A decade in the past, The Strolling Useless wasn’t a mere TV present, it was an impossible-to-escape cultural phenomenon. Crafted with precision, highly effective performances, and prosthetics, early TWD rose above common zombie fare upon its 2010 premiere—that pilot stays flawless even as we speak. In its first few seasons, the AMC collection transcended its style, presenting a gripping post-apocalyptic survival story by diving into terrifyingly actual human feelings. It additionally efficiently introduced the comedian ebook storylines and character dynamics to life with distinct twists. Regretfully, the present overpassed these issues because it dragged on.
Akin to the “walkers” at its core, TWD ultimately grew to become an unrecognizable, messy, empty husk. It lingered mercilessly till 2022 when it wrapped up after 11 seasons. That wasn’t practically the top. The franchise continued with spin-offs starting from comprehensible (Concern The Strolling Useless) to eyebrow-raising (World’s Past) to drastic (Tales Of The Strolling Useless). And it bought worse. There have been the egregious blunders of extra spin-offs for Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan), and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). A so-called collection finale is purposeless if audiences don’t get time away from beloved unique characters. (Give us an opportunity to overlook you, TWD!)
The clear, pointless gimmick expands additional with the franchise’s newest six-parter, The Ones Who Reside (TOWL), premiering on February 25. The present is a flailing last-ditch effort to breathe new life right into a universe surviving on a ventilator. It’s excessive nostalgia bait as a result of it focuses on Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a.okay.a. the person who began all of it. TOWL catches as much as Rick after he disappeared on a helicopter in early TWD season 9 (again in 2018, for these retaining observe). His spouse, Michonne (a sensational Danai Gurira), break up from the group in season 10 to hunt him down after discovering he was alive.
An electrical Rick and Michonne, or “Richonne,” as dubbed by stans, reunion is a lofty purpose. Nevertheless it’s not practically sufficient to avoid wasting regardless of the hell TWD desires to be in as we speak’s panorama. The identical storyline may’ve—and would’ve—had a weighty affect years in the past, again when TOWL was envisioned as three films to wrap up Rick’s arc (Aspect word: Saying this plan after Lincoln’s exit reneged on the emotional worth of him leaving). Manufacturing delays attributable to the pandemic led to a restricted collection as a substitute. However in spite of everything this time, the brand new collection (4 of six episodes have been watched for this evaluate) is a cry for assist to remain related.
Don’t get us fallacious, it’s nonetheless surprisingly heartrending to look at Lincoln and Gurira. They’re excellent actors with an plain grasp of their characters, and collectively they’re intoxicating to look at. However is that sufficient? No. It’s additionally irritating that Rick and Michonne’s no-holds-barred reconciliation doesn’t occur till late into the present’s run. TOWL considerably essentially devotes itself to fleshing out the previous few years of Rick’s life with the Civic Republic Navy. The group sporadically appeared in TWD’s numerous choices, however now there’s a uninteresting perception into its evil machinations.
Right here, Rick is anguished and resigned to his destiny after a number of failed makes an attempt to return to his household. His tether is a dreamy imaginative and prescient of his spouse in a non-apocalyptic world. In the meantime, Michonne goes via an arduous journey of her personal to achieve her husband, shedding mates alongside the way in which, solely to ultimately be met with a Rick she doesn’t totally acknowledge. He’s rising the CRM ranks; she desperately desires to take him again to their children. Will they conflict or workforce up? Beneath layers of exposition and compelled plot twists lies a kernel of potential for the “epic love story” Lincoln and Gurira teased at a current TCA panel.
An all-encompassing fourth episode digs into the nitty-gritty of Rick and Michonne’s relationship. Filmed like an indie, it has hints of the film that would’ve been. (Props to Gurira for writing the installment). It’s the collection’ singular power, however the build-up to it’s drawn out and nothing TWD hasn’t carried out earlier than. If the identical methods are used for spin-off quantity six (!), why hassle? The Ones Who Reside carelessly speeds via deaths, months, and occasions, making it exhausting to care. The present options supporting characters performed by the likes of Misplaced’s Terry O’Quinn and Lucifer’s Lesley-Ann Brandt. Don’t hassle investing of their final result as a result of the present doesn’t care about them both. O’Quinn specifically is wasted in a meandering, broadly villainous position.
TOWL doesn’t add something creative to the TWD lineup and it’s weak at reinventing the wheel. The one lesson to be discovered is that, as worthwhile exhausting as it could be, typically letting go is the suitable reply. Not every part good lasts perpetually. Look, this author shamelessly binged The Strolling Useless for a very long time as a result of it was freaking compelling. It’s exhausting to pinpoint when the downfall started—Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) skull-bashing, Negan’s arrival, or Rick’s departure? Maybe it was when zombies grew to become an afterthought, not to mention a reputable risk. In TOWL, too, walkers don’t add to the fun. So TWD would possibly’ve earned its huge viewership numbers and fanbase within the early 2010s, nevertheless it has lengthy overstayed its welcome.
This neverending abyss is value questioning in gentle of AMC’s different refreshing however ignored originals (The Terror, Halt And Catch Hearth, Darkish Winds, Kevin Can F**Ok Himself, This Is Going To Harm, and Interview With The Vampire come to thoughts). How has the cable community—and we, as an viewers—conspired to maintain The Strolling Useless alive within the yr 2024? Each ounce of creativity has been squeezed from it by now. Regardless of Lincoln and Gurira’s real efforts and sultry chemistry, The Ones Who Reside must be the ultimate straw. Please, let’s put The Strolling Useless out of its distress now.
The Strolling Useless: The Ones Who Reside premieres on AMC on February 25
This story initially appeared on The A.V. Membership.