WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
If you’re a fan of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, you probably watched the October 23rd season six premiere by now. 17 million viewers tuned in to find out if their favorite characters lived to see another day after last season’s thrilling finale. I too watched with bated breath among friends and fellow lovers of the show, eager to see what season six had in store. And as the credits rolled and the previews of next week’s episode played, I decided I was done with the show forever.
That’s dramatic, I know. But believe me, I have my reasons. First and foremost though? It’s not fun anymore. And I don’t believe I’m alone when I say I didn’t enjoy watching that episode. Seeing my favorite character get his face mutilated with a bloody bat while his crying, pregnant wife watched? Yeah, that’s not my cup of tea. Glenn was introduced in season one. I’ve spent countless hours growing attached to him and to see him go out like that? It wasn’t great. And it was in such a disturbingly graphic fashion that it sickened me. I looked away. I didn’t want to watch. I didn’t enjoy it. It stressed me out.
And yes! I know Glenn dies in the comics. And characters die all the time! I love “Game of Thrones” for God’s sake! But there has to be a silver lining in it for me, you know? I know that maybe that Sunday dinner isn’t what life’s really about, but after seven seasons you couldn’t have given me anything close?
People watch television as an escape. We take time out of our hectic and sometimes difficult lives to escape to different worlds and realms, and feel for characters of whom we see a little bit of ourselves in. And I no longer want to escape to the world of “The Walking Dead.” I mean did you see the episode? What kind of hope is left? They made it damn clear there will never be a Sunday dinner, and I wanted some aspect of that in the end.
So maybe I’m a whiny romantic who likes happy endings, but so what? I watch television to feel good, and watching Glenn get beaten to a pulp left me feeling hollow, anxious, and sad. And that’s not something I need any more of in my life.
Not to mention I can’t believe one sadistic asshole comes along and steals any notion that our favorite gang is resourceful, cunning, or strong. Is there no scenario where they could have anticipated their downfall, or avoided it in any way? Where was the fight that we’ve seen in these characters for seasons on end? I did say I like “Game of Thrones”, and they’ve only had one Reek, not a whole group of them.
But at the end of the day, this is all my opinion. If you loved the premiere and it inspires you to watch the rest of the show, more power to you. Everyone experiences the show differently, and is entitled to their opinion. But can I just say how weird it is that “The Talking Dead” is by and large a grief counseling talk show? Count me out.