With the second half of season 9 in full swing, The Walking Dead still remains one of my favourite TV shows of all time. I can already hear most of you tut as you question my ‘poor’ choice in TV shows. So, before you close your tab or switch apps, please give me a chance to explain why The Walking Dead is still one of the GOATs of the entertainment industry.
Disappointingly, The Walking Dead has experienced a spiralling decline in viewership since season 5 saw its highest ever average of 14.38 million viewers. Angela Kang’s first season as showrunner, which waved goodbye to Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes, the shows badass lead character, saw the lowest number of viewership since the series began. You can surely understand why this would frustrate a diehard fan like myself. Bad views equals bad news.
Dinner time talk. Office chatter. Workplace commotion. The Walking Dead became the OG. It simply trumped other shows. It sparked debate and caused arguments. My school life is highlighted by sitting in class with my mates, anticipating the plot, predicting deaths and spoiling it for others. It consumed our interest and henceforth digested my support. Now I’m at university, there seems to be only a few veterans left. The rest are part-timers or simply ‘got bored’ during the recent seasons. Call me egotistical, but I feel betrayed by the fact that my friends have given up the TV show that coerced our school life.
The Walking Dead still remains one of the best. Its story, cast and special effects still manage to wow me into submission. Season 9 is currently in the process of introducing the fan-favourite ‘Whisperers’; a terrifyingly dangerous group who disguise themselves as walkers in order to threaten the very existence of Alexandria, The Hilltop and The Kingdom. It’s definitely one thing to look forward to. Everyone knows The Walking Dead produces TV’s best villains.
Samantha Morton plays Alpha, the new lead antagonist, who is in charge of the Whisperers. If the past is anything to go by, which it certainly is, this villain is set to rival the likes of Negan and the Governor for the limelight of pure evil.
Greg Nicotero is also a marvellous SFX makeup artist. His work is easily the best in the industry. He really brings to life the essence of death, putridity and decay.
The departure of Andrew Lincoln brought about a lot of criticism. However, his departure has been rewarded with a variety of new cast members, who so far, have displayed the desirable traits to be in the show. Survival. Compassion. Identity. Fans need to realise that Lincoln’s departure emphasises one of the shows main themes. Adaption.
Finally, with the implementation of a six-year time jump the show can start with a clean slate. There’s new ideas, new characters and new possibilities. Angela Kang has free reign on what to do next for The Walking Dead. And I can tell you one thing for sure, I’m dead excited!
So, I urge to you to watch it. If you’ve stopped you need to pick up your remote, controller, firestick thingy, whatever! We have the chance to fall in love with characters again, to become involved with the plot and to be distracted from reality. I couldn’t think of anything better.
The Walking Dead continues Mondays at 9pm on FOX, and is also available to stream on NOW TV.
Words by Joseph Holgate, who you can follow on Twitter @joerodholgate
Tagged in The Walking Dead