Isaac Piecuch ’14 | Staff Writer

“The Walking Dead”, as a series, shares a number of similarities with its namesake. Like a zombie, it is simultaneously formidable and pathetic. It moves carelessly forward, at times making great progress before ultimately tripping over its own feet. “The Walking Dead” was once a show with great promise, a zombie show which focused on the human drama of the apocalypse. But recurrent inconsistencies have left this once fearsome beast a decayed shell of its former self.

The second half of Season 5 began in a time of uncertainty. Having had their home in the prison destroyed by the Governor, the group was splintered. The gang was split up, and different groups of characters were forced to survive on their own. Episodes focused on one group at a time. However, this haphazard approach limited the forward progress of the show. Because one episode may be occurring in a parallel timeline to a previous episode, it felt like the show was not moving forward. The multiple angle approach to storytelling was not handled nearly as well as something like “Game of Thrones”, which masterfully juggles points of view.

Furthermore, “The Walking Dead” continued its tradition of multiple filler episodes. There were many episodes when nothing happened, with time devoted to “character building.” For example, the premise behind one episode featuring Darryl and Beth was a quest to find booze. Seriously? It’s the zombie apocalypse, and you’re going to focus on finding Beth a drink? Of course, this lead to drawn out soul-searching and painful introspection which, unfortunately, was painful to watch. You know it’s bad when I’m annoyed by Darryl, the ultimate cool guy character, because he won’t stop talking about his jerk of a father.

Unfortunately, actors on the show just don’t have the skills to handle some of the shows quieter moments. As hard as they may try, characters on “The Walking Dead” can’t quite handle the emotional scenes that the writers continue to supply. For example, Michonne and Carl were supposed to develop a strong friendship throughout the season. On screen, this translated to the show bluntly saying “these two are friends.” But instead of viewers buying into this relationship, the blunt presentation instead inspires a number of questions: Why are they friends now? How did they become close? Are these jokes about candy bars supposed to signify a strong friendship? You’re left without an answer.

Still, the occasional strong episode inspires a feeble confidence in the show. One particular episode, featuring Carol at both her most emotional and most brutal, was deliciously dark. It showed all the possibilities of what a good zombie show could be, with genuinely heartfelt moments, tense action, and a heartbreaking conclusion. That episode was “The Walking Dead” at its best.

Unfortunately, it was a diamond in the rough. No other episodes come close to reaching that quality, and it’s frustrating. I see episodes like this which make me believe that the show will finally come good, finally realize all of that untapped potential. But I have been continuously disappointed.

This disappointment was compounded by the lackluster ending. The season built towards a showdown at the ominous survivor colony, “Terminus.” Almost every episode mentioned it, and it was the end goal of each separate party. It seemed that the season was primed for an explosive finale featuring “Terminus”, with some big things happening. But when they finally arrived, nothing happened.  Nothing really happened at “Terminus”, and the show left us

“The Walking Dead” is an average show. There, I said it. While not inherently awful, it never reaches the next level. But, like the imminent zombie threat, it’s an average show which I can’t seem to escape. Great episodes hidden in the muck inspire a false sense of hope in viewers; we see how good the show ought to be. As mediocre as it usually is, you keep watching, hoping that some consistency will be reached, but it never will.

It may be time to respond to “The Walking Dead” as you would to any zombie; with a bullet to the brain. Maybe then I can finally move on.

Grade: C-.