For a series that ran for eleven seasons, there were so many storylines on The Walking Dead. Almost too many, if you ask me. Some got the right amount of screen time, like the prison. Others were shown a little too much — like, as much as I love Negan’s casting and the Saviors, did I really need two full seasons of fighting?
However, some storylines deserved much more time and attention. Some are just to make me actually care more. Others just feel like they were cut short for no reason.
Regardless, I shared the fourt the storylines in The Walking Dead that I think needed extra screen time.
Oceanside
Out of all the safe zones and locations of The Walking Dead, Oceanside was one most people didn't care about. And you want to know the real reason why? Because we barely see it.
I mean, think about it. We were only introduced to Oceanside in season 7 episode 6, because Tara (Alanna Masterson) washed up on its shores and was rescued by some of its members. They entered into the fight with Negan ages later, even though they were being harassed by the Saviors just as much as Alexandria.
But, like, did we really care about this safe zone? At all?
It wasn’t given nearly as much attention as either The Kingdom or Hilltop, two places and safe zones that had separate characters that ended up becoming big parts of the story, like the leader of The Kingdom, Ezekiel (Khary Payton), or the teenagers in Hilltop that Carl interacted with, specifically Enid (Katelyn Nacon). They played important roles in the series.
Oceanside was introduced and then just sort of forgotten about. I mean, even when we jumped ahead several years, we barely saw them. It felt like they just didn’t matter anymore in the grand scheme of things, especially when the CRM got involved. Maybe if we'd had more time with them, we could have cared more.
Daryl and Leah
I was so ungodly upset when they suddenly shoehorned a love interest for Daryl into season 10. During the episode, “Find Me,” Daryl (Norman Reedus) is out on his own, looking for Rick (Andrew Lincoln), believing he’s not dead. While out there, he runs into a woman named Leah (Lynn Collins). Although things are testy at first, they eventually grow close romantically.
It ends when Leah leaves him behind after an argument, and he writes a note saying, “Find him,” but, like, come on. Come on. You expect me to give a single hoot about this girl when we just met her? Be for real.
I’m not the kind of person who wanted Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) to become a thing. I always saw those two more as best friends or siblings rather than anything romantic. It’s why I really love them in Daryl’s spinoff series. But the idea of you trying to get Daryl close to a random woman we've never met before and make us care is laughable.
If we'd had a little more time with her, maybe I would have believed it. But that was legit the only episode we got of the two of them showing any kind of interest, and then she was just one of the many Walking Dead villains in season 11. Wasted potential.
Beth’s time at the hospital
Beth’s (Emily Kinney) death in The Walking Dead is one that I don’t think I’ll ever quite get over. I still, to this day, think that she was meant to do much bigger things on the show, better things. We were finally getting somewhere with her character before it was taken away with a single gunshot.
At the very least, I would have liked to see Beth in that hospital a little more. We really only got to see a few episodes where she’s actively trying to escape, find a way back to her family, and think creatively on her feet. But then all that character development went out the window when she was shot. I’m still bitter, as you can tell.
I never expected Beth to make it to the end of the series, but I would have given anything to at least see her last for a little longer than a couple of episodes into season 5. At least I got to see her in an alternate reality episode on Dead City.
Morales coming back
So you mean to tell me that season 8 of The Walking Dead featured a character from season 1 coming back, and then, almost instantly, in the next episode, he is killed off? What?
Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) returned for two episodes in season 8: at the very end of episode 2 and the very beginning of episode 3. He was a part of the Saviors and was ready to kill Rick, but then Daryl just came out of nowhere, killed him with no remorse, even though he recognized him, and then just moved along. That is horrible storytelling.
I don’t care if this series is just trying to pull a fast one on me and show just how much Rick and co. have changed over the years and how they show no mercy to those who threaten their family, even if they once knew them.
But you can't just bring back a character, make them a huge part of the promotion, and then kill them off so quickly. That’s terrible writing and a horrible way to misuse a character so many fans had questions about. I at least would have liked to see him become a villain, but dang, dead just like that. That could have led to some serious storylines!
Either way, we will never get expansions on these stories, but I can at least imagine what might happen. Oh well.
You can watch all 11 seasons of The Walking Dead on Netflix.
Add us as a preferred source on Google