When I was in seventh grade, in 2014, I fell in love with not just a TV show, but a world of fandom and opportunities that would continue to inspire me for years to come. This came about when I started watching “The Walking Dead.” Ever since watching the first few seasons in middle school, I am still inspired by the series and what its themes stands for. Love, loss, harmony, turmoil, you name it! “The Walking Dead” has revolutionized the zombie genre in such a powerful way, that I still ended up loving it, even though I had never watched anything with too many trappings in common with it.
Right now, Season 11 is airing. It has only a handful of episodes left, and once all that remains is released, fans will endure the end of an era, as the start of something new for the franchise will begin to unfold. In short, “The Walking Dead” is ending. As a fan who has been positively impacted by this show in so many ways for so many years, that means something.
However, fans such as myself, who enjoy the spinoffs, like “Fear the Walking Dead,” and the two-season limited series, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” will have plenty of new content to look forward to within this universe, as there are more spinoffs in the works, such as “Dead CIty,” an upcoming spin-off that will take place in the post-apocalyptic New York City, starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan respectively reprising their roles as Maggie and Negan. There will also be an untitled spin-off series following Norman Reedus as his fan-favorite character, Daryl. Personally, the spin-off that I am most excited about, is the untitled mini series starring former “Walking Dead” lead Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, and his girlfriend, Michonne, played by Danai Gurira. I loved the love story between Rick and Michonne before they both left “the
Walking Dead,” and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them as one of the best TV duos of all time!
Here at the Observer, I spoke to David Arivella, an academic technology assistant here at Northern Essex. Arivella is not caught up with ‘The Walking Dead,” but nonetheless, I still asked him about some of the reasons why he did enjoy the seasons that he watched, “I think it was about the characters, relating to them and the way they acted, and watching them get through whatever was going on in the given storyline.” His favorite character was Rick, “As a character, I thought Rick was the most relatable, with the way he handled himself. I liked how he became a leader, even though he didn’t really take on that responsibility himself, but because the other characters looked up to him.”
Northern Essex Liberal Arts Coordinator Kim Lyng has watched The Walking Dead for years. When asked for some insight as to what the show and its themes stand for, she says, “It’s that basic good versus evil premise and why it’s worth fighting for a better world.”
Lyng’s favorite character was Glenn, “…it also offers hope because of the characters in the show like Glenn who emulate the good in people and why love and community and family matter so much, especially in difficult times.”
Witness the conclusion of this legendary series as the final episodes are airing every Sunday night at 9:00 PM on AMC. Watch each episode early by subscribing to AMC+!
