*Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead series finale*
With The Walking Dead series finale leaving long-time fans torn - some satisfied with the characters' conclusions while others just wanted a happily ever after for Rick Grimes - it's understandable to be left pondering after the show's bittersweet ending.
From where some fan favorites went and why they're going, to if there will ever be a cure, to wondering why they had to go and kill off that one beloved character, the TWD finale on AMC left fans with many more questions than answers about their favorite characters' fates.
Why Did The Walkers Evolve?
If you think back to the very first season of The Walking Dead, you might remember that Rick awoke from his coma toward the start of the outbreak, when people were only just starting to turn into walkers while still inhabiting human-like features. Walkers from the first few seasons hadn't decayed, nor had they fully lost their consciousness - like when Morgan's walker wife turned the doorknob in order to come into the house where he and their son were hiding out.
But over the seasons that included some major time jumps, the walkers would continue to decay the more time passed, leaving them stumbling, grumbling pieces of frayed flesh. But in the last few episodes of the series, it was Aaron and Jerry who learned that walkers were starting to evolve, able to climb far heights much like they did in the first season, while others were able to properly use their hands to grab weapons. But despite dramatizing this newfound evolution of the walkers, aside from Negan's initial, shocked, "What the f---?!" reaction, not a word was ever said as to why or how the walkers began to evolve, leaving fans wondering how it happened, and will it play a part in the upcoming TWD spin-offs?
Where Is Pamela?
For the majority of Seasons 10 and 11, Pamela Milton was one of the prime villains, alongside Lance Hornsby and Sebastian Milton. But after Sebastian got what was coming to him and Carol rightfully offed Hornsby, it was only Pamela left standing to take on Maggie and the group, resulting in Pamela almost letting herself be eaten by a zombified Hornsby before she was captured and put in a jail cell.
But once they closed the jail cell door, Pamela wasn't seen or heard from again for the remainder of the episode. It's typical for the TWD villains - with the exception of Negan - to battle to the death and eventually lose their life to the fight, but for Pamela who ending felt a bit anticlimactic. Even when the finale flashes forward a year when Ezekiel and Mercer are running The Commonwealth, there is no sign of Pamela, begging the question of how things truly ended for the show's final villain.
Where Did Negan Go?
It's nothing new for Negan to stray away from the group - when he isn't locked in an Alexandrian jail cell or forced by The Commonwealth to work as a prisoner, of course. But after everything Negan did this last season, his sudden disappearance in the finale almost felt unnecessary. After finally putting an end to Pamela's reign and saving the lives of The Commonwealth community, the last anyone sees of Negan is when Daryl peeks out a window and they exchange understanding nods.
When the finale skips forward a year, it's only Negan's voice that's heard when Judith receives her compass back from him and he assures her how much it helped him over the years. But there is no mention of where Negan is or why he left, and how exactly this TWD fan favorite is going to wind up running up and down the streets of New York City with Maggie by his side in their long-awaited spin-off Dead City.
How Are Annie And The Baby?
If you're wondering where Negan ended up, then you're probably even more curious about what came of his wife Annie and their unborn baby. The last anyone saw of Annie was in the second to last episode of the series when they all head back to The Commonwealth to take down Pamela. But because Annie was never seen in the finale, it's hard to conclude how she and the baby ended up.
When the finale flashes forward a year, even Eugene is seen with his new baby girl, but there is no sign of Annie or the baby, leaving everyone wondering how things turned out for the happy couple and the birth of their child. It's unknown whether Annie will appear in her husband's upcoming spin-off, but it can be assumed the new show will answer any questions regarding Negan's year away from the group.
Why Kill Off Rosita?
Since Season 4, Rosita Espinosa was one of the most badass women of The Walking Dead. During her eight seasons on the show, Rosita became a prominent member of Rick's group, fell into several romantic relationships, and eventually had a baby girl with Siddiq, only to raise her with Gabriel after Siddiq's death. After all her fighting and her fierce mama bear mode to get her daughter back from The Commonwealth, the character's ending left every fan asking the same question: why kill off Rosita?
As it turns out, this question was answered in an Entertainment Weekly interview with Christian Serratos when Rosita's portrayer explained her desire for her character's death. "I think a show that was about possibly losing your loved ones, you want to lose somebody at the end," Serratos explained of her thought process behind asking the showrunners if her character could get killed off in the end.
How Does Daryl End Up In France?
Plenty of things haven't made sense about The Walking Dead, but one fans might not believe until they see is Daryl riding his motorcycle past the Eiffel Tower. The last anyone saw of Daryl was in the series finale when he took off on his bike down the road, never giving an inkling of where he was headed or why he was headed there. But as fans of the bow-and-arrow-shooter know, Daryl's spin-off takes place overseas in France.
And less of a question of why he's going to France is how exactly he's getting there in the first place. As handy as his motorcycle is, it's not going to help him cross the ocean. Perhaps he'll find a boat, or maybe he'll discover a helicopter like Rick did? However he does it, considering no character on the show has ever traveled overseas before, if anyone could do it, it's certainly Daryl Dixon.
Who Is Judith's Dad?
The biggest question of The Walking Dead - as forgotten as it may have been in recent seasons - is who is Judith's dad? If you rewind your mind all the way to the first season, you'll remember that when Rick finally reunites with his wife and son, it isn't long until he learns that Lori has been having an affair with his best friend and partner from the force. Things take an even more dramatic turn when Lori reveals that she's pregnant, and both men question whether they're the father.
But by the time Judith was born, both Shane and Lori had died, leaving Rick to raise the little girl with his older son Carl. And while Rick always treated Judith like his own, the question still remains whether he or Shane is her biological father. Even in the final season when Judith comments that "she's a Grimes, too," sparking a series-long question in people's minds, it is never brought up again, allowing fans to decide for themselves just who Judith got her badass personality from.
Where Is Michonne?
When Michonne took off to find Rick in Season 10, it was when her portrayer Danai Gurira was on the heels of playing Okoye in Marvel's Black Panther. But in Summer 2022, TWD fans got the shock of their lives when it was announced that Gurira and Andrew Lincoln would be reuniting in a miniseries to conclude Rick and Michonne's story, begging the question of where exactly Michonne has been all these years.
After having not been seen since Season 10, Michonne appeared in the TWD series finale, packing her things before hopping on a horse to go find her love. And while the finale ended on a cliffhanger that is sure to be resolved in the upcoming miniseries, those few, cryptic scenes have left fans eager to find out where Michonne has been and if she will ever find Rick.
What's Happening With Rick?
The Walking Dead could not come to an end without at least giving fans a glimpse at Rick - wherever he is. After years of being presumed dead after Jadis took him away in a helicopter, Rick finally graced everyone's screens again, and this time, it was in an unusual way. Appearing merely seconds before the episode concluded, Rick can be seen roaming a sandy beach with a cityscape in front of him.
Bearing a leather jacket with Borromean rings, Rick drags his feet through the sand until a helicopter suddenly appears to take him away again. But rather than running from the ominous helicopter, Rick simply smiles at it, leaving every possible question for fans as they await the upcoming Rick and Michonne spin-off on AMC.
Will There Ever Be A Cure?
The first few seasons of TWD heavily revolved around the characters in search of a cure for the outbreak that led to humans turning into the undead. But over time, a cure started seeming impossible as Rick's group fought for their lives more against other humans than they did the dead.
Despite the show's several spin-offs, with the original series coming to an end, it's not unfair to have expected to learn more insight into the outbreak that started it all in the first place. Although TWD never delved into the possibility of a cure again, there are plenty of chances to in all of the show's spin-offs.