The Walking Dead Season 8: 5 Ups And 4 Downs From 'The Damned'

Downs...

4. Characters Missing

One of the reasons Mercy worked as well as it did was the fact it had almost all its major characters involved and together, throwing up interesting dynamics and giving each of them their moment.

This one again delivers some of that - Rick and Daryl, Carol and Ezekiel, Morgan and Jesus - but it also leaves a few characters and storylines behind, which is both surprising and kills some of their momentum too.

While Rick and Ezekiel are leading missions, there's an unexplained absence for Maggie, despite her really stepping up as one of the main three leaders. Presumably she's dealing with Gregory, but it's frustrating that it's not addressed. Likewise, the scene with Father Gabriel and Negan is left hanging for at least another week, and there are signs of that being a typical Walking Dead cliffhanger which ultimately disappoints.

Michonne and Rosita, too, are left out completely. They were the two characters most underserved by the pilot, despite both being interesting, and while it's difficult to stuff everyone in it does make it jarring when the better characters are left out, and we're left with an assault led by Aaron, Eric, and Tobin. The show's starting lineup is great, but the bench is not.