5 places I’d like to take The Walking Dead

Five seasons into the series that has become America’s sickly obsession, and I can’t help but wonder where our gory group of friends will head next. One thing is for sure; they can’t possibly continue the ping ponging between rural roads and gated communities. (I’d bet you never thought of a prison as a gated community). That formula has already gotten stale, and if the audience is forced to watch another season of “in a safe place, herd of zombies comes, out on the road again,” The Walking Dead might finally start its real life death march. It won’t matter how many governors, or cannibals, or tribal wackos they throw into the mix, it’s time for the show to grow.
 
The first two episodes of the sixth season have hinted that the world of The Walking Dead might be ready to get a little bigger, and that those who have “Just Survived Somehow” might finally be ready to go on the offensive. I mean, isn’t that the arc of most storylines? You beautifully built your characters, your audience is invested, and now the adventure really begins. Your audience is ready to see their favorite protagonists grow beyond what they know of them, for better or for worse. I think The Walking Dead has reached that point. I’m tired of Rick’s authority being challenged. I’m tired of watching Glen’s talents wasted on supply runs. I’m tired of Daryl’s silent brooding. (Is it merely irony that he has wings on the back of his vest, or foreshadowing? I hope for the latter). It’s time for the core characters of the show to take Carol’s lead, put a cape on, paint a W on their foreheads, and save the world. Or at least die trying.
 
If we see the demise of our survivors while they’re huddled behind a wall and scared it’s just going to feel so empty. Are the showrunners really doing all of this character building to emphasize the existential? Life is just a series of character building plot lines eventually snuffed out like barely burning flames–c’est la vie. I hope not.
 
Here are five things I’d like to see the show try.
 

1. More plans of attack against the zombies. What was certainly the strength of the show in its infancy may now be the thing dragging it down. The theme of the living versus the living was essential for great character building, but as I’ve already stated, the characters are built. It’s time to unleash the kraken. How about Eugene uses that brain of his to devise a tactical assault? Maybe he can build something to lure walkers over the cliffs of the Grand Canyon? Sasha wants to be the hunter–then let her hunt. Let her lead a team of hunters. Make it engaging and not so introspective. The zombies need to become the conflict again, instead of just being a condition of the world.
2. It’s time to expand the scope of the zombie world. Is it only the U.S. that is affected? How are people dealing with these things in frigid climates like Alaska? You don’t want to delude the show so much that you rarely see your favorite characters, or that there becomes so many characters you lose track, but there are tons of questions fans of the show have about the scope of this new world. Answering one or two of these questions each season might not be a bad idea. Yes, Fear the Walking Dead was created to take care of some of that, but a spin-off wastes all that great character building. Let’s bring it all together.
3. How about an actual goal? How about a real plan? If zombie herds and loony humans will always overrun your walls, no matter how high they are built, maybe it’s time for a change in course. The show takes place quite close to the Atlantic Ocean, but no one has thought to go there? No one thinks an island surrounded by water and fish might make for a good home? Or how about testing the limits of the affected area. Has anyone thought that this virus might not have reached a different country? I understand that this type of day-to-day survival thrives on the myopic, but c’mon. As with my first two points, I feel that it is merely time for the show to grow beyond its current walls. A season near the sea, or something like it, might make for a great change of pace. One way or another, this group of survivors needs to become more purpose driven.
4. Some sort of change in the zombies due to lack of resources. It hasn’t gone without notice that this new zombie world is at least a couple years old now. If the zombies run out of food, they should also run out of energy. The fact that unfed zombies would simply live on forever is borderline supernatural, and I’m pretty sure the show isn’t trying to be supernatural. Maybe a new evolution of zombie that feeds on other zombies is the solution, or maybe the zombies learn to feed on plant life, presenting the living with another problem altogether. Suspended disbelief is necessary in any horror/sci-fi/fantasy story, but only within the parameters that have been set forth. Science exists in the world of The Walking Dead, as far as I know, magic does not.
5. Lastly, introduce a character that knows something important. It was too easy to see through Eugene’s story about Washington, but a more convincing character along those lines would really spice the show up. The doctor at the Center for Disease Control was a great addition to the first season, and it was too bad that he didn’t have more information/secrets to give before his death. Maybe introducing someone who had witnessed “patient zero,” of the outbreak could be introduced. Secrecy and mystery can go a long way to keeping the audience invested. Right now, there’s not enough mystery in the show. Not for my taste, at least.

 
Disagree with any of my ideas? Have any of your own to add? I’d love to see them in the comments.

---