The main Walking Dead show ended after 11 seasons, but fans should be much more excited about getting The Ones Who Live instead of season 12.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

While some fans may have been disappointed that The Walking Dead ended after its eleventh season, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is a far more exciting prospect than season 12.The Walking Dead experienced plenty of ups and downs throughout its run, from being one of the most popular shows on TV during its peak to losing a large chunk of its audience come its conclusion. Although The Walking Dead season 11’s finale still amassed over 3 million viewers, it was a huge fall from where the show once was, proving some sort of change was needed.

The franchise could have opted to make a twelfth season, but The Walking Dead would have struggled to regain its momentum. Rather than completely ending after season 11, The Walking Dead continued through spinoff shows, with The Ones Who Live welcoming Rick and Michonne back to the series. Their return was teased in the main show’s finale, but providing them with a spinoff is far more exciting than a potential season 12. Rick and Michonne’s Walking Dead reunion and battle against the CRM is evidence that The Ones Who Live is better for the franchise than continuing the main series.

The Ones Who Live Is Basically The Walking Dead Season 12

Rick & Michonne’s Spinoff Continues The Walking Dead’s Unresolved Story

One reason The Ones Who Live thrives is because it essentially is season 12 of The Walking Dead. After season 11’s conclusion, most of the franchise’s storylines were completed, except for Rick and Michonne’s. Daryl Dixon and Dead City only add to the season 12 feel, introducing new, interesting storylines. However, The Ones Who Live feels like the closest thing to the continuation of the main plot. Rick and Michonne’s spinoff had plenty of questions to answer about two of The Walking Dead‘s biggest characters, making their return and reunion all the more impactful for long-term fans.

Providing Rick and Michonne their own spinoff may have been the best way to get Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira to reprise their roles. The Ones Who Live gives Lincoln and Gurira the screen time they deserve after years away from the series while answering the main show’s biggest questions, and the addition of the CRM also feels like the beginning of the next chapter. Their spinoff may be advertised as a limited series, but the CRM’s involvement suggests The Ones Who Live is setting up the future of the franchise and feels even bigger than a potential season 12.

The Ones Who Live Skips The Filler Walking Dead Season 12 Would’ve Had

The Spinoff Format Allows The Ones Who Live To Tell A Stronger Story

Although The Walking Dead franchise has a lot of strengths, one of its biggest weaknesses is filler, which The Ones Who Live avoids. A full-length season 12 would likely feature countless side storylines that aren’t crucial to the plot, delaying the better aspects of the show. While it is nice to have a break from the constant action, The Ones Who Live does a great job of having a constantly daunting atmosphere, even during the more relaxed periods of the spinoff. Keeping the focus strictly on Rick and Michonne avoids unnecessary filler that would weaken their return.

Following The Ones Who Live‘s premiere with a low stakes side story would hurt Rick and Michonne’s return, which the spinoff format avoids. The spinoff still leaves time to flesh out other characters and story elements, but this is always done with a focus on Rick or Michonne. Unique concepts like Nat’s zombie weapons are included in The Ones Who Live, yet it ties in neatly with the main story. Season 12 would have likely deviated from Rick and Michonne’s narrative for less important stories, indicating how beneficial the spinoff direction is for The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Season 12 Can Still Happen After The Ones Who Live

There Have Already Been Teases Towards A Crossover

Despite the franchise focusing on spinoffs currently, The Walking Dead season 12 could still happen after The Ones Who Live. Rumors regarding the shows crossing over have been circulating for a while, and there has been confirmation that this is the plan. Scott Gimple responded to rumors of a crossover between The Walking Dead spinoffs, claiming, “Yeah, I do have dreams of merging this all together, and I have laid little breadcrumbs toward that.” This suggests the franchise still has plans for big reunions and stories, which could all culminate in a twelfth season of the show.

The Ones Who Live sets up an enemy that Rick and Michonne may not be able to stop on their own, meaning The Walking Dead‘s other main characters could join the fight against the CRM. Given the CRM don’t appear in the comics, their presence in the TV series makes them a huge mystery. The group has been teased for years, and with Rick and Michonne finally facing them, they will likely play a big part in the franchise’s future. Therefore, The Ones Who Live is the perfect way to continue the overall story and set up a potential season 12.