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10 Walking Dead Characters They Shouldn’t Have Killed

ChristianPlainview — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 21:07:23 +0000

In the cut-throat world that is television, we know all of our favorite characters can’t live forever. The stories have long been told of actors anxiously awaiting the next script, scanning the pages with bated breath, frantically looking to see if this is the week their character says goodbye forever. It comes with the territory; but what happens when television characters get killed off for no good reason or way before they reach their full potential? You get a very angry fan base. Here we will be going through ten instances of The Walking Dead seriously dropping the ball by killing off these characters.

10. Tyreese

Writers ran out of ideas before deciding to kill off Tyreese.

From the time we meet Tyreese to his ultimate demise, you can’t help but wonder why things turned out for him the way they did. I don’t mean in terms of how he went out, but more in the sense of why a once promising character became so dull. When he first arrives at the prison during Season 3, Tyreese is looked at as a leader. A powerful, yet compassionate person, Tyreese’s had potential to become a serious player in the big picture of The Walking Dead. Instead, he became this milquetoast, passive character that lost his reason for being there. While his eventual death was touching and well-crafted, it ultimately seemed like a waste when the character could’ve been explored further rather than pushed to the side.

9. Hershel

Hershel before he is killed by The Governor.

When The Governor decided to kill Hershel, that was when The Walking Dead lost something. A common theme throughout The Walking Dead is this concept of cloudy morality in a post-apocalyptic world. Can humanity still be decent? Is there any hope for things to return to the way they once were? Hershel was the embodiment of that. A wizened, sage-like man, Hershel was the line that separated man from beast. Those times when Rick was threatening to go off the rails, it was Hershel who was able to reel him back in. After his death, the show went into some dark times. Those dark times didn’t make bad television, but a little nuance would’ve been nice to balance things out.

8. Shane

Shane remains a fan favorite after departing the show in Season 2.

This mistake is more personal than anything else. If you followed The Walking Dead comics, you knew Shane’s time on the show would always be short. But we are talking about TV and let’s face it, TV is a popularity contest. Shane was a popular character and they could’ve found a way to make it work. After original show runner, Frank Darabont, was fired from the show following Season 1, the word is Jon Bernthal, the actor portraying Shane, took it personally and wanted off the show. This move shuttered any possibility of writers finding a way to keep Shane a part of the story. It’s a real shame because Bernthal has shown he’s a more than capable actor that could’ve done great things for the story if only he’d been around a little longer.

7. Lori

Lori's bad writing made fans happy when she was finally killed off.

Walking Dead show runners were once again faced with the question: Should we follow the source material, or shouldn’t we? Lori Grimes was one of the main characters during the early seasons of The Walking Dead. She had a strong personality and a survival instinct that made her enjoyable to watch, not to mention the love triangle between Rick and Shane and herself was tense and added a level of realism to the story. The thing we need to remember though, was Lori was a manipulator and often latched on to whatever person seemed to be in control. This would be fine, but not when you are married to the show’s lead and are one of the main characters yourself. When she is finally killed off, it feels like a relief, until you remember Lori could’ve played an important role in the future story. After Shane was gone, the writers had a chance to take her in a new direction, but instead opted to go the lazy route by eliminating a character they deliberately made unpleasant.

6. Sasha

Sasha was killed off before her character had a chance to go anywhere.

Sasha was a perfect example of a character that was brought onto the show just for the sake of having new storylines. When she arrives with Tyreese in Season 3, it was up in the air how she was going to fit in on the show. Fast forward a couple seasons, and that question still isn’t really answered. Sure, Sasha is pragmatic, a great shot, an overall good member of the group, but so what? PTSD was a concept explored in Sasha’s characterization, but it never really budded into anything compelling. After Abraham was killed, it seemed they didn’t know what else to do with her, leaving no choice but to kill her off. Another wasted opportunity to do something with a potentially interesting character.

5. Merle

Michael Rooker was totally wasted in his role as Merle Dixon.

The first rule of good writing on The Walking Dead is: keep around interesting characters as long as possible. Merle Dixon is one of those characters. When you’ve got an oddball actor like Michael Rooker part of your cast, make him a bigger part of the story. After being left for dead during Season 1, we wondered if we’d simply seen the last of this despicable, yet very watchable character. It was only two seasons later we find he is very much alive and working under the harsh rule of The Governor. Cool, he’s back. We get to see what acts of evil he has for us this time. But the thing is, Merle wasn’t a truly evil character, as we learn when he teams back up with Rick’s group. This seemingly simpleminded redneck was more complex than he was ever given credit for, but he never got much of a chance to blossom when he was ultimately killed off at the end of Season 3. What a waste.

