Season 9 of The Walking Dead will usher in a new era for the show. According to visual effects master Greg Nicotero, new showrunner Angela Kang will give it a Season 4 or 5 vibe with a fresh twist. Instead of relying on a juicy cliffhanger like previous years, the Season 8 Finale will actually finish up half a dozen storylines. Executive Producer Scott Gimple recently described the episode to TheWrap, “It’s about closure of the All Out War storyline, but in some ways, this is a closure to the first eight seasons of the show.”
Despite the changes on and off camera, this new era is predictable. In the comics, All Out War is followed by a multi-year time jump where the characters have aged, the communities have been rebuilt, and a new villainous group is on the horizon (plus Maggie finally has her baby). Many fans point to Issues #127 and beyond as a new era for the comics. “Well, I mean, we want to tell the comic story,” Gimple told TheWrap, adding that when viewers see how “different” Season 9 is, “and how the stories just have just very very unusual and sort of new drives,” that “people are going to see there’s a lot more story to tell.”
Since we can’t reveal if the time jump, Whisperers, or other comic storylines will play out in the Fall, what CAN we expect from the new season? “Season 9 is going to be unlike things people have seen before on the show,” Gimple said. “And it really is going to take on a very, very different vibe — a very singular vibe unto itself.”
Check out the rest of the interview at TheWrap! The Walking Dead wraps up its eighth season on Sunday, April 15th and will be immediately followed by Fear the Walking Dead’s Season 4 Premiere.
This is making me feel uneasy. Feels like The End & that’s sad, being that it has been picking up momentum. I have been saying for a while that post-AOW is a good place to end it, tho. So if this is the final season, OK. Let it be.
But then there’s nothing else to look forward to unless the comic picks up significantly.
… sigh …
You didnt like the whisperes storyline?
I really liked the concept but the passion/emotion felt clipped. Felt like it could’ve gotten deeper but then Kirkman abruptly changed his mind & wrote them right out of the picture. So there was nothing to it for me but that concept of wearing skin as camo. This, after getting hyped up over Magna for nothing.
There were also things happening that sparked my interest more, like the connection between Carl & Negan, Sophia’s appearance, and a difference in morale with Maggie that just plainly fizzled out. And now we have…
The Princess & survivors in Stormtrooper gear.
It simply hasn’t been the same.
Over/under on Rick dying? 50-50. I think he gets the ax (pun intended) in the finale.
ANYTHING other than he wakes from a fucking coma in the hospital or that this a bedtime story he’s telling a kid.