The character was teased for half a season before he finally appeared and since his arrival he’s been given a healthy amount of screen-time, taking up space in the past might’ve been occupied by … oh, Daryl, or Tara or Aaron. After taking a dry run at creating the ultimate anti–Sheriff–Grimes in the Governor, The Walking Dead invested a lot in Negan as the biggest of the Big Bads, who’d encompass every philosophical conundrum and fine point that makes this story’s hero who he is. Part of the “making everything about Rick” problem for this show is that for a long time now the villains have been defined largely by how they are both like and unlike our hero. The Walking Dead was always had a great cast, but viewers have been trained not to get too attached to any of them … not just because they might die, but because it’s only a matter of time before they become a diluted to the point of no longer being recognizable. Over and over, the show developing badass characters like Carol and Morgan – and Jesus, and King Ezekiel, and on and on – only to throw them into situations so devastating that they become effectively neutered, and less fun to watch. Not long after that, one of Morgan’s favorite students was brutally murdered, prompting him to revert back to a mad, homicidal rage.
So what happened? Carol was undercut by a sudden and strange story arc where she fell in love with a neighbor, and became worried that her newfound attachment would render her ineffectively weak.
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And the she met Morgan, the stick-wielding passerby from the series pilot who’d disappeared into the depths of nihilism and come out with a newfound respect for human life – a trait which automatically marked him as a dangerous, disposable liability in her eyes. While expertly imitating (and subtly mocking) the meek wife and mother she used to be, she was covertly Rick’s most ruthless operative, quietly eliminating obstacles. The coolest characters don’t stay cool for long.ĭuring TWD‘s heyday a few years back, Carol was easily the most intriguing survivor to follow from week to week. Frankly, it’s getting harder and harder to understand why anyone follows Rick – including the show’s writers. Even in this year’s finale, his army was lured into a trap, and would’ve been wiped out if their old friend Eugene hadn’t secretly sabotaged the Saviors’ weapons. Even when Negan murdered Glenn, we didn’t get to see the death until the start of the following season, because – according to Gimple – that would’ve detracted from what really mattered: Rick’s arc.īut y’know, what if there aren’t many more depths to plumb with this guy? Rick’s not especially shrewd or thoughtful, and if this season has proven anything, it’s that a lot of his success is due to dumb luck. It’s holding the show back, not steadying it. Over the course of eight seasons, however, the cast of characters around him has expanded so much that this need to tie every element of the story to this character’s personal growth has become an anchor in the worst sense of the word. He was the hero in the first episode, and unless something radical happens, he’ll carry on through to the series finale. Look, The Walking Dead‘s always going to be “the Rick Grimes Story,” first and foremost. The writers – like their characters – have too much faith in Rick. So why have the last two seasons been such a grim slog overall? So what the hell happened? On any given week, The Walking Dead is still capable of delivering episodes that are gripping, emotional and provocative.
In fact, even as show-runner Scott Gimple steps aside for his successor Angela Kang, the producers are still talking in terms of five-year plans, not endgames. There have been no rumors of cancellation. As a business, The Walking Dead‘s doing just fine, thanks. In this day and age, those are hit numbers – especially on basic cable, where dramas like The Americans can run for years and rarely top a million viewers per episode. (Whether his “desserts” are “just,” of course, is a matter of opinion.) will have seen the man with the bat get his just desserts. And if the ratings hold steady with the show’s recent average, by the time repeats and DVRs are factored in, around 10 million people in the U.S. It was a rare moment of triumph, in the middle of an epic saga that’s usually about human beings murdering each other while they’re running away from zombies. Last night, the eighth season of AMC’s The Walking Dead wrapped up its year-long “All Out War” storyline with a finale where our longstanding hero Rick Grimes led his people to victory over Negan & Co.
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