“Walking Dead” producer and special effects manager Greg Nicotero revealed that an alternate ending was thought up, but was eventually scrapped for a version that connected the episode to future spin-offs.
While the end of The Walking Dead was unveiled this Monday, November 21 on the occasion of the broadcast on OCS of the final episode of the horror series, here are resurfacing details on the originally planned conclusion of the cult program.
A completely different outcome from that finally adopted by the production, as confirmed by the producer and head of special effects for the series Greg Nicotero in an interview taken up by our colleagues from Insider, revealing in particular that a jump in time from twenty-five years should have taken place:
After Daryl’s departure, we would have continued with a scene on Freedom Parkway, at the exit of Atlanta, where Rick rode in the pilot episode. We would have seen a van, with a young woman on board and a man at the wheel. And then we would have realized it’s about RJ and Judith grown up. In the back of the vehicle, other children from the series who have become adults: Coco, Gracie, etc. They are there, ready to help communities of survivors, continuing what their parents did. And as RJ speaks over the radio, the dialogue ends with the line: “If you can hear me, answer me. I’m Rick Grimes” (which is of course his name, but also the line of Rick in the driver). And the episode would have ended with the voice of a survivor who answers: “Hello?”.
This ending, however, never saw the light of day, for reasons of consistency with the story of the next spin-offs, and it is for this reason that the production finally opted for a new version, revealing the whereabouts of Rick Grimes. for the upcoming release of the Rick and Michonne mini-series.
The final season of The Walking Dead can now be found in full on the OCS platform on demand.