Walking Dead Season 10 Proves The Show Can Survive Michonnes Exit – Screen Rant

The Walking Dead season 10 recently proved it can survive the show'smain character departure epidemic. The very nature ofThe Walking Dead guarantees a high turnover of characters, as various members of the ensemble bite the dust with a regularity that would make George R. R. Martin think twice. However, recent seasons have charted a string of majorlosses that threaten the very future of the series. It all began with Chandler Riggs' Carl Grimes in season 8 when, under controversial circumstances, the actor was given the boot, and his character killed off by a fairly routine zombie bite. Shortly after Carl's demise, Andrew Lincoln decided to leave the main series due to the rigorous shooting schedule, and is only set to make movie appearances in the future.

Rick's departure subtly also marked a hiatus for Lauren Cohan as Maggie, the leader of the Hilltop and Rick's natural successor as thefigurehead of the main survivors. Maggie has been in another, as yet unseen, community for most of season 9 and all of season 10 thus far, butThe Walking Dead is confirmed to be losing another of its stars, with Danai Guriraannouncing that season 10 would be her last in the role of Michonne. Losing 4 of its central cast in the space of 2 seasons has been a massive blow forThe Walking Dead, and necessitated a change of emphasis from new showrunner, Angela Kang.

Related:Walking Dead Reveals How Beta Is Season 10's REAL Threat

With another major player set to leave and viewing figures considerably lower than they were 3 years ago, question marks have naturally formed overThe Walking Dead's future, but recent episodes have clearly demonstrated the current cast is capable of continuing the undead carnage. SinceThe Walking Dead returned from its midseason break, Michonne has been entirely absent from the story, with "Squeeze" focusing on the group of survivors stuck in Alpha's cave and Negan's misadventures with the Whisperers, and "Stalker" following Daryl and Alexandria. Against all odds, these characters have ensured that, despite being one ofThe Walking Dead's best, Michonne's absence hasn't been felt as keenly as you might expect.

On one hand, this has been down to smart and economical use of the main charactersThe Walking Deaddoes have left. Carol's gradual breakdown is giving her more spotlight than Melissa McBride has enjoyed for quite some time, and the growing tension between her and Daryl is one of the most compelling storylines on the show right now. Speaking of Norman Reedus' character, splitting Daryl off to go one-on-one with Alpha achieved exactly the desired result, and the tease of an eventual romance for the crossbow expert has fans fully invested. While the sex scene might've been a bit much, Jeffrey Dean Morgan also continued to evolve as Negan. His arc with Alpha has already deviated from the comics, and whatever comes next for the former villain will be a genuine surprise.

However,The Walking Deadseason 10 has also made much more effective use of side characters in its second half, and this proves that the show has ready-made replacements for Michonne waiting in the wings.Gabriel and Rosita are bothveterans of AMC's zombie apocalypse, relatively speaking, but have never quite made the jump to being top-tier central characters. In "Stalker," however, both carriedthe heart of the episode flawlessly. Motherhood has drawn a new side out of Rosita and Gabriel looked more badass than he's ever been, with Seth Gilliam previously underutilized onThe Walking Dead. Lauren Cohan is also set to return as Maggie next season, and Thora Birch has seemingly joining the good guys moving forward, indicating the main cast ofThe Walking Deadmight just have recoveredfrom an outbreak of departures... unless anyone else decides to quit, that is.

More:The Walking Dead Characters Most Likely To Die Before Season 10 Ends

The Walking Dead season 10 continues with "Morning Star" March 8th on AMC.

Only One Flash Character Knows The Post-Crisis Timeline: Why Thats Important

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig's interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.Jim Carrey is Craigs top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

See more here:
Walking Dead Season 10 Proves The Show Can Survive Michonnes Exit - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero