I’m going to make a prediction now that The Walking Dead will not see a tenth season. Now, it can be argued that I’m not really going out on a limb here and I would say you were absolutely right. The series saw some of its lowest lifetime ratings this past season and many followers have already closed the door on the series, way before the announcement that Rick Grimes himself will be exiting the show after its ninth season. Reports that Lincoln has only signed on for a handful of new episodes also signals a hard left for a show that has always been largely divided on the success and failure of the series’ lead. With Lincoln not reprising the role the show not only loses its (admittedly sometimes wavering) moral compass, but its father, its hero and more importantly its focus.
Although it has also been reported that Norman Reedus has been offered a significant pay-raise to fill the void, further reports state that Lauren Cohan is also taking backseat with a reduced number of appearances this next season. No Rick? Less Maggie? With two major arcs drawing to a close and the strength of the series resting on a character that, for the most part, draws its likability from its interactions with the other series’ leads, its hard to accept the show has any future past next seasons offerings…
