9. Someone - Anyone - Doing More With Their Anger Than Brooding
The Walking Dead is a show that loves brooding: any time anything happens that could warrant a good brooding, you could put your house on the fact that the opportunity will be grasped with both hands. The phrase "__________ broods" probably appears in stage direction more than anything else in a script. So here's a thought: why not let someone actually do something with all that negative energy? Don't have Tyrese brood for two episodes then shrug his anger off after a half-hearted scuffle with Rick; actually have him try to undermine the whole leadership operation and cause a stir. Don't leave Carl weaponless and petulant because Hershel ratted him out and his dad took away his gun; have him try to get it back with all the ill-advised planning of a teenager, and let that mistake be incredibly costly. Don't make Darryl give Bob a stern talking to when he endangers the group; have him leave the guy on the spot because that's the way life has to be in a world that doesn't afford second chances at survival. Real people are really complex. They do things out of anger that they wouldn't do normally - things that aren't always right and don't always make for the easiest narrative route available. Embrace that and watch it make for a better show.