When did “The Walking Dead” jump the shark?

[Nachocheesechalup]

For me, and many others, the final straw was when they killed Carl off (season 8). They wrote a love interest for him and everything just to lazily kill him off. Had they kept him alive and improved things here and there the show could have continue being a phenomenon for 10+ years imo. I remember seeing the ratings from that episode vs the following and they fell I think by 50% and stayed that way. That was the final nail in the coffin undoubtedly.

 

It’s even worse the rumored reasons for them killing him off was that the actor asked for a raise. Really thoughtless and selfish decision to “retaliate” by killing him off but I’m glad the audience spoke and tuned out immediately after. 
 

im surprised that it lasted a few more seasons after.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Nachocheesechalup

[moxcy]

1 minute ago, Josh said:

 

Noah was being eaten by walkers ALIVE in front of Glenn. How is that not worse than Glenn's death. Again it happened in the comics. It was gonna happen in the show

that was gross but doesn't compare to glenn's head being pummeled multiple times (hes still alive) while we get to see his face shatter and protruding eyeball (still alive) all done by another human, bffr

[RihFenty20]

Season 6 was the beginning of the decline in quality, but I think the final nail was killing Carl. The Negan stuff was annoying, but I understand trying to develop their new characters as we had lost so many thus far and needed fresh meat. However, killing off your beloved deuteragonist is never a good idea. They should’ve recast him.

Edited March 8, 2023 by RihFenty20

[Josh]

1 minute ago, moxcy said:

that was gross but doesn't compare to glenn's head being pummeled multiple times (hes still alive) while we get to see his face shatter and protruding eyeball (still alive) all done by another human, bffr

Oh please if it was a red shirt getting done by Negan in the matter he did to Glenn none of you guys would be saying boo about it. It's only cause it's Glenn 

[Nachocheesechalup]

Just now, Josh said:

Oh please if it was a red shirt getting done by Negan in the matter he did to Glenn none of you guys would be saying boo about it. It's only cause it's Glenn 

….obviously he was a fan favorite that people LOVED and had been there in the beginning . It’s like seeing a close friend getting brutally murdered. Of course it hit hard BECAUSE it was Glen and not some random character… not to mention the scene dragged out and was specifically brutal and showed zero regard for Glen as a person and it was done by a living human. What is your point?

[moxcy]

1 minute ago, Josh said:

Oh please if it was a red shirt getting done by Negan in the matter he did to Glenn none of you guys would be saying boo about it. It's only cause it's Glenn 

it being glenn definitely added to it but doesn't make it any less repulsive and SICK and TWISTED in the head!

[TaggedGalaxy]

When Carl died. Whatever season that was

[Josh]

3 minutes ago, Nachocheesechalup said:

….obviously he was a fan favorite that people LOVED and had been there in the beginning . It’s like seeing a close friend getting brutally murdered. Of course it hit hard BECAUSE it was Glen and not some random character… not to mention the scene dragged out and was specifically brutal and showed zero regard for Glen as a person and it was done by a living human. What is your point?

but Glenn barely did anything of importance since he was attacked by The Governor in the first half of season 3. His entire character became about Maggie. Fans are selective of what to freak out about. You guys either want the show to be accurate to the comics or don't want it to be. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Josh

[Jay L]

I stopped watching after Glenn’s death. I tried watching for at least another season but it just was never the same

[Phonography]

Season 2 actually, all the other seasons were consistent in having most filler episodes, and 2/3 good episodes. I still liked it, but season 1 was actually so good.

[HEAVYONIT]

When Rick had the chance to blow Neagan’s brains out and didn’t 

[Digitalism]

1 hour ago, Dragonfly said:

when they cut the budget for season2 by 20%

despite wanting twice as many episodes

I mean I kept watching but it was real different after season 1 and 2

Then it became formulaic but people was still watching so they didn't care

[Power love]

58 minutes ago, Josh said:

It happened in the comics it was always gonna happen this way

Since when did they actually follow the comics? 