4. Dale

Dale's death served no purpose but to up the body count.

During the early years of the show, the survivors were still learning the rules, adjusting to this new post-apocalyptic world they found themselves in. It was still up in the air if humans had been able to maintain their humanity, and with that brought some moral ambiguity to the show. Dale acted as a sort of wise man to the original survivors, keeping a soft balance that kept the group sane during the fleeting moments they weren’t on the run from Walkers. Dale was what separated chaos from order, his mentality of keeping a level head was something everyone looked towards for guidance. That was made all the more baffling when Dale is randomly killed off late into Season 2. It’s not so much the character was untouchable, more of just how unnecessary it was at that moment. Dale was gone before Rick and the others began running into the real threat – other people – and having someone like him around would’ve brought some nuance to the situation, rather than a black and white battle of good versus evil.

3. Abraham

Abraham moments before he is killed by Negan.

Abraham’s death might be the best example of “kill just to kill” mentality. When we first met Abraham during Season 4, it was exciting to have a new, tough as nails character on the show to kill some zombies. He made a great addition to Rick’s group, his bravery and ability to bring down Walkers made for some of the show’s greatest action scenes. We even got explore his softer side when a relationship develops between him and Sasha. Then along came Negan. I understand the tone needed to be set for Negan’s arrival, examples had to be made, but this just seemed like a waste of one of The Walking Dead’s truly cool characters. The way things ended up with the showdown between Rick’s group and The Saviors, Abraham would’ve been a great character to join in the fray, instead of just being a bloody pulp lying in the dirt before things even get started.

2. Glenn

Glenn as he kneels dying at the hands of Negan.

Speaking of Negan beating people to death with Lucille, his trusty barbed wire bat, what exactly were the writers thinking when they thought it’d be a good idea to kill off one of the show’s most beloved characters? Glenn was consistently one of the most morally sound, likable characters on the show. He was very average, fans saw a lot of themselves in him, and it was a real pleasure to have him on screen. So you can imagine the shock and confusion when Glenn dies one of the show’s most gruesome deaths at the hands of Negan. Why exactly did this need to happen? It struck me immediately as one of those Game of Thrones style deaths where it is shock value for the sake of being shocking. Well, it was shocking, but that doesn’t mean it was a smart move. Fans absolutely detested this crummy attempt at a left turn and quite honestly, the show never really recovered after this point.

1. Carl

Carl's death will be seen as a huge mistake next season.

To cap off this list, let’s talk about the latest major death on The Walking Dead and why it was a big mistake. Literally and figuratively, we got to see Carl grow up throughout the many years of The Walking Dead. This is Rick Grimes’ story, but in many ways it also is Carl’s. We know Rick isn’t going to be around forever, so having Carl finally get the chance to step up would be an interesting plotline to work towards. But it seems that wasn’t in the cards. Much like Glenn, Carl’s death seemed to be another attempt at the writers’ bad habit of playing with the audience; Years and years of development and build up only to end with a lone gunshot. Not to mention, Rick’s entire motivation from day one was to protect his family and with every loss, his reason for going on makes less and less sense. Judith is still a bit young, but as The Walking Dead chugs along, it may only be a matter of time before she is killed off as well.

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Top 12 Most Loved Characters from The Walking Dead

ChristianPlainview — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 20:33:01 +0000

After eight seasons, several decisive battles and more blood than we ever thought imaginable, The Walking Dead stands tall above the rest with its broad ensemble cast featuring a wide variety of characters. Some good, some bad, some downright evil, this list counts down some of the top fan favorites we’ve come to know and love throughout the series.

12. Shane

Jon Bernthal as Shane

Starting this list off, we have to take a long stroll down memory lane to remember our old friend, and later foe, Shane Walsh. Shane, a Season 1 alum, was partner and best friend of series lead Rick Grimes and stepped up to lead the original Atlanta survivors after the zombie outbreak. Expertly portrayed by Jon Bernthal, Shane quickly became a fan favorite early on due to his zombie-killing prowess, quick adaption to post-apocalyptic life, and his ability to lead the group of survivors and keep them alive. The tension building between Shane and Rick was palpable, the two men caught in a love triangle with Rick’s wife, Lori. Shane soon devolved into series antagonist when his grip on morality begins to loosen and he puts his obsession with Lori far above the well-being of the other survivors. Even when he turned to the dark side, fans were still sad to see him go and all these years later, Shane remains one of the highest regarded characters in The Walking Dead universe.

