One of the best ways to explain Worry the Strolling Lifeless is a rollercoaster.
What began as a compelling look into how the world fell turned a tedious affair, and we’re shocked it is even getting an eighth and closing season to tie up free ends.
The collection was destined for fulfillment on its model identify alone, and searching again, it is onerous to consider that it’s the similar present we watched throughout the first three seasons.
It is time to dive into how the present misplaced most of its viewers and whether or not something might have prevented the collection from changing into what it’s immediately: A shell of its former self.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 1 premiered to an honest response and broke a number of cable data.
It began as a collection concerning the Clark household and their wrestle to return to phrases with the autumn of the world.
It wasn’t unhealthy at first, however you possibly can inform the collection was having a little bit of an id disaster by way of exhibiting greatest what occurred in these early days of the outbreak.
The Clarks have been a formidable household, however all of them handled one thing deeply private whereas navigating this new world order.
Cliff Curtis, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Mercedes Mason, and Ruben Blades have been additionally part of the early forged as their characters joined forces with the Clarks to flee to someplace secure.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 2 elevated the stakes because the survivors joined forces with Colman Domingo’s Victor Strand, and the season provided one thing new to the franchise due to everybody residing on a ship.
There was lots of story to mine from that, however the present hit its peak with Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 3.
The primary half of the season is thought to be among the best half-seasons in franchise historical past.
At a number of factors throughout the first three seasons, Worry the Strolling Lifeless did eclipse the primary collection by way of high quality. There isn’t any query about that.
On the finish of the third season, when the present ended with the mom of all cliffhangers, showrunner Dave Erickson was let go by AMC.
In his place, Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg clearly needed to make their mark on the collection, in order that they introduced Lennie James over from the primary present as Morgan Jones.
In one of the vital stunning strikes, Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 4 centered the plot round Morgan and minimized the presence of a number of crucial characters earlier than they have been killed off.
Kim Dickens was written out of the collection and made it recognized she was not a fan of the inventive path.
Followers revolted as a result of they misplaced two members of the Clark household, leaving Alicia in a world with out her mom and brother.
It might have been simpler to know if the collection then revolved round her, however the collection turned the Morgan present, successfully alienating many followers that loved the primary three seasons.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 3 concluded with a number of cliffhangers and glorious characters, however lots of these characters have been erased from existence when the brand new showrunners took the wheel.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 4 was tough, nevertheless it was nothing in comparison with Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 5, a season of TV that made me query whether or not I used to be being punked.
The characters turned caricatures because the writing continued to flatline, giving the sense that the present was limping to the end line.
Then got here Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 6, the primary season for the reason that reboot that felt like a present price watching.
With compelling villains, character dynamics, and a plot that made Morgan extra attention-grabbing, it appeared just like the collection was on the highway to restoration.
Sadly, that solely lasted for half a season and the second half slipped again into the previous methods of writing. What a rollercoaster!
The season did finish with an unprecedented twist within the type of nuclear warheads exploding, filling Texas with radiation, and altering how the characters method survival.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 7 began decently sufficient, nevertheless it shortly turned a poor plot about Strand and his tower and the way he needed to change into this massive villain.
It would not have been as unhealthy if it did not final your complete season, however there have been so many questionable inventive selections that signaled the collection could be unable to keep up any type of consistency below Chambliss and Goldberg.
The tip of the season was weird, with Debnam-Carey written out in a approach that made some followers assume her character was useless and others assume she was cured of her mysterious ailment.
Followers watched in horror as Alicia fainted her approach via the season after being bitten by a zombie. It is a disgrace the actress was given such horrific materials to work with earlier than she departed.
You possibly can solely think about our shock when Kim Dickens returned as Madison Clark on Worry the Strolling Lifeless Season 7 Episode 16, precisely one episode after Alicia’s exit.
It might have been way more satisfying to have the mother-daughter again collectively for just a few episodes earlier than having them half methods because of the subsequent mission.
After spending such a very long time in that universe, you deserve these character moments to really feel like there is a payoff.
For Madison, we discovered that she survived the fireplace on the stadium, however her well being had deteriorated.
The season finale launched us to a brand new villainous group and setting, which hinted that one other overhaul was within the playing cards.
So, you possibly can solely think about our shock when it was introduced in January 2023 that the collection would finish with Season 8, and even worse, it will solely be 12 episodes.
With manufacturing already nicely underway and the present shifting to Savannah for tax credit, it does not give us the fuzzies that the collection could have a conclusive ending.
It sounds just like the cancellation was a last-minute factor. Only a few months in the past, franchise overlord, Scott M. Gimple was saying FTWD was now the “flagship” after the conclusion of the primary collection.
AMC has made lots of headlines for canceling reveals with episodes within the can in a cost-cutting measure, so possibly we needs to be comfortable we’re getting the produced episodes in any respect.
Nevertheless, the problem with Worry the Strolling Lifeless has been the management. The collection went via a interval with horrific opinions and freefalling scores after the brand new showrunners took over.
It is onerous to consider AMC allowed the identical showrunners to stay with the present for the remainder of its run. Generally, even the very best showrunners aren’t the precise folks for sure reveals, and sadly, Ian and Andrew did irreparable harm to the collection’ legacy.
Worry the Strolling Lifeless at all times had the potential to be nice, and I would not have minded a 3rd showrunner making an attempt to steer the collection again in the precise path.
With one season left, it is onerous to think about the collection miraculously recapturing its former glory.
What are your ideas on what went improper with the collection as a complete?
Hit the feedback under.
Paul Dailly is the Affiliate Editor for TV Fanatic. Observe him on Twitter.
