Remember when The Walking Dead was good? Oh, you don't? Understandable, given that the show hasn't really maintained any level of quality control season the first season - and that aired a whopping 5 years ago, all the way back in 2010. The most interesting thing to happen in The Walking Dead as of late was Rick growing a beard - and now even that's been killed off. What's most odd about this show, of course, is how loyal its fanbase is: are they watching the same show as the rest of the planet? There are intermediately great moments inherent to this series (adapted from the comic book of the same name), but for the most part it's a slog: the TV equivalent of a zombie with a busted leg slowly ambling its way towards you. Admittedly, the fifth season improved on the previous three, but not so much that it deserves all the critical acclaim. But beneath the surface, The Walking Dead is going through the motion - kind of the way that Lost did back in its third, fourth, fifth and sixth seasons. Worst still, none of the characters are particularly likeable and they seemed doomed - by way of bad writing - to making awful decisions. 17.3 million people tuned in to watch the season five premiere, though, which means that The Walking Dead is probably going to be around for a long time. And apparently the showrunners have conjured up plot arcs for seven more seasons, which - if realised - would take the show into its twelfth year. Christ.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