11. The Governor

David Morrissey as The Governor

Whenever we are dealing with a character wearing an eye patch, they are either really cool or really lame; rarely is there any middle ground. In this case, it is definitely the former. Phillip Blake, better known as The Governor, was the primary antagonist of Season 3 and served as a worthy adversary to Rick and his group. The Governor is hard, brutal and relentless. He leads his pack of survivors and demands total control and absolute power. He became a favorite amongst fans because while bloodthirsty and sociopathic, Blake was a villain with a fair amount of moral ambiguity. Despite his atrocities, The Governor is difficult to hate and you like seeing him on screen. His mission to keep the safe haven of Woodbury under control and Walker-free, fans were torn when this one-eyed killer went up against Rick and the Atlanta survivors.

10. Carol

Melissa McBride as Carol

Talk about a character doing a one-eighty. When we first met Carol Peletier long ago during Season 1, she was a silent, broken woman, caught under the boot of her abusive husband. That doesn’t last long though and in time Carol emerged as one of the most dominant female characters on the show. Fans were blown away when this initially meek woman revealed her cunning nature and her pragmatic, resourceful approach to surviving in this post-apocalyptic world. Carol stands above the rest as an extremely capable killer and one who is no longer afraid to do whatever is necessary for the good of her allies. Her character transformation was delightfully pleasing and it is no wonder why she has become one of the most loved characters in the series.

9. Negan

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan

Love him or hate him, it’s undeniable Negan burst onto The Walking Dead with sledge hammer force. Or should we say baseball bat? Cocky, crude, and in some ways charming, Negan is a man whose toothy smile puts you at momentary ease before his trusty bat, Lucille, comes crashing down on your skull. Negan emerged on the final episode of Season 6, and it was immediately clear this man was a force to be reckoned with. His brutal killing of two show favorites was enough to get the people talking and quickly create fan polarization. You hate Negan, but in a lot of ways, you don’t want him to go away. If he isn’t stopped, eventually there will be no force for good left in their ruined world, but in the meantime, we can do with a bit more carnage and destruction; and if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

8. Father Gabriel

Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel

A fixture of Catholicism is atonement. Repenting for your sins and doing whatever it takes to make it right. What better character for such an undertaking than Father Gabriel Stokes? Gabriel is a priest that survived the outbreak by hiding out inside his church, living off of canned goods from a food drive. Father Gabriel harbors a lot of guilt, saving himself while his parishioners were torn to shreds by Walkers. After Gabriel is rescued from Walkers by Rick, he starts his long road to redemption. I think this is what fans find so endearing about him. Gabriel went from a meek, fearful man to a brave and trusted ally to Rick and the others. The road to salvation is a long one, and Father Gabriel’s journey to finding grace is a well paced and satisfying story fans have come to love.

7. Maggie

Lauren Cohan as Maggie

No character has been subjected to more painstaking loss and horror than Maggie Rhee, and I think that is what makes her so relatable to fans. We’ve all dealt with loss, but Maggie personifies it and fans got to see how one can overcome such dire tragedy. First introduced in The Walking Dead’s second season, Maggie stood out as a realistic character in the sense that her actions were never over the top, a portrayal of how many of us might act in such circumstances. After the death of her siblings, her father and her beloved husband, Maggie was the epitome of a broken woman, unspeakable acts of violence grinding her down to almost nothing. Much like a phoenix, Maggie rose from the ashes of despair and came back stronger and more relentless than ever. If you have any semblance of a heart, it’s difficult not to rank Maggie as one of your Walking Dead favorites.

6. Jesus

Tom Payne as Jesus

Paul Rovia, better known to the other survivors as “Jesus”, is a symbol of hope and goodness in the violent world we’ve come to know in The Walking Dead universe. A member of the Hilltop Colony, Jesus serves as a supply runner and recruiter that looks an awful lot like biblical holy man, Jesus Christ. This nickname is no coincidence, as Paul remains optimistic in an increasingly dismal world and believes all those that have done wrong have an opportunity for redemption. This is what makes Jesus so lovable to fans; things can only get so dark before you need to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus embodies hope for a better tomorrow. When vile characters like Negan exist, people like Jesus need to be there to counter balance the darkness and brighten the dullness of the human spirit.

