Time To Kill the Walking Dead

The Walking Dead can be infuriating. Part of me enjoys the survivor story that never seems to stop — but part of me craves a conclusion. Stories have a beginning and an end — they don’t go on forever — and as much as I like the show, I’m ready for the final act.

Think of Walking Dead’s AMC cousins, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Both followed a clear story arc aiming for a destination — and they both featured interesting characters who changed as the series progressed.

Could Breaking Bad still be on the air? Sure. Every week Walt would cook more meth and fend off the latest threat to his empire. Or Mad Men: Don sleeps with someone, gets drunk, loses a big account, has an existential crisis… how long does that stay interesting?

I don’t get the sense that the The Walking Dead knows where it’s going, happy instead rack up big ratings and zombie kills.

Even on MASH, the Korean War eventually ended.

So, I say save the show by killing it. Don’t let it become like the walkers, shambling aimlessly around in the woods for as long as their decaying muscles will carry them.

Having said that, here are the three top rejected Terminus signs:

Terminus: We are here to serve humans.

Terminus: We’d love to have you for dinner.

Terminus: Come for the sanctuary, stay for the B-B-Q.

6 thoughts on “Time To Kill the Walking Dead

  1. Being a fan of all things Zombie, I actually refused to watch Season 4 of TWD because of the general feeling of plot malaise at the end of Season 3…waiting, no EXPECTING Henry Winkler to suit up in leather and water ski over a tank of walkers…I share the sentiment of your comment and mourn when a series begins to bite more than the undead extras… 😉

    1. What’s saved Season 4 is some character development, but as I said, we need the plot to go somewhere.

      And now they’re talking a spinoff? Absurd. For a while, AMC’s branding statement was “Story Matters Here.” Maybe it should be “Ratings Matter Here.” TWD is a cash cow.

  2. Robert Kirkman wrote this with a never ending story in mind. The genesis of the comic book (call me geek) was to pen a story that “never ended.”

    At least that is how I remember it.

    The problem is of course is maintaining interest.

    The plan is, in my opinion, is to increase the savagery.

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