The original post: /r/television by /u/BobRushy on 2025-06-23 06:49:32.
I’ve been rewatching my Walking Dead DVDs and man, it is depressing how bad it gets after season 2.
I know some people hate the farm stuff, but at least there, all the characters go through an evolution. The isolated location almost puts them into a cabin fever state. By the end of it, Jon Bernthal is nuts and everybody else has been through the wringer as well. Thematically, it works well enough with season 1, even if the production values are noticeably lower.
Everything after that is like picking for little tiny bits of meat amongst layers and layers of fat.
This show could have been done in four seasons. Like seriously.
Keep seasons 1 and 2 more or less as they are - Atlanta and the farm. By the end of season 2, Rick has developed a ruthless survivalist mindset.
Then in season 3, go straight to Terminus with the cannibals. Rick and his group have only just come together and now they are immediately put to the ultimate test.
Instead of Carol, it’s Andrea who saves them at Terminus, staying true to her comic book self. After escaping, they claim the prison as their base and learn of the existence of a town nearby. But instead of Woodbury, it’s Alexandria.
After what happened at Terminus, Rick is at his most ruthless and doesn’t trust the town at all despite Deanna welcoming a potential new ally in the prison community. Believing that Alexandria will inevitably fall under Deanna, Rick considers betraying and attacking them for much needed supplies. In this storyline, we see how much he’s started to resemble Shane while also foreshadowing Negan. In the mid-season finale, Rick and Deanna become genuine allies and start to share resources and knowledge. Then we have a slight time jump and the season comes to a close with the introduction of Hilltop and the Saviors. Obviously we get the lineup with Negan.
Season 4: The Savior War, condensed. Rick defeats Negan, rediscovers his humanity and establishes the Coalition, planting the seed for mankind to reclaim the Earth.
And that’s it. I don’t think anything else is necessary. There’s many great characters and moments that would be lost, but I am more than willing to sacrifice them to see a version of this story that retains a forward momentum, a sense of purpose and progress.
Plus, keeping the prison as the central location because it’s much more satisfying to have the group build their own home.