The Walking Dead FINALLY reveals season 10 finale date

We've heard a lot about the long-awaited season 10 finale of The Walking Dead, which was delayed from its original April 12 airdate when post-production special effects could not be completed on time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Norman Reedus told EW that the finale is "like a full-on Game of Thrones super war battle," while Jeffrey Dean Morgan promised EW that "it's going to be a big massive episode." Then, last week on Friday Night in With the Morgans, showrunner Angela Kang teased that "we're going to see our people take their stand against Beta and the Whisperers." Ahhh, but when are we going to see it? We now have our answer.

During The Walking Dead's Comic-Con@Home panel on Friday, it was revealed that the season 10 finale will air Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. A lot more than that was actually revealed, as fans were also treated to first three-and-a-half minutes of the episode.

In the clip (which you can watch below), we see Father Gabriel and others rushing to get set up for the impending assault from the Whisperers. He explains to a pair of scared little tykes that they not only have their four different communities fighting together, but the "others" who will find their way back to help them or assist in other ways. Others like Daryl and Carol (who are escaping an advancing group of flesh-eaters themselves). Others like Eugene, Yumiko, Ezekiel, and their new pal Princess (who are on their mission to make contact with a new community). Others like Virgil, who has made his way back to Oceanside after his combative journey with Michonne. And perhaps others like a mysteriously masked and hooded figure rocking two scary weapons, just in case he/she did not already look intimidating enough.

And then there is Maggie, gone since early in season 9, yet seen here reading a note telling her to come back. Might she indeed return, and with reinforcements? We'll have to wait to find out, but at least we now know when we will have to wait until. "I think it's a really cool episode," Kang previously told EW about the finale. "Greg Nicotero did an amazing job directing it. The actors turn in beautiful performances. The writers did amazing work and the crew. I think it'll be a really satisfying episode."

Also, on the Comic-Con @ Home panel, Kang announced that season 11 will not be able to begin airing in 2020 due to COVID-19 delays. Instead, there will be six more episodes that will be tacked on to the end of season 10 that will air in early 2021… which, ultimately, I suppose, means the Oct. 4 finale not end up being a finale at all, but why get all technical about it? The bottom line: It sounds like season 11 will not begin until fall of 2021, but we will get a mini-season of 6 episodes where the back half of season 11 would have aired in early 2021.

To watch the first few minutes of The Walking Dead season 10 finale, check out the video above.

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