I've been a fan of The Walking Dead ever since the first episode of the first season. Even though the quality has gone down in recent years I still haven't missed an episode. While the last few seasons weren't quite as good they were still worth watching. It did go out on a high note though, the last season was actually pretty good. It had a few slow filler episodes but overall it was solid. Even though it was definitely time for it to end I'm still going to miss it. When something's been apart of your life for so long it's hard to say goodbye. The good news for fans is that there are a few spinoffs coming in 2023. I'm actually interested in the spinoffs considering they all star my favorite characters from the main show. There's three of them so far...one with Rick & Michonne, one with Negan & Maggie and one with Darryl going over to Europe. Again, those all happen to be my favorite characters so I'm looking forward to them and hope they're good!
2,651 Reviews
Going to miss it but it's prob time for it to go!
Supermanfan-135 March 2021
Everyone know that The Walking Dead isn't as good as it used to be, those early seasons were groundbreaking in so many ways and because of them this show still gets a high rating from me! Those earlier seasons make this show one of the best shows of all-time! Like most long running shows, it's had its ups and downs but even at its worst it was still the #1 show on cable, in fact it has been #1 every season it's been on the air. The last few seasons without Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) haven't been as good but it's at least starting to get back to being a pretty good show this season. Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Jeffery Dean Morgan (Negan) have continued to carry the show after Andrew Lincoln's departure and I think we can actually look forward to it again!
Amazing if you binge-watch.
balder77713 June 2021
This is a very long running TV-show (10+ years) with many seasons. One common view is that the first seasons are great, then it becomes garbage. I decided to binge-watch in 2021 to make an opinion for myself.
What I will say is that season 1 is definitely the fastest paced season, reminiscent of typical Zombie films such as Dawn of the Dead with a simple "escape the undead" premise. After season 1, the pacing becomes very slow (lots of episodes, each 1 hour), and the story drags on and is more about watching the cast settle down in bases/single locations. It becomes a post-apoc survival show.
Personally, I very much enjoyed binge watching this entire show. I even prefered the later seasons than the first seasons. It felt enjoyable to watch a slower paced story of survival and base/world building by the core cast of the show, mainly Rick Grimes and his son Carl. The reason is that "escaping the zombies" and being stressed & running all the time, gets old. I liked the other aspects of post-apocalypse survival themes such as the danger of other human groups (Negan and the saviors, I really liked, the Negan actor is amazing and very charismatic).
One of the common views I read online is that the entire show is amazing if binge watched, as it forms one great story. However it was HELL for the people that watched a single episode per week/month, because often very little happens in each episode, dragging the seasons on forever. But binge watching a season makes for a nice "kick back & relax" TV show to enjoy.
So in conclusion, I would very much ignore the reviews that say "Only season 1 is great" and "anything after season 5 sucks". I would advise you binge watch from season 1, and stop when you no longer want to watch. For me, I just couldn't stop and really started to enjoy the show from season 6 onwards (when the "running from zombies" premise ends).
Overall, no matter one's opinion, one undeniable fact is that this is the QUINTESSENTIAL zombie TV show, with the number of seasons to match. It is simply epic and I cannot wait to see how season 11 concludes this story. Enjoyable through the dead. Just Watch it.
What I will say is that season 1 is definitely the fastest paced season, reminiscent of typical Zombie films such as Dawn of the Dead with a simple "escape the undead" premise. After season 1, the pacing becomes very slow (lots of episodes, each 1 hour), and the story drags on and is more about watching the cast settle down in bases/single locations. It becomes a post-apoc survival show.
Personally, I very much enjoyed binge watching this entire show. I even prefered the later seasons than the first seasons. It felt enjoyable to watch a slower paced story of survival and base/world building by the core cast of the show, mainly Rick Grimes and his son Carl. The reason is that "escaping the zombies" and being stressed & running all the time, gets old. I liked the other aspects of post-apocalypse survival themes such as the danger of other human groups (Negan and the saviors, I really liked, the Negan actor is amazing and very charismatic).
One of the common views I read online is that the entire show is amazing if binge watched, as it forms one great story. However it was HELL for the people that watched a single episode per week/month, because often very little happens in each episode, dragging the seasons on forever. But binge watching a season makes for a nice "kick back & relax" TV show to enjoy.
So in conclusion, I would very much ignore the reviews that say "Only season 1 is great" and "anything after season 5 sucks". I would advise you binge watch from season 1, and stop when you no longer want to watch. For me, I just couldn't stop and really started to enjoy the show from season 6 onwards (when the "running from zombies" premise ends).
Overall, no matter one's opinion, one undeniable fact is that this is the QUINTESSENTIAL zombie TV show, with the number of seasons to match. It is simply epic and I cannot wait to see how season 11 concludes this story. Enjoyable through the dead. Just Watch it.
Very much alive for Seasons 1-5, Season 7 dead
TheLittleSongbird11 November 2017
Had heard nothing but great things about 'The Walking Dead' from friends and IMDb reviewers. It took a while to get round to walking, both from being busy and also not being sure whether it would be my cup of tea.
Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be. Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant, and it still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so. My only complaint about the early seasons actually is the slightly slow start to Season 2.
'The Walking Dead' is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up which helps make the already freaky zombies even freakier. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
For five seasons, the writing was intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and improving every time a story and character were expanded and given more complexity. Loved that the stories had multiple layers and felt satisfactorily resolved, while the action is both thrilling and terrifying, the blood-spattering gore uncompromising.
Seasons 3 and 4 are especially good in this regard, and it is the latter where the complexities and nuance of the storytelling and characterisation particularly shine. The pace was a little slow to begin with in Season 2 but thrilling elsewhere while not rushing through important pieces of information. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted especially from the two leads playing particularly well-crafted characters.
Which is why it is so sad that Season 7 has been a dead mess on the whole, apart from the production values, some effective world-building and the actors did their best with what they had (an achievement somewhat, admiration is to be had for anybody able to do anything with such poor material). Season 6 did have some slow and pointless moments and the finale was a disappointment but had good things. Can say very little good about Season 7 though.
