The Wasted Potential of The Walking Dead

Courtesy of AMC

The Walking Dead is one of those shows that has been in our pop culture zeitgeist for what seems like forever. Even now, there are spinoffs of the series waiting to premiere. But, The Walking Dead could have been one of the best shows of all time but a few mistakes prevented that from happening. I'm here to talk about the wasted potential of this once great series.

The Walking Dead premiered in 2010 and it started with one of the best pilot episodes in television history. We are introduced to our hero Rick after waking up from a coma after being shot on duty as a local sheriff. He wakes up to a whole new world full of zombies. His main mission is to find his wife Lori and his son Carl. Along the way, he meets a man named Morgan and his son who help him navigate this new world. After leaving Morgan and his son (who dies), Rick meets Glenn, a former pizza delivery man who helps Rick get out of the overcrowded zombie filled city. By meeting Glenn, he reunites with Lori and Carl in one of the most emotional scenes in the history of the show.

After the premiere and the first few episodes of season 1, The Walking Dead became appointment television. The show left viewers on the edge of their seat. The show also did an incredible job of getting the audience to be invested in the characters. This led to fans being heartbroken when their favorite characters died. But, the show did a great job of introducing new characters to get the fans invested again. The show also had a strong lead with Rick, who fans could always hang on too. So, where did it all go wrong?

SPOILERS AHEAD

The Introduction of Negan

The introduction of Negan is one of the most polarizing moments in the show's history. The last episode of season 6 saw the anticipated debut of Negan. The comics (which the show was based on) portrayed Negan to be the ultimate enemy to Rick and his group. The show portrayed his as that but that wasn't the problem. The final scene of that episode showed Negan killing 3 characters but the audience didn't know who he killed. You would think that this cliffhanger would excite the fanbase and make them excited for the new season. But, this changed everything for the show. The fans felt betrayed by this ending and did not want to wait a year or more to find out if their favorite character survived. This started the show's downward spiral into mediocrity.

The Death of Carl

Carl Grimes became one of the most important characters in the show. After his mother died, he helped raise his sister Judith with his dad. It seemed like the show was setting up Carl becoming the new leader if Rick died. But, fans got the rug pulled out from them when Carl dies in season 8. This death personally angered me because it wasn't neccessary. It still felt like Carl had room to grow as a character. We didn't get to see him mature into a young man that could stand side by side with his father. It would have been awesome to see Carl in his 20s with his dad killing zombies just like the comics. But, instead fand received a mediocre death that alienated the fanbase. This was the point in the show that personally had me checked out.

The "Death" of Rick

Rick Grimes is the heart and soul of The Walking Dead. If you think about it, the show is about Rick's story and the people he meets along the way in this new chaotic world. In the later seasons especially after Carl's death, Rick was one of the reasons why I was still watching the show. Sure, I loved Daryl, Carol, Michonne, and Maggie, but Rick was my favorite. Then, suddenly in season 9 Rick was written off the show. According to reports, it was because Andrew Lincoln who played Rick got tired of being in the series and wanted to spend more time with his family. That is understandable but the way Rick "died" was absolutely atrocious. After seeing Rick "die", this was the final straw for most fans including myself. Another problem was there was no character that could replace Rick's presence on the show. It's like if the Chiefs lost Patrick Mahomes, there's no way he can be replaced. Rick's "death" signaled the death of The Walking Dead and it's relevance.

What Could Have Been

The Walking Dead could have been one of greatest TV shows of all time. The first 5-6 season of the show are incredible appointment television. After that, the downward spiral begins. Sure, we had some great things in the show but it never felt the same. Instead of appointment television, it felt like a job watching the show. There was no more excitement. We kept seeing the same storylines and conflicts. Nothing felt new and refreshing. This led to viewer fatigue and a major decline in the ratings. The major problem was that the show lasted for too long. If the show was 5-6 seasons, I believe we would have a different conversation about the legacy of this series. Instead, the wasted potential of this series and how it ended will be what is rembered forever about The Walking Dead.

What do you think of The Walking Dead? Leave your opinion in the comments below.