thatdemoguy

Remember how you immediately felt the moment it happened? The shock. The awe. The disbelief. Remember the ensuing social media explosion of rumors and speculation that followed? You couldn’t escape it. It was exciting, sobering, and utterly surreal to feel like you had just watched a character everyone loved die right in front of you. An entire nation wept all at once. What were we going to do without him? What was going to happen when the group learned of his death? How lasting effect would this leave on those he left behind? Hell, how were we going to bring ourselves to watch the show anymore after this?

But then the following week, they didn’t even follow up on the story. Then the week after that. And the following week. By the time that fourth week arrived it had already been figured out by virtually anybody with common sense that the whole thing was nothing more than a ruse. And we were all just waiting for them to confirm not that we were right about his survival, but all of our theories about HOW he survived. Which we were all right about. And thus brings me to my problem with the series.

I feel that when they pulled the rope a dope with Glenn's death, they very plainly showed us that while the show might be called The Walking Dead; there are indeed characters that seemingly have immunity to the reaper. Don’t pretend that you don’t know who they are. Rick, Carl, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, and everyone's favorite southern boy Daryl Dixon are basically untouchable tier. And this sets a very bad precedent because now there's really no suspense surrounding any of them. Which makes it easy to spot the characters that will likely die. If somebody gets introduced and is paired with one of these people, they die. If they are in direct conflict with or run afoul of one of these people, they die. If they have already served to push a bit of the dramatic narrative along which involves one of these characters, they die. Now I will say that there are others who float right outside the invincible bubble, like Carol, but the fact I still feel they could take her at any moment is what keeps me interested in her as a character, which keeps me watching. I like to reminisce fondly of the times when the group truly felt like a bunch of survivors making it together, and not just field generals leading cannon fodder.

But now that you can so plainly peg who will die, and generally when they will, the show has officially lost its infectious appeal. Which is why I feel they should have just let us play with the hand they dealt us. Glenn's death could have been a moment that reminded us, the audience they want to engage, that NO CHARACTER is safe, regardless of whatever circumstances they have facing them. Imagine had Glenn truly died, and left a pregnant Maggie to fend for herself.  For her to go on her crusade to find him, only to have to put him down as a walker. Or better yet, what if we never saw him as a walker, and we weren't given the closure we felt entitled to. That is until months later, where the group runs into a herd, and without any warning or ceremony of any sort, the Glenn walker is put down. That would be so awesome and a very harsh reminder of the "reality" these people are facing.

For all you comic purists, YES I AM WELL AWARE of what happens to him in the book. And the fact that he did survive this time, coupled with the reveal that Negan is coming means we could most definitely be headed towards the following....