A season where once interesting, complex characters are no more. Negan was a fascinating villain, now a cartoonish caricature that one wants done away with, don't blame Jeffrey Dean Morgan here, he's great in the role, it's the writing. Pacing has been all over the map, often brutally slow. The season has had too many characters and subplots that are mostly under-explored or completely superfluous. There was heavy reliance on over-convenience, lots of melodrama, very talky sections that add little and feel like padding, little character growth, frustratingly illogical decision making and some convolution. And there were very few thrills or scares thanks to lack of suspense and a sense that everything feels toned down.
Overall, brilliant for about just over two-thirds but Season 7 was a serious disappointment and has left me dubious as to whether to stick with the show for the eighth season. With such a decline lately, there is a sense that a once addictive personal favourite show has run its course. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox
Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be. Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant, and it still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so. My only complaint about the early seasons actually is the slightly slow start to Season 2.
'The Walking Dead' is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up which helps make the already freaky zombies even freakier. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
For five seasons, the writing was intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and improving every time a story and character were expanded and given more complexity. Loved that the stories had multiple layers and felt satisfactorily resolved, while the action is both thrilling and terrifying, the blood-spattering gore uncompromising.
Seasons 3 and 4 are especially good in this regard, and it is the latter where the complexities and nuance of the storytelling and characterisation particularly shine. The pace was a little slow to begin with in Season 2 but thrilling elsewhere while not rushing through important pieces of information. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted especially from the two leads playing particularly well-crafted characters.
Which is why it is so sad that Season 7 has been a dead mess on the whole, apart from the production values, some effective world-building and the actors did their best with what they had (an achievement somewhat, admiration is to be had for anybody able to do anything with such poor material). Season 6 did have some slow and pointless moments and the finale was a disappointment but had good things. Can say very little good about Season 7 though.
A season where once interesting, complex characters are no more. Negan was a fascinating villain, now a cartoonish caricature that one wants done away with, don't blame Jeffrey Dean Morgan here, he's great in the role, it's the writing. Pacing has been all over the map, often brutally slow. The season has had too many characters and subplots that are mostly under-explored or completely superfluous. There was heavy reliance on over-convenience, lots of melodrama, very talky sections that add little and feel like padding, little character growth, frustratingly illogical decision making and some convolution. And there were very few thrills or scares thanks to lack of suspense and a sense that everything feels toned down.
Overall, brilliant for about just over two-thirds but Season 7 was a serious disappointment and has left me dubious as to whether to stick with the show for the eighth season. With such a decline lately, there is a sense that a once addictive personal favourite show has run its course. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox
The Walking Dead: Season 1 (10/10)
skybrick73612 May 2018
The Walking Dead in its first season could not be touched. When it came down to it, the first season had a collection of complex characters, thought provoking dialogue, captivating storylines, great cinematography, and downright scary looking zombies. Its hard to pin-point one thing that is extraordinary about Season 1 since there are so many aspects to talk about. First off, the scenes in downtown Atlanta were incredibly visual and the scenes that took place in more rural areas were very scenic. The undead in the first season had great makeup and special effects too, the zombies had defined faces that really make them feel they were once human. If I had to pick one thing that was great about the first season, its has to be the cast... Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal make great, bad ass lead actors that also have the ability to project a range of emotions. Laurie Holden is also radiant in this season and the surrounding cast of Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Irone Singleton, and Norman Reedus all showcase a great character that can be easily become a fan-favorite to any. Frank Darabont hit a grand slam with the Walking Dead and its fairly easily to see why the shows popularity boomed right away.
A great thing, but dragged out too long
tommdennehy2 December 2022
I would put this series my top 5 off all time despite the last few series were a tad disappointing. Maybe COVID affected the script writing but it did tail off.
Enough of that and on to the good stuff. The early seasons are just phenomenal. It's less about the walkers and more about the characters and relationships they build and the challenges they faced in trying to forge a life amidst the horror around them. And in fact the other people rather than the walkers prove more of a problem to them.
There's so much to keep you on tenterhooks. Stories are told brilliantly, there's genuine terror and fear. A constant menace.
The first 6 series are incredible. There are moments that you'll never forget. Moments that will shake you to your core. Moments that are just 'what the...'
It's genuinely moving at times too and that's where the early seasons are best. It's not a gore fest like the later ones. It's just great TV.
This would have been a clear 10 but for the drawn out ending.
Enough of that and on to the good stuff. The early seasons are just phenomenal. It's less about the walkers and more about the characters and relationships they build and the challenges they faced in trying to forge a life amidst the horror around them. And in fact the other people rather than the walkers prove more of a problem to them.
There's so much to keep you on tenterhooks. Stories are told brilliantly, there's genuine terror and fear. A constant menace.
The first 6 series are incredible. There are moments that you'll never forget. Moments that will shake you to your core. Moments that are just 'what the...'
It's genuinely moving at times too and that's where the early seasons are best. It's not a gore fest like the later ones. It's just great TV.
This would have been a clear 10 but for the drawn out ending.
Utterly surprised
Sleepin_Dragon12 April 2011
I have to be honest i was stunned at just how much i enjoyed this, been a while since i can say i'm impatient for part 2 of anything, the first episode was captivating. i have only seen episode 1 but after that alone i feel this is worthy of a 10/10, it has an originality which in a TV series is quite a nice change. Big big fan of Andrew Lincoln, quite a surprise to hear him with an American accent but i think he pulls it off well enough. True enough there were a few leaky points, like why was he left untouched in an unlocked hospital room but who cares. The scene when he walks out of the hospital past all the dead bodies and empty streets, wow, what a piece of brilliance. The effects were great, wouldn't recommend anyone having a kebab while watching it though :-)
Update, 2019, I'm not surprised it's still going, and I'm looking forward to the introduction of Samantha Morton. It has varied in quality since the first series, but it's still a great watch.