[EtherealCat]

whenever it was that glenn fell off that bin with some other guy and clearly should have died but then the next episode he was in a completely different place that let him survive, stopped watching after that

[bad guy]

Killing ***** wasn't my issue, it was the writing afterwards. It took me months to get through S7-8 because the writing was just horrible. NOTHING was happening. Those two seasons basically killed the show, and the way the ratings plummeted proved that. It was so bad that I still haven't been able to finish S9. 

[Josh]

4 minutes ago, Power love said:

Since when did they actually follow the comics? 

theyve always followed the comics they just do it differently than the comics do. Comic Andrea's story line was given to different characters in the show

[Bears01]

Just now, bad guy said:

Killing ***** wasn't my issue, it was the writing afterwards. It took me months to get through S7-8 because the writing was just horrible. NOTHING was happening. Those two seasons basically killed the show, and the way the ratings plummeted proved that. It was so bad that I still haven't been able to finish S9. 

You NAILED my exact thoughts, this was the answer I was looking for  Glenn at the dumpster already gave the show a massive credibility hit, but S7 and especially S8 ended the show for those of us who wanted to stick around but just couldn’t 

[Power love]

Season 1-5 was fantastic.
 

Although killing Andrea & Beth were such terrible decisions especially Beth having us looking for her just to kill her? 

 

 Season 6 was the start of the decline but still enjoyable.

 

 Season 7-8 were trash. I’m sorry i totally stopped watching so bad. 

 

After hearing season 9 was better decided to watch it.
 

season 9-10 was a repeak but killing Carl & Rick leaving was the end of the show for me. They should have just paid the actor whatever he wanted to do season 9 & 10 to end it. 
 

Many actors leaving the show & coming back or killed was a huge sign to end the series.
 

I haven’t even watched season 11 & don’t care too. Should have ended with season 10. 

[Power love]

3 minutes ago, Josh said:

Comic Andrea's story line was given to different characters in the show

Then that’s NOT FOLLOWING THE COMICS 

[AdrianNicki]

Season 6 started the decline. I remember that fake Glenn death just to be killed off anyway just few episodes later. Stuff like that. I didn't mind him taking the bat since even though I like the character he didn't bring anything new to the table at that point. Killing him was the right idea.

 

Then they made Saviors arc too long and killing Carl was idiotic. I think they did it because they've written themselves into a corner. They wanted to keep Negan alive for future arcs but Rick was ready to kill him so they had to make Rick change his mind in some way so they killed Carl and made him write those stupid letters.

 

Then season 9 was a repeak in my opinion. Seasons 9-11 are fantastic. There are some filler episodes filmed due to covid but the whole Whisperers arc and then Maggie coming back was what saved the show for me at the end. Honestly, I don't understand why so many people hate Maggie like that. She is the best character from the show, hands down. Carol would be up there in top 1 but writers did few questionable decisions with her that threw me off a little.

[Dystopian]

because nobody watched twd for the plot, they watched it for the characters and once there weren’t any characters to care about anymore the viewership dropped. 

 

negan also wasn’t a villain that you could love to hate, he was written horribly and way too cartoonish. the savior storyline lasted way too long for people’s liking and it felt like the characters were just being tortured rather than surviving at that point.

[bad guy]

17 minutes ago, Bears01 said:

You NAILED my exact thoughts, this was the answer I was looking for  Glenn at the dumpster already gave the show a massive credibility hit, but S7 and especially S8 ended the show for those of us who wanted to stick around but just couldn’t 

When S7 only covered two weeks in timeline, and S8 covers a few days  They really had not clue what to write about.

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Power love said:

Then that’s NOT FOLLOWING THE COMICS 

That wasn't the show's fault that was the showrunner's fault

[Smarticle]

After Negans kills and then Rick and Michonne's actors decided to leave 

[Gladiator]

I fell off season 2. It was too boring for me. I loved season 1, though.