The Walking Dead Season 4 is a long way off, but there are specific concerns I have about the next season which will bother me until the season premiere. While the show continues to reach higher in the ratings, there are certain unique issues to The Walking Dead Season 4 which were not present in the other seasons which should be addressed.
The Walking Dead Season 4 poses unique challenges
Another New Showrunner?
While the second season of the show was filming, Glen Mazzara replaced Frank Darabont as the showrunner. Moving into The Walking Dead Season 4, Mazzara is out and Scott Gimple is the new lead. In the second season, Mazzara would have found himself having to carry on some of Darabont’s ideas and directions to show continuity in the season. With a new season, Gimple is able to start fresh and can take the show wherever he sees fit without being tied down to previous plans. This could be a positive in how he could improve the show or a negative in having a new monster unchained.
Dismal Season Finale
The Walking Dead Season 4 will have to win fans over very quickly since the show is coming off of a very dismal season finale. Fans did not get the “Wow!” moments they were expecting, there were too many commercials, and there was little closure. If the first or second episode of the new season do not live up to the expectations of fans, the ratings will take a stiff downturn.
To read my opinions on the season finale, please follow this link.
Character Development
The former creators of the show have proven their inability to develop certain characters we see each week. T-Dog is the one character we often think about being underdeveloped, but what about Beth? She has been on for two seasons and she is still simply Hershel’s “other daughter” that sings from time to time. What are they going to do now with the prison being full of kids and old people? How many of these low-level characters will have to take time away from the main characters? How will the creators figure a way to give these people substance? How are the creators going to ensure characterization in The Walking Dead Season 4 is not spread too thin?
The Walking Dead Season 4 presents interesting and concerning problems for the creators of the show. How these issues are overcome will have a direct impact on the show’s ratings early on. Hopefully, the fans will not be disappointed.