Update, 2019, I'm not surprised it's still going, and I'm looking forward to the introduction of Samantha Morton. It has varied in quality since the first series, but it's still a great watch.
A real shame
niriath30 January 2022
The first 4 seasons were genuinely great! Mostly interesting characters with depth and good archs. Season 5 was okay but became a bit messy. Following seasons became a who' who of human stockpiles. Way too many characters, descisions that made no sense, blurry storylines and no character development.
Entering season 11 and I truly have no idea who most of these people are anymore, what they're doing and why.
Entering season 11 and I truly have no idea who most of these people are anymore, what they're doing and why.
Season 1 = 10/10 Seasons 2-6 = 8/10 After that Forget it
american-7833127 April 2023
Frank Darabont spent 5 years developing The Walking Dead and was instrumental in establishing the tone, visual style and what the zombie outbreak would look and feel like. He wrote and directed the pilot episode "Days Gone Bye" delivering a unique setup and live action that was compelling and believable. I also give credit to Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Glen Mazzara (all excellent) for continuing to keep the show on track after Frank's departure. The original cast also played a integral role I also give much credit all of them as well as Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse and Angela Kang for their early work.
Ever since Negan its going downhill
kythia13 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This show used to be good, very personal, sometimes a bit melodramatic, but always filled with strong characters and interesting story arcs.
However, ever since the Negan plot started, this has changed. Built up as a super villain who radiates domination, he instead turned out to be a harmless rocker who switches between "nice uncle from next door" to "bat swinging psycho killer" whenever the script demands it.
Negan was supposed to surpass the Governour in terms of cruelty and malice, but in my opinion he doesn't even get close. The Governour had charisma, style, and above all, a real reason for all his experiments; his daughter. We still don't know why or how Negan came to be.
Season 6 was full of chest-pounding and inevitably doomed plotting by the heroes, but it was still fun to watch them descend into mass murder. Especially Carol had incredibly intense moments.
Season 7, after the reveal of Negan, turned out to be a super slow recuperation with the nice uncle coming over for spaghetti. They tried to show how he controls his people with rules and by burning them and so on, but overall it was a super tame story with "Soon(TM)" all over it.
Instead of fixing that in season 8, they now bury the show in one action episode after another. And its not the somewhat smart action we saw in earlier seasons, but 80's style A-Team nonsense action. Cars are bullet sponges, ammo is thrown around like its World War II, a .50 caliber machine gun mows down 50 people with ease but can't hit one dude in a Jeep, and there is no stopping to all the shooting. Even when people are having a quiet moment to talk, you hear often hear shooting in the background.
We rarely have those epic Daryl moments anymore, Rick has become a a hollow shell of a leader, Carl seems to be on vacation. Several other iconic characters were lost and have been replaced with cardboard gunmen.
The Walking Dead needs to stop playing World War Z, cease its nation building, and return to what made it great. Everyday survival by interesting characters in a hostile world.
However, ever since the Negan plot started, this has changed. Built up as a super villain who radiates domination, he instead turned out to be a harmless rocker who switches between "nice uncle from next door" to "bat swinging psycho killer" whenever the script demands it.
Negan was supposed to surpass the Governour in terms of cruelty and malice, but in my opinion he doesn't even get close. The Governour had charisma, style, and above all, a real reason for all his experiments; his daughter. We still don't know why or how Negan came to be.
Season 6 was full of chest-pounding and inevitably doomed plotting by the heroes, but it was still fun to watch them descend into mass murder. Especially Carol had incredibly intense moments.
Season 7, after the reveal of Negan, turned out to be a super slow recuperation with the nice uncle coming over for spaghetti. They tried to show how he controls his people with rules and by burning them and so on, but overall it was a super tame story with "Soon(TM)" all over it.
Instead of fixing that in season 8, they now bury the show in one action episode after another. And its not the somewhat smart action we saw in earlier seasons, but 80's style A-Team nonsense action. Cars are bullet sponges, ammo is thrown around like its World War II, a .50 caliber machine gun mows down 50 people with ease but can't hit one dude in a Jeep, and there is no stopping to all the shooting. Even when people are having a quiet moment to talk, you hear often hear shooting in the background.
We rarely have those epic Daryl moments anymore, Rick has become a a hollow shell of a leader, Carl seems to be on vacation. Several other iconic characters were lost and have been replaced with cardboard gunmen.
The Walking Dead needs to stop playing World War Z, cease its nation building, and return to what made it great. Everyday survival by interesting characters in a hostile world.
The real apocalypse of the show is greed
thePopcornExplorer21 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I have no words to describe how good I feel that this has finally ended, relief is the only feeling I can express as I sat through the credits of the final episode of Walking Dead, doesn't even feel real yet.
All right let's break this down before leading people into any assumptions, for me this was one of the first TV shows I started to watch in an era where quality TV wasn't as abundant as it is today, and as it went by it also become the first series, I gave up watching on a list of only 2.
It started with tons of potential, classic zombie apocalypse story with a pinch of mystery and intrigue, good characters and a genuine all right pace to the story, then around season 5 the event that I consider having tarnished the rest of my Walking Dead experience, happened; Eugene who was introduced as the character who was supposed to have find the cure to the zombie outbreak reveals that he was lying all along... why was this so awful to me, let me explain; most Zombie (or otherwise) apocalypse stories have two things that always bother me, they don't reveal or show to you how the entire collapse of society actually started and how modern society took it and they don't show you how would society adapt after a possible cure is found - they stick to the story during the actual outbreak.
To that extend one might argue that's fine and I would say yes if you don't take 12 years to tell that story... if you did it in a handful of seasons, I would've been fine and happy with the show.
But no, they got us hooked for 12 years on a plot loop, introducing and killing off new characters, copy and pasting villains, pointless dialogues, predictable outcomes, endless boring zombie killings to end in what an intriguing revelation? A possible cure after all that time? No, it ended in nothing!! Because not only they didn't really end the story since there will be spin offs and sequels to come (yes the insane cash grabbing greed) but if you were to be told what actually relevant happened between the early 2 or 3 seasons and now you would have absolutely no interesting pieces of information to share.
