The Walking Dead is Failing Its Audience (And Source Material) With Its Commonwealth Arc

The Walking Dead is ending.

It seems like we have been listening to that for years at this stage, however the sequence goes out with a 24-episode eleventh season.

With three extra spinoffs (The Walking Dead: Dead City, an untitled Daryl Dixon sequence, and an untitled Rick & Michonne sequence) confirmed, we have misplaced a few of the most important stakes that needs to be current for such an enormous last arc for the primary sequence.

The Commonwealth arc within the supply materials was cutthroat, altering the characters’ lives perpetually, leaving them in a spot that felt like they had been all on the cusp of one thing completely different.

Unfortunately, what’s taking place on-screen is not touchdown in addition to it ought to for varied causes.

The Commonwealth is meant to have a inhabitants of round 50,000 folks, that means that we must always be capable of see the dimensions on-screen to hit house that this can be a completely different location from, say, Woodbury.

Despite visiting a bustling hospital, and the present’s greatest try at photographs of the settlement from a distance, we nonetheless see the identical units inside the neighborhood.

As a end result, it does not really feel like the dimensions of a location that is 50,000 folks robust.

From a manufacturing standpoint, we needs to be seeing multiple or two exterior areas inside this compound as a result of it seems like a little bit of an empty shell.

Either the funds has been stretched too skinny attributable to solid salaries, or the sequence is phoning it in as we strategy the end line.

Another large flaw is the location of the storylines. Some of the characters have had a whole lot of time on-screen, which has been nice.

But while you understand that now we have a handful of episodes left and solely round three characters destined for spinoffs, it makes it a little bit bit surreal to consider how we’ll get a satisfying conclusion.

Another obtrusive subject is the Commonwealth troopers.

We’ve been informed how grueling their coaching is, but the survivors continuously outwit them.

It’s arduous to be invested in a narrative when the stakes are so few and much between. Yes, we have misplaced characters like Sebastian and Lance, however did anybody really suppose they might make it out of this arc alive?

Furthermore, their deaths in all probability did not resonate with many viewers as a result of they’re each newer solid members.

The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 21 elected to kill off three randoms with out names as a way to point out how devastating issues may very well be for our imprisoned survivors as they’re pressured to work on a prepare line.

Once upon a time, The Walking Dead would off characters with out a second thought. Granted, there was loads of backlash to large deaths.

So, my idea is that AMC has an enormous say within the present’s inventive route and does not wish to kill any key gamers off to keep away from what may very well be perceived as dangerous press main into the subsequent section of The Walking Dead universe.

It can be an entire and utter disservice to the followers if variant walkers had been launched, just for nobody to be killed by considered one of them.

The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 19 would have been a fantastic alternative to kill somebody off as a result of there is no higher option to scare everybody than by having a brand new type of zombie kill somebody. That would ship ripple results all through the narrative.

Given how loads of characters disappear off-screen and are by no means seen once more, the sequence should not be shying away from large deaths.

It was additionally silly to have the Commonwealth arc heating up whereas the Reapers had been nonetheless in play.

The Reapers might have been formidable foes, however with a lot different stuff happening, they had been cartoon villains that felt extra harking back to a bunch from Fear the Walking Dead.

When introducing a villain group on a present like The Walking Dead, you should give them sufficient display screen time to get invested.

The Commonwealth does not seem to be a large enough group of villains due to how incompetent the troopers are.

Mercer is nice, however we actually needs to be extra aware of a few of the troopers to attach with them and perceive why they blindly comply with the Miltons.

The notion that Maggie, Daryl, Negan, and the others managed to outsmart them on The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 17 is laughable.

These troopers have been skilled in wartime techniques and will have a stronger grasp on survival than our survivors as a result of it is their job.

There have been little hints the Commonwealth may very well be working with the CRM, nevertheless it’s arduous to imagine that after seeing how silly a lot of the troopers are.

Laila Robins has been pleasant as Pamela Milton, however the trajectory of this governor’s arc hasn’t been dealt with very properly in any respect.

She’s was a cruel chief over the course of some episodes, one thing that did not appear potential earlier.

Maybe some story had been reduce earlier within the season to carry the Reaper arc to an in depth, however we must always have extra meat within the narrative by now.

As we head into the ultimate three episodes, the stakes are low, and the Commonwealth is incompetent, giving the sense that our survivors will prevail with out a lot of a struggle.

Hopefully, I’m unsuitable.

Announcing all of the spinoffs upfront has choked the stress out of the narrative fully, which is a disgrace.

What are your ideas on the dealing with of the Commonwealth arc?

Do you suppose the scope ought to have been greater?

Hit the feedback beneath.

Remember, you’ll be able to watch The Walking Dead online proper right here through TV Fanatic.

Catch new episodes Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

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