The Walking Dead Mid-Season Review

The Walking Dead returned for it’s fifth season in October and is now on hiatus until February, at which point the remainder of the season will air. The first eight episodes wrapped up the events from the previous season whilst introducing new characters and locations, which nevertheless provided the same old problems for the survivors. There were some particularly strong moments and the decision to devote certain episodes to one sub-group paid dividends, but the first half of the season mainly built towards the mid-season finale that failed to deliver.

The first half of the season mainly built towards the mid-season finale that failed to deliver.

Undoubtedly the greatest questions going into season five surrounded Terminus, where Rick and the group found themselves trapped at the end of last season. These were immediately answered in the opening episode, “No Sanctuary.” This was an emphatic, confident start to the season full of the gore, tension and violence we all expected. Thanks to fan-favourite Carol, the group managed to escape with their lives intact but despite Rick insisting that they go back and finish what was left of the “Terminites”, the survivors chose instead to move on.

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Indeed, this was a recurring theme throughout the first half of the season with Rick often arguing for the more ruthless course of action, such as going “full guns blazing” in an attempt to rescue Beth in the mid-season finale. His new no-nonsense attitude is not only more entertaining to watch as a viewer, but draws intriguing parallels with his former friend, Shane, who adopted a similar philosophy.  The quick demise of the “Terminites” was surprising given the way The Walking Dead dealt with previous groups of enemies, such as the Governor’s storyline which lasted for more than a season. It was therefore refreshing to see the show pick up the pace rather than dwindling on a single narrative for too long, a common criticism of The Walking Dead.

It was therefore refreshing to see the show pick up the pace rather than dwindling on a single narrative for too long, a common criticism of The Walking Dead.

By dedicating episodes to different groups we were able to spend more time with characters that had previously not had much of an impact on proceedings. During “Self Help”, we gained a deeper insight into Abraham’s past, albeit through convenient flashbacks, and his motives. Even Rosita got her fair share of the spotlight, helping to elevate her character. Ultimately, their quest proved to be worthless as Eugene revealed that he had been lying about the cure all along. Comic-book readers were in the know about this, but for everyone else the revelation came as a shocking turn of events. The task of reaching Washington D.C. provided an overall central aim for the characters and may have been where the show itself could have possibly concluded. Without this, there’s nothing for the group to strive towards, and nobody really knows where they will head to next.

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Meanwhile, the others engaged in an attempt to save Beth from her predicament at the hospital. Located in Atlanta, the main setting for season one, the Grady Memorial Hospital offered a different environment by returning to the city, a welcome change following the rural locations explored heavily in recent seasons. “Slabtown” featured Beth’s close attempt to escape along with Noah. After this, it appeared that as in the same way the audience gained more respect for Beth, so did her captive, Officer Dawn. She even remarked that she saw some of herself in Beth, and there was a suggestion that the two may learn to co-exist and work together. It later transpired that Dawn was only ever interested in using Beth to maintain her own position but the show deserves some praise for presenting a “villain” with more subtleties to their personality instead of just being completely evil.

The show deserves some praise for presenting a “villain” with more subtleties to their personality instead of just being completely evil.

The episode in which Daryl and Carol went to search for Beth’s location, “Consumed”, was the most disappointing. There was little progress in their relationship, be it as friends or otherwise and not much in terms of plot progression. Also, we knew based on previous episodes that Daryl makes it back to the church and Carol is taken into the hospital. So despite a few worrying moments, including the part when they were stuck in a small van teetering of a bridge surrounded by walkers, we knew that both would make it out alive thereby killing most of the suspense.

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For the most part, the mid-season finale, “Coda”, didn’t live up to expectations. Too much of the episode was spent at the church, which was far less interesting than what was happening at the hospital. The plan to trade two officers for Carol and Beth worked out in the end, until Dawn demanded that Noah returns to her as well. Beth’s character progression throughout this season has been admirable and there is no doubt that she has come a long way since her days of being merely Judith’s babysitter. Whilst it was understandable as to why Beth wanted to kill Dawn, her decision to do so at that time didn’t really make sense. Both groups had their guns aimed at one another, so if she did actually succeed in killing Dawn, then surely the officers at the hospital would have open-fired on her friends, leading to some considerable casualties. This diminished the impact of Beth’s death somewhat, because her final actions were so questionable. Nevertheless, the fact that there is a fan petition to bring her back highlights the extent to which she has progressed.

By having a “mid-season finale”, there is increased pressure on this eighth episode to deliver before the break.

The Walking Dead returned to our screens with a very strong start yet lost momentum towards the end of this half of the season. The first three episodes that were based on the conflict with Terminus highlighted just how good the show can be when it is at its best with ample character development, violence and intrigue. The next main threat was at the hospital but Dawn and her officers paled in comparison to other foes that the survivors have come across. The idea of splitting the season into two is at the centre of the problem here. By having a “mid-season finale”, there is increased pressure on this eighth episode to deliver before the break. “Coda” failed in this regard, and was a rather lacklustre way to end. On the positive side, The Walking Dead season five has thus far been an improvement over the last season and has a strong core group of characters, with those who were previously on the side-lines playing a greater part. When the show returns it will hopefully take a new direction that is less predictable than jumping to another encounter with a new faction.