THE WALKING DEAD
Can TV’s zombiefest get back to greatness? Yes, and here’s how.
Will Salmon writes: another year, another
Walking Dead finale… but this time around, no
one died. okay, that’s not entirely true: various anonymous Saviours were killed (rIp blue-haired guy, may you be buried with your stash of Schwarzkopf Intense colour) but all of the major players made it out in one piece – including negan.
The reaction has been muted, to say the least. While The Walking Dead is doing alright ratings-wise (down from its prime, but nowhere near axeville, population: The
Librarians) it feels like it’s lost its way, with too many characters, too much gunplay and a tone of relentless, depressing nihilism.
Thankfully, franchise overlord Scott Gimple and new showrunner angela Kang have both been talking of season nine as a relaunch. and they could do worse than look to Kang’s former gig, Fear The Walking Dead, for a dose of inspiration.
after a dodgy first season, it’s become by far the more enjoyable series. Fear has a tighter focus on character, a more engaging aesthetic – with warm colours and a soundtrack that lends it an epic, Western vibe – and, in season four, an intriguing mystery. It’s a show that’s evolved quickly, embracing change and surprise. compare that to the enervating slog of the main show’s two-year negan arc.
crucially, Fear has characters we can root for. Madison has made some tough choices, but remains broadly heroic; she’ll dive into a water tank full of zombies to save the life of a stranger. contrast that with rick who, this season, lied to and then murdered a bunch of unarmed men – but is let off the hook because he learned a moral lesson.
Fear is fun and exciting as well as grim and gritty. If The Walking Dead really is to keep shambling on, it should take some tips from its younger sibling.