The Walking Dead Season 8: 7 Ways To Win Back The Fans

7. Less Misery, More Hope

No production foreshadowing the end of the world is going to be sunshine and rainbows.

But even a show about a zombie apocalypse cannot survive without hope, and Season Seven sucked that out of The Walking Dead fanbase with just how thoroughly miserable it was.

The two leading protagonists were completely broken down by Negan and the Saviors in the first half of the season. Rick was psychologically tortured, and Daryl was physically abused.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has landed the role of his life in Negan, who is terrifying and hilarious in equal measure, but we were exposed to too much of him too soon, and the repetition of his malevolence towards Rick and company made much of the season very depressing.

One of the season highlights was episode 12’s Say Yes, where Rick and Michonne enjoyed an uplifting scavenge for supplies and slew walkers at a carnival site. More mini-victories like this, reminding us of why we are rooting for the Alexandrians, are needed this time around.