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Has The Walking Dead jumped the shark? ((SPOILERS))

posted 6 years ago by missy (174)
16 replies | jump to latest

Do you think TWD has jumped the shark?

Technically, the ratings may not have gone down enough for it to warrant the term "jump the shark," -- but they have fallen to a six-year low with S8's midseason finale.

Ratings aren't the only definer of jumping the shark: Jon Hein (founder of jumptheshark.com) described it as "A defining moment when you know from now on … it's all downhill … it will never be the same." https://web.archive.org/web/20000817233601/http://www.jumptheshark.com/about.htm

If you believe or suspect TWD has jumped the shark, did you have a particular moment or event that caused you to conclude this?

For me, it was when Negan killed Glenn. That moment was so over-the-top, not in a Fonzie-surfboard kind of way, but in its excessive brutality. It showed no respect for Glenn or the fans. I haven't watched another episode since.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 6 years ago

It's been eaten by the shark, and defecated by the shark.

[–] missy (174) 6 years ago

Har! So true.

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

The Glenn in the Dumpster did it for me, and then the appearance of NEGAN! BLAH

[–] LennyNero (474) 6 years ago

Dumpstergate was that moment for me too. I continue watching, and I don't mind Negan, but I mostly watch out of habit now rather than with enthusiasm. WD used to be a "don't bother me on Sunday night" kinda thing. Since Dumpstergate, it's become a "I'll get to it when I have time" kinda thing.

The past half season has felt really hollow and forgettable. My GF wants to catch up on it, and I'm mostly like "you can skip that half season without missing much". Actually, I think you can just watch that final episode and feel caught up.

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

Agreed. I feel as though I'm not missing much if I don't get to it right away. We used to be the same way, couldn't wait to see it, then couldn't wait for The Talking Dead. We never watch that freakin" "Yes man" Chris whatever his name is. I really think the arrival of Negan put a nail in the coffin. Sure, there are some that love him, but there are many that despise him. And I'm talking about the way JDM is playing him. It's pitiable that his character is just NOT translating from the graphic novel ( which I love) to the screen.

[–] LemmyLugosi (411) 6 years ago

The issue of the comic where Negan killed Glenn had the same effect on my interest....it killed it.

[–] AtomicReturns (1252) 6 years ago

Even people who love the show (going by Reddit regulars on the Walking Dead board) are losing interest. Because it really is the same thing every week.

I still think the producers/writers need to break away from the comics. It doesn't matter to me if they stay in one area a long time talk and verbally tangle with Negan across 500 comics.....it is absolutely dull to watch on TV. It also doesn't help that I'm not liking Jeffrey Dean Morgan's portrayal of Negan. So multiply the pain and boredom x20.

[–] modica (4169) 6 years ago

After Neagan killed Glenn, it was all downhill from there. The first half of this season is especially boring. It is the same thing every week. They really need to go in a different direction or else the show is finished. My nephew and his wife were the biggest fans and they stopped watching episodes ago. They don't even care anymore. That is how I know that if they don't do something soon, the show is just going to die quickly.

[–] ThreeTenToYuma (922) 6 years ago

The show has been trash for years. Can't believe anyone still watches this nonsense.

[–] missy (174) 6 years ago

Anyone who made it through Season 8 and has now stopped watching?

Are people still going to watch Season 9 or have you had enough?

My breaking point already happened; have you reached yours yet?

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

I'm seeing it through either to the end of Rick, or when Andrew Lincoln leaves.

[–] Sandoz (2021) 6 years ago

I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to continue to watch... I DO know that if I do, it won't be as a fan anymore, but as a hate-watcher because this show has lost all respect from me due to its insipid writing and the obvious contempt the writers have for the intelligence of its audience.

I'll have to see what's on the basic cable line-up for new and returning series in the fall; if there's more than a couple other series on that I'll be watching then I won't have the disposable time to fool around with watching crap like TWD.

EDIT: Wow, this was my six-hundred-and-sixty-sixth post!

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 6 years ago

It happened years ago when they turned Carol into Rambo.

Allowing this long dead comic book character to carry on and turn into an action hero jumped the shark for me.