Okay, so let's start out with the most obvious fan theory that has already been (sort of...) quashed by Robert Kirkman, creator of the comic books. He confirmed on his Twitter account: "Rick is NOT still in a coma. The events of TWD are definitely happening." All was right with the world, until he dropped this mind-blower just minutes later: "But Carl and everyone else are all imagined. He actually NEVER found his family. He's been crazy since he killed his first zombie. #joking?" The theory goes that Rick is indeed still in his coma, and that everybody he encounters in The Walking Dead is a hallucination of people within the hospital. Hershel, for example, a doctor; Father Gabriel, a reverend praying for Rick; Carol, a fellow patient. This list could go on. It's an intriguing theory that could probably work without holes, but it would also be a disappointing way to wrap things up, no matter how much craziness is involved.