The Walking Dead is Good Again

by Chris Vegvary

(Note: Spoilers for both the TV show and comic to follow. If you have not watched it yet, or if you plan on checking out the comics, read at your own risk.)

A while ago, I posted an article on how I felt The Walking Dead TV show was declining in quality. From the beginning, there have been many ups and downs, including the showrunners’ apparent insistence on straying from the source material, confusing fans of the comics. For instance, if the show were to have followed the comics, Andrea would not have died at the end of season 3. She is one of the few survivors from the original group who is currently still alive in the comics.

For the first season of The Walking Dead, there were only six episodes. Not nearly enough time to tell the story they wanted to, which would have included killing off Shane in one of the later episodes of season 1 (probably towards the end of the season, episode 11 or 12) instead of waiting so long into season 2. At the end of season 1, Andrea is extremely unhappy with Dale, whereas in the comics, they become a couple after Amy is killed by Walkers.

The first half of season 2 spent way too long focusing on the search for the missing little girl, and the second half of the season saw Rick flip-flopping back and forth on whether or not to kill a survivor that attacked them, much to Shane’s disapproval. The best part of the season came in the last few episodes, when Dale was killed (which didn’t happen until much later in the comics) and then Rick finally killed Shane.

Season 3 was very intense, but it did more than a few things wrong. Oscar, while not in the comics, should have lived, in my opinion; Andrea was not supposed to die, and that felt like a middle finger to fans of the comics; the season should have ended with the Governor’s assault on the prison, and Lori and the baby were supposed to die in the attack. Instead, it ends with Rick taking in the residents of Woodbury while the Governor disappears, and that left me feeling like the show was taking some of us for granted.

When season 4 started, I was disappointed. I had no excitement for any of the episodes like I had for previous seasons, and the storyline about a virus of some kind running through the prison was pretty boring to me. But now that I look back on it, maybe it was to thin out the herd a little, because the Governor finally comes back with a tank and a small army, and the assault on the prison that should have happened in season 3 finally happens. The mid-season finale was full of iconic moments from the comic books, including the beheading of Hershel, who took Tyreese’s place in that event from the comic. The Governor is also killed when Michonne impales him with her sword, and his lady-friend Lilly shoots him in the head for being a scumbag.

I could go on forever about how excited I am now that the show seems to be getting back on track, but I implore you to read the comics and find out for yourself what good stuff you might be in store for. Don’t forget to check out the links throughout the article to find yourself some great deals on Walking Dead costumes and accessories.