That's right, I said it. The Walking Dead has built a reputation for scripting the most graphically gruesome ends for beloved characters and I watch every episode on tenterhooks. That's what I thought anyway. A couple of weeks ago I decided to re watch the pilot episode just to feel the first time viewing rush again and naturally I continued watching until I'd caught up to season six. Watching that body count soar once again made me realise something, I don't actually fear death on the show anymore. I thought my lack of empathy in recent episodes was because I had become desensitised to death which was quite unsettling but I was wrong, it's because the deaths no longer matter.
It's not that there haven't been some gut wrenching deaths on the show because The Walking Dead previously killed off central characters with ease. Unfortunately (and I guess fortunately as well) that hasn't happened in a long time, the last iconic death in my opinion was that of Hershel Greene's (Scott Wilson) and that was back in season four. He was a father and father figure to many of the characters (and me) and they had to watch him as he had his head hacked off. I had created a Facebook specifically for his words of wisdom, but two weeks later his death happened and the page became dormant. That's how important he was, a Facebook page went into a state of mourning because of his bloody end.
I guess the closest death that had a massive effect on the fans was Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) in season five, which isn't my opinion at all but it caused such an uproar that I can't ignore it. I don't understand it because the character didn't matter, she had been on the show since season two and hadn't really done much. What the producers and writers did was promote her to series regular status and actually gave her character some exposure over the course of a couple of episodes before killing her. This to me isn't the demise of a beloved and iconic character, other than her cradling Judith and randomly singing I have no memories of her. Not even her sister noticed she was gone until it was convenient to the story, and this is the sister that travelled great distances slaughtering umpteen Walkers to get her beau back. If her own flesh and blood didn't care then why should I?
This trend continued throughout the last two seasons of the show, they promote certain recurring cast members just so they can script another death without harming their principle characters. It's gotten to the point that if one of these minor/supporting characters say one word about their former lives and feelings or develop any sort of attachment to another character then I know instantly that they will be killed shortly. Episode fourteen of season five is a brilliant example of this as it bought about the end of Denise (Merritt Weaver). You know Denise right? The sort of doctor lady at Alexandria that we hadn't seen before this season who had recently begun hooking up with Tara (Alanna Masterson). Well this episode we learned a little bit more about her family life, how she left her parents and had a twin brother that was adorably named Dennis. She received an arrow through the eye as she was imparting wisdom on the more important Daryl (Norman Reedus) and the destined for death Rosita (Christian Serratos). I was not shocked.
I'm not saying I want to see any of our core group die but I do think at least one of them needs to. I don't mean make it look like Glenn has died only for him to show up few episodes later, the show has done that so often that I think if I was to watch his guts being ripped out I still wouldn't believe he was dead. We need to see an important character die just to raise the stakes again, as of right now they are all protected by the plot and fandoms so I don't actually fear for their demises anymore. These replacement deaths that the show is giving us just proves that the show doesn't have it in them to kill the characters that actually matter to the story, the show and the fans.
After the season six finale airs I am hope (and dread) to write a retraction.
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