There is no doubt that “The Walking Dead” is one of the, if not the most, popular television series on right now. The show is gearing up for the back half of the rest of this season, and whether you love the formula of the show right now or hate it, it’s likely not going anywhere anytime soon.
The beginning of this season was already on the fence for many fans. After last season’s cliffhanger finale and months of speculation, audience members were greeted to probably the most accurate depiction of the comics on the small screen. I am of course referring to the brutal slaying of two prominent characters on the show.
However, it was this accurate depiction that has caused a great deal of mixed feelings.
Is the brutality too much for viewers?
On one hand, you have fans of the comics, who realize this is both television and a story about the zombie apocalypse. On the other, you have people, maybe not necessarily fans of the show, enraged by the level of violence depicted by the show. The latter is of course the most vocal, and in this case the one that was heard the most.
AMC has announced they have toned back the violence for the remaining episodes of the season, and will make a conscious effort moving forward to listen to this other set of voices. They further have stated they understand how deeply impactful this series has become and don't wish to alienate, what they seem to think, is a larger part of their audience.
Is the violence a hindrance or the show’s last saving grace?
Ok, that’s all fine and good, and yes even parts of me questioned whether the season opener went too far, but let’s face facts. It’s a show about the zombie apocalypse, not kittens and rainbows save the universe. It is supposed to get brutal and deliver on hardships of the characters and truly examine how the real world would act in the made up thought this would actually happen.
The show also airs during a time and on a channel that should permit such a thing. It’s not on a paid premium channel like “Game of Thrones,” but it is still on a subscription based channel. Therefore allowances have been made for it. Similar to many shows that have come before it, like “Breaking Bad,” you expect certain things when watching.
The biggest question regarding this though is: With a toned down attitude towards violence, will fans stick around or will they be turned off by the lackluster in quasi-realism? Only time will tell, just like we will have to wait and see if the formulaic approach to the show is getting too familiar for audience members.
