‘The Walking Dead’ season 6 finale: Showrunner defends cliffhanger ‘who did Negan kill?’ ending
If you look around the internet, there’s no questioning that the fan reaction to the season 6 finale of “The Walking Dead” is all over the place. Some hated the episode outright, others liked everything other than the cliffhanger ending, and there are a select group who enjoyed almost all of it.
If you go back and read our finale review, then you know that we very much enjoyed the finale, even in spite of the show copping out on showing us precisely who Negan killed with his infamous bat Lucille. With that being said, we know many other people have stronger opinions about it, which caused showrunner Scott M. Gimple to be asked today in a conference call with reporters whether or not the show is asking too much of viewers to be handed cliffhanger after cliffhanger. In his response (transcribed below via Entertainment Weekly), he defends the choice specifically to end the finale without revealing Negan’s kill as a method to set up the season 7 story:
“I think if you approach it from a place of skepticism or with the idea that there is some sort of negative motivation behind it or cynical motivation behind it — if you come at it that way it’s difficult to convince you otherwise. I do think we’ve done enough on the show and we’ve delivered a story that people have enjoyed and I guess asking people to give us the benefit of the doubt that it is all part of a plan and is all part of a story. And I truly hope that people see 701 and they feel that it justifies the way we decided to tell the story. That is the way that it is in our minds. I know what 701 is and I feel that it delivers on what 616 sets up.”
At the moment, it’s a little bit frustrating to not know who died; yet, the way the cinematography worked in the finale’s closing minutes was powerful and jarring, and we’re willing (for now) to give the producers the benefit of the doubt. However, this can change if it turns out that we don’t lose anyone significant or the big reveal is not that connected to the story at all.
For more on Robert Kirkman’s thoughts regarding the big “Walking Dead” finale, be sure to head over to the link here now! Also, sign up over here to get some other TV news on almost everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: AMC.)