It feels like a lifetime ago that Rick Grimes woke up in that hospital bed. But if you’re looking for the specific date of when is the last episode of walking dead, the answer is Sunday, November 20, 2022. That night, AMC aired "Rest in Peace," the 24th episode of the eleventh season. It was a massive, 90-minute event that closed a chapter that had been open for over a decade.
Honestly, it’s still weird to think the flagship show is over.
The finale wasn't just another Sunday night broadcast. It was the culmination of 177 episodes of television. By the time it aired, the cultural landscape had shifted entirely from when the show premiered on Halloween night in 2010. Remember the hype? Everyone was talking about zombies. By 2022, the conversation had shifted to the "Dead Universe," but the main show still had to stick the landing.
Why the last episode of The Walking Dead felt like an era ending
You’ve probably seen the memes about how the show "went on too long" or how people "stopped watching when Glenn died." But for the millions who stuck it out, the finale was a high-stakes emotional rollercoaster. It didn't just wrap up the war with the Commonwealth; it had to provide closure for characters we’d watched grow up, like Judith Grimes, and those we’d seen transform from villains to anti-heroes, like Negan.
Angela Kang, the showrunner who took over in Season 9, had a monumental task. She had to weave together a coherent ending while the network was simultaneously announcing three different spin-offs. It’s a bit of a miracle the finale worked as well as it did. The episode focused heavily on the core theme: "We are the ones who live." It wasn't just a catchy phrase; it was a mission statement.
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The finale saw the survivors making a final stand against Governor Pamela Milton. It was messy. It was loud. It featured a surprising amount of heart. When Daryl Dixon finally looked at Carol and said, "I love you," it felt earned after eleven seasons of "will-they-won't-they" platonic soulmating.
The confusion surrounding the series finale date
A lot of people get confused about when is the last episode of walking dead because of how AMC handled the final season. Season 11 was a monster. It was split into three distinct parts, each consisting of eight episodes.
- Part 1 kicked off in August 2021.
- Part 2 followed in February 2022.
- Part 3, the final stretch, started in October 2022.
Because of this fragmented release schedule, many viewers lost track of where they were in the story. If you were watching on AMC+, you actually got episodes a week early, except for the very last one. AMC held the finale for a simultaneous global broadcast to prevent spoilers. That kind of monoculture moment is rare these days.
If you're browsing Netflix or Disney+ (depending on your region), you might see the final season listed as one giant block. But for those of us living through it week-to-week, the "last episode" felt like it was teased for nearly two years.
What actually happened in "Rest in Peace"?
The finale was directed by Greg Nicotero, the makeup effects legend who has been with the show since day one. He brought back the "smart walkers"—variants that could climb walls and turn doorknobs. It was a terrifying callback to the first season.
The biggest talking point, though? The cameos.
For years, fans wondered if Andrew Lincoln (Rick) or Danai Gurira (Michonne) would return. The show had been teasing a Rick Grimes movie trilogy that eventually morphed into a limited series. In the final minutes of the last episode, we finally got a glimpse of them. It wasn't a full reunion with the rest of the cast, but it was enough to satisfy the itch. We saw Rick on the banks of a muddy river, being cornered by a CRM (Civic Republic Military) helicopter. We saw Michonne in badass armor, still searching for him.
It changed the "last episode" from a funeral into a bridge.
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Is the show actually over?
Yes and no. The main series, The Walking Dead, is officially done. There are no more episodes of the original show coming. However, the franchise is more active now than it was five years ago.
If you finished the last episode and felt like there was a void in your life, you probably realized the story didn't actually stop. Scott M. Gimple, the Chief Content Officer for the franchise, has basically turned the show into a cinematic universe.
- Dead City: This took Maggie and Negan to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. It’s gritty and weirdly fun.
- Daryl Dixon: Daryl somehow ends up in France. It’s gorgeous to look at and feels more like a prestige drama than the later seasons of the main show.
- The Ones Who Live: This is the big one. It finally tells the story of what happened to Rick and Michonne after they left the main group.
Basically, if you were looking for the last episode because you wanted to "finish" the story, you've got a lot more homework to do. The finale of the main show was less of a "The End" and more of a "To Be Continued... Elsewhere."
The legacy of the finale
When you look back at the history of TV endings, The Walking Dead sits in a strange spot. It wasn't a universal disappointment like Game of Thrones, but it wasn't a perfect masterpiece like Breaking Bad. It was consistent.
It stayed true to the characters. Rosita Espinosa, played by Christian Serratos, got one of the most heartbreaking exits in the entire series. Her death in the finale served as the emotional anchor, reminding us that even in a "happy ending," the stakes of the world are still lethal.
The show also avoided the "everyone dies" trope. It ended on a note of hope. The Commonwealth was reformed, the children were safe, and the survivors were finally building something that looked like civilization. For a show that spent years being criticized for "misery porn," the final episode was surprisingly optimistic.
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How to watch the ending today
If you missed the boat in 2022, catching up is pretty straightforward. In the U.S., Netflix is the primary home for all eleven seasons.
- Season 11, Episode 24 is the one you're looking for.
- Ensure you have the "Extended" version if available, as it includes a few extra beats of dialogue.
- Don't skip the post-credits-style montage at the very end.
One thing to keep in mind: the show changed a lot over the years. If you dropped off during the "All Out War" arc in Season 8, the finale might feel a bit jarring because so many new faces are in the mix. But the core DNA—the focus on family and what it takes to stay human—is still there.
Beyond the series finale
What should you do now? Honestly, the best move after watching the last episode is to jump straight into The Ones Who Live. It acts as the "true" conclusion to the story started in 2010. While the main show’s finale wrapped up the ensemble cast's journey, the Rick and Michonne series wraps up the heart of the show.
The Walking Dead universe is now a sprawling web of stories. You have Fear the Walking Dead, which finished its own eight-season run in 2023. You have World Beyond, which is two seasons of lore-heavy setup. And then the new "location-based" spin-offs.
If you’re a completionist, the order matters. But if you just want to know how the story of Rick Grimes ends, the path is clear: Main Series Finale -> The Ones Who Live.
The era of appointment television on Sunday nights might be fading, but The Walking Dead proved that a show can lose its lead actor, lose half its audience, and still find a way to deliver a meaningful, high-budget conclusion. November 20, 2022, wasn't just the date of a last episode; it was the day a survival horror experiment became a permanent fixture of pop culture history.
Next Steps for Fans:
Start by watching the series finale on Netflix or AMC+ to see the fate of the Commonwealth. Once the credits roll, move directly to The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live to resolve the Rick Grimes cliffhanger. For those interested in the broader world, Daryl Dixon Season 1 offers the freshest take on the franchise's cinematography and tone. Stay updated on AMC's production schedule, as second seasons for all major spin-offs are currently in various stages of release and development.