It's Time for AMC To Pull the Plug on 'The Walking Dead' Universe

At the end of each episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City, AMC airs a seven- or eight-minute behind-the-scenes reel and it is easily the best part of every episode. In those few minutes, we’re reminded that the actors behind these grim, soulless characters are, in fact, real people with actual personalities. This week’s episode was directed by Lauren Cohan, who genuinely did the best she could with what she had to work with (a zombie grizzly bear!), but it’s a revelation just to hear her speak without the Maggie accent, free of the show’s clipped grunts and glowering silences. Jeffrey Dean Morgan comes off as lively and charming, chatting about how much fun he’s having working with co-stars like Zeljko Ivanek and Kim Coates, who, incidentally, is the only actor who seems to be enjoying himself this season.

The contrast is so stark it’s almost cruel. The show itself is a joyless slog, so drab and heavy-handed that it manages to suck every ounce of charisma from normally charismatic actors like Gaius Charles (Smash on Friday Night Lights) and Dascha Polanco from Orange Is the New Black. At this point, Dead City feels like a bad cartoon, bleak and flat, devoid of chemistry, humor, or energy. The Walking Dead used to throw in the occasional wry aside or moment of levity. Now? It’s just people walking through the motions, grimacing through whatever grim nonsense the writers have cooked up this week (a zombie grizzly bear!).

And speaking of nonsense: for anyone who checked out after Glenn’s death (that’s most of you), it probably sounds absurd that Negan could ever be redeemed. That was almost a decade ago. What’s absurd now is that we’re still pretending Maggie and her son Hershel can’t bring themselves to trust him. How many times does Negan have to save their lives or offer himself up as a sacrifice before the writers finally let that storyline go? Why is it still a plot point?

This entire season has centered on a cartoon villain, The Dama (Lisa Emery), blackmailing Negan into becoming the old Negan again so she can maintain power over her flock. What’s her leverage? Apparently, the only power supply left in the region: methane harvested from decomposing zombie guts. Yes, really. That’s the plot.

Last week, The Dama died in the least climactic way imaginable — pