Walking Dead's Maggie carrying a bullet with Rick's name on.......

Of course it's all speculation but the Internet rumour that the next season of The Walking Dead will see Rick and Maggie in a fight to the death is gathering momentum. The facts are that both characters will leave the show next season, and that both characters appear in the same number of episodes. And of course last season ended with Maggie plotting, in a private meeting with Jesus and Daryl, all of whom agreed that Negan doesn't deserve to live. They ain't wrong there.

When Negan was introduced into the show he looked like the bad ass villain the show needed, and yet over the last couple of seasons he went from being a truly menacing presence to a complete and utter joke, a weak wimpy dude in a leather jacket - more comic book than the comics that spawned the TV series. It seriously took some fucking up to make a character with a leather jacket and a baseball bat such a pussy.

The news that Norman Reedus will now play the lead is also causing shock across the web with CBR stating - By making Daryl leader, the writers would have to change the very essence of what makes him, well, Daryl. He’s never been one to play by the rules, which is what he’ll have to do if he assumes responsibility of Alexandria and its alliance with the Hilltop and Kingdom. His freedom to do the unconventional, roam free from the group when he desires defines his character. He doesn’t play house, he looks out for his camp as a rogue scouring the outside world, scouting on missions where he just has to worry about his own back, ergo pinning him down like this doesn’t play to his strengths.

The upcoming season 9  will certainly pack a few shocks - to be honest, I've watched the show from the start but I've tired of it now. Allowing the Negan character to live after the ALL OUT WAR was, to my mind, complete bullshit and made a joke out of all that went before. However the rumours that it will be Maggie who kills Rick in the new season is kind of hard to take seriously. It would certainly be a fitting end to Rick's character, and would make perfect sense seeing at how betrayed Maggie feels about Rick allowing Negan to live after they lost so many at Negan's hands. But a move like that would require serious teeth and the Walking Dead may not have enough bite left in it.

I'll be tuning in, though - I'm gonna watch the next season to see where it all goes but when Rick bows out, then  I will too. The last season finished the show for me, but the news that there are so many changes coming means I'll have to tune in. The show started with Rick and it should end the same way...let it go out with a bang and not splutter to an end with even more Negan bullshit. The Walking Dead's already become the Limping Dead so let's hope to runs to a fitting climax.