5. Abraham

Michael Cudlitz as Abraham

With all the complexities and soft spots of many characters on The Walking Dead, sometimes we just need a character that’s tough as nails. Abraham Ford is the man for the job. After hiding out with his family in a grocery store, a violent altercation causes his family to abandon him, a decision that ends up costing them their lives. Broken and alone, Abraham is a wandering bull, a strong and brave weapon ready to dismantle the creatures that stole his family and shattered his mental state. Abraham resonated with fans due to his efficiency at surviving and the lack of any fear in the face of adversity and even certain death. It’s still cool to be cool, and Abraham was a great relief in a show of sometimes fragile and fearful characters.

4. Glenn

Steven Yeun as Glenn

Ah, Glenn – the man with the nine lives. Glenn might be in the lead for the person who’s escaped certain death more than any other; but alas, everyone runs out of luck eventually. Glenn was there from the beginning; a decidedly average guy who found himself dropped into this Walker-infested apocalypse and somehow managed to find a way to keep on breathing. This is what made Glenn so lovable to the fans. Along with his wife, Maggie, Glenn is a force of pure good and his actions resonate with us because they reflect how many of us hope we’d act in his situation. Always level-headed and loyal, Glenn lived on for the betterment of the group. A sweet, likable, and relatable character, Glenn tops the list of Walking Dead characters we could see ourselves becoming close friends with.

3. Michonne

Danai Gurira as Michonne

Much like Abraham, sometimes viewers need a character that is just a badass killing machine; Michonne more than lives up to the description. The katana-wielding, zombie-corralling lone wolf burst onto The Walking Dead scene after saving Andrea from flesh-crazed Walkers. Chopping the Walkers to bits, we find Michonne is dragging two shackled Walkers behind her. This sets the tone for her character like nothing else, it was clear from the get go Michonne was at the top of our lists when Walker killing needed to be done. Fans were attracted to her mystery and overall distrust to Rick and the others, but over time Michonne became one of the group’s most loyal and efficient survivors. When Michonne is in the scene, it’s a sure fire bet zombie heads are going to roll.

2. Daryl

Norman Reedus as Daryl

While we are on the subject of being badass, let’s bring in the runner up for fan favorite, Daryl Dixon. This crossbow-wielding hunter embodies everything a great character should be: strong, cool, effective, compassionate. First being introduced in Season 1 as a redneck with above average skills with a bow, Daryl quickly rose through the ranks as an effective leader and at times rivaled Rick for the best person to keep the other survivors alive. Daryl has proven his loyalty to the group, putting his neck on the line more times than we can count; heroic in every sense of the word. Rick has had his ups and down with various members of the group, but Daryl has consistently been the guy you can count on and is a serious contender for the show’s most loved character.

1. Rick

Andrew Lincoln as Rick

Yes, Daryl is an incredible character, but is there any other choice for The Walking Dead’s most beloved hero than the man himself, Rick Grimes? The series’ main protagonist and leader of the Atlanta survivors, Rick succeeds as the leading man because of the simple fact he is imperfect. He’s smart, resilient, and brave – all things a leader needs to be; but he is also vengeful, reckless at times, and mentally broken down. A sheriff’s deputy before the outbreak, it made sense a person in law enforcement would lead a disordered world back to order. But that was a dream he woke up from long ago. Fighting off hordes of walkers is harrowing enough, not to mention the equally dangerous run-ins with other survivors, but Rick has been consistently pushed to the limit when tasked with leading this group of strangers to safety. He doesn’t always get it right, but Rick is more than capable of carrying the heavy load of The Walking Dead on his dirty, rundown shoulders and is an absolute slam dunk as the show’s most beloved zombie killer.

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Top 15 Movies Like The Walking Dead (Movies Better Than The Walking Dead)

ChristianPlainview — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 18:32:43 +0000

15 Movies Like The Walking Dead (That Are Much Better Than The Walking Dead)

Since its debut in 2010, The Walking Dead has left fans of the show with an unquenchable thirst for post-apocalyptic zombie content. The genre has become oversaturated in a sea of undead, disaster scenarios, but here are fifteen films sure to satisfy those looking to get their Walker fix.

Rick and other central cast members.

15. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

When it comes to exploring the vast world of zombie films, anyone with an ounce of knowledge on the genre will tell you the only place to start is George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. This 1978 bloody epic took zombie horror to the next level. There’s gore, great characters, and a surprising level of social commentary that even today is a rare find in zombie flicks.

A horde of zombies burst through a barricaded doorway, (Dawn of the Dead, 1978)

14. Contagion (2011)

By far the most grounded portrayal of a disease outbreak on this list, 2011’s Contagion is terrifying for two reasons. The first being pandemics are really scary in their own right, but also because of just how plain realistic it is. While watching the disease spread and spread, you can’t help but feel like this is what it would actually look like if such a thing were to happen in the real world. There aren’t any explosions, packs of marauders raping and pillaging, a total government collapse, but rather, a government exhausting every resource to maintain order and find a cure.

