Will 'The Walking Dead' End Like the Comics Did?

At this point, the main “The Walking Dead” series feels like as much of a staple of modern television as anything else, having gone on for so long now with no end in sight. But it turns out the end actually is in sight, with a supersized Season 11 to wrap things up for the flagship of “AMC’s “Walking Dead” universe.

This news is both surprising and not surprising. Last year, “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman brought the comic book series on which all this is based to a close, in a surprise move. At the time, Kirkman said the show wouldn’t end the same way — but the fact that AMC is bringing the main series to an end now indicates that, actually, it could end in a similar fashion to the comics.

So the comic series ended during the storyline about the Commonwealth, a city of more than 50,000 survivors who are really getting civilization started again in Ohio. Our heroes from Alexandria and the other settlements started to deal with them in earnest, but the Commonwealth had strong dystopian vibes and, of course, nothing ever goes smoothly on “The Walking Dead.”

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In the books, Rick kinda sorta started a revolt within the Commonwealth, and he’s killed by the son of the Commonwealth leader because of that. Rick’s death then kinda sobers everybody up and they make peace — and then for the last issue, “TWD” did a shocking 25-year time jump that showed how our remaining heroes have lived out their lives, and how by then people have pretty much gotten the zombie apocalypse under control.

So I don’t think the “Walking Dead” show will end with that kind of time jump epilogue, but the stuff before that with the Commonwealth could certainly be the template for the ending. The Commonwealth storyline in the comics came directly after the Whisperers storyline — and hey, we’re at the end of the Whisperers story right now on the show, with the seeds of the Commonwealth story having been planted since early in season 9. Remember Eugene’s friend Stephanie from the radio that Eugene and pals are going on a trip to meet up with? That’s a Commonwealth character.

Though “The Walking Dead” is definitely still using the comics as the basis for the overall direction of the show, showrunner Angela Kang and her writing staff usually change so much of the specifics. But with the Commonwealth story up next, it certainly puts the series in the position of being able to wrap things up in a fashion similar to that of the comics.

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But it’s probably safe to say that, with the greater TV franchise continuing with the existing spinoffs as well as a new on focused on the continuing adventures of Carol and Daryl, the 25-year time jump just isn’t gonna happen. This will not be the end of the whole story, the way the end of the comics was. But “The Walking Dead” TV show is definitely positioned to end its run with that last story from the comics, should they choose to do that.

And then they can continue on with their other “Walking Dead” shows that feature fully original stories in that universe. In that way, it makes sense to end the show here — this is the end of the comic book storylines that they can adapt. As AMC moves into uncharted territory, it makes at least thematic sense to end this series and continue on with these original spinoffs.

'Walking Dead' Leaders Ranked, From Gregory to Maggie to Ezekiel

On "The Walking Dead," plenty have tried to lead, but few have been successful. Here we look back on all those who led others to safety -- or their graves.
Gene Page/AMC
14. Gregory (Alive) of the Hilltop Colony. Gregory no longer is in charge, thankfully -- he was maybe not the kind of leader anyone ever needed.
Gene Page/AMC
13. Deanna (Deceased) of Alexandria. Deanna helped keep Alexandria together early on. She was a great judge of character, but did not recognize the walker threat for what it was. She died after the walls of Alexandria fell, leaving the community to Rick.
Gene Page/AMC
12. Dawn (Deceased) of Grady Memorial Hospital. Dawn took charge of the hospital when her predecessor failed to keep people safe, but her practice of requiring forced labor in exchange for meds earned her no friends, and eventually led to her death.
Gene Page/AMC
11. Natania (Deceased) of Oceanside. Emotionally scarred by their brutal defeat at the hands of the Saviors -- after which Negan had every male above age 10 executed -- Natania sort of fell apart, like so many characters do, because of the trauma.
10. Gareth (Deceased) of Terminus. Gareth and his fellow Terminus residents promised weary travelers sanctuary, only to kill and eat them cannibal style. He became obsessed with getting revenge on Rick, eventually leading to his death at Rick's hands.
Gene Page/AMC
9. Hershel (Deceased) of The Farm. Hershel kept himself and his family safe on his farm during the early days of the outbreak, eventually offering shelter to Rick and his group. But Hershel believed that the walkers could be returned to human form, which proved a costly mistake.
Gene Page/AMC
8. Alpha Wolf (Deceased) of The Wolves. The Wolves were a savage group who killed anyone who had something they desired. The Alpha Wolf was a good killer, but his people were ultimately wild and undisciplined.
Gene Page/AMC
7. Joe (Deceased) of The Claimers. Joe and his group lived as nomads, taking what they want when they want. He lived by a simple code of justice, but did not bat an eye when he or his people needed to kill. He underestimated Rick, Daryl, and Michonne, getting every Claimer killed.
Gene Page/AMC
6. The Governor (Deceased) of Woodbury, Martinez Camp. The Governor was all charm and class on the outside, but his inner workings were that of a cold blooded killer. After the citizens of Woodbury abandoned him for Rick, he eventually took over another camp, and subsequently led them to their deaths at the prison.
Gene Page/AMC
5. Jadis (Alive) of The Scavengers. With all of her people dead now, Jadis is not actually a leader anymore. But when she was a leader, by "Walking Dead" standards Jadis was extremely reasonable for somebody who leads a group of people who live in a junkyard. And making Rick do gladiator fights with armored walkers was pretty funny.
AMC
4. Negan (Alive) of The Saviors. Also no longer a leader, but when he was Negan ruled The Saviors through a combination of charm and savagery. He's fun to watch!
Gene Page/AMC
3. Maggie (Alive) of the Hilltop Colony. Obviously, she's much better as the boss of the Hilltop than Gregory ever was, and her pragmatism is currently a pretty nice contrast to the idealism of Rick post-Carl.
2. Rick Grimes (Alive) of Alexandria. Rick is a natural leader who has guided his group through hell and back. He has led them through countless battles with the both the living and the dead is is still standing to tell the tale. But for how much longer?
Gene Page/AMC
1. King Ezekiel (Alive) of The Kingdom. His kingdom is gone thanks to the Saviors, but his legacy is still pretty solid. He kept that place going as long as he possibly could have, and he wasn't a coward when it came time to choose sides in the war with the Saviors.
Gene Page/AMC

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TheWrap looks back at the heroic and villainous leaders on the hit AMC series

On "The Walking Dead," plenty have tried to lead, but few have been successful. Here we look back on all those who led others to safety -- or their graves.

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'Walking Dead' Leaders Ranked, From Gregory to Maggie to Ezekiel

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