The Walking Dead: 7 Reasons Why 'After' Was The Perfect Premiere

7. Direct Aftermath Of "Too Far Gone"

'Too Far Gone' was an episode that not only changed the premise of the show, but also crippled most of the surviving characters in some way or other. Rick in particular was not in good shape at the end of the finale, and the easiest thing for the show to have done was take a time skip. Did viewers really want to watch the protagonist hobble across the screen for an hour? It would've been much simpler to open with the characters in a place of tentative safety or recovery, and allow the conflict €“ hunger, exhaustion, emotional trauma, etc €“ to unfold from there. Instead, 'After' did follow Rick as he hobbled around. We saw as his injuries prevented him from something so simple as keeping pace with his teenage son. We watched with Michonne as the prison burned and the Walkers infested the annihilated sanctuary. Mere moments had passed for them while two months had passed for us, and those who had come to terms with the losses of 'Too Far Gone' over the hiatus felt the desolation come rushing right back. The show didn't take the easy way out, and the re-immersion in the zombie apocalypse was exactly what we needed to feel our characters' desperation and to reinvest in the show.