Be aware that this post contains plot spoilers for The Walking Dead!
For fans of The Walking Dead, the TV show’s twists and turns didn’t always sit well with everyone. Whether it was main character deaths (like Glenn’s) or just the fact that the group of survivors never seem to catch a break, being a fan of the series is exhausting.
But there was always one big change that hardcore fans haven’t really been able to get over yet: the death of Rick Grimes.
Of course, we all know that Rick didn’t actually die because we saw him carried away on a CRM helicopter with Anne/Jadis. But the rest of the characters — including his children and beloved Michonne — think he died in a blast that also took out a major bridge.
Showrunner Scott Gimple teased that we would see a continuation of Rick’s story after the blast in a trilogy of movies to be released sometime in the future, but many can’t wait that long.
Perhaps Gimple got the hint! During Comic-Con last month, he teased that we can expect to see more about the Civic Republic Military (CRM) group in the next season of spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead in October. The mysterious group first appeared in TWD Season 8, FTWD Season 5, and even Walking Dead: World Beyond’s first season, proving that the group plays a major part in the storyline.
“Each show has a different piece of the puzzle, but those pieces of the puzzle… aren’t just plots,” Gimple said during his panel. “They are personal stories for the characters that do advance aspects of the greater mythology.”
Gimple went on to explain that the CRM backstory in particular will flesh out certain characters more deeply, with their situations “bleeding” out to other characters.
Of course, speculation runs wild here as many believe that Fear the Walking Dead will actually fill in the gaps between the disappearance of Rick Grimes in TWD Season 9 and the upcoming Rick Grimes-centered movies.
This brilliant move could both promote the spin-off series and help bridge the worlds for Rick Grimes fans.
Gimple also spoke about the fact that many questions may remain unanswered, at least for a bit longer, but we can expect that Rick’s presence will not vanish from either series any time soon.
“It just so happens, though, that it does give other info about the greater world [that our survivors] inhabit,” Gimple continued.
The 11th and final season of The Walking Dead begins on August 22nd and Fear the Walking Dead’s 7th season will come back on October 17, both on AMC.
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