And yes as I mentioned I did gave up on watching, I stopped around season 7/8 and was ready to let go but then they mentioned Rick was going to be sent off and I became curious to see what would happen (turns out they can't even kill off the main guy because they had plans for a spin off and money is all that matters) and then I stopped a second time, the only reason I came back was the announcement that season 11 was the last so I just decided since I had gone all this way to get rid of this infectious disease of a show.
"You can stop watching at any time" yes but I am one of those persons that once invested I want to see the end result so as I said they got the audiences hook to this snooze fest of a show just to make an open ending for the TWD universe to come... a lot of TV shows and movies are greedy but these guys are on a whole other level....
All right let's break this down before leading people into any assumptions, for me this was one of the first TV shows I started to watch in an era where quality TV wasn't as abundant as it is today, and as it went by it also become the first series, I gave up watching on a list of only 2.
It started with tons of potential, classic zombie apocalypse story with a pinch of mystery and intrigue, good characters and a genuine all right pace to the story, then around season 5 the event that I consider having tarnished the rest of my Walking Dead experience, happened; Eugene who was introduced as the character who was supposed to have find the cure to the zombie outbreak reveals that he was lying all along... why was this so awful to me, let me explain; most Zombie (or otherwise) apocalypse stories have two things that always bother me, they don't reveal or show to you how the entire collapse of society actually started and how modern society took it and they don't show you how would society adapt after a possible cure is found - they stick to the story during the actual outbreak.
To that extend one might argue that's fine and I would say yes if you don't take 12 years to tell that story... if you did it in a handful of seasons, I would've been fine and happy with the show.
But no, they got us hooked for 12 years on a plot loop, introducing and killing off new characters, copy and pasting villains, pointless dialogues, predictable outcomes, endless boring zombie killings to end in what an intriguing revelation? A possible cure after all that time? No, it ended in nothing!! Because not only they didn't really end the story since there will be spin offs and sequels to come (yes the insane cash grabbing greed) but if you were to be told what actually relevant happened between the early 2 or 3 seasons and now you would have absolutely no interesting pieces of information to share.
And yes as I mentioned I did gave up on watching, I stopped around season 7/8 and was ready to let go but then they mentioned Rick was going to be sent off and I became curious to see what would happen (turns out they can't even kill off the main guy because they had plans for a spin off and money is all that matters) and then I stopped a second time, the only reason I came back was the announcement that season 11 was the last so I just decided since I had gone all this way to get rid of this infectious disease of a show.
"You can stop watching at any time" yes but I am one of those persons that once invested I want to see the end result so as I said they got the audiences hook to this snooze fest of a show just to make an open ending for the TWD universe to come... a lot of TV shows and movies are greedy but these guys are on a whole other level....
You wouldn't judge a boxers entire career on his last two fights
stevenrotherforth1 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The Walking Dead
I think the title of this review sums up 'TWD' rather accurately. What started out as a decent prospect then worked its way up through the ranks to become TV show champion of the world. Sadly the last few seasons became slow, predictable and lacked the punch that the earlier seasons would week after week knock you out with. Like an aging boxer this show doesn't really know where to go and what to do anymore. So it keeps trying to do what it did in its youth but to lesser effect. Is it time to hang up those gloves?
For anyone unfamiliar with the story 'TWD' is about a group of people trying survive a zombie apocalypse. It soon becomes apparent that you should fear the dead but fear the living even more. It's dog eat dog, or in most cases human eating human! The show started out very promising and over its eight seasons developed a bunch of characters that you will truly begin to care. Unfortunately the show seems to have lost its way and has become almost as clumsy as the dithering dead that walk the Earth. During the shows entire run ( I'm currently watching season eight as I write this) there has been some truly magnificent television. Some great storytelling, nail biting, riveting moments that shock and keep the audience hooked.
Characters come and go and the long run time of each season helps us get to know each individual thoroughly. The cast become almost like family members. So when one of them does meet their demise it's upsetting. There's been some great villains and foes along the way too. The Governor and Negan being most memorable. Negan played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan is probably the best thing about the more recent seasons. There's characters that have conflicting views. Shane played by Jon Bernthal being a good example. This show tugs on all the emotions. There's pain, anger, fear and despair. There's also the well timed piece of humour here and there to show that despite all that has happened to them these people are still human.
The production value of this show is of very high quality. Only the odd piece of CGI occasionally lets the side down. Particularly the CGI flames used instead of practical effects. This is odd as the practical and makeup effects in this show are second only to Game of Thrones. Prosthetic makeup effects are Oscar worthy. Can a TV show get an Oscar? I don't know but if it can this show definitely should get one. Zombies are brought to life, if that makes any sense by some truly wonderful makeup design. Animatronics are very realistic giving the whole show a level of authenticity usually associated with a high budget Hollywood blockbuster.
One criticism I do have is that the show doesn't look and sound as good as it should. As a High definition experience the picture is often grainy with no vibrancy. Possibly this is intentional to show the grubby broken down world that the show is set in. Sound doesn't seem to immerse as well as it should. While I'll admit that it isn't bad, it just doesn't sound as involving as some other big budget TV shows. Overall 'TWD' is a superb show. One that will go down as a classic. It may have fallen slightly from grace over the latter years but it still remains a 10/10 experience and one that you should definitely check out.
I think the title of this review sums up 'TWD' rather accurately. What started out as a decent prospect then worked its way up through the ranks to become TV show champion of the world. Sadly the last few seasons became slow, predictable and lacked the punch that the earlier seasons would week after week knock you out with. Like an aging boxer this show doesn't really know where to go and what to do anymore. So it keeps trying to do what it did in its youth but to lesser effect. Is it time to hang up those gloves?
