The Walking Dead: 5 Points On How They Botched The Finale

There were posters made of Negan with Lucille. There was foreshadowing, such as Glenn seeing pictures of Negan's previous victims, their heads all bashed in. There was name-dropping—how many Saviors used the name "Negan" in context? There were even interviews where it was confirmed that Negan would appear in the finale. 

This was the most hyped moment of the entire show to date, and enough people who read the comics understood what was coming. More importantly, what that moment would mean for the show as a whole.

So let's be clear: This was not a surprise moment. Everyone from AMC to Kirkman to Gimple and beyond said this was happening. While it's true they never said someone would die in the finale, I think they can all forgive us if we assumed that's how it would end, because that's how the comics handled it. 

Sure, this isn't a straight adaptation of the comics. That's understood. But what's also understood is that you don't mess with groundbreaking moments. They define a series. To hype a character's arrival who is known for this series-defining moment, and then to pull the rug out from under us is dishonesty at its worst.

This reeks of a ratings ploy fueled by an inordinate amount of commercial revenue. If, somewhere down the road, we learn that the decision to cliffhang the episode came from the top of AMC, it would not be surprising. But when a show does something like this, it makes it very difficult to trust handling of any future material the comics may hold.