The Walking Deadseason 8 finale is just around the corner, but according to showrunner Scott M. Gimple, this is more than your average season finale.The Walking Deadhas a history of big stakes and memorable moments in its season finales, but this is different. As Gimple says, this is more of a conclusion of the show’s first eights seasons, as opposed to a punctuation mark on this run of episodes.
Scott M. Gimplecan’t reveal much ahead of this Sunday’s season finale ofThe Walking Dead, but he’s promising that we’re in for something big. Not only is the season 8 finale going to be grand, but he says that this is going to positionThe Walking Deadseason 9 as something very different. Here’s what he had to say when asked about the upcomingWalking Deadseason 8 finale.
“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 theconclusion 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.”
What we know for sure is that the season 8 finale will conclude theAll Out War arcthat has been unfolding. Negan and Rick are getting ready for what will presumably be their final confrontation, though, it’s not going to unfold just as it did in the world ofThe Walking Deadcomics. As Andrew Lincoln, and now Scott M. Gimple are teasing, this is going to be an unusual episode in many ways and may not be what many fans are expecting.
“I think it has to do with stuff as practical as plot aspects, things that happen, but alsoemotional movement between characters. And also I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is all just one big battle. There are some really unusual aspects to that too, that the action isn’t just a large battle, but there are things going sort of around the battle. I don’t even know if I would classify it as a battle. And yet, at the same time, the scope is massive. And I guess with so many people, so many characters reaching the conclusion of the story that we’ve been laying out for them over the past few years in some regards, there’s just a lot going on, and a lot of perspectives that we’re shifting between and some very, very big emotional and philosophical movement between just some unbelievably insane things happening.”
So, what exactly can weexpect to see in The Walking Dead season 9? That remains to be seen, but just don’t expect it to be business as usual for Rick and the gang.The Walking Deadseason 8 finale airs this Sunday on AMC. For more with showrunner Scott M. Gimple, you can check out his full interview over atEntertainment Weekly.