For anyone unfamiliar with the story 'TWD' is about a group of people trying survive a zombie apocalypse. It soon becomes apparent that you should fear the dead but fear the living even more. It's dog eat dog, or in most cases human eating human! The show started out very promising and over its eight seasons developed a bunch of characters that you will truly begin to care. Unfortunately the show seems to have lost its way and has become almost as clumsy as the dithering dead that walk the Earth. During the shows entire run ( I'm currently watching season eight as I write this) there has been some truly magnificent television. Some great storytelling, nail biting, riveting moments that shock and keep the audience hooked.
Characters come and go and the long run time of each season helps us get to know each individual thoroughly. The cast become almost like family members. So when one of them does meet their demise it's upsetting. There's been some great villains and foes along the way too. The Governor and Negan being most memorable. Negan played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan is probably the best thing about the more recent seasons. There's characters that have conflicting views. Shane played by Jon Bernthal being a good example. This show tugs on all the emotions. There's pain, anger, fear and despair. There's also the well timed piece of humour here and there to show that despite all that has happened to them these people are still human.
The production value of this show is of very high quality. Only the odd piece of CGI occasionally lets the side down. Particularly the CGI flames used instead of practical effects. This is odd as the practical and makeup effects in this show are second only to Game of Thrones. Prosthetic makeup effects are Oscar worthy. Can a TV show get an Oscar? I don't know but if it can this show definitely should get one. Zombies are brought to life, if that makes any sense by some truly wonderful makeup design. Animatronics are very realistic giving the whole show a level of authenticity usually associated with a high budget Hollywood blockbuster.
One criticism I do have is that the show doesn't look and sound as good as it should. As a High definition experience the picture is often grainy with no vibrancy. Possibly this is intentional to show the grubby broken down world that the show is set in. Sound doesn't seem to immerse as well as it should. While I'll admit that it isn't bad, it just doesn't sound as involving as some other big budget TV shows. Overall 'TWD' is a superb show. One that will go down as a classic. It may have fallen slightly from grace over the latter years but it still remains a 10/10 experience and one that you should definitely check out.
What really killed the show for me
strizbiz-9942925 April 2022
I really used to love this show, first 6 seasons were great, then things just slowly started going downhill, and what made things worse is all these mid season finales......only airing half of a season and then waiting months and months for the rest of a season is soooooo tired at this point. By the time we get to the second half of a season my interest is less and less. Now we're waiting for the second half of the series finale and to be honest.... I'm really not that interested, no one's sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the show to return at this point. It's just really time to pull the plug on this show. All the " let's take a really long break mid season.....every season " is what ultimately killed it for me.
So many unexplored avenues
bluepink29 July 2018
I loved the first few seasons, but around the time that Negan came, it went downhill. The main thing I liked about the show was the emphasis on humans vs walkers. But now it's mainly humans vs humans.
I feel like the show got sidetracked, and there are so many unexplored avenues. e.g. I would be interested to see if they could connect with people overseas. If they can build things up again and create new towns etc. And gradually restore humanity etc.
it was something for awhile
SnoopyStyle21 November 2022
Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to find the hospital abandoned and is alone. A zombie apocalypse has broken out while he was out. He finds other survivors as he searches for his family.
This was a big hit for AMC and creator Frank Darabont. It's the little show that could. For a few years, this was must-see TV. It was addictive. It was talk-worthy. What follows is a long slow decline to the end of its eleven seasons. This show has memorable characters. People love them or else a bad death wouldn't have resulted in as much anger. It ran for too long and had too many spinoffs. It was fun while it lasted.
This was a big hit for AMC and creator Frank Darabont. It's the little show that could. For a few years, this was must-see TV. It was addictive. It was talk-worthy. What follows is a long slow decline to the end of its eleven seasons. This show has memorable characters. People love them or else a bad death wouldn't have resulted in as much anger. It ran for too long and had too many spinoffs. It was fun while it lasted.
Bring back Frank Darabont
RedMars201725 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As Season 8 begins, this has gone from 10/10 to 1/10. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
I was hooked on Walking Dead for its first 5 seasons. It was some of the bravest drama on television. It wasn't afraid to kill off main characters when their deaths heightened the drama.
Then came seasons 6 and 7 and suddenly it morphed into The 100 With Zombies. and now on the pilot ep of S8, it's become as badly written and inconsistent as Fear The Walking Dead. That takes some doing. Self-sabotage? I'm not sure, but surely some of the cast must read these scripts and think, "WTF has happened to this show?"
For two seasons now, intelligent characters have done dumb things. Negan has been bulletproof. Rick can shoot a zombie at 100 metres, but can't shoot Negan with a machine gun at 10m.
Zombies now just walk past fallen people. The priest was never in ANY danger. In S1-5, he would have been eaten alive.
This episode has THE MOST COMPLICATED plan - of luring hundreds of zombies for miles toward the Saviors' hideout - when they could have just used guns.
Bullets are in short supply, but that doesn't stop the good guys wasting thousands of them shooting at a building.
Negan is now a bullet-proof cartoon villain who spouts poorly-written T shirt slogans to bore people off the idea of shooting him. Even the Priest, armed with a rifle, can't be bothered to aim it. Despite being brave enough to escape a zombie hoard, the priest is now frozen with fear as Negan steps out of the shadows.
Rick's dream sequence! Why are we now relying on dream sequences to instill some mystery into the drama? You could add a laugh track to that dream sequence of Rick waking up as an old man it wouldn't seem out of place on Saturday Night Live.
TERRIBLE. Another 15 episodes of this. To think what it used to be and what it has become.
I was hooked on Walking Dead for its first 5 seasons. It was some of the bravest drama on television. It wasn't afraid to kill off main characters when their deaths heightened the drama.
Then came seasons 6 and 7 and suddenly it morphed into The 100 With Zombies. and now on the pilot ep of S8, it's become as badly written and inconsistent as Fear The Walking Dead. That takes some doing. Self-sabotage? I'm not sure, but surely some of the cast must read these scripts and think, "WTF has happened to this show?"
