The Walking Dead midseason finale is a reminder walkers are still a threat

The Walking Dead mid-season finale delivered a show altering death from a walker bite. It was a good reminder that walkers are still a threat.

The Walking Dead fans are still reeling from the reveal that Carl was bitten when he and Siddiq were fighting walkers in the woods. While it was a shocking moment that will alter the storyline forever it was a poignant reminder that walkers are still very much a threat.

Over the last few seasons, walkers have been used as weapons and the attitude towards the walkers has been that they are more of a nuisance than a threat. The big danger over the last few seasons has been people. Specifically Negan and The Saviors.

But Carl being bitten during a seemingly routine walker killing spree is a powerful reminder that anyone can be a victim of a walker bite at any time. Carl has killed hundreds of walkers and he is a very capable killer. Siddiq has killed more than 237 walkers now. These two extremely capable killers fighting together were still quickly overrun and Carl ended up getting bitten.

Does this mean that the show will shift focus back to the threat that walkers pose? Carl being bitten, combined with the fact that the walker guts made Father Gabriel extremely ill and may cause his death, could mean that the show will once again move the walkers to the forefront as a major threat.

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Why Walkers Are Still A Major Threat

The survivors have been behind secure walls for a while now and the security that they have coupled with their clashes with Negan and The Saviors took the focus off the idea that walkers are still quite dangerous. One solitary walker, or a couple, is not really a problem for the survivors that have become quite good at killing them. But one or two walkers can quickly become a dozen walkers, and a group of walkers is still a huge threat.

Once the walkers have a person surrounded it’s difficult for that person to get free even if they know how to kill walkers. The sheer mass of undead coming at one person all intent on grabbing, biting, or scratching any flesh they can is horrifying and very lethal. Even someone as experienced as Carl can’t fight off several walkers at once.

And as Carl’s bite proved everything can change in a second when you’re surrounded by walkers. Because all it takes is a bite, or even a deep scratch, for a walker to kill. People can heal from gunshots, knife wounds, and other injuries. Carl even survived losing his eye. But any contact with walker’s guts or getting a bite or a scratch from a walker and it’s all over. There’s no coming back from that.

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It hurts badly to lose Carl, but hopefully his death will be a reminder to the others that no one is immune from dying from a walker bite or scratch. The walking dead still are a huge threat on The Walking Dead.