13 brutally honest questions I have after 'The Walking Dead' season 11A finale

• Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead for "TWD" season 11 part 1 finale, "For Blood."

• "TWD" 11A ended on multiple cliffhangers. Will Gracie die? What's going on with Negan? How's Alden?

• I round up my outstanding Qs for the season along with some answers from showrunner Angela Kang. You bet I'm taking that spoiler-y 11B teaser into account.

Gracie's toast, right?

Gracie and Judith end the 11A finale trapped in a flooding basement during a dangerous storm.

A teaser for the show's return has already (frustratingly) revealed Judith is safe, but what about Gracie? Her death wouldn't only be traumatic to Judith, but would also greatly affect Aaron who has slowly been spiraling into a dark place.

If he lost Gracie, it may be the final straw from which Aaron couldn't mentally return.

How did every major protagonist survive the first eight episodes? Why didn't any major heroes die?

We were extremely surprised that everyone — Lydia, Father Gabriel, Aaron, and even Alden and Virgil — survived this batch of eight episodes.

There are so many smaller characters left on "TWD" who aren't being given much to do. Kill them off (sorry!) or give them something to do.

Where is Luke? What happened to the Oceanside women? Ditto with Alden. Did the show need to leave him solo in a building to likely die by himself? Wouldn't it have been more satisfying to kill him during these first eight episodes?

It feels weird that characters aren't being killed off or sacrificed to focus on a more concentrated story.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself and that's what's going to happen when the show returns from its hiatus because the 11b teaser hints more survivors will eventually wind up at the Commonwealth.

But it's tough to watch these first eight episodes and not wonder when the big deaths may be coming?

I tried getting some intel out of Kang, but she said she couldn't share anything while laughing.

I figured because the show's final season came as an unexpected announcement, Kang may have wanted to use the first eight episodes to give the main characters one last hurrah before any deaths start coming in the final 16 episodes, but Kang didn't budge when I mentioned that.

What was the point of introducing Pope if he was only going to be killed off in a few episodes?

It seemed like we were heading toward a big showdown between Pope and Maggie or Pope and Negan only to have him, ultimately, killed by Leah.

Kang told me they "always intended for it to be a fairly limited arc."

It seemed like a huge waste to introduce a super religious figure onto the series and not have him interact with Father Gabriel, who has largely been questioning his own faith.

Is Alden dead or what?

Maggie and Negan left Alden bleeding out in a building early on season 11.

Why are we holding off on potentially killing him? Am I missing something?

Alden has never had a compelling narrative on "TWD." At one point, there may have been a plan in place to pair him off with Maggie before Lauren Cohan departed the series for a bit, but it feels like that train has left the station.

How did this show introduce Jacob Young on season 11 only to under utilize his talents?

When we knew Young was cast on "TWD" this season, we were excited to see him in action, but you probably didn't even realize that the "All My Children" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" actor was on the AMC series.

He barely had any speaking lines!

When he did show up on the 11A finale, he was swiftly shot by Gabriel after attacking Maggie. He was a completely insignificant character. The Daytime Emmy winner deserved a meatier role worthy of his talents.

When is everyone going to find out that Virgil is holding onto the show's biggest secret?

Virgil is one of the few — other than Judith — to know that Michonne went off in search of someone. (Virgil may not exactly know that it was Rick, but he may be able to put things together.)

I have to imagine the show didn't kill him off on season 11, episode six (as considered early on) because he still has a purpose on the show and that purpose is letting team Alexandria know that Rick is alive.

Can this show already reveal that Stephanie is (almost certainly) not actually Stephanie?

Many fans have theorized that the character parading around as Stephanie at the Commonwealth, played by Chelle Ramos, isn't who she claims to be.

I think the writers believe this is a very good twist — and it would've been — but AMC (and Josh McDermitt) already confirmed Margot Bingham was the voice of Stephanie in 2019.

More recently, a former photo label on AMC's press site described Ramos' character as "Decoy Stephanie," likely spoiling the potential reveal in advance. The photo caption has since been edited to label Ramos as "Stephanie."

Stop catfishing my guy, Eugene, "TWD." Just let him enjoy his rocky road with the real Stephanie.

