After Andrew Lincoln’s final episode of The Walking Dead last Sunday, we learned the surprising development that the actor is set to reprise his role as Rick Grimes in a trio of TV movies. This is just part of a major decision to expand the TWD brand, with exec producer Scott M. Gimple promising that other past stars of the franchise will return in some form in these expanded universe projects as well.
And, looking back at an easter egg from season 4 of Fear The Walking Dead, we’re left to wonder is one of these characters going to be the much-missed Abraham Ford? You see, the mid-season finale saw Madison discover a tape in video journalist Althea’s collection that was labelled “Abe/Doctor” – which has to be a reference to Michael Cudlitz’s character as well as Josh McDermitt’s Eugene, whom he used to travel with.
Showrunner Ian Goldberg explained at the time that this was inserted into the episode to excite the fans, saying:
“When Madison is rummaging through Al’s tapes, we see they’re all labeled. And each of those tapes, each of those labels, will tell a story. They’re all stories that Al has captured at one point or another in her travels, and if you look closely, some of those names might ring a bell. If you’re a fan of the Walking Dead universe, you might get excited about some of the stories that she’s captured.”
However, could there have been more to it than just being a fun easter egg? Could Fear have been deliberately planting the seeds for Abraham’s return in the newly-expanded TWD universe? If the franchise is looking to raid its history for popular characters whose lives could be filled in with a movie or mini-series, then Abraham would definitely be at the top of the list. It could even focus on Big Red and his group’s journey through Texas, which is where he must have encountered Al.
Or, Goldberg could have been up front and it really was just a thrilling small crossover without any ulterior motive. Now that we know The Walking Dead‘s being expanded in major new ways though, it’s hard to be sure.
