The Walking Dead: 7 Things "The Distance" Got Right (And 3 It Didn't)

4. Talk It Out

Not to harp on about it, but dialogue is not The Walking Dead's strong suit. It's a problem it carries over from the comic book source material, where the real strength isn't in the patter but in Robert Kirkman's solid plotting and Charlie Adlard's convincingly grimy artwork. Similarly, the best moments in the show are usually the top-level special effects work and the way the story twists and turns. €œThe Distance€ showed a rare moment of confidence and competency from the scriptwriters when it came down to the little moments, the calms before the storm where characters talk stuff out before taking action. The majority of the episode was Rick and his people debating whether to go along with Aaron, and interrogating the man himself. And you know what? It worked. This episode had some of the most tension in an instalment of The Walking Dead so far, and it was mostly just talking. You don't manage to hike up the stakes to that degree without penning some half-decent dialogue, and that along with some series-best performances really sealed the deal.