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| source// Gene Page/AMC |
Are you ready for this? The Walking Dead Season 6 finale is here, and it has serious potential to be one of the greatest episodes of the entire series, with the show’s hopes pinned on one man’s ability to escalate the drama to new heights.
Negan has arrived. The bat-wielding, leather-clad maniac is all set to make his debut in the TV series, and that’s a line which strikes equal amounts of excitement and terror into the hearts of comic book readers. Things are about to get messy, things are about to turn nuclear.
Last Day On Earth will be a bumper-long episode, and the title alone suggests it’s not going to be a happy ending for the group. There are so many enormous things that could happen in the finale, but here are some of the most crucial things that should be included as fans wave farewell to Season 6.
11. Daryl's Fate Must Be Cleared Up Immediately
There are two types of Walking Dead fans this week: those who are on the verge of throwing their fists through the TV in disgust at Daryl’s ‘death’, and those who can see the shocking Episode 15 cliffhanger for what it is, a fake-out.
It’s not impossible that Daryl was shot, but it’s extremely unlikely that we’ve seen his genuine death. The show has a 90-minute finale to wow the fans, and it would be a shame to overshadow events with an episode devoted to the ‘is Daryl dead?’ story, when we quite clearly know he’s coming back.
The opening scene should clear up what really happened so the finale can breathe without the weight of Daryl’s fate resting on its shoulders. The Walking Dead can’t waste time in the finale.
10. Carol Should Regain Composure
Carol’s development in the second half of Season 6 has been shocking to say the least. She’s really bogged down by the guilt of her killer-nature, yet she’ll continue to add to her tally as long as she needs to.
She’s enduring her roughest patch since the disappearance of Sophia way back when The Walking Dead was a fledgling, simple tale of survivors surviving. It would be nice to see Carol end her testing spell with a bounce back to her usual self.
It would even be nice to see her adopt Morgan’s mantra and prove that she can be an effective survivor and protector without having to raise a lethal weapon. Either way, Carol regaining her composure should be something the finale explores.
9. People Should Listen To Morgan
Speaking of Morgan, hopefully people start appreciating his morals, his ethical code, his principles, and hopefully that happens very soon before there’s a vast amount of blood spilled unnecessarily.
He finally appears to be getting through to Rick, and although it would be a dramatic change for the sheriff to ditch his killing policy and U-turn towards Morgan’s ideology, it would be great to see Rick adopt some of Morgan’s style in the finale and not live to regret the decision of keeping people alive.
This could be Morgan’s last rodeo, but fans can only hope it isn’t. He’s a character with plenty to offer and after an entire season of building up the theme of ‘kill or not to kill’, the finale must make a big deal of the positive aspects of his stance.
8. Trim The Main Group
The Walking Dead’s character list is brimming, with a huge range of characters continually defying the odds to survive in the new world. It’s impossible to keep track of some fringe members within the group, and some of the big players’ developments have been stunted as a result of trying to pack everyone in.
One solution has been to drop characters from episodes entirely, but that can be jarring at times, with the story missing huge chunks out of certain stories. Fading side-characters into the background is clever as it means fans will at least be aware of every character they see on-screen, but it may be time to say goodbye to some of the dead weight.
A widespread cull may not be necessary, but a couple of minor deaths in the finale would fire warning shots past the core of the group and would ease the pressure on including everyone. Alternatively, some members could simply depart for new lands and begin their own long adventure. A clean break, with the potential to return in the future.
7. Show The Hilltop
The Hilltop looks like a cool location for some epic scenes, with high-walled boundaries and a beautiful main house featuring as the centrepiece of the colony. The only problem is that we’ve barely seen the Hilltop at all this season.
It’s certainly not time to panic, after all, a set like that won’t go to waste, but it would be nice to see the Hilltop play a starring role in the Season 6 finale. Alexandria is a great base, but it has seen bucket-loads of action this season alone. A change of scenery for the biggest moments of the season would be nice.
It would also ensure that we’re not going into another break with Alexandria on the verge of total annihilation. It’s a long-term location (hopefully) and we can expect Hilltop to follow suit, but first we actually need a closer look at the new place and its inhabitants.
6. More Jesus
Jesus’ entrance to the show was great, and he instantly demonstrated his potential to be a fantastic character. It seems as though he could be a major player in the show, rather than just another walking meal for the undead.
Unfortunately he’s been underused in Season 6 so far. It’s fully expected that he will play a major part in the show in Season 7 (providing he makes it that far) but of course Season 6 isn’t over yet. There’s still time for him to make a big impact. Will he?
