The Walking Dead may survive without Rick but putting its hopes on an ensemble of, quite frankly, less interesting characters is a risk.
In recent seasons, it’s become clear that AMC has been trying to turn The Walking Dead into a bankable franchise.
Nobody could have anticipated the phenomenon The Walking Dead would become when it aired its modest six-episode debut back in 2010.
In essence, The Walking Dead is more long-running soap than meticulously planned drama hence why the producers feel they can continue the show without their lead characters.