The Walking Dead #193

[cyberghostface]

 

"In a way, killing this series has been a lot like killing a major character. Much, much harder… but the same feeling. I don’t WANT to do it. I’d rather keep going… But the story is telling me what it wants and what it needs. This needs to happen. Whether I want it or not.

I’m upset, too. I’m going to miss it as much as you will, if not more so. It breaks my heart that I had to end it, and we have to move on... but I just love this world too much to stretch things out until it doesn’t live up to what I want it to be. I got to tell my story exactly how I wanted to, for 193 issues, and end it on my terms, with no interference at all along the way... at any point. That’s such a rare thing, and it doesn’t exist without the unyielding support this series got from readers like you." -- Robert Kirkman

Comments

[informationgeek]

It feels so surreal to see this story, such a bleak, death march end on a weirdly positive note.

[cyberghostface]

Kirkman said that the original plan back when the series was in the 70s was to end with Rick giving a speech seguing into a statue of him and then showing it covered in vines and surrounded by zombies; the idea being Rick had saved society but only delayed the inevitable. But he eventually thought that such an ending would have rendered the entire series pointless and changed it to this.

[mazway_75]

Good call. I mean, the series already had so much darkness in it, ending like that would have been far too bleak and as you said, made all the struggles worthless.

[deh_tommy]

I disagree. Something that got lost in the other adaptations (except for Telltale's first and fourth seasons, I think) is the underlying sense of hope and perseverance through impossible odds, and effort into doing/being good and making things better in a world that's all but screaming at you to give up and give in to your worst instincts.

Sure, their faith is tested if not outright broken in places. Their hope might flicker. Bad things happen to good people, good things happen for bad people. But through that all, Rick and his crew (comic Rick, at least) always tried, and even if that didn't always work out they (and Rick in particular) inspired others to try, too.

[janegray]

Why did Negan refuse to see Carl? Or is he dead?

[cyberghostface]

He’s not dead, that’s him planting flowers at the grave in the last scene. As for why I’m guessing it’s part of his self-imposed exile but there’s no further clarification.

[lordultimus]

To be fair, Carl, future generations might need a nudge to give Rick his due, considering the whole " take things for granted" stuff.

[tripodeca113]

Well that's nice.