The Walking Dead season 7: Robert Kirkman justifies Negan's cliffhanger scene

The Walking Dead season 6 finale was the most excruciating episode for fans, not for the gory part, but for keeping them in the dark (quite literally) by not showing Negan's first victim, whose skull was smashed by the notorious Savior leader.

The scene has sparked a major backlash for AMC and has ignited rumours that Glenn might be the fateful one who met his end via Lucille, Negan's barbed wire baseball bat.

It's been almost a month since season 6 ended, but the aftermath of the scene is still haunting the show's creators and producers. Robert Kirkman, the TWD graphic comic writer, and creator, has finally addressed fans' outcry and explained that the creators "never wanted fans to go crazy".

"Some people love it. Some people are indifferent. Some people hate it," he wrote via Comic Book Resources. "We weren't trying to game the audience, we weren't trying to drive you crazy, and we certainly weren't trying to FORCE you to come back for season seven...we hope you were always planning on doing that and still plan on doing that. We did want you to talk. And talk you are."

Kirkman tried to justify the dark cliffhanger ending by claiming that the speculation of Negan's victim is something that will keep fans busy until season 7 arrives. "And think of it this way...a character you love and are going to miss is dead, and we have you a few extra months to hope, not to grieve. Is there uncertainty? Yes. But that was kind of the idea," he explained.

However, the showcreator apologised to his fans for not revealing the truth. "For some of you, that effort backfired and you're angry. And for that, I'm sorry. The only thing I can PROMISE you is that the season seven premiere is going to be awesome," he wrote. "And every minute of the season six finale was important and was setting something up that you probably won't see coming...Be afraid...be very afraid. And excited!"

The Walking Dead season 7 will premiere in October this year.