The Walking Dead concluded in November 2022. However, that only seemed to be the beginning of a new epic chapter for the long-running characters of The Walking Dead franchise. Since the original series ended, audiences have watched Morgan and his daughter begin their search for Rick, witnessed Maggie and Negan battle in New York City, and followed Daryl as he explored France. The expansion of this post-apocalyptic world has brought viewers to several locations in the United States and now across the seas to Europe. It seems there’s no lack of potential when it comes to worldbuilding and storyline.

On the other hand, a world of possibilities has been the downfall of several great shows. Even icons of their genres, such as comedy’s The Office and fantasy’s Supernatural, overstayed their welcome and ended up disappointing fans. To avoid The Walking Dead franchise dragging on too long and failing to keep the interest of dedicated viewers, it needs a satisfying finale. Though many of the current shows in the franchise are new additions, TWD spinoffs could eventually merge to give audiences the ideal ending they deserve.

The Problem With Fear the Walking Dead and Dead City

Dead City takes place at least 4-5 years after the finale of The Walking Dead.

Fear The Walking Dead was not an impressive spinoff of the original series. It was unsurprising when the series ended with a short Season 8, wrapping up any loose ends and leaving the surviving characters with a hopeful future. Fans may see characters such as Sherry and Dwight, who first appeared in the original series, in another spinoff since the two were last seen heading back to the now-abandoned Saviors compound in Virginia. Other characters, such as Madison and Alicia, are unlikely to appear again, given their intended destinations.

The FTWD character most likely to crossover with other shows is Morgan Jones, who appeared in the very first episode of The Walking Dead and renewed audiences’ interest when he joined the cast of FTWD. He was last seen with his daughter, Mo, searching for Rick Grimes as they headed for Alexandria. Though this final Morgan scene was promising, fans will have to wait and see if he will appear in The Ones Who Live or later on in another episode within the franchise. It has yet to be revealed if the character will make another appearance, though his absence will surely be a sore spot for many die-hard fans.

If the mysterious nature of Morgan’s involvement with the continuity of the franchise is confusing, Dead City is an entirely problematic aspect of the overall timeline. Based on the age of Maggie’s son, Hershel, who was ten at the conclusion of TWD and now appears to be around fifteen, Dead City could be several years ahead of The Ones Who Live and Daryl Dixon. This isn’t an issue if the new show lasts several years with varying timelines, but it could also mean that audiences will never get the highly anticipated union between Rick and Negan.

The Ones Who Live Has a Lot to Unpack

The Ones Who Live promises an epic love story between Rick Grimes and Michonne (Hawthorne) Grimes. Yet, the show will have to capture the events following both characters’ exit before they are finally reunited. Michonne left to find Rick only a season after his departure, but the original series featured a seven-year time jump between these events. Those missing years will answer all the questions about Rick’s time with the CRM and why he wasn’t able to escape and return home.

Michonne’s timeline will be less challenging in this new spinoff. Though Rick has been gone for several years, Michonne leaving in the penultimate season means she’s only been gone for several months by the conclusion of The Walking Dead. Depending on when The Ones Who Live picks up her storyline, Michonne has the potential to have a well-rounded story in the spinoff and still return to her family within a year or two of her departure.

Rick’s storyline, on the other hand, has several years of captivity to expand upon. This could mean the new show will have a non-linear timeline to capture Rick’s missing years and Michonne’s current mission. TWD franchise’s timeline continues to get more confusing, but The Ones Who Lives can clean it up a bit by bringing these two lovers’ timelines to the “present” time period. If this spinoff isn’t dragged on too long, Michonne and Rick’s story could conclude around the events of Daryl Dixon and the presumed arrival of Morgan Jones at Alexandria (with Dead City still being an outlier in the timeline).

Daryl Dixon Already Hinted at the Crossover

Melissa Mcbride, who plays Carol, will be a regular in Season 2 of Daryl Dixon.

Daryl Dixon was a hit for Walking Dead fans. By the conclusion of the first season, viewers were excited to see where Daryl’s journey would take him in Season 2 and how Carol would play into the upcoming plot. However, Daryl’s brief conversation with Carol over a radio, which cut out, hinted at his eventual return to Alexandria. Audiences can assume that her line, “He’s back,” is referring to Rick’s inevitable return (suggesting Daryl Dixon takes place during or after the events of The Ones Who Live).

At the end of Daryl Dixon Season 1, Daryl made the decision to stay in France with his new friends. This doesn’t suggest that he won’t eventually return home but simply clarifies his European escapade isn’t over yet. The audience can only guess how his decisions will be affected by Carol’s inclusion in his journey. Still, Carol’s mysterious line suggests that she has important news that could sway Daryl’s choices. By the conclusion of Daryl Dixon, Daryl and Carol can return home to finally reunite with long-long friends.

Walking Dead Fans Deserve a Full-Circle Ending

There’s a lot of speculation among fans and critics regarding the future of The Walking Dead franchise. Since the spinoffs have been mostly successful, audiences have hopes that the universe has at least a few good years left. These Walking Dead heroes are beloved enough to keep audience engagement. However, that will change if the shows are dragged on to the point of becoming tiresome. Several seasons of needless storylines might keep the franchise alive, but that doesn’t ensure the quality will be maintained.

Despite some viewers believing a Walking Dead spinoff crossover would doom the franchise, a merging of the different storylines is a solid conclusion for the entirety of the universe that won’t result in an unnecessary expansion of already lengthy character storylines. The characters need to eventually have a resolution to their stories. Considering everything The Walking Dead characters have been through, bringing them all back together in a full-circle, epic finale is one of the few ways the franchise can have a truly satisfying end.