In Defense of ... The Walking Dead Season 7

The viewing figures would have you believe that The Walking Dead is on a downward spiral, as would the negative Tweets and Facebook posts which seem to be on the increase. Yes, it's sure to say that season seven of The Walking Dead hasn't been to everyone's taste. The 'seeming' lack of walker action, Negan and the scattered group have all been given as reasons for switching off. In this post I'm going to, hopefully, provide a reason to keep on watching. Sure there are bad things but there's a whole host of good things to say about the show and in my opinion, humble as it is, most of those negatives can actually be seen as positives from the right angle.

The introduction of Negan brought a more sympathetic
side out of Rick 

First I'm going to deal with Negan. Prior to Negan and his menacing Saviors, The Walking Dead had lacked a real bad guy. The Governor was good but was dispatched too quickly in my opinion. Since then, we've had Gareth and his band of cannibals, the hospital in Atlanta and the Wolves. None of those provided a prolonged obstacle to our main group of survivors. With Negan we perhaps have the greatest threat our group has ever faced. Let's be honest, Rick needed bringing to his knees and Negan did just that. The effect has been, from my point of view at least, a new found sympathy for Rick. He's changed as a character and he's now someone I can get on board with again. Gone is the arrogance of the man who waltzed into Alexandria like he owned the place. As for Negan, for all of his pantomime villainy, he's actually a multi-layered character. Sure, some of his morals seem slightly off (he doesn't allow rape yet essentially has a harem of slave women of his own) but underneath his bluster, there's a man who once upon a time just wanted to do the right thing.

The lack of Walker action is something that I've seen suggested by a few people as a negative. The thing is that there are still lots of Walkers featured in the show. It's just that they are no longer the threat they once were. Remember, in The Walking Dead time, we are perhaps 2-3 years into the apocalypse. It's not that Walkers are suddenly no longer dangerous, it's just that our survivors are bloody good at dispatching them. Regardless of this fact, to suggest that the show has gone Walker lite is just plain wrong. What about the highway in the mid season premiere? What about the Ocean side walkers in episode 15? What about Rick and Michone at the fair? What about the Alexandrian Walkers on the fence? What about the lake walkers in the mid season finale? Walkers are featured in pretty much every episode. The truth of the matter is that after 7 years, they just no longer add shock value.

Would've been great to have seen more of the King and his
tiger in the first half of the season.

The scattered group is a problem, I completely agree with that. However, it becomes less of a problem if the show handles it correctly. When we get stand alone episodes featuring one group of characters as happened at the start of this season, then it becomes a problem. Tara's first visit to Ocean side was great but that fact that it happened in one episode meant that we actually didn't care for the newly introduced characters. The same can be said of the kingdom, which featured twice in that first 8 episode run. Now though, with recent episodes splitting time between different characters things are looking better. It allows for better story lining in my opinion as each strand connects.

My final point is that this season has an endgame in sight and I guess will probably be viewed better as part of a marathon in years to come. In the comics, these events we're witnessing on screen are part of the famed 'All Out War' arc which sees our coalition of settlements take on the Saviors. Most of that war will encompass season 8, I'm sure, with what we're seeing now being the build up. If next season is going to be the 'All Out War' season, then this season is the 'Rise Up' season. Let's not forget where this season started! With Rick and his group on their knees in the dirt as Negan bashed in the skulls of two of their friends! That's not something you get over easily. Trust me, in the wider context this season makes total sense.

What do you think about this season? What do you love or hate about it? What would you change? Feel free to leave a comment below and thank you for reading.

The Walking Dead - Season 4 Finale - My View

SPOILER ALERT

*** The following article may spoil certain events shown in the season 4 finale of The Walking Dead. Please only continue reading if you are okay with this.

     The Walking Dead is a funny show. It's a show that when it's at the top of it's game, when it's really reaching it's potential, it is truly superb television. The trouble is that this quite often acts against it because the episodes that don't quite reach this potential seem all the more poorer. It's a shame that it's perhaps become a victim of it's own success because nearly every episode is great television when you take them on their own merits. Take a recent episode for example, the Beth/Daryl centric episode 'Still'. This episode is a superb episode that deals with how two characters, who couldn't be more different, form a relationship and bond.