What's the point of introducing Sebastian if he's not here to kill Rick? Is he killing off another big character?

In the comics (spoiler!), Sebastian Milton shockingly kills Rick Grimes in one of the comic's final issues.

You can read more on the reveal here, but it's not a satisfying moment in the comics as Rick is shot dead in his bed, unable to defend himself.

I thought the show may ditch introducing Sebastian because he kind of brought down the vibe of the final comic arc, but Kang told me they have plans for him as an antagonist this season saying she knows they "can't do an exact adaptation of it."

"TWD" previously handled giving Michonne's Commonwealth story arc to another character, Yumiko. Maybe that's what will happen here. But, who could take the place of Rick if the show follows Sebastian's comic arc in some regard. Eugene? Aaron? Ezekiel?

TV Aaron most resembles Rick at this point of the comic with his long beard and missing hand.

Ezekiel has long outlived his comic death, but actor Khary Payton who has played the character since season seven, told me if he's to depart the show all he asked a long time ago for Zeke to "die with his head up and looking out for some kind of light."

Getting murdered defenseless in a bed is not a hero's death.

What was the point of giving Daryl a love interest in Leah if it was just going to become a "toxic" relationship that was never going to work?

I said it before (at length here) and I'll say it again.

It seemed odd to give Daryl a romantic interest after the show avoided pairing him with anyone for a decade and the character meant so many things to so many fans.

They had years to pair Daryl with Carol or Connie or no one at all. You're telling me the moment you decide to pair Daryl with someone that it's going to be in a toxic relationship instead of one that's worth his love? That's frustratingly disappointing.

The show could have ended without giving Daryl a romantic pairing. It would have been a bigger statement for the show to go against the grain and say that you don't need a romantic relationship in order to be happy. Other forms of love exist and Daryl has found those in a family he chose and life-long friendships.

It increasingly looks "TWD" only introduced Leah in order to set up a female villain, which is disappointing.

Maybe this toxic relationship will be the catalyst Daryl needs to pursue something with Connie or patch things up with Carol and ride off into that spinoff series. Hell, maybe he'll just give up on women all together. Or maybe he'll learn Rick is out there somewhere in the world and hit the road with Dog at his side.

What is this show's endgame with Negan?

In the comics, Negan reads the room, realizes that no one wants him around, and he lives the rest of his days by himself. The show has appeared to reject that idea so it's unclear where they're going with the character from here after potentially coming to some sort of terms with what he did to Maggie years ago.

Is the show going to kill him off by the end? Will he wind up saving Maggie or Hershel or will he go off in search of Rick, eventually? It's not clear what the endgame is here.

Is Rick coming back to this show or what?

When I asked Kang if we could see any returning faces on the final season, including Andrew Lincoln, she said, "As I'm saying to anybody that kind of asks questions in this realm, I can't really get into it because there's a whole universe involved, but I always appreciate that there is interest out there in those questions."

Though this is a non-answer, I strongly feel like they're waiting to bring Rick back into the fold until "TWD" movies.

They're going to start filming the final eight episodes of "TWD" soon so maybe it's best to keep your eyes open for any Lincoln sightings in Georgia. (But, honestly, it would be a nicer kept secret that I wouldn't want spoiled.)

How about Danai Gurira?

If I was a betting woman — and I am — I'd say this is a shot in the dark.

Gurira's busy in Marvel land with the "Black Panther" sequel. I'd bet Lincoln returns before Gurira.

Gurira left "TWD" on season 10 in search of Rick. We have no idea where currently is out in the vast "TWD" universe. If we see Michonne again, it's most likely in a "TWD" movie.

Are there any original "TWD" characters who may return for the series' finale? Maybe!

When I asked Lennie James, who is over on "Fear TWD" now, whether or not he would want to be back for the final season of "TWD" or if he thought the crew may want to have him back at all to wrap up the series, he told me, "I did have that conversation, yes."

"But that's about as much as I can say," James, quickly added with a laugh.

James, who plays Morgan in "TWD" universe, is the only character from the show's 2010 pilot to still be alive (other than Rick). It would bring the show full circle to see James on both the series' pilot and finale.

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