The Walking Dead’s 5 Biggest Mistakes (And One BIG Bonus Mistake)

The Walking Dead’s 5 Biggest Mistakes

If you’re a fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead television series, then you know that it can be just as thrilling and full of surprises as the comic books that inspired it. But at the same time, the TV show has made some major mistakes in its storytelling, which have cost it dearly in terms of viewership and critical reviews.

Let’s dive into five of the biggest blunders from The Walking Dead.

1. Killing Glenn Too Soon

The death of Glenn (Steven Yeun) in Season 7 of The Walking Dead was a hugely controversial moment for the show. While many fans were shocked and upset by the sudden death of a beloved character, others felt that it was a necessary plot point that helped to move the story forward. However, there is no denying that killing off Glenn so soon was a huge mistake on the part of the showrunners.

Not only did it alienate viewers, but it also deprived them of an important source of emotional investment in the show’s characters. By killing off Glenn, the showrunners not only robbed viewers of a beloved character, but they also robbed themselves of an opportunity to explore his character further. In short, killing off Glenn was a huge mistake that could have been easily avoided.

2. Making Negan Too Powerful

The AMC series The Walking Dead is no stranger to strong villains. In fact, some of the show’s most memorable moments have come from its antagonists. However, in recent seasons, it seems as if the writers have lost sight of what made these villains so compelling in the first place. Take Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), for example. When he was first introduced in Season 6, he quickly became one of the most intimidating villains on television.

His dominance over Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group became too much for viewers to handle—at least until he was eventually defeated at the end of Season 8. While it’s understandable that showrunners would want to create a sense of urgency and danger, they should have kept Negan’s power in check so that viewers could still feel invested in Rick and his group’s struggle against him without feeling like their efforts were fruitless or pointless. By making Negan too powerful, they ultimately turned him into a caricature of what he once was.

3. Ignoring The Comic Book Canon

One major issue with The Walking Dead television series is that it often ignores or disregards storylines from the original comic book source material. Fans were particularly incensed when Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) died during childbirth—an event which never happened in the comics—as well as when Carl (Chandler Riggs) survived his gunshot wound—which did happen in the comics but not on TV.

Showrunners should have stayed closer to canon rather than straying away from it; this would have allowed fans to enjoy more familiar arcs without being disappointed or frustrated by changes to their favorite characters’ stories.

4. Mismanaging Storylines

Another big problem with The Walking Dead is how showrunners managed certain storylines throughout its run on AMC—namely those involving characters like Carol (Melissa McBride), Daryl (Norman Reedus), and Michonne (Danai Gurira). These characters are some of the most popular on television yet their arcs weren’t given proper attention or development until later seasons, leaving viewers feeling shortchanged and wanting more from these fan-favorite heroes and antiheroes alike.

For example, Carol’s evolution from meek housewife to the ruthless killer was one of the most fascinating aspects of the early seasons yet it felt like the showrunners were dragging their feet in really exploring this change. Similarly, Daryl started out as a rough-around-the-edges survivalist but quickly turned into the group’s moral compass; a storyline that could have been fleshed out more instead of being used as a cheap way to generate conflict.

And finally, Michonne’s backstory—which was revealed in bits and pieces over several seasons—could have been told much sooner and given viewers a better understanding of her motivations. In the end, these are just a few examples of how The Walking Dead failed to capitalize on some great opportunities to develop its characters and storylines.

5. Lackluster Writing

While it’s true that The Walking Dead has had its fair share of writing problems over the years, much of the blame falls on former showrunner Scott Gimple. Simple, who was at the helm from Seasons 4-8, was often criticized for clunky dialogue and rushed plot developments. As a result, many viewers turned off the show during his tenure.

However, it’s important to remember that Gimple is not the only writer on the show. There is a team of writers who work on The Walking Dead each season. Therefore, it’s unfair to place all of the blame on Gimple. It’s also worth noting that the show has seen an uptick in quality since he left following Season 8’s finale episode “Wrath”. In other words, The Walking Dead is not solely dependent on Gimple for its success or failure.

BONUS: Killing Carl Grimes

The Walking Dead is a post-apocalyptic horror television series based on the comic book series of the same name. The show follows a group of survivors, led by Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe haven from the zombie apocalypse. In the show’s seventh season, Carl Grimes, Rick’s son, is killed by a walker. This death was widely criticized by fans of the show, as it deviated from the source material and seemed to serve no purpose other than shock value.

Scott Gimple, the showrunner at the time, defended the decision, saying that it would lead to meaningful character development for both Rick and Michonne. However, many viewers felt that Gimple had betrayed their trust and that the death of Carl was a grave mistake that damaged the show irreparably. In hindsight, it seems clear that Gimple and the writers underestimated the importance of Carl Grimes to both the story and the audience.

Conclusion:

All things considered, there are plenty of reasons why The Walking Dead lost viewership over its decade-long run on AMC—from killing off Glenn too soon to mismanaging storylines and beyond—but hopefully future seasons will find ways to fix these issues while also providing engaging new stories for fans old and new alike! If they can do this successfully with the new spinoff series then there might still be hope for this once-beloved zombie apocalypse drama universe yet!