Mild rant: Had enough of "The Walking dead."

[Jedinovice]

I've got fed up with "The Walking dead." Generally speaking, especially now I live in Indonesia, I've given up on Western television. I generally watch Japanese anime. I fact, I think "The walking dead" is the first Western TV series I have watched in about 4-5 years, maybe longer.

However, I did take time out for "The Walking dead." I enjoyed it a lot… for a while. But now, forgive me, I need to vent a little. For those who are enjoying the series - enjoy! This is just my opinion.

But, with the loss of the prison in the series, I've lost interest. In fact, the series is irritating me. Indeed, it's become what I feared it would, what I call, "They all died and lived unhappily ever after."

I mean, when characters are not being devoured by zombies, they are killing each other. Every episode, someone dies. It's reached the point where I don't care any more. There's clearly no hope in the series and it's become a loop. Our heroes find some sort of sanctuary. The sanctuary is destroyed by zombies and/or other humans and heroes die. Heroes on the road, meet more humans, some die, some join the team. Heroes find new sanctuary which is destroyed by zombies and/or other humans, lather, rinse, repeat. I am informed the comic book series has enough action for another 12 years. Oh good grief.

There is no longer any progression in the story. There is no resolution in the offering. You dare not invest too much emotionally in any character because they can die at any moment at will at some point. No matter how cherished the character, how well developed, no matter much they add flavor to the series they WILL die some horrible death. There is no plot anymore. There is no driving 'want' in the story other than survival and no longer any sense of hope because we know, for all intent and purposes, the walkers will win. Every time. For a series like this to carry on there has to be some end game - some hope for survival and conquest, an isolate island they can reach and be safe in to wait the walkers dying out, a cure, something. Now… it's just counting the dead, recruitment for more walker death, death, death, death… The series does not offer any real rationale for carrying on. Everyone is going to die - the walkers are basically winning - especially since the living can;t stop killing each other. If there is no real purpose in the series then I lose any investment in the series because, in the end, there will be no return. Everyone is gong to die and it will be a pointless, meaningless death. I mean, all the characters that Hershal saved by his care - all but one of them = dead. Hershal himself? Dead. What is the point?

I'm come to the point where the heroes are about to stagger into some other sanctuary - I forget the name - and I don't think I can be bothered any more.

I am looking up anime series to clean my palette. Walking dead - it's a great idea, in many ways well executed, but unless the series is going somewhere, I think it's overplayed its hand. OK, I am a sensitive, artistic, idealist kind of guy who can't take people being chewed, beheaded and shot - endless shooting - for too long before I get sick anyway.

Sorry, I don't normally vent but the reason I like anime is, for all its flaws (*cough* fan service *cough*) anime tends to be more upbeat, less nihilistic than Western live actions dramas. It's time for me to look up something more upbeat, or, to me mind less deadbeat.

Thank you for your time.

[Dr. Derpface, J.D.]

Cool story bro?

[Jedinovice]

Cool story bro?

Yes and no.

The premise is excellent. The story arcs and characters have been great but the actual STORY has piled into the ground.

What is the definition of story?
Hero has a want.
Hero does everything he/she can do to achieve the want building to a climax.
End of story: Hero gets the want or can never get the want.

What is the want in "Walking dead" now?

There is no drive in the story beyond 'survive until I am eventually killed - more likely by the living than the walking dead.'

I feel there is no more direction in the series, it's just an endless loop in which "Everybody dies and whales rule the Earth" is a viable ending to the series.
By this stage, I would argue that the Walking dead has to introduce some over arching story, a want for the characters to aspire to - either finding permanent sanctuary (with a location named and confirmed for the heroes to fight to get to, or a real chance of a cure. Otherwise, the series collapses into Nihilism. Once the prison and Hershel went, I kinda figured the series had reached it's natural ending - There is no hope, everyone will die.

Unless the series spins this - and given the comic book series does not appear to do this - I don't think there is a plot left - just a series of loops.

You savvy?

[Elcalavero]

Interesting read, you should rant more often. I agree with you 100%.

I think your starting to become a show critic. This happens when you watch enough shows that you can distinguish the garbage from the well made shows. One important distinction between the two is a small test. The test being whether you care for the main character/any supporting character or not. As you stated above, you no longer care who dies. Thus the show can now be considered average or "bad". I know this because I myself have become a critic of all media. If you find a show with excellent or above average storytelling and become emotionally invested in a character in that show, then you found the cream of the crop. But it really is rare to find these days.

The worst atrocious thing you can find, are shows with gimmicks. The ones with all flash but literally no story or horrible storytelling. One show comes to mind, the new American Horror Story S5. God damn, that show is shit. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed all of American Horror Story Seasons previously. They always had a average script but I loved the characters. The main character in this new S5 Horror Story is some emo Peter Parker clone who can't act his way out of a plastic bag. /rant

After many years of watching Films/Anime/TV Shows, I would recommend these as my top tier that I've seen. Give them a try if you wish.

These are in specific order

TV Shows

1. Breaking Bad
2. Lilyhammer
3. Supernatural
4. Bates Motel
5. Sherlock

Its funny to me that, the best show I have ever seen (and probably will ever see) is an Anime. The best show I have ever seen is an anime show named Monster. Ever since I've seen it, I have looked for anything better. I never found it. Its been 6 years. The only show that got even remotely close was Legend of Galactic Heroes. Another anime show as well.

[Tigrin]

Well whatever you do, don't watch Attack on Titan. If you think The Walking Dead is nihilistic...

For the most part, I agree with you. The episode last week kind of did it for me when my favorite character was (supposedly) killed off. At this point I am so attached to the core group of characters that it's emotionally devastating when something bad happens to them. It seems like characters in the show are constantly punished for having morals or doing the "right" thing. And the punishment comes about more and more swiftly, to the point it's extremely predictable. I do feel like the show keeps getting better, but it's coming at a higher and higher cost for the characters. I went in with the understanding that probably the only one who's going to make it out of the show alive is Rick... but you kind of hope for better on the way there. The constant bombardment of "mercy will get you killed" is a little disheartening. There's no room for humanity in the zombie apocalypse I guess.

[kyle_m]

yr rantin because the only one asian in the show is dead now . ka-ka-ka

[UnluckyArtist]

Good points.. TWD lately has been giving off the feeling that there is definitely no hope, and that if you're still a good person giving others a second chance, they will somehow get you killed. As well as there being no cure at D.C the series has reached a certain point of hopelessness. But after this whole zombie army situation finishes, I think a new hope will be reestablished. It's pretty normal for a drama like this to have a point where it seems everyone is gonna die/go to jail or whatever but then things take a turn for the better. It'll probably take them till S7 to get a positive new twist goin.. Also I'm betting glen will be replaced by another minority, that's how they've been doing it for the black survivors, lol.