New revelations behind the scenes show that AMC's ratings champion is running out of steam, and decisions have to be made on how it's going to end.
New recently broke about some casting updates regarding the upcoming ninth season of “The Walking Dead.” So if you don’t want to hear and avoid spoilers, leave now.
SPOILERS, THEY ARE A’COMING!
Okay, still here?
LAST CHANCE! I’M NOT DEALING WITH COMMENTS SAYING “WHERE WAS THE WARNING, BRO?”
The Walking Dead as a comic is still going, and the show still has some time to catch up. So feasibly the show could continue for the foreseeable future. And with the dramatic left turns to separate itself from the comic, the show has more or less become its own entity with some shared big moments.
But with the latest news about one of its stars having a reduced role in Season 9, and it being their last, it shows how much AMC needs to decide where it’s headed and it should be toward an end date where they choose how this ends.
The Hollywood Reporter, along with every major entertainment news outlet, and then some, stated that Andrew Lincoln is going to leave TWD after this next season.
This comes after Lauren Cohan also had some rough negotiations to receive the same pay as her male costars, and now she’s going to be one of the senior residents, with only Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride having been in more episodes than her. But with her limited role in season 9, and a new pilot coming, her presence on the show is going to be minimal, if not done by next season.
While Norman Reedus was offered a substantial raise to stick around and take over for the lead, you can’t help but think about other shows that lost their lead and the show doesn’t feel the same. When Steve Carrell left “The Office,” the show did okay but there was always something missing.
After Lincoln and Cohan’s departures, the cast will mostly be comprised of a cast from Season 4 or later with a handful of exceptions. And while those newer cast members do their best, it’s difficult to invest in any of the characters now because if we keep losing the people we’ve invested in, what’s the point? Becoming attached is a bad decision.
The ratings are reflecting the decline of fan interest too. With fewer viewers each episode, and a dwindling cast, the best thing AMC can do is decide when the show is ending. That way they can also build toward a finale that will deliver a proper catharsis. When the showrunners of “Lost” decided when the show would end, it found more focus. Not enough, but it at least no longer felt like they were writing season-to-season with no idea where they were headed.
Which is where the show is currently. With Carl gone, Rick and Maggie leaving, the show seems to be floating in the wind, unsure when it’s ending because AMC needs it as one of its flagship shows.
But if they want to make the show go out on a good note, it needs to acknowledge it has to end soon, perhaps as quickly as Season 10. But then new showrunner Angela Kang can create a strong, singular vision for where to take the show, then build toward whatever end they want (they all die, they find a cure and work toward building a new world). But with the Whisperers likely coming soon, it will be a chance for a sense of finality if they want it to arrive.
What do you think? Should the show just keep going? Will it ever regain its mojo or ratings that we saw when the show was television’s juggernaut?
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