Since the conclusion of Lost, it seemed like there was a void in popular culture of a TV show for people to rally around, to hold watching parties over, to discuss the next day, to pore over endlessly on the internet. Whether because of its comic book roots or its cable sensibilities regarding graphic violence, The Walking Dead has been the congregating point for perhaps the largest fan base surrounding a television show. And yet while many people enjoy the show to varying degrees, few would argue it is without fault. Some, like myself, despite watching the show week after week, conclude just about every episode with the vague wish that the show actually lived up to the potential dreamed of by its most pious fans and hinted at by its own greatest dramatic moments.
I’ve noticed a surprising number of people, those who insist that The Walking Dead is the best show on TV right now, also cite the first episode of the show as the greatest that’s been produced. Is this not a bit of a letdown? That the show may have peaked in its first episode and has never reached the heights of that initial premiere? I tend to agree with those that say the series opener, in fact the first few silent moments of the show’s entrance into the cable television pantheon, may have been its best. As fantastic as it can be at times, most people seem to agree that for all its awesomeness there’s still a lot of unfortunate fluff viewers have to endure to get to the good parts, as it were.
I think we are right to expect more from a show that people, including, presumably, its developers, want to be TV’s best. To be among the Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire echelon, The Walking Dead simply needs to be better. And it could be. I can’t say precisely what it should do, but I’ve identified a few areas that just seem really weak. Here are 5 things that prohibit The Walking Dead from being one of the best shows on television.
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