The Walking Dead Almost Mid-Point Review

If, in a zombie show or movie, you only want to see a lot of action, then The Walking Dead seems to be heading in a good direction for you. However, if the show appealed to you because of the interesting character development, then the third season pales in comparison to the first two seasons.

The main (but not only) problem here is the character Michonne. Specifically, her ever-present scowls, her perpetual tough guy stares, and her mystical abilities.

The Walking Dead appealed to me because the characters seemed real. Even though we were dealing with fantastical subject matter (Zombies) the show made me believe that, “Yeah, this is how it might be if it DID happen.” That feeling is slipping away with the Samurai ninja ways of Michonne. She drops from the trees with a scowl, inflicts pain & suffering on the evil-doers, and then disappears into mid-air. This is something I’d expect in the Hobbit, not The Walking Dead.

Lori, Dale, and T-Dog seemed like real people dealing with unreal circumstances. Michonne seems straight out of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. If you’re just looking for fantasy on top of fantasy, that’s great. Maybe in the fourth season we can have Green Lantern and Wonder Woman join the show. That’ll be great fun. But I, for one, am sad to see the show heading in that direction. I’ve seen enough Buffy the Vampire Slayers, and I’ve seen enough of Lara Croft showing us what an invincible tough guy she is (and what buffoons all who oppose her are). Give me back my Walking Dead realism.

This phenomenon—realism giving way to supernatural action sequences, and tough guy characters who are smarter and tougher than all who came before—is seen time and time again in movie sequels, as each successive sequel gets more ridiculous and mystical. What a shame that such an outstanding television series is falling prey to this boring, tired, and ultimately self-destructive trend.