It focused on the little things, like no food in the grocery store and a riot breaking out as survivors wait for care packages being given out from the back of military vehicles. In a lot of movies, the riot would lead to an overthrow of the military and a band of apex survivors rounding up the food. But here, the incident is able to be settled down, the starving population able to regain their sense of humanity. That is the root of the terror in this story – if it ever happens, you can bet it’s going to look a lot like this.

Jude law wears a bio-hazard suit to avoid contamination. (Contagion, 2011)

13. 28 Days Later (2002)

Brains! Brains! Brains! The undead’s desire for brains and other human flesh is one of the most famous tropes in all of horror. But in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, the flesh-eating cheese has been cut out for something grimmer and more realistic. After a rage-inducing virus is released on the public, Great Britain finds itself the center of a zombie outbreak. But these aren’t ordinary zombies, no, these are rage-fueled runners that are not so interested in how you taste, but simply want to tear you apart. After a man wakes up in an abandoned and ransacked hospital, he must rely on himself and a small group of survivors to navigate the ruined city and find safety.

A man runs from a flaming zombie. (28 Days Later, 2002)

12. Resident Evil: Extinction (2005)

If you are at all familiar with gaming, then you are no stranger to the Resident Evil series. Beginning with the 1996 PlayStation hit that started it all, Resident Evil grew from a fun survival horror puzzle game to a multi-platform entertainment franchise complete with a litany of sequels, novels, and a film series. Admittedly, the films were less than satisfying for diehard fans of the series, but the third installment, Extinction, brought something a little closer to the video games it was inspired by. As a ragtag convoy wanders the American southwest in search of supplies, it is all but impossible to fight off the endless horde of zombies that have taken over the entire world. This backdrop, combined with the return of series’ star Alice (Milla Jovovich), brings an exciting mixture of horror and the supernatural into the forefront.

Alice prepares to fight a swarm of zombies. (Resident Evil: Extinction, 2005)

11. The Crazies (2010)

George Romero makes another appearance on this list! Well, sort of. The Crazies goes all the way back to 1973, Romero’s fourth feature film; fast forward to 2010 and you have an updated take on the story, one that amps up the carnage and mayhem with a razor-sharp edge. Ogden Marsh, Iowa is a town like many others in the Midwest, but after a military plane carrying a mania-inducing chemical crashes into a local river, the small community finds its water supply contaminated. With the population descending into all out madness, the government locks down Ogden Marsh in an attempt to contain the spread and whitewash the entire incident. It’s up to the town sheriff and his small band of survivors to navigate through hordes of crazed citizens and government death squads if they stand a chance of escaping.

Survivors tend to wounded as they struggle to escape. (The Crazies, 2010)

10. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

It’s become the general consensus amongst horror fans that remakes don’t work the vast majority of the time. Our once fond memories of classic films are permanently tainted with an update that often takes more away from the original than it adds. This couldn’t be less of the case with Zack Snyder’s update of Dawn of the Dead. This is one of the first times we have the updated zombie 2.0, where these gore-laden flesh eaters come at you with everything they’ve got. A band of survivors take refuge in a shopping mall and it’s there they adjust to a life of isolation as opportunities for escape become slimmer and slimmer with the outbreak showing no sign of slowing. It is a genuinely scary horror remake that should not be missed.

Survivors attempt to escape a mass of zombies. (Dawn of the Dead, 2004)

9. Dead Weight (2012)

By far the least known title on this list, it’s clear the people behind 2012’s Dead Weight were inspired by The Walking Dead. A zombie movie that oddly enough features no zombies, Dead Weight tells the story of a man struggling to reunite with his girlfriend as he ventures across the desolate backcountry of a ruined Midwest. It’s a story about survival, when desperation turns the living versus the living when there is plenty of dead to worry about. Dead Weight is low budget, bare bones, and coldly effective as a showcase for the psychological horror of a zombie outbreak. By far the least known title on this list, it’s clear the people behind 2012’s Dead Weight were inspired by The Walking Dead. A zombie movie that oddly enough features no zombies, Dead Weight tells the story of a man struggling to reunite with his girlfriend as he ventures across the desolate backcountry of a ruined Midwest. It’s a story about survival, when desperation turns the living versus the living when there is plenty of dead to worry about. Dead Weight is low budget, bare bones, and coldly effective as a showcase for the psychological horror of a zombie outbreak.

