The characters of “The Walking Dead” are able to survive a zombie apocalypse. But in the real world, a global pandemic is more than enough to stop the survivors in their tracks.
According to Variety, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, which has caused an industry-wide work stoppage, has resulted in the delay of the finale of “The Walking Dead” Season 10. The episode was set to air on AMC on April 12 but now will air as a “special episode” at a later date.
READ MORE: Network TV Series Might Not Resume Filming This Season
“Current events have unfortunately made it impossible to complete post-production of ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 10 finale, so the current season will end with its 15th episode on April 5,” a statement said. “The planned finale will appear as a special episode later in the year.”
When the first reports of TV production stoppages happened, it was revealed that there could be a problem with the current season of TV series not having proper finales. But in those cases, it was a result of the shows not being able to film the episode. In the cast of ‘TWD,’ it appears that the stoppage has even put a halt to post-production efforts, which is incredibly important for a series that requires extensive VFX work.
Also of note, the most recent episode that aired revealed the departure of Danai Gurira’s character, Michonne, a fan-favorite in the series. And judging by a fan reaction and reviews, it appears that her final episode isn’t the most well-received installment of the series. So, it’s a shame the series has to go on this extended hiatus without a season finale to perhaps end on a high note.
READ MORE: ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Teaser: Julia Ormond Leads AMC’s New YA Zombie Spin-Off
“The Walking Dead” isn’t the only series in the franchise to experience a COVID-19 delay. “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” was also originally scheduled to air on April 12, but it has recently been delayed indefinitely due to the pandemic. In this case, however, the delay is due to the production stoppage forcing the series to put a halt on filming. There’s no release date set for the new spin-off, at this time.