By Kevin Rogers
Editor-In-Chief
After the first half of a season as plodding and meandering as its titular zombies, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returns Sunday night at 9 p.m. with a chance to rekindle some of its lost mojo.
The following contains spoilers, so those wishing to catch up with the series might do well to avert their eyes.
Now in its fourth season, “The Walking Dead” tells the story of a handful of survivors of a zombie apocalypse led by Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln,) and their never-ending battle for survival against zombies and other survivors. Based on a series of award-winning comics written by Robert Kirkman, “The Walking Dead” has garnered record ratings for AMC, and they don’t appear to be letting up.
However, the show’s quality has declined precipitously from earlier seasons. The series, once marked by its fearlessness in offing lead characters, fell into the “invincible heroes” cliché for much of the fourth season. For this reason, most of season four has been little more than high-stakes fluff and excruciatingly slow pacing.
Indeed, so abysmal were some of this season’s offerings, I spoke loud and often about how I couldn’t recommend anyone, even fans of the series, watch them.
The last eight episodes saw the show’s heroes living stagnantly in a well-fortified prison. They faced countless zombie incursions and a deadly strain of influenza, but these catastrophes had no real repercussions (except for killing off dozens of nameless, faceless extras). Though the show threatened several important characters, they happily survived each threat.
Not until the villainous Governor (David Morrissey) launched an all-out assault on their prison in the fantastic mid-season finale did the show’s heroes face true calamity. Though the Governor met his end, the group was scattered, their prison sanctuary obliterated and their venerable wise man Hershel (Scott Green) dead.
Though the setup was long and tedious, the series may be well on its way to prominence with these plot developments. The fall of the prison refuge means the group will be without shelter for the first time since the beginning of the second season.
That’s precisely what “The Walking Dead” needs to inject itself with new life. Instead of hiding away in the comfort of a farm or a prison, the characters must re-expose themselves to the terror and necessary battle for survival that surrounds them. They’ll have to return to the world of the first season, where safety can never be guaranteed.
Separating the group also offers a new dynamic to the series; instead of focusing on a single narrative, the producers will have some five different stories to work with. While they’re all pointed at the goal of reunification and finding a new home, this approach will allow for some essential character development.
For one, this will offer the first real opportunity for audiences to meet newer characters like Tyreese (Chad C. Coleman), Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.). Up until this point, they have been thrust into the background in favor of more familiar cast members.
More importantly, the split will allow Rick and his son Carl (Chandler Riggs) to more deeply examine their relationship. If the trailers are any indication, Carl is on track to serve as a defender for his father. Rick now suffers severe mental anguish after losing his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), his moral compass Hershel and (potentially) his infant daughter Judith to the horrors surrounding him. Whereas the series so far has been largely driven by Rick striving to protect Carl, it now seems Carl is better suited to protect his father.
Adding to the potential for this new set of episodes is the good word of comic scribe Kirkman, also one of the series’ executive producers. Speaking at the Amazing Arizona Comic-Con this week, he promised the series is headed into darker new territory.
“We’re not going to be pulling any punches, and there’s a lot of stuff coming up that AMC is very worried about, which makes me happy,” Kirkman said.
At the close of the mid-season finale, Rick urges Carl, “Don’t look back,” to the ruined prison. If the showrunners follow Rick’s advice, “The Walking Dead” will rise once more and stronger than ever before.
