How The Walking Dead season 10 brought me back as a viewer

Once you give up on a show, it can be hard to come back. However, The Walking Dead was able to reel me back in after losing interest during earlier seasons.

In the past when I leave a show I never look back. Oh, I might check in on the series finale, or occasionally look it up on Google or Wiki to see if anything interesting has happened, but for the first time in a very LONG time, a show has brought me back into the fold.

I was a fan of The Walking Dead comics since the beginning, zombies being my favorite type of genre since I watched the original Night of the Living Dead so it was a perfect fit for me.

The first season sucked me in, the second season had me hooked and so on. I blogged, tweeted, wrote fan fiction (don’t judge lol) joined groups dedicated to the show and characters. It became a passion for the first 5 seasons.

As we moved into the back half of season 5 and on, I started to lose some of that passion.

By the time we got to the Saviors arc, I started skipping episodes while posting and writing less.  Honestly, I just didn’t enjoy the show as much as I once had.

The Lucille cliffhanger and Carl’s death pretty much did me in as a viewer.

I still had my favorite characters, of course, and would check in to see how they were doing, but I lacked the enthusiasm I once had.

When I first heard Angela Kang would be taking over as the showrunner, I had my doubts. I knew her, of course, as a writer of some really good and a few stinker episodes but that was about it.

Season 9 was a turning point, but I still had major doubts about if I wanted to jump back in or not.

Then comes season 10, one of the best seasons (so far) that we’ve had in years and the show has brought me back.

Here are some reasons I got drawn back into watching The Walking Dead.

1. The dialogue

The dialogue has improved by leaps and bounds. No more grunting or mumbling from Daryl,  other conversations are full, meaningful and complete. I don’t feel like I am walking into the middle of a conversation, only catching part of it. The characters TALK to each other instead of AT each other. The words they say don’t feel wasted or throw away.  There’s a depth to the dialogue that not only conveys the history between characters but keeps this viewer engaged.

2. The character’s interactions feel more natural.

Once upon a time, the characters’ interactions felt natural, not forced or done strictly for plot purposes. That started to change in season 4 and continued all the way through season 8. There are still a few interactions that feel like they are done for plot purposes but I can forgive them because they don’t slow down the episodes or come out of the blue.

Characters that have had established relationships that have gone largely ignored since the back half of The Walking Dead season 5 are now at the forefront. ( see Carol and Daryl)

Characters that have had very little interaction over seasons, (Hello Michonne and Carol!) are interacting more.

The newer characters’ interactions with both the more established characters as well as with each other have an organic flow to them.  Connie and Kelly are a great example of this point. I can watch a scene with them together and I fully believe these two characters are sisters.

Watching these interactions reminds me of the first three seasons of the show and reminds me of why I loved these characters in the first place.

3.  All the characters are brought forth and allowed to shine.

Too often in the past, certain characters would pop up on-screen like a Big Foot sighting only to babble some nonsense and disappear. They are still listed in the credits which is about the only way to know they were still on the show.

Since Angela took over there has been a monumental change as far as secondary mains are concerned.

A couple of examples of the more balanced storytelling:

Ezekiel without the Shakespearian act: I do appreciate Shakespeare but after 2 seasons of it I was ready for him to drop the king act. Khary has embodied a quiet sadness over the loss of his child and marriage and a bit of a fatalistic mindset over his possible cancer.

The quadrangle (Father Gabriel, Eugene, Siddiq, and Rosita) balance their inter-connected relationships while sharing parenting duties. By the way, Eugene is a master at tracking baby poo.

Speaking of the quad, I specifically want to mention Siddiq. Avi Nash brilliantly portrayed some of the effects of PTSD.

Kelly losing her hearing. Angel Theory, the actress that plays Kelly, has shared her real-life struggles and triumphs with hearing loss on her Instagram live videos. One of the lines Connie says to Kelly early in the season “it’s your superpower” comes straight from words Angel’s mother told her. .

4. The Pacing

During the “Savior” arc, the pacing of the show came to a virtual standstill. Week after week nothing seemed to move forward.

I don’t want to give anything away for readers that may be waiting to binge-watch the first half or maybe trying to decide if they want to come back but it’s a very different show now.  We are now 8 episodes into season 10 and each episode is building on the previous one while upping the tension.

I no longer feel I can skip an episode or three and not miss anything.  Synopsis and reviews do not really convey the nuances of the scenes the same way as watching them.

Plot points are explained on the show instead of relying on interviews and Talking Dead to understand what I was supposed to get out of a scene.

Honestly, it boils down to the fact I am no longer bored while watching The Walking Dead. Thanks to the improved pacing, I am riveted and eager for the next episode to air.

5. Alpha

One of the BEST improvements the show has made is the casting of Samantha Morton as Alpha.

No shade on Negan but Alpha is hands down the scariest villain ever on the show.

The serpentine movements and spellbinding delivery Samantha uses are hypnotic.  Think Cobra vs Negan’s bull in a china shop.

Her manipulation of her followers is based on the façade of caring instead of breaking them.

Alpha is smart and is able to wage a war over the long-term using jungle warfare tactics. This is a very different type of fight for our heroes and makes for some compelling television.

She is the perfect foil for the usually analytical Carol. Once Carol finds her balance, I expect to see the standoff I had hoped for between Rick and Negan.

So what brought me back to The Walking Dead? The short answer is the focus on characters, the improved pacing, the dialogue making sense and Alpha.

If you haven’t checked out the new season, I highly recommend it.