By far the least known title on this list, it’s clear the people behind 2012’s Dead Weight were inspired by The Walking Dead. A zombie movie that oddly enough features no zombies, Dead Weight tells the story of a man struggling to reunite with his girlfriend as he ventures across the desolate backcountry of a ruined Midwest. It’s a story about survival, when desperation turns the living versus the living when there is plenty of dead to worry about. Dead Weight is low budget, bare bones, and coldly effective as a showcase for the psychological horror of a zombie outbreak.

Survivors take a break from their journey across the Midwest. (Dead Weight, 2012)

8. The Day (2011)

Who says cannibalism is just for the undead? When social order has gone completely in the toilet, looks like picking up some takeout is out of the question. The Day tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where a band of five survivors roam the countryside in search of food, shelter and any other supplies they can get their hands on. While searching an abandoned farmhouse, the group finds they’ve activated some kind of trap, causing the house to become surrounded by a local tribe hungry for human flesh. The Day asks interesting questions, like: Does morality have a place in a world without order? It’s up for you to decide, but in this world, everyone is a starving animal and starving animals can never be trusted.

Mary looks on as the cannibals close in. (The Day, 2011)

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Originally based off a spec-script known as The Cellar, 10 Cloverfield Lane was picked up by JJ Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, who opted to incorporate this chamber play into the Cloverfield universe. Focusing on the psychological claustrophobia of three people taking refuge from unknown attackers, this story focuses on the struggle for power when all the rules off society get thrown out the window. The terror doesn’t come from the creatures beyond the secured door of the safe house, but from behind the eyes of its inhabitants, never knowing if an act of kindness was done to save a life or to make prisoners out of those trapped inside.

Man scolds young survivor for breaking his strict rules. (10 Cloverfield Lane, 2016)

6. Land of the Dead (2005)

After a very long hiatus, twenty years to be exact, George Romero surprised everyone by writing and directing the fourth entry into his so-called Dead Series; this latest installment lovingly dubbed Land of the Dead. It’s been years after the zombie apocalypse has consumed the entire United States, but in the city of Pittsburgh, there has been an attempt to restore some sense of humanity and fight off the ever-encroaching undead. Protected on both sides by water and electric fences, this new order keeps the dead out, but corruption reigns supreme on the inside. Romero, no stranger to injecting social commentary into his zombie flicks, tells the story of rich and poor, those rich and powerful enough to find refuge on the inside, while the poor and desperate fight for survival on the outside. This is a story about adaption, how humanity has found away to prevent annihilation; but their undead enemies are adapting as well, and no amount of water or electric fences will be enough to stave off flesh-eaters with guns, knives and a plan of their own.

An intelligent horde of zombies close in on a human stronghold. (Land of the Dead, 2005)

5. Zombieland (2009)

This has been a heavy list; I think a little levity is in order to prevent a total bleakness overdose. Zombieland has the same setup as most zombie films: the outbreak, the collapse, the struggle to survive. What makes this movie standout is its outrageously hilarious take on a typically gloomy story. When four survivors, known only as the cities they originate from, make their way across America, fighting bands of zombies at nearly every turn, they survive by adhering to a strict set of rules, ones that comically pop up on the screen throughout. The main thing to take away from the blood-splattered carnage of Zombieland is the importance of enjoying the little things and taking a minute to laugh before giving the latest zombie you shot down a double tap.

The ragtag group of travelers discuss their next move, (Zombieland, 2009)

4. The Battery (2012)

When The Battery premiered at the Telluride Horror Show in 2012, audiences were relieved to be watching a horror flick that focused on humanity rather than the undead. Brainless zombie carnage has become the norm in horror, but I think The Walking Dead struck a chord with people and soon new zombie films were hitting the scene with a little more on their minds than blood and guts. When a zombie apocalypse takes over all of the New England area, two former baseball players are forced to wander the countryside in search of any means of survival. One is adapting to this newfound apocalypse, but the other just wants a normal life. In many ways, The Battery is a metaphor for choosing to live or die. In this new world, batteries are the last artifact of how things used to be, of the normal life. Once they are gone, back to the Stone Age. It’s this reality that separates the living from the dead, choosing to go on with a life of hardship or fading out with the old world you once knew. The Battery is top-notch indy horror that really has something to say and is sure to satisfy those in search of something different.

