I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.
Favorite Episode(s): "The Grove" or other assorted moments from the last half of the season.
Carl: Remember the good old days when everyone hated Carl? He was this 10 year old burden on the series with an over sized hat and only Rick to vouch for him. That was so long ago. Somehow, he's become one of the most reliable characters on the show. If season three was concerned with Carl growing up, season four was about how he was growing up. The return from the break episode, "After" is probably his best episode yet as it explored his limitations as much as anything, reminding us of all the ways he is still a kid. Sure he's getting lethal with a gun. He can't out power a walker though. He still going to eat an ungodly amount of pudding rather than save it. He still needs his dad. None of it is treated as him regressing. As the one regular who is still a kid, he's not trying to understand how the world is changing. These are the years he would be learning about the world to begin with. It just happens to be in a zombie apocalypse. Chandler Riggs is not a great actor yet. At only 14 years old, he's doing fine work and his character's growth is certainly the one I'm most excited to see.
They Went There: By that, I mean "The Grove", of course. Before I get to that, I want to credit The Walking Dead in general this season with recognizing the horror of the things happening. The risk with a show like this is to give into "horror porn" tendencies and try to come up with most disturbing images because they're "cool". They aren't perfect about resisting that urge, but you can tell that when Michonne finds the family suicide in "Claimed" they don't treat it casually. That's a rough scene. "The Grove" is on another level. I can't believe they made that episode. Kids, like puppies, are kind of sacred in TV and Film culture. The reaction to Carol killing Lizzie easily could've backfired on the show and turned a lot of people off, even if it was right for the story (and the fact that the pace of the show can't handle that many aging children). The episode smartly (going back to what I said about Carl) continues the discussion of the effect the zombie apocalypse has on those still trying to understand the world, not the changes in it. It's a pretty grim side of it and I'm so glad that The Walking Dead actually went there (even if I'm thoroughly surprised that they did).
The Last Half: This is nothing new for The Walking Dead. The show-runner changes and season splits result in a good deal of inconsistency. While I'll focus on the first half in a bit, the second half of season four was a great stretch of episodes for the series, the writers seemingly responding to every gripe the critics had with it. You think Michonne is too much of a blank slate? Fine, we'll let you know about the family she lost. You think Beth is a non-character? Fine, not only will we give her more than ten lines. We'll give her an entire episode with only Darryl. You think Carl is growing up too fast? Fine, we'll give him pudding and humble him with a walker. You think we haphazardly added Bob to the cast? Fine, we'll give him a back story that explains why he'd be a drunk? You think they've been too comfortable in the prison? Fine, we'll split everyone up and take our time to give them a reunion. You think we gave up on trying to find a cure? Fine, we'll add a couple hilariously strange characters claiming to have a cure. It wasn't a perfect half season, but it was far more entertaining than the episodes that came before it and left things in a place that leaves me more excited than I've ever been at the end of a Walking Dead season.
Liabilities:
The Governor: To some extent this is almost unfair because The Governor in season four was completely a response to the Governor in season three. Without him going crazy at the end of season three for no reason, the mid-season four finale would've been the season three finale instead and we never would've had this problem. Since they so completely mishandled that, we end up wasting a lot of time with the Governor with very little payoff. There's value in having an episode like "Live Bait" that focuses completely on the Governor. It was character rehab 101, grouping him with a substitute daughter, a substitute Maggie, and...well, I think they were just looking to add Tara to the cast and this is as good a way as any. The problem is, within an episode, he's back to the "ends justify the means" monster he was before, has an army, and wants the prison. The only difference is that now, he inexplicably has a tank. It's not just that. Even small decisions of his make no sense, like deciding to kill Hershel instead of Michonne. There was really no gain to having him return, sadly. I say this because I do like David Morrissey in the role when he's given something good to do with it.
Glenn and Maggie: Remember the good old days when there was more to both Glenn and Maggie than the fact that they are dating/married? Okay, me neither. I know it's possible though. For being two of my favorite characters individually, the writers sure aren't doing much with them. The tunnel-vision of their search for one another in the back half of the season was almost as bad as Daenerys crying "Where are my dragons?!" repeatedly. I'm becoming afraid that neither character will be interesting again until one of them dies. Given the fact that Glenn is a fan favorite and Lauren Cohan is the most attractive woman on the show, that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
The First Half: Inconsistency has been a hallmark of the show since it began. The pilot was great and the first season pretty good. "Trapped on the farm" from the second season has nearly become a meme, then the second season closed strong. Season three was off to a good start then fell apart with the Governor's mess. So, of course, to precede a fairly strong latter half of season four, it had to begin with a messy first half. Initially, I liked the idea of everything being calm. Characters like Michonne and Rick even cracked a smile once or twice. The sickness overtaking the prison was an interesting idea too. The problem is, this show works better in movement. The prison was too comfortable and confining. I could've dealt with that for 8 episodes though. What killed it for me (beating a dead horse) was the return of the Governor. Had his return been for actual character rehab, it would've been fine. As setup for another confrontation with Rick and the Red Shirts*, it was literally a make-up call by the writers for the last season. At this point I'm going into season five wondering whether the first or second half of the season is going to be the weak part. I have no faith that it will be one full strong season.
*I'm talking the term from Alan Sepinwall, referring to all the character introduced only so that they can die.
Outlook:
The Walking Dead is a phenomenon. Among the key demo (18-49) it is not only the highest rated show on AMC or on cable. It is the highest rated show on TV. Let that sink in. That's a ridiculous fact given the sheer numbers advantage the networks have over cable. Regardless of anyone's opinion of this, the show isn't going anywhere. Also notable is that the show is on it's third show-runner in four seasons. Both changes have been abrupt and in the middle of production, so we don't know what kind of effect this has had on the show. Are the lulls in season two a result the bumpiness of the transition from Frank Darabont to Glen Mazzaro or did Darabont leave because of the production of season two? It's hard to say, but it has definitely caused the tone and direction of the show to veer wildly at times. In short, this isn't a show of singular vision, like AMC brethren Breaking Bad and Mad Men. It's a hodgepodge and a messy one at that. This works in its favor at times. The number of characters they have killed off who would be untouchable in another show is impressive (Shane and Lori come to mind). Season four proved that the writers recognized things that weren't working for the show. The Governor 2.0 storyline was at least recognition that they fumbled the end of season three and, all the episodes of character focus in the second half was because too few of the characters were fleshed out. The very end of season four, with everyone trapped in the cargo holder is a great place to start and I'm curious what happens next. Hopefully, season five is the year the show finally puts it all together into a show fitting of its ratings.
Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family
Parenthood
The Mindy Project
The Michael J Fox Show
The Big Bang Theory
Agents of SHIELD
The Crazy Ones
Back in the Game
Parks and Recreation
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