For two seasons now, intelligent characters have done dumb things. Negan has been bulletproof. Rick can shoot a zombie at 100 metres, but can't shoot Negan with a machine gun at 10m.
Zombies now just walk past fallen people. The priest was never in ANY danger. In S1-5, he would have been eaten alive.
This episode has THE MOST COMPLICATED plan - of luring hundreds of zombies for miles toward the Saviors' hideout - when they could have just used guns.
Bullets are in short supply, but that doesn't stop the good guys wasting thousands of them shooting at a building.
Negan is now a bullet-proof cartoon villain who spouts poorly-written T shirt slogans to bore people off the idea of shooting him. Even the Priest, armed with a rifle, can't be bothered to aim it. Despite being brave enough to escape a zombie hoard, the priest is now frozen with fear as Negan steps out of the shadows.
Rick's dream sequence! Why are we now relying on dream sequences to instill some mystery into the drama? You could add a laugh track to that dream sequence of Rick waking up as an old man it wouldn't seem out of place on Saturday Night Live.
TERRIBLE. Another 15 episodes of this. To think what it used to be and what it has become.
A show that went from hero to zero...
stafheyndrickx-490-6816542 May 2022
Are people seriously still watching this? How long can any tv show be possibly milked? I think around halfway season 6 we finally stopped watching the same story over and over again. Never anything new, never any interesting new characters anymore and a storyline that's not even there anymore... A shame though, because I absolutely loved the first 4 to 5 seasons, and please kill off it's awful spinof Fear the walking dead as well... It wasn't that good to begin with anyway.
Not Even Worth Finishing
kpassa28 October 2022
I was a huge fan of the series. At first I didn't think it was possible to put a new twist on an old Zombie story but Rick and his motley crew of characters pulled it off, and they pulled it off so brilliantly that the whole world stood up and took notice. The Walking Dead became a phenomenon, and deservedly so. Unfortunately they didn't know when to quit and as the seasons dragged on it became more and more farcical. As it became more tedious to watch the characters get out of impossible situation after impossible situation and becoming more comic like than the comic itself I struggled to find a reason to keep watching it. Now I am on their final episodes and after at first eagerly awaiting each episode I watch them whenever it's convenient and I have nothing better to do. 4 episodes to go and I don't care what happens to them anymore. I never thought I would think this but it I don't see another episode I won't miss it. My rating is for what it used to be, not what it became.
Used to be amazing!
honeybloggs-696483 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I love Zombie , horror flicks etc . I still remember the first episode of TWD with Rick in the hospital . It was exciting , fresh , fun, and full of suspense , so I could barely wait for the next episode .There was nothing like it on TV ! Nothing ! It continued to be really good . They killed off Shane who brought a real edge to the show . Shame! They started background stories about the characters which was fine but they did entire episodes, which was not necessary . TWD became like a soap opera ! . They particularly concentrated on Morgan and his story took a few episodes and wasn't even relevant and was incredibly boring and laborious to watch. They stuck in a couple of Zombies who didn't even appear to be a threat . Had the Zombie Apocalypse suddenly disappeared? ! Admittedly I didn't want to watch JUST Zombies being killed off senselessly but I did want to see a good amount of Zombies who were a threat .
The Show had various villains and evil groups who were great . The Governor was excellent as was Simon ,Jadis , the group the Wolves etc The good guys like Jesus, King Ezekiel etc were brilliant. So the Show was still great. They introduced Negan . His acting was FANTASTIC ! He added a rawness to the show. Then they killed off one of their main characters in Season 7 , GLEN .BIG MISTAKE! After that the director killed of CARL , RICK'S SON.(IN SEASON 8 ) HUGE MISTAKE . The actor who played Carl was superb and didn't even want to leave the show.and he was kicked off . I believe that the Producers of TWD DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE PAYING THE REGULAR CHARACTERS OF THE SHOW . They made EXCUSES of why they killed off Carl . The whole show became a MONEY SPINNER . They even hardly had any Zombies as they didn't want to pay the Extras in the Show .
Negan was then captured and became a WIMP . The REMOVAL OF RICK was another HUGE mistake THE SHOW CRASHED . They got rid of King Ezekiel's TIGER. Mistake . KING EZEKIEL WAS MAJESTIC AND POWERFUL AND THEY TRANSFORMED HIM INTO A WEAK , DUMB , WIMP . And CAROL's character transformed into an abused older woman into a powerful woman and that was really good . BUT AFTERWARDS THEY JUST HAD HER RUNNING AROUND AND THEN HIDING FOR NO REASON AND OVER PLAYING IT ALL . And then she dumped King Ezekiel FOR NO REASON. IT MADE NO SENSE . IT WAS STUPID .
MAGGIE AND GLEN WERE BRILLIANT TOGETHER . As soon as they killed off Glen , Maggie's character didn't work ! They made Maggie into a Leader of a community and that was awful . She's a g good actress but that role did NOT suit her . The actress Lauren Cohan asked the producers for more money and they refused so she left the Show. Then they reached a deal and Lauren Aka Maggie returned to TWD . SHE SHOULD HAVE STAYED AWAY THE ROLE IS NOT RIGHT FOR HER IMO
The concept of the WHISPERERS WAS GREAT . The Whisperers were mysterious , and a threat to everyone . BUT the actress , Samantha Morton who played their LEADER ALPHA, WAS AN APPALLINGLY BAD ACTRESS. SHE OVER PLAYED THE CHARACTER AND BECAME LAUGHABLE . SHE WAS THE FIRST BADDIE WHO WAS JUST RIDICULOUS . Then she became attracted to NEGAN . They had NO chemistry . And her acting continued to be terrible . The best thing they did was kill her off!
I Stopped watching TWD after a while . It was too boring and monotonous . The storylines were awful and senseless . And the director was so bad that even the good actors were terrible.
TWD HAS BECOME A MONEY SPINNER . IT IS SUCH A SHAME. IT WAS A FANTASTIC SHOW. RIP TWD . AMEN .
