This one may be controversial, given the show has mostly gotten by just fine on purely bleak and hopeless storytelling. So much so that it is often overlooked just how important it is to keep hope alive in this story it is an important motivator to keep the characters going. Otherwise, the constant death, decay, and gore can get pretty dull. Grim-faced, brooding characters are not inherently interesting if they aren't allowed strong and powerful emotions, and catharsis that can be on the positive side as well as the negative. The prospect of survival for the characters is one of the key draws to the show a testament to the human spirit against inhuman odds. The best elements of drama work by virtue of contrast. Some of the most surprisingly welcome scenes in the last season were the moments of levity, especially between Michonne and Carl, two characters who were frustratingly grim and almost sociopathic in season three. These scenes help remind the audience that the characters can still be human, and the tone doesn't suffer for it. There must be some light to balance out the darkness - even if only to make the dark more heartbreaking by comparison.
Self-evidently a man who writes for the Internet, Robert also writes films, plays, teleplays, and short stories when he's not working on a movie set somewhere. He lives somewhere behind the Hollywood sign.
