‘The Walking Dead’: Theories Run Rampant About Tonight’s Finale [Spoilers]

The popular AMC horror series The Walking Dead has never shied away from making bold storytelling leaps and killing off its most beloved characters. Tonight’s finale is likely to be no different, but the biggest question remains: Who will be the unlucky one tonight, and how will they meet their end?

Of course, it’s anybody’s guess as to the answer to these questions but numerous predictions and speculations are floating around. The episode is ominously called “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life.” Could this title refer to an event that will forever change the course of the characters’ lives? Could it refer to it actually being the final day for one of the characters? We’ll soon find out.

Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Scott Gimple has described the finale as “a gathering storm” and has stated that “there’s a lot of story that is promised in the future.” So, it seems like tonight’s episode will set up a chain of events that fans will see unfold in the upcoming eighth season of the hit series.

The calm before the storm…#TWD pic.twitter.com/ENuyMBFZZP

— Danai Gurira (@DanaiGurira) April 1, 2017

The show is known for its intense season-ending cliffhangers, most recently the jaw-dropping beating of an unknown character in the Season 6 finale, later revealed to be fan-favorites Abraham and Glenn in the seventh season premiere. This premiere episode went on to become the second most-watched episode of the entire series, with over 17 million viewers. It remains to be seen if tonight’s finale will up the ante even more to end on an even bigger cliffhanger; but everyone knows the creators of the series love to push the envelope by shocking viewers and leaving them guessing for the months-long hiatus between seasons.

Very little information is out there about tonight’s finale, and everyone involved is staying very tight-lipped about what will transpire. But, fan theories have been running rampant online about which character will meet their maker tonight. Many fans believe that Sasha could be the one to die as things haven’t been looking too good for her in recent weeks. However, the fans also recognize that the creators may not want to go with the obvious choice, so it could be anyone. Perhaps Sasha’s state in last week’s episode is an attempt to throw viewers off from the real victim.

In an interview with SyFy Wire, actress Melissa McBride (who plays Carol) hints at what’s to come.

“It looks like war is coming. And it looks like people are heading to the front lines and we just have to wait and see what happens.” Furthermore, she personally hopes that all characters can find peace in someway, but knows that “peace” isn’t the interesting storylines that keep the series thriving.

This season, ratings have been on a decline. The mid-season finale was down a whopping 27 percent from last year, and down nearly 40 percent from October’s season premiere, Variety reports. That being said, it’s also noted that the series is still doing incredibly well, consistently ranking among the top-rated television programs on Sunday nights by far. Last week’s episode garnered 10.5 million viewers and an impressive 4.9 rating in the very important 18-49 age demographic for advertisers, according to TVByTheNumbers. This number is down from past seasons of the series, but still far and beyond most other shows on both cable and network television today.

As a result, fans shouldn’t worry about the show’s future, as the ratings indicate that it will be around for many more years. Also, there’s no shortage of material as many storylines from the comics still have yet to come into play onscreen, so series creators have plenty to work with that will ensure intense storylines for upcoming seasons.

The season finale airs tonight at 9/8c on AMC.

Watch the official promo and sneak preview clip from tonight’s episode below!

Will you be tuning in for the season’s final episode? Which character do you think will die tonight? Sound off in the comments section below.

[Featured image by John Sciulli/ Getty Images for AMC]