The Walking Dead is a pretty divisive piece of programming. Viewership is split into two groups - those who are happy with mindless zombie splatterings and even more mindless dialogue, and those who wish the show could realize it's near-limitless potential. I fall into the second group, and on the day before "Too Far Gone" aired I wrote a piece for this very site suggesting ways for the show to get things rolling in a good direction after it's hiatus. As it turned out, three of my ten suggestions happened in that episode, and I was proposing them over the course of a season or seasons. The willingness to spill a little blood (not that it's ever been a concern for the show), shake things up, and pay some things off that should have been paid off long ago deserves high praise. With a full-blown zombie apocalypse happening, The Walking Dead is far too okay with stagnating for long stretches. With the midseason finale, they did anything but. Why It's On The List: Willingness to do something unexpected, willingness to pay off on some conflict, and willingness to limit the talk from characters no one cares about. If the show can't be worthwhile dramatically with its acting, it can still blow stuff up and create environmental turmoil for its drama. It's good to see that being identified for a change.
Freelance writer situated on the east coast of Canada. Ten years writing pop culture, sports, news, and anything else that people will read. Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!