Daryl and Beth in 'Still'

Daryl is the ex drug dealer, the strong, silent type who wouldn't look out of place in a spaghetti western. Beth is the sweet and innocent farmers daughter who's never had a drink before. In the normal world, these two characters would never interact but here, in the harsh reality of a zombie apocalypse they are forced to survive together and interact. Taken as a stand alone episode, 'Still' is a fascinating character dissection, an outstanding hour of television. Taken as a part of The Walking Dead though and it appears poor and boring which is a real shame.

     The Walking Dead quite often lives and dies by it's finales. Who can forget the explosion at the C.D.C. that brought to an  end season one, or the herd attack at Hershels Farm in the unbelievable season two finale. Last years finale fell a little short in my opinion and disappointed me. It didn't leave me wanting more which is what a good finale should do. The Season four finale ticked alot of boxes in my opinion. It gave us action, shocks and questions and the next seven months are going to be tough.

     Now, onto the dissection of The Walking Dead Season Four finale. The episode kicked off with the familiar face of Hershel. Seeing him again was a welcome sight as we saw events in the prison prior to the season four premier. From the idyllic sanctuary of the prison we cut to a bloodied and obviously shook up Rick Grimes on a deserted road before the opening titles kicked in. The flashbacks to the prison were great throughout the episode. They were scenes of safety and calm and punctuated the present day scenes as Rick, Carl and Michone survived in the wild on their way to Terminus. Far from being a backstory as to how Rick became a farmer, they were a contrast. They showed Rick as the man he used to be, as the man he probably could be again. They contrasted perfectly with the present day scenes of Rick as a man of desperation, as a man who would do anything to protect his family. 

Rick following the incident with
The Claimers

     We saw the type of man Rick now was when Joe and his gang of 'claimers' caught up with him on the road. Joe held a gun to Ricks head as Daryl (who'd joined the claimers in an earlier episode), pleaded with Joe. Joe was having none of it though and his men began to beat Daryl to death. That wasn't all though as Michone and Carl both faced rape as Rick was forced to look on, Joes gun to his temple. This was perhaps one of the most upsetting scenes ever featured on the show and I did wonder how far the potential rapes would go. Thankfully they didn't go too far though as Rick reacted. In a scene taken straight from issue 57 of the comic books, Rick tore Joes throat out with his teeth. The shock from the claimers meant that Daryl and Michone both got the upper hand on their attackers while Rick stabbed to death Carls potential rapist after saying chillingly 'He's mine!'. This was the scene in which Rick changed, possibly forever. The world is no longer safe, there are no longer any rules. It's survival of the fittest and Rick now knows that. 

     Ricks character arc has perhaps been the most complex in the show. He's developed in so many different ways from the man who woke up alone in hospital. He's lost so much, flirted with insanity and nearly been consumed by grief. It's a testament to Andrew Lincolns supreme acting skills that he has given this character such believability in the most unbelievable of circumstances. 

Rick and Carl meet Gareth at Terminus

     The journey to Terminus has dominated this second half of season four as our different bands of characters have made their way there. The internet has been rife with rumours as to what Terminus was or is and what kind of dangers lurked there for our characters. One of the main rumours has been that Terminus is in fact a colony of cannibals and that the signs and directions are a way of getting a food source. In the penultimate episode we were treated to a sneak preview of Terminus as Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, etc walked though unguarded doors to a scene of sanctuary as a mysterious lady called Mary cooked on a BBQ. This episode, Rick, Daryl, Michone and Carl arrived and they went through the 'backdoor', having grown suspicious of places that offered sanctuary after Woodbury and The Governor. They were met by their leader Gareth before being offered a plate by Mary at the BBQ. It was then that Rick spotted Hershel's pocket watch (the one he gave to Glenn) sticked out of one of the Terminians (that's what I'm calling them!) pocket. Then a chase ensued and Rick, Daryl, Michone and Carl ended up captive in a train carriage along with Glenn and company. 

     Ever since that first episode we've been told that The Walking Dead isn't about the zombies. It's a series more about the living than the dead. The human element has been responisible for the majority of dangers faced by our core characters, whether it's the prisoners in the prison, the governor or more recently Joes gang. The zombies are a side show, something to throw in every now and again. The walking Dead is a character driven show, a profile of human survival in a world gone crazy. It's about the relationships formed when the question of survival is on the line, when death is around every corner. Ultimately it's about a world where the fittest survive and as Rick realised, where only those prepared to go to the extremes will win out.