The Walking Dead

“The Walking Dead” has always been pretty solid, but in order to reach the caliber of other AMC television shows such as “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” there are some things that need to be addressed. Many of the character, pacing and dialogue issues that have plagued the show could be easily remedied by following its terrific source material (comics of the same name) more closely.

 

I get the reasoning behind straying from the comics. It makes the show more suspenseful to those who have already read the comics; otherwise, they would see everything coming a mile away. However, the series’ writing has not been strong enough to go this route.

 

The only successful character, created solely for the series, is everybody’s favorite butt-kicking redneck, Daryl. He is a very likable character who has been evolving realistically from season to season. Rick, Shane, Hershel, Maggie, Carol and The Governor have been competently adapted from the comics. However, they don’t make up for the unholy butchering of the great original characters Michonne, Andrea, Dale, Carl, Lori and Glen.

 

The current roster of characters is over-loaded (as usual for the show). The writers don’t know how to juggle so many different characters, leaving many relegated as background noise or cannon fodder.

 

The comic is drenched with outstanding and fully fleshed-out characters. And, because it is so ruthless with killing off these amazing characters, I hold my breath each issue, worrying about someone getting his or her face chewed off. The AMC show does kill off a lot of characters, but they are mostly unimportant.

 

The events and tempo also pale in comparison to the comics, which (most of the time) follow a snappy pace and offer a looming narrative thread into which we can sink our teeth. The show drags things out to the point of tedium, without any indication of where it’s headed. The entire second season had the group piddling away at the farm, looking for Sophia (a character nobody cared about). Rick’s bout of crazy lasted too long, and he has been significantly less badass (what happened to the Ricktatorship?).

 

And, so far, Season Four has been a structural mess.

 

It started off establishing a pretty cohesive community at the prison. But, in an effort to right the wrongs of the anti-climactic Season Three finale, The Governor was awkwardly re-introduced to give us closure with the character. And now, the group is disbanded into four or five different clusters that aren’t going anywhere, except the heavy-handedly ominous “Terminus” city everyone is headed to.

 

The dialogue is also an issue. It’s not terrible, but can be occasionally jilted, awkward and unrealistic (“I’m doing stuff… things.”). In contrast, the comics feature colorful and believable dialogue that manages to balance humor and drama incredibly well.

 

The show’s writers have been very naughty. From a narrative perspective, they need to be put in a time-out. Once they demonstrate that they can competently adapt story lines and characters from the comics, they can write original content again.

 

I understand the challenges with the differences in character rosters, but the writers could at least follow the general structure of the comic’s progression.

 

First, we need a cleansing of that roster: Kill off Tyrese, Sasha, Bob, Beth, the girls and, maybe, Carol. This would shock the audience and leave a nice core group of interesting characters to round out. Please, follow the character dynamics of the comics, and don’t add any more characters! Also, the Hunters storyline from the comics would provide some terrific dark and claustrophobic material to supply a good half-season.

 

Despite my complaints, there have been some great original moments in the AMC show. The Rick-and-Shane rivalry was the most dynamic and intriguing plot the show ever had. And Season Three got off to an awesome and well-paced start. While the lapses I mention are detrimental, they never make the show unwatchable. And, the dumb fun of seeing zombies killed in creative ways never disappoints.

 

And yet, the show is at its best when it closely follows the comics. The Governor’s second attack on the prison is now considered one of the best episodes because it echoed similar events from the original. The pilot remains a highlight, too, as it was nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the first comic issue.

 

I’m tough, because I see such potential for a show I once loved but, as of late, have become increasingly aware of its flaws. If the show’s creators just follow the comics, hardcore and regular fans would be delighted, and the show will be remembered for more than just its high ratings and gore.