The Walking Dead franchise is a bit of an enigma in today’s entertainment landscape. Its world doesn’t feature any superpowered characters or space battles. However, it continues to chug along 15 years after its debut on the small screen. Some of the credit goes to brand recognition. Robert Kirkman’s comic books are still popular, and the diehards tune in whenever a new project starts airing. But not even Kirkman could’ve foresaw how expansive the live-action franchise has become. Even while The Walking Dead was still releasing new episodes, it had a couple of spinoffs, following different groups of people around the world and showing how they tackle the apocalypse.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Once The Walking Dead called it quits, though, things started to change. The powers that be at AMC decided to capitalize on the popularity of fan-favorite characters by greenlighting shows about them. Maggie and Negan were first up, burying the bat in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Daryl Dixon was up next, and despite coming out of the gate second, he’s going to reach the finish line first and put the entire franchise in a position it hasn’t even had to think about being in for well over a decade.
Daryl Dixon’s Journey Is About to Reach Its Conclusion
At the end of The Walking Dead, Daryl doesn’t feel like sticking around the Commonwealth. His friend, Rick, is gone, after all, and he doesn’t want to be reminded of that constantly. Hitting the road doesn’t do him much better, as he ends up being transported across the ocean to France. However, taking his talents to the international stage proves dangerous, as he finds himself going up against not only walkers but dangerous factions as well. The entire journey isn’t a solo one, though, as Daryl makes some new friends and reunites with an old one, Carol, who proves as helpful as ever.
The final moments of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 see the main group prepare to set sail for America, setting the stage for major moments in Season 4 that might feature familiar faces from the flagship show. Unfortunately, their transportation goes up in flames, leaving them back at square one as they enter the final season. While the show is sure to have Daryl return to American soil before the credits roll on the final episode, there’s no guarantee that it sets the stage for more. In fact, it might be the beginning of the end for The Walking Dead on TV.
The Walking Dead Doesn’t Have Much of a Future
Daryl is easily the biggest win for The Walking Dead‘s live-action career. He doesn’t have a presence in the comics books, but is big enough on the small screen to lead his own show. However, handing the spotlight over to Daryl means that other characters don’t get enough room to shine. None of the characters that make the last couple of seasons of The Walking Dead tolerable are around anymore, and there’s reason to believe that they will return. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live returns to the Commonwealth briefly to allow Rick to spend some time with his kids, but that show appears to be one-and-done. Dead City might not last much longer, either, as it’s gearing up to release its third season and shows no signs of building up to some kind of crossover event.
That would be the perfect swan song for the entire franchise, having Rick, Daryl, Maggie, and everyone else come together one last time to fight off a threat. But it’s hard to see that dream becoming a reality. There are so many moving parts at this point, and without any groundwork laid, it seems more likely that everyone will go out on their own terms and leave all the teamwork in the past. It’s a shame that a franchise as big as The Walking Dead is going out with a whimper, but at least no one can take the golden days of the zombie apocalypse away.
Are you upset about The Walking Dead franchise seemingly coming to an end? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