The Show had various villains and evil groups who were great . The Governor was excellent as was Simon ,Jadis , the group the Wolves etc The good guys like Jesus, King Ezekiel etc were brilliant. So the Show was still great. They introduced Negan . His acting was FANTASTIC ! He added a rawness to the show. Then they killed off one of their main characters in Season 7 , GLEN .BIG MISTAKE! After that the director killed of CARL , RICK'S SON.(IN SEASON 8 ) HUGE MISTAKE . The actor who played Carl was superb and didn't even want to leave the show.and he was kicked off . I believe that the Producers of TWD DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE PAYING THE REGULAR CHARACTERS OF THE SHOW . They made EXCUSES of why they killed off Carl . The whole show became a MONEY SPINNER . They even hardly had any Zombies as they didn't want to pay the Extras in the Show .
Negan was then captured and became a WIMP . The REMOVAL OF RICK was another HUGE mistake THE SHOW CRASHED . They got rid of King Ezekiel's TIGER. Mistake . KING EZEKIEL WAS MAJESTIC AND POWERFUL AND THEY TRANSFORMED HIM INTO A WEAK , DUMB , WIMP . And CAROL's character transformed into an abused older woman into a powerful woman and that was really good . BUT AFTERWARDS THEY JUST HAD HER RUNNING AROUND AND THEN HIDING FOR NO REASON AND OVER PLAYING IT ALL . And then she dumped King Ezekiel FOR NO REASON. IT MADE NO SENSE . IT WAS STUPID .
MAGGIE AND GLEN WERE BRILLIANT TOGETHER . As soon as they killed off Glen , Maggie's character didn't work ! They made Maggie into a Leader of a community and that was awful . She's a g good actress but that role did NOT suit her . The actress Lauren Cohan asked the producers for more money and they refused so she left the Show. Then they reached a deal and Lauren Aka Maggie returned to TWD . SHE SHOULD HAVE STAYED AWAY THE ROLE IS NOT RIGHT FOR HER IMO
The concept of the WHISPERERS WAS GREAT . The Whisperers were mysterious , and a threat to everyone . BUT the actress , Samantha Morton who played their LEADER ALPHA, WAS AN APPALLINGLY BAD ACTRESS. SHE OVER PLAYED THE CHARACTER AND BECAME LAUGHABLE . SHE WAS THE FIRST BADDIE WHO WAS JUST RIDICULOUS . Then she became attracted to NEGAN . They had NO chemistry . And her acting continued to be terrible . The best thing they did was kill her off!
I Stopped watching TWD after a while . It was too boring and monotonous . The storylines were awful and senseless . And the director was so bad that even the good actors were terrible.
TWD HAS BECOME A MONEY SPINNER . IT IS SUCH A SHAME. IT WAS A FANTASTIC SHOW. RIP TWD . AMEN .
A Realistic and Amazing Show!
sammielimehouse-8465812 April 2021
The Walking Dead is an incredible show, although it has it's rough patches, like every other show. Especially later seasons like seven and eight. But I love it because of how unforgiving and gritty the show is. Because of how realistic the show typically lives I go into every episode wondering who they're going to kill of next, because this show is know for killing off it's characters. Overall, this is one of my favorite shows AMC has ever produced and there is a reason that it has spawned several sequels and even an entire trilogy of movies.
8.5/10.
8.5/10.
Started at a 9
gillmurphydogg6 January 2023
This series had so much potential had it not dragged on for so long. The "baddie" characters just became lackluster as the writers tried to invent more depraved personas of what is essentially the same character.
Rick as a character also didn't have a lot of evolution. The performance by Lincoln tended to be brooding throughout. Never the less, I did feel he performed it well.
This is a show that I think most viewers will enjoy if you're into gory horror zombie flicks. I think it's an easy one to tap in and out of given the repetitive cycle the series tends to go through. Either way, it'll be one for the ages.
Rick as a character also didn't have a lot of evolution. The performance by Lincoln tended to be brooding throughout. Never the less, I did feel he performed it well.
This is a show that I think most viewers will enjoy if you're into gory horror zombie flicks. I think it's an easy one to tap in and out of given the repetitive cycle the series tends to go through. Either way, it'll be one for the ages.
Used to love this! Now it needs to finish!
terrykelly-345128 February 2022
Was the best thing on TV at one point! Couldn't wait for it to be on! Was so engaging and all the character threads were amazing! Now they are all getting on my nerves! Is it wrong to want them all to be turned into zombies? I now watch this on a tablet in the background while watching something else. Want to finish it but not really bothered what happens to them! Has been dragged out for far too long now.
Like watching a loved one slowly die
numbnuts-975215 January 2021
This used to be great... final season is just gasping for air.
NullUnit17 October 2022
So.. I enjoyed the first few seasons. They were illogical at times and characters were... well.. kind of morons at times. But they were a decent watch. But I gotta say the core 7 characters which lasted the first 3-4 seasons were great to watch. Stories and plots seemed cohesive and compelling.
Then, after a few seasons, the show got into an overly repetitious cycle. Right around the prison season (4?) New bad guy does something horrible... the season (or two) is then spent getting revenge on him/her/them... from Terminous, to the Governor, to Negan, to the Whisperers.. all same basic plot-line. Wash, rinse, repeat for many, many season in the middle. At first, with Terminous it worked because it was the initial run through for the plot line... but they then repeated the same basic premise for several more seasons. It seemed so glaringly obvious to me.
I actually think once Andrew Lincoln left the show they didn't know what to do with it and have limped along since then. There's been no center of focus for every season without Lincoln.. no "new" leader or primary character. Nothing "driving" the story overall.
The children seem absent entirely as the show wraps up, other than narration from Judith to fill the audio for the opening flashbacks, which are really just a time-filler.
