Opinion

Why I’m Done With ‘The Walking Dead’

Posted by on December 8, 2010 at 12:04 pm.

Walking-Dead.jpgI’ll admit right up front that I was never all that excited to begin with when it was announced that “The Walking Dead” was going to be developed into a television show. Oh sure, it was being produced and written by one of my all time favorite filmmakers, Frank Darabont, but it was still a show about Zombies… and quite frankly I’ve begun to get a little bored with movies about Zombies.

I mean come on… they’re all basically the exact same story told over and over and over again. Some kind of outbreak… don’t get bit… people turn into Zombies… destroy the brain… run for your life… hold up somewhere… yadda yadda yadda.

Still, there were a number of reasons why I was still going to give the show a shot:

1) I’ve had a lot of fun with some Zombie films in the past.

2) Although I’ve never read the graphic novel, I know some people who have and loved it.

3) Like I mentioned above, Frank Darabont is one of the main creative forces behind it.

I missed the first couple of episodes, so I got caught up using On Demand and watched 3 in a row one afternoon… and although I didn’t see anything to dislike about it, I was left feeling completely underwhelmed. It really was just everything I was (unfortunately) expecting. Guy wakes up in a hospital only to discover the world has been overrun by Zombies (haven’t we seen that already?).

I kept waiting for something to come along that would give “The Walking Dead” some sort of unique element to the standard Zombie story line… but it never materialized.

Still… it wasn’t awful… so I decided to hang in there with it and continue watching to see where it went.

In the entire first season (only 6 episodes) there was only 1 significant plot development… the cop found the group and his wife and son. Oh sure, lots of THINGS happened here and there, but in terms of significant events that marked a progression in the story, that was it.

Which leads us to the season finale and ultimately why I’m done with “The Walking Dead”.

Seasons for a television show are much like chapters in the overall story. One chapter ends, another begins. When our rag tag group of survivors finally make it to the CDC, I got some hope for the show because I thought it would mark a turning point in the story… that maybe we would FINALLY see a second significant plot development. It was the season finale… so certainly there must be some sort of closure and resolution to major themes in the first seasons while opening up the door for further ones going into season two right? RIGHT?

But instead of any resolutions, instead of giving us major developments in existing sub-plots, instead of introducing (in mythology terms) the “quest” for season two… we’re left with nothing.

The CDC blows up, leaving our characters no further ahead… no further behind… no more or less hope… no goals… no objectives… no new obstacles in their way… no conclusion to any of the side stories or significant developments to them (yeah I get it, the best friend still loves the cop’s wife, i get it, you can stop hitting me over the head with it).

Essentially what this means is that when season 2 will start with our survivors just being in the exact same predicament that they were in all of season 1… just in a different physical place.

I wasn’t excited for “The Walking Dead” and I certainly wasn’t all that impressed by the first few episodes, but I hung in there waiting for something… anything to happen. Something to show me it was different. Something to show me it could evolve into a real narrative. Something that showed me it would be worth going along for the ride. None of that materialized. And now with the sorrowful disappointment of the directionless ending to the first season, I’m officially dinging he bell and asking “The Walking Dead” bus to let me off at the next stop. I’m done.

  • Clair

    I can’t say much to someone who hasn’t read the graphic novels, but just know the show is going in a completely different direction from them, so I still recommend reading them for a great zombie story. I will keep watching the show because there is nothing else as gory and fun as this show haha.

  • Dietmar

    I have read the first 4 graphic novels and while reading I always thought what a nice TV series this could be.
    I tried the pilot, had to turn off after 20 minutes. Painfully boring. (My personal impression)

  • Evan

    I hear you in terms of zombie stories being redundant. Having said that, I really enjoyed the 1st season of TWD. I love the characters and the visuals so much that I am more than excited about a second season.

    I think it is worth mentioning that the first season was only 6 episodes, not a lot of room to hit core story beats without sacrificing the character development.

    I will say this, if season 2 doesn’t open up the universe a little more and introduce some a game changer of some sorts, then I will probably get bored real quick.

    John,

    How do subscribe to your podcast through iTunes? What is it called? I can only seem to download it from the site.

    Thanks!

  • http://www.screenrant.com Ross Miller

    While I agree TWD isn’t the most original thing in the world I still think it’s a very good show. The thing is it’s a TV show about zombies, not a movie, and so obviously the pace is going to be different. In a movie they have to get stuff done within a two-hour period but there’s a lot more room to breathe in a series, to take their time e.g. the cause of the zombie outbreak – I imagine that won’t be revealed for a while yet.

    I’m not saying that it being a TV show about zombies excuses it from anything but like I said, you have to judge it differently. And the show isn’t necessarily about zombies but rather a survival show, where there’sno hope left and I think Darabont and Co. Have successful put that across. The zombies are merely there to be survived not actively fought against.

    It’s certainly got me watching intently and I can’t wait for season 2.

  • Jason

    I agree John, the plot isnt any different than any other zombie story. But in all fairness, the 1st season only lasted 6 episodes. For an hour long series, thats half a season. From what Ive seen, not many shows have reached any resolutions halfway thru the 1st season. This is usually about the point where shit starts to get serious. Im with you John, Im ready to drop the ball on this show, but I’m willing to give it a bit longer. Ill probably check out the beginning of the 2nd season.

  • Sound Designer Dan

    I completely agree with you. After watching the season finale, all I was left with was “what the fuck was that?”

    The only two great shows on AMC are Mad Men and Breaking Bad, especially the latter. You should check out Breaking Bad, John.

  • Darek-T

    Well I’ve read the comic series and I honestly didn’t really care about it at all until the event that takes place at the end of the 6th issue. And they haven’t even gotten that far in the show!
    I mean that event hasn’t even been reached yet and once that happens events just keep compounding and compounding and honestly the show (if it follows the comic well) probably won’t start getting interesting until a good way through the 2nd season and the beginning of the 3rd is where major plot stuff will begin to REALLY happen!!
    So I know the 1st season is going slow but TRUST me, it get’s WAAAY better!!

  • duck

    Every freaking little thing requires some great moral reflection! 2. Raman style instant character building followed by cheesy death. 3. As we get to know more about the world the more everything seem unbelievable. 4. the more we get to know the people the more unbelievably stupid their actions become. 5. the more I watch this show the more i want to stop, but its only six episodes and you say to yourself, well its almost done they’ve got to do something soon.
    I will be joining john in skipping the second season.

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