Two Survivors find themselves stuck in their car by a zombie horde. (The Battery, 2012)

3. Wyrmwood (2014)

These Aussies are mad as hell and they aren’t going to take it anymore! Wyrmwood is high octane zombie carnage and it is truly a sight to behold. When a meteor shower causes the Australian outback to become overrun with zombies, a local mechanic uses everything he has to fend off the infected and protect his family. When even that isn’t enough to save his wife and daughter, the mechanic discovers zombie blood is not only extremely flammable, but can also be used to power vehicles. This is Mad Max meets The Walking Dead. We have trucks pumping with undead blood, armored suits worn into battle with an endless horde of flesh-eaters, everything you need to get your heart pulsing in an epic battle of man versus zombie.

An armored Barry prepares to go to battle with a horde of zombies. (Wyrmwood, 2014)

2. The Road (2009)

Bring on the bleakness! If you are looking for truly the most devastating, least hopeful post-apocalyptic film available, look no further. Adapted from Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Road only knows one word: survive. A father and his young son make the harrowing journey towards the coast, the best option they’ve come up with since the total collapse of society. Along the way they meet bands of marauders, cannibals, and thieves, any shred of goodness or humanity a long blown out candle. It’s a story that asks uncomfortable questions that many end-of-the-world scenarios often don’t: It’s not can we survive, but why should we survive?

Man and Boy walk down a desolate road in a destroyed world. (The Road, 2009)

1. Stake Land (2010)

In Stake Land, it isn’t zombies you should be worried about, this time around you are on the lookout for vampires. These vampires aren’t the suave, debonair, knock-on-your-window types, no, these are feral beasts that have overtaken the United States like a crazed swarm of bees. Families are slaughtered by the thousands, leaving a young boy in the protection of a proven vampire killer known only as Mister. Mister takes the boy under his wing, using his knack for vampire killing to keep them both alive. But that isn’t enough when they come into contact with a ragtag, religious cult known as The Brotherhood; it is here the true horror lies. Believing the vampire pandemic to be the will of God, the fanatics facilitate the spread of the blood suckers by

A feral vampire attempts to attack the survivors. (Stake Land, 2010)

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10 Reasons Why The Walking Dead Is Failing

ChristianPlainview — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 17:56:13 +0000

Here's Why The Walking Dead Is Failing

The once beloved post-apocalyptic zombie drama has hit a bit of a rough patch. Ratings are increasingly down with its latest season hitting an all-time low. Viewers and critics have speculated on what could be the cause of the drop off, but I think you can attribute a great deal of it to the following reasons:

10. Too Much Pandering To Fans

With the popularization of Reddit and other forum-type platforms, a major problem for a lot of TV programs is how much of an effect squeaky wheel audiences are having on the direction of certain shows. The Walking Dead is no exception. Some fans want things one way, others another. Those behind The Walking Dead are attempting to please everyone and when you have that mindset, typically no one is pleased. A prime example is the backlash the season 7 premiere received after two characters were brutally beaten with a baseball bat. Some argued it was a fine return to form in the increasingly gore-less show, others looked at it as pure exploitation.

Jeffrey Dead Morgan emerges as Negan.

The producers took some of the audience’s advice and announced they would be toning down the violence in later seasons. The backlash was swift and relentless, with certain fans feeling the show was forgetting what it originally was intended to be: a look at what a post apocalyptic zombie outbreak would be like. It may be time to listen a little less to what the fans want and put more focus on simply writing an entertaining show.

9. Too Much Time Jumping

It’s an age-old plot device throughout countless TV shows and movies: the time hop. We are never sure whether it is meant to deliberately confuse the viewer or establish a puzzle that needs to be pieced together throughout the season, but regardless of the intention, it’s usually distracting and unnecessary. The Walking Dead has fallen into this trap to a less than stellar result.

When the big time jump happened in Walking Dead Issue #127 for example, it gave Carl time to age and become a larger player in the story, but on the show, we’ve watched these characters age over actual years so it doesn’t serve the same purpose to arbitrarily jump through time when it doesn’t play into the essentials of the story.

8. No Satisfying Conclusions Since Season 5

In the early days of The Walking Dead, AMC was ecstatic to see viewership rise with each new season. Why, you ask - Because back then the show gave you something to care about. It gave audience a conclusion to work toward and a feeling of shock, awe and satisfaction when the finale credits began to roll. What happened?

Rick and the others look on at an untouched Alexandria.

Season 5 has often been called the best season of the show. Rick and his group’s arrival to Alexandria brought a fascinating new dimension to the usually colorless, dismal world they’ve come to inhabit. It was exciting TV, setting the stage for an explosive sixth season premiere. It was after this point things started getting a little wonky. Season 6 was highly criticized for its lazy writing and its penchant to “play with the audience.” Things never really recovered after that as the situations became sillier and packed way less of a punch.

