Spoilers to follow…
In both the original comic book and TV versions of The Walking Dead, no one is safe, with many beloved characters having been mercilessly killed off over the years. Though the show largely follows the Robert Kirkman source material, it has been known to take liberties with the fates of certain characters.
One of the most notable is Andrea. On TV, she was booted off after just three seasons. In the comics, however, Andrea went onto become Rick’s second wife and a loving step mother to Carl. Although, she did later bite the bullet – well, get bitten by a zombie, but same difference – as well.
Interestingly, The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple has confirmed that, though Andrea is long gone on TV, he plans to adapt her death from the source material in some form eventually. While talking to ComicBook.com, Gimple spoke about how he reads the comics as a fan, but let slip a little about what could happen in the show:
“I still read it as a fan. I read it before the show as a fan. When I do read it, it’s strangely compartmentalized from this. It’s the same experience. So any sort of, ‘What the hell?’ Is just straight to do with the story, not at all how it relates to the show. I know the show will figure it out. I mean, with [Andrew getting bit], of course we’ll tell it very differently because the character isn’t with us, but I wasn’t happy to see that neck bite.”
Obviously, with Andrea unable to be the one to meet this fate, that leaves one very likely character in her place: Michonne, Rick’s partner who’s largely filled Andrea’s role in the TV show. This will be horrifying news to fans, as Danai Gurira’s character is one of the most popular by far.
It’s worth remembering, though, that even if Michonne’s heading for a tragic exit, it’s probably many seasons away, going by the current rate that the writers are adapting the comics. For instance, the show is about to tackle the “All Out War” storyline which begins on issue #115 on the page. Andrea’s death, meanwhile, doesn’t occur until issue #167.
The Walking Dead returns to AMC for its eighth season with its celebratory 100th episode on Sunday, October 22nd.
