THE WALKING DEAD Showrunner Scott Gimple Says Season 9 Will Be Like "A New Show"
From the sounds of it, this week's episode of The Walking Dead will not just wrap up season 8, but will essentially be a conclusion for the whole series up to this point. Read on past the jump for more...
The season 8 finale of The Walking Dead is being teased as the end of the war between Negan and Rick, but according to showrunner Scott Gimple, the episode will wrap up a lot more than just this conflict.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gimple discussed how things will change next season with Angela Kang taking over the role of showrunner, and said that we should expect a whole new narrative in season 9. Gimple says:
Also, this episode isn’t just like these 15 episodes coming to a conclusion, but Angela and myself and the writers had always talked about this in many ways being sort of the conclusion of the first eight seasons. This show will be very much a new show next year and with a bigger, new narrative. It was something I was really excited about getting into even before season 8. And so there was just a certain weight in the air of the kind of conclusion that we were getting closer to. It was a weird graduation for everybody.
Executive producer Greg Nicotero has previously talked about how season 9 will feel more like the show's older episodes. With this season's ratings down significantly from previous years, going back to what worked in the first place might help lure back viewers. However, Gimple's comments indicate that this will be more than just a tonal shift.
Fans have speculated that this new direction will be sparked by more major character deaths, with even Rick potentially being the one to bite the dust. While there have been theories about Rick's eventual demise circulating for a number of years now, Gimple's remarks make it seem like a more likely outcome than it was in previous seasons.
What do you think about The Walking Dead wrapping things up in some capacity this season? Comment below!
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