The introduction of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's 'Negan' was a moment hotly anticpated by many fans of
The Walking Dead comic book. The character is well known for taking his baseball bat, "Lucille" to the head of a beloved character. While Negan did do that in the season finale, the death was shown from the victim's point of view, leaving the identity a mystery until season 7 premieres next year. Many fans were outraged over this creative decision, feeling that the series chose to make suspense more important than impact.
Series creator Robert Kirkman has responded to the backlash.
"The speculation, the frustration, the possibilities, the theories... honestly, in my mind... that stuff is FUN," Kirkman wrote in an open letter to fans in the latest issue of
The Walking Dead comic.
"I honestly feel like that's something fun for the fans to do during the break. Last season's finale will lead right into the new season, with a twist that fans "probably won't see coming." Kirkman also apologized that the effort to
"get people excited" backfired for some fans.
"We weren't trying to drive you crazy, and we certainly weren't trying to FORCE you to come back for season 7," he wrote.
"We hope you were always planning on doing that and still plan on doing that."
You can read Kirkman's full statement below. Were you disappointed by the finale, or did you enjoy the cliffhanger? Sound off in the comments!