Lauren Cohan (Maggie) remembers 12 years of The Walking Dead

For 12 years, The Walking Dead has been the number one zombie show on television. Only a couple of characters have been around from the very start; Daryl, Carol, and Rick Grimes, although Rick is no longer involved. One of the longest serving cast members is Lauren Cohan (Maggie Rhee), who joined the show way back in season 2.

Maggie has been a key character over the years. Between losing her father Hershel, her sister Beth and her beloved husband Glenn, no one has endured a more traumatic journey. Speaking to Men’s Journal, Cohan talked about the atmosphere around set after the show had wrapped for good. “Getting to the moment when this show was over was surreal and overwhelming,” she said. “It’s not like graduating college. Or saying goodbye to a boyfriend or going off on a solo adventure. I can only liken it to a wedding and a funeral at the same time—the passing of an era.”

As for the series finale, don’t expect all loose ends to be tied up. “Everyone must make peace with the fact that there will never be a clear-cut solution to life,” he teased. “I will say the storylines we address in the last couple of episodes are definitely some of the best in all these years. And there’s always a glimmer of hope.”

And of course she had to add this: “There might be some really great information about what happened to Rick.” Might we see him in the finale? Would it really be a series finale without Rick?

The Walking Dead series finale may have “some really great information about what happened to Rick

After all the years, all the zombie kills, it’s time for Cohan to answer the question: which zombie is her favorite? For that, we need to go back all the way to season 2, Episode 4. Yes, it’s the disgusting “well-walker”:

"I like the bloated well-walker from season 2. I didn’t kill him, but it was just one of my favorites because of his decrepitude—I’m pretty sure that isn’t a word. But you’re so used to seeing the zombies wasted away. And this one had been soaking in water and was puffed up."

Lauren Cohan teases her Walking Dead spinoff: Dead City

Of course, while the show is ending, the franchise still has a lot of life left in it. The story will continue in the form of several spinoffs. That includes Dead City, will see Maggie and Negan travel to New York City. We don’t yet know why they’ll be traveling together, but the show will definitely take the franchise in a new direction:

"We’re filming the new show already in New York. It’s funny. When I’m not filming deep in the woods, I’m like, “Where are the trees?” The new show goes beyond simply living to keep meeting the challenges of defending yourself and your loved ones. And, sadly, as strong as Maggie is, she’s never been able to do that. She’s lost almost everybody."

Dead City is slated to premiere next year, as is Fear The Walking Dead season 8, the Rick and Michonne show, and the Daryl Dixon show. Exciting times ahead.

But for the moment, The Walking Dead season 11 finale — the last ever episode — premieres on November 20 on AMC. After it’s finished, catch a very special documentary, The Walking Dead: The Making of the Final Season, the following Sunday on AMC+.

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