This last season.... oh what a soap opera it has become. The entire "commonwealth" idea is just a terrible move for the series. It moves what was supposed to be a "survival" show into a "political drama" show. 50K population huh? But we only see the same 10 people? I mean, even using Barbara from Shark Tank as a character! (that's a joke). The final episodes just seem like a gasp for air from a drowning man.. ANYTHING to keep it going. ANYTHING. Newer characters that struggle to act.. storylines that I could not possibly care less about... and less and less focus on survival. I mean Eugene's trial is a storyline.. a trial.. after the world has ended??? Really?? They should have renamed the final episodes The Dead and the Restless . . . Or As The Dead Turns.... or The Bold and the Braindead.
Negan should be dead.
Eugene should be dead.
Maggie should be dead.
Ezekiel should be dead. (Really, they cure cancer post-apocalypse? And that's not a soap opera?)
Once they stopped being willing to kill off notable characters.. they lost the thread. Has ANYONE of importance died since Rick disappeared?? I can't recall any important deaths. Michon just disappeared... POOF!
Princess, Kumiko, Mercer, the deaf girl and her sister (whatever their names are), Aaron... should all be dead. They won't even kill off the lesser characters.
In fact, EVERY single character introduced in the last 3 seasons should also be dead. If they want to wrap it up well, everyone will be dead except Carol and Daryl at the end.
I'm really only watching the final episodes to finish the story.. but man is it a struggle to get through the last few sappy, over-the-top, ridiculous episodes.
But hey.. at least there's no zero-radiation nukes dropping making the entire cast wear gas masks to muffle their speech.
---------------
After 11 seasons this series ends in a whimper.
The last episode was largely predictable and unexciting - when you think it's not.. well.. it is ultimately. It answers NONE of the outstanding questions in the series. It seems rather than actually ending the series well, they will be releasing a plethora of new shows to answer outstanding questions in the new "Walking Dead Universe" (Wannabe Marvel much?) Sure, I'll tune into the new shows to see how they are. But I can't help but think that merely letting The Walking Dead end in an ENTIRELY unfulfilling and pathetic manner was just an outright snub to viewers - clearly treating them as a commodity to string along not the people that made the show popular from the start. Producers seem to be seeing $$$$ signs and merely focusing on that. Viewers MUST watch the new shows coming to know what happened to Rick or Michon... to know what happens between Maggie and Neegan... to know what happens to Daryl and Carol.. to know ANYTHING about the outcome for any of the primary characters. All the ending does is cement the fact that the tertiary characters are possible gone now and they can move on from the (horrible) commonwealth idea (although I'm sure it'll pop up in one of the spin offs). I'm entirely unimpressed with the "we didn't answer anything... but look new shows!" ending.
Then, after a few seasons, the show got into an overly repetitious cycle. Right around the prison season (4?) New bad guy does something horrible... the season (or two) is then spent getting revenge on him/her/them... from Terminous, to the Governor, to Negan, to the Whisperers.. all same basic plot-line. Wash, rinse, repeat for many, many season in the middle. At first, with Terminous it worked because it was the initial run through for the plot line... but they then repeated the same basic premise for several more seasons. It seemed so glaringly obvious to me.
I actually think once Andrew Lincoln left the show they didn't know what to do with it and have limped along since then. There's been no center of focus for every season without Lincoln.. no "new" leader or primary character. Nothing "driving" the story overall.
The children seem absent entirely as the show wraps up, other than narration from Judith to fill the audio for the opening flashbacks, which are really just a time-filler.
This last season.... oh what a soap opera it has become. The entire "commonwealth" idea is just a terrible move for the series. It moves what was supposed to be a "survival" show into a "political drama" show. 50K population huh? But we only see the same 10 people? I mean, even using Barbara from Shark Tank as a character! (that's a joke). The final episodes just seem like a gasp for air from a drowning man.. ANYTHING to keep it going. ANYTHING. Newer characters that struggle to act.. storylines that I could not possibly care less about... and less and less focus on survival. I mean Eugene's trial is a storyline.. a trial.. after the world has ended??? Really?? They should have renamed the final episodes The Dead and the Restless . . . Or As The Dead Turns.... or The Bold and the Braindead.
Negan should be dead.
Eugene should be dead.
Maggie should be dead.
Ezekiel should be dead. (Really, they cure cancer post-apocalypse? And that's not a soap opera?)
Once they stopped being willing to kill off notable characters.. they lost the thread. Has ANYONE of importance died since Rick disappeared?? I can't recall any important deaths. Michon just disappeared... POOF!
Princess, Kumiko, Mercer, the deaf girl and her sister (whatever their names are), Aaron... should all be dead. They won't even kill off the lesser characters.
In fact, EVERY single character introduced in the last 3 seasons should also be dead. If they want to wrap it up well, everyone will be dead except Carol and Daryl at the end.
I'm really only watching the final episodes to finish the story.. but man is it a struggle to get through the last few sappy, over-the-top, ridiculous episodes.
But hey.. at least there's no zero-radiation nukes dropping making the entire cast wear gas masks to muffle their speech.
---------------
After 11 seasons this series ends in a whimper.
The last episode was largely predictable and unexciting - when you think it's not.. well.. it is ultimately. It answers NONE of the outstanding questions in the series. It seems rather than actually ending the series well, they will be releasing a plethora of new shows to answer outstanding questions in the new "Walking Dead Universe" (Wannabe Marvel much?) Sure, I'll tune into the new shows to see how they are. But I can't help but think that merely letting The Walking Dead end in an ENTIRELY unfulfilling and pathetic manner was just an outright snub to viewers - clearly treating them as a commodity to string along not the people that made the show popular from the start. Producers seem to be seeing $$$$ signs and merely focusing on that. Viewers MUST watch the new shows coming to know what happened to Rick or Michon... to know what happens between Maggie and Neegan... to know what happens to Daryl and Carol.. to know ANYTHING about the outcome for any of the primary characters. All the ending does is cement the fact that the tertiary characters are possible gone now and they can move on from the (horrible) commonwealth idea (although I'm sure it'll pop up in one of the spin offs). I'm entirely unimpressed with the "we didn't answer anything... but look new shows!" ending.
See also
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