7. Characters Continually Making Stupid Decisions

Why, oh why? It’s become a common phrase, often bursting out of viewers mouths in pure exasperation during moments of high. I mean, seriously, after all this time, when are characters going to learn that being loud attracts the horde? Decisions like these are what make characters look completely idiotic and worse yet, make the show as a whole come off as artificial.

How many more suspicious, untrustworthy characters are we going to see get the benefit of the doubt? How many more times is someone going to storm off in a moment of high emotion, only to get killed by a Walker? They’ve made it this far, it’s time to smarten up and practice the rules you’ve picked up from these many harrowing years.

6. Prolonging Stories For No Reason

The biggest criticism for a lot of fans has often been the show losing sight of its original intentions. After a zombie outbreak causes a total collapse of society, those still living begin to lose their humanity in while struggling to survive. It was simple, but left a lot open to craft great storylines.

The trash people look on during their introduction to the Atlanta survivors.

An example that comes to mind is the introduction of the so-called “Trash People”. Interesting in the sense that this group was crafted completely from the show’s writers and not from the comics, this new group completely dropped the ball and viewing became a slog whenever they were on screen. The stoic-faced, often one word answer-giving junkyard dwellers did little to excite viewers and their eventual betrayal of the Alexandrians was a welcome uptick in an otherwise uninteresting storyline.

5. Too Much Carol

Often, television has a bad habit of introducing characters that eventually wear out their welcome. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I can’t think of a better example than Season 1 alum, Carol Peletier. It was intriguing to see Carol evolve from a helpless, battered woman to a self-sustainable super-chick, but after Season 5 she has become all but unbearable.

After arriving in Alexandria, Carol receded into her old behavior, becoming increasingly cold and distant towards the group. Yeah, it’s cool how she’s become a leader in the Kingdom, but her Mary-Sue-like tendencies have become less than imaginative storytelling.

4. The Show Isn’t an Ensemble Anymore

The thing that kept us coming back season after season was our growing attachment to Rick and his core group of survivors. We got to know these people and came to love many of them, it was a great ensemble.

Tara fights her way through a horde of zombies.

As early as Season 7, we started to see these increasingly fractured storylines where you wouldn’t see certain characters for multiple weeks in a row. Maybe that’s okay to linger on a character when they are important to you, but when it’s week after week of less than intriguing people (*Cough* Tara *Cough*) you can’t help but lose interest in a show becoming more and more narrow-sighted.

3. Mid-Season Breaks

This is much more a fault on The Walking Dead’s distributor AMC than the show itself, but the mid-season breaks simply have to stop. The finales leading into the break aren’t exciting anymore, the writing is as lazy as ever, and the long gaps in between the two parts just cause the mind to wander to other things, shown by the record low ratings from last season’s second half premiere.

2. Fear The Walking Dead Is Not A Good Show

A copy of a copy of a copy. What happens when you take a show premise and suck all of the life out of it? Well, you get a zombie of a show. With the popularity of The Walking Dead causing a boom in the zombie genre, it was only a matter of time before AMC decided to milk their success even further with Fear The Walking Dead.

LA survivors walk through ruined streets on Fear The Walking Dead

It is zombie overload. The Los Angeles-based survivors are a crummy substitution for the original Atlanta gang and this shows through its consistently lukewarm writing. You don’t care about these people, it is just more zombie stuff shoved in your face. If AMC wanted to expand the Walking Dead universe, there’s a way to do it, but slapping a subpar product together is a sure fire way to cheapen the main attraction.

1. Fans Are Simply Losing Interest

I’m afraid The Walking Dead will end the way many once great shows do: slowly wind down instead of going out with a bang. Breaking Bad, another AMC creation, had the good fortune and good sense to end the show when it was at its optimal best and peak popularity. Viewers felt a sense of satisfaction, taking solace in the fact that the show was never bad. The Walking Dead will have no such send off.

AMC had a massive hit on its hands when The Walking Dead first hit the cable waves, but that was a long time ago. Many viewers have grown up and have better things to do with their time than see how a show that severely lost its way is going to conclude. Is that the fault of the producers and writers? Possibly Or maybe is it just the natural course of things? It’s not about running out of ideas, it’s about running out of good ideas to keep things fresh and interesting and unfortunately for The Walking Dead, their time may be just about up.

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A Walker tears flesh from a fresh corpse.

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