Walking Dead's series finale would provide a conclusive ending that wraps everything up, but this wasn't the case. Sure, the characters did manage to secure the Commonwealth, make it their home, and rebuild the allied communities, but there was still an open-ended feel about "Rest in Peace."
Daryl left the group to complete a mission for Maggie, but it was really just a setup for his spinoff show that felt out of place, especially since this is the last time many fans will have seen the character, who has been a mainstay since season 1. Likewise, Rick and Michonne both had cameos, but not with the main survivors.
Again, this was all to tease their spinoff, which feels like a cop out for two crucial survivors. Considering season 11 was the longest of the bunch, it should have had a more definitive send-off, but in reality, it felt more like a drop-off point for people who weren't interested in the spinoffs, rather than the end of a 10+ year story.
The Walking Dead Is Finally Bringing Its Spinoffs To An End
Even though two of The Walking Dead's three latest spinoffs are still ongoing, it seems like the franchise may finally be learning its lesson by bringing them to an end. Fear the Walking Dead finally concluded at the end of 2023, while World Beyond didn't overstay its welcome, lasting just two seasons.
Following the main series, three projects were greenlit, but The Ones Who Live stuck to its miniseries status by concluding after six episodes. Additionally, Daryl Dixon will officially end with season 4, suggesting the creators are recognizing that these stories need a finishing point, rather than simply continuing them as long as they're getting views.
Dead City's status beyond season 3 is still unknown, but even if it does go on a while longer, it'll be the only confirmed ongoing TWD show, which is a huge statement. There are rumors that Tales of the Walking Dead may return, but since there has been no update for some time, it seems like the slate is being wiped clean.
Considering the franchise has struggled to bring things to a close in the past and has constantly had numerous projects on the go at once, wrapping up so many shows in just a few years is proof that this long-running issue is being addressed at last.
The Walking Dead May Never Fully Resolve Its Key Issue
After Daryl Dixon ends, fans will be waiting for Dead City's conclusion to round out the franchise, but even then, it's hard to imagine it'll be done for good. There's no denying The Walking Dead is nowhere near as popular as it once was, but it's still a valuable property that has almost endless potential.
Therefore, it feels like just a matter of time before another project is greenlit. The franchise's Chief Content Officer, Scott Gimple, mentioned that branching out to other countries created a world of possibilities, while AMC Networks' President, Dan McDermott, suggested that the fictional universe could theoretically last another 15 years, meaning the zombie series is far from over.
With The Walking Dead's heavily rumored crossover event seeming more likely now that the spinoffs are ending, a spiritual season 12 could be on the way, undoing the original ending. Assuming something like this does happen, it's safe to say The Walking Dead may never fully resolve its lingering issue, despite wrapping up a plethora of projects.
Release Date 2010 - 2022
Showrunner Frank Darabont, Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Glen Mazzara
Directors David Boyd, Ernest R. Dickerson, Billy Gierhart, Guy Ferland, Laura Belsey, Jeffrey F. January, Michael Cudlitz, Sharat Raju, Alrick Riley, Michael Slovis, Michelle MacLaren, Rosemary Rodriguez, Seith Mann, Tricia Brock, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Daniel Sackheim, Fred Toye, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jon Amiel, Kari Skogland, Kevin Dowling, Tawnia McKiernan, Larry Teng, Julius Ramsay
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Norman Reedus
Daryl Dixon
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Melissa McBride
Carol Peletier
English (US) ·