“The Walking Dead” season 9 is a bittersweet installment of the TV series mainly because of Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) confirmed exit. But showrunner Angela Kang is confident that they can go on with the show’s story even after Rick leaves the series.
Months before the series returns for “The Walking Dead” season 9, reports have already confirmed Rick’s imminent departure. And since Rick has been an integral part of the story since season 1, it is quite understandable if some fans are worried that Rick’s exit could make the series end sooner.
As for showrunner Kang, that will not be the case even after “The Walking Dead” season 9. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (via Express), she said, “[Our job is to] tell the story of the people going forward, because it's never been a story just about this one man.”
"It started with him, but it's always been a story about this group of people that have each other's backs, that helps each other survive, that help each other be more human,” Angela Kang added. “And that's the story that we'll continue to tell."
Now that Rick’s exit in “The Walking Dead” season 9 has been confirmed, one big question remains: How are they going to handle his exit? Of course, one of the obvious ways to remove a character from the series is by killing him.
Kang and the rest of the cast, for very obvious reasons, will not give any clue about Rick’s exit. However, if there is one thing Kang promised, it is that they are going to treat Rick’s departure in “The Walking Dead” season 9 with respect.
Angela Kang said (via Digital Spy), “We just really wanted to be respectful of that character and send him off in a great way. So that was the charge for us this season.”
Meanwhile, AMC also revealed the full trailer for “The Walking Dead” season 9 at the San Diego Comic-Con last month. While Rick’s exit (possibly through death) is for sure going to happen, the video teaser suggests that he still has a lot of stuff to deal with before he leaves, such as reaching out to other communities and moving forward to a peaceful future. “The Walking Dead” season 9 will air on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.
