‘The Walking Dead’: A Retrospective
When the first trailer for The Walking Dead was first released, it immediately felt like a show that would have a lasting impact. It is safe to say that 12 years, 10 seasons, and two spinoffs later, it most certainly has left a mark on the entertainment world. There are more planned spinoffs in the works as well, solidifying that The Walking Dead brand sure has changed the landscape of zombie-centric storytelling.
Over the years, the franchise has certainly been through some changes deviating from the source material quite heavily in the most recent seasons. It was almost panel for panel early on, though, very similar to the comic the series it was based upon. That all changed when Shane was not killed off at the end of Season 1. Instead was set up to become the big bad in season 2. That first significant change proved the series wanted to do more with character development. Shane was basically killed in the comics after one massive angry outburst, and in the show, it was more of a slow decline into madness, often being forced to make the decisions others would never agree with. This set the stage for everything to be unpredictable, moving forward beyond that point.
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Seasons 3 and 4 were about the conflict with the Governor. He also deviated quite heavily from the look in the comics and was not as downright evil as his comic counterpart. He offered up the first real threat outside of the group. While at the time it was a memorable conflict looking back on it now, it seems the changes to his character and the overall presentation of the character hurt him in the series.
Season 5 was mostly forgettable as the only real threat was Terminus and the cannibals that lived among them. Season 6 got back on track with Alexandria and teasing the inevitable arrival of both the comics and the series' greatest villain, Negan. Played by veteran actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the series, the arrival was swift and brutal, leaving audiences on a cliffhanger for several months as to who had been killed at his hand. Negan continued to provide the central conflict for much of seasons 7 and 8. However, he still remained beyond that, serving as more of an ally in the fight with the Whisperers.
The Whisperers are probably the creepiest villains of the series and made even Negan look tame in comparison. The conflict with Negan came down to camp vs. camp and survival. The conflict with the Whisperers challenged everyone and their sanity, which is why it worked really well to transition Negan into more of a likable character. To make the one-time villain seem better, you have to introduce a threat more deranged than him, and the series did just that.
As for moments throughout the series that will always be remembered, a few come to mind. For example, Lori dies during childbirth, and a young Carl has to be the one to kill her before she turns and then emerges from inside the prison. Rick's breakdown following that was a moment filled with grief and regret. Glenn and Abraham meeting their maker at the hands of Negan was another moment filled with brutal violence that made us feel like anyone could be taken at any moment.
However, the one that upset me the most and was a massive deviation from the source material and one I have vehemently disagreed with was killing Carl. Chandler Riggs was a budding star who had grown up on the show, and changing that was a huge blow for anyone who knew where Carl was supposed to go within the story. It felt like the opposite of when they kept Shane for growth. This felt like undoing a character with limitless potential for the story as he was on the cusp of adulthood and had just formed a relationship with Enid.
Now that the show barrels toward the conclusion of the 11th and final season, we await more news of what will happen with the spinoff series that is supposed to happen. Some momentum has been lost with so many characters being announced for spinoffs before the flagship series even finishes its run. The news about spinoffs has me somewhat intrigued because it could be a chance to right some of the wrongs this show created for itself.
Unfortunately, they could also not be as well-received because sometimes too much of a good thing can overstay its welcome. Only time will tell what becomes of The Walking Dead brand as it evolves into something different. 2023 will be a massive year for the brand, and fans will wait with eager eyes to catch glimpses of what will come next for some of the beloved characters set to survive.
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