The Walking Dead: 5 Things Self Help Did Right (And 5 It Didn't)
2. Literally Nothing Happened
Yes, the characters in The Walking Dead have to be constantly moving forward. Theyre like sharks: if they stop, theyll die. Because theyll get torn apart by zombies. Do zombies eat sharks? Can zombies swim? Anyway, whilst the survival of the remaining groups of humans in this world necessitates them perpetually being in motion, thats a lot easier said than done in such a heavily serialised TV show. They cant make too much progress, because that isnt dramatic; and plus if they actually did find a cure, and did it quickly, the show would be over. And nobody wants that, least of all the people who make the show. That means that any progress the cast makes tends to be doled out in minuscule amounts, a form of pacing that has come under heavy fire ever since the painfully slow second season. This was a fun episode in a lot of ways, but it made absolutely zero progress towards anything. Until the ending, anyway, but stories - even serialised ones - aren't structured as "nothing happens for half an hour, then the ending is dramatic!" Thats just poor writing.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
