The series finale of The Walking Dead aired Sunday night on AMC and AMC+, bringing to a conclusion the popular series after 11 seasons. The finale had a lot of important moments over as it resolved the stories of several major characters as well as set the stage for the various spinoffs set within The Walking Dead universe that are coming up. However, there is one moment that fans have very excited, something that brings a very full circle moment to the series.
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Warning: spoilers for the series finale of The Walking Dead, “Rest in Peace”, below.
During the series finale, Daryl (Norman Reedus) ends up bringing Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming), who had suffered a gunshot wound, into Governor Pamela Milton’s (Laila Robins) gated community after the hospital is overrun with walkers. It’s safe(ish) behind the gates, but only because Milton is refusing to let people in, complete with having troopers gunning down anyone trying to climb the gates and get in even as a walker horde approaches. However, Mercer (Michael James Shaw) and his army stands against Milton’s and as things start to get tense, Daryl starts talking, declaring that all of the people deserve better than this and that the problem is that she built the Commonwealth to be like the old world. When Milton protests opening the gates will allow in not just the living but the dead, Daryl points out that she’s going to lose everything anyway and that she has just one enemy.
“We ain’t the walking dead,” he says.
The line is an iconic one, calling back to Rick Grimes previously in the series who in Season 5 told a story about his grandfather in World War II in which he said “Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves that we are the walking dead.” And fans of The Walking Dead loved hearing Daryl bring things full circle with his declaration that they aren’t. You can check out some of the fan reaction below and be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