He understands more about Negan’s temperament than any of the main group, so his past experience could be vital if it boils down to a situation where he must get them out of danger. More Jesus, please.
5. Maintain The Survivors' Established Power
While Negan is fully expected to wreak havoc in the season finale, the infrastructure and solidity that the main group have established across Season 6 simply must not be torn down. The group have sustainable produce, a good supply of weapons, a roof over their heads, and walls guarding their lives.
That level of relative security must remain, and even if characters are thrown down to their lowest ebb, the framework for survival that the show has worked hard to construct must stay in tact.
It would also be nice to see Rick’s group providing a sturdy challenge for Negan. They’re an organised unit, and while Negan’s forces will be more experienced, the main handful of survivors should certainly be able to put up a tough fight rather than roll over.
4. Dwight/Gregory Survive
Two interesting aspects of Season 6 have come in the form of a pair of shady characters, Dwight and Gregory. The former is confirmed evil, with a ruthless trigger-finger and no remorse in his nature. Dwight may not be a long-term top-tier villain for years to come, but he’s proven himself worthy of a space in Season 7.
The same goes for Gregory. He’s not a traditional villain, but he could provide stiff competition for Rick’s group. We’ve already seen his cunning mind at work, and once he discovers that Negan isn’t dead, he won’t be pleased about handing so many materials over to Rick’s people.
Both characters are yet to truly demonstrate what they’re capable of, and while neither have a guaranteed future in the show, hopefully both can creep into the next season to stack the show with some interesting secondary villains alongside the big cheese himself.
3. Maggie And The Baby Survive
Maggie and her unborn child should seek medical help immediately, with the Hilltop doctor being a likely destination for her in the season finale. They should track him down, receive a string of medication, hear the advice, have a good long rest, and recover back to 100% in time for Maggie to safely give birth to a true bundle of joy in a darkening world.
That’s what SHOULD happen, but if you think the season finale is going to end well for Maggie, you’re sorely mistaken. She’s the character with the most to lose. She could potentially lose her husband, her unborn child, and/or her own life in the next episode.
Any of those options would make for hideous, startling TV, but just once it would be nice to see a flicker of hope in the show. Maggie shouldn’t even be close to labour just yet, which hints at an awful moment to come, but she should survive, and her baby too. SURELY?
2. Big, BIG Death
It’s not hard to envisage Maggie losing her baby and Glenn, nor is it hard to imagine any character dying at the hands of Negan. At this moment in time, Rick is pretty much the only safe bet to reach Season 7. Everyone else is worryingly expendable, but that’s exactly how it should be.
The bat references, Negan’s infamous nature, the hype, the trailers, the comic books. Absolutely everything is pointing towards Negan wiping out a major player in the finale, but who will it be? A massive, massive character may be set to depart, casting doubt over Glenn, Daryl, Morgan and a host of others. One from that trio would be very plausible.
Whoever is chosen to die by The Walking Dead bosses, it should be definitive in the finale. There would be a temptation for Negan to kill a big character but leave it ambiguous as to who really died. It would be an enormous climax, and an even larger cliffhanger than Glenn’s fake death, but it would be a very wrong move for the show.
Fans know Negan is coming, fans are almost certain he’s going to kill a major player, and fans deserve more than to be strung along for months without closure. If it is an open-ended death, fans won’t have learned anything new. Someone needs to die, and fans need to see.
1. Negan Should Be At The Forefront
There’s a lot of talk about Negan’s involvement in the finale. One popular suggestion would have been for the main man to stay in the shadows, out of sight, out of the story until the very last scene, declare: “Hi, I’m Negan.” then fade to black to close out the season.
But the trailer has already done exactly that. That’s surely a sign we’re going to be seeing his character in action, and that’s incredibly exciting. The finale has plenty of loose ends to tie up, but Negan must be given a starring role to justify the hype.
A genuine display of power is all fans ask from the show. His story doesn’t need to progress hugely, but after such enormous build-up, it would be incredible to see his character, his attitudes, his capabilities condensed to half an hour or so, rather than just a few minutes.
Negan is a make-or-break character for the show. If he fails to impress, the disappointment could be crippling, but after everything fans have seen and read, along with the superb casting of Dean Jeffrey Morgan, it’s hard to see how they can fail. The Walking Dead Season 6 Finale, bring it on.
What do YOU think should happen in the finale? Let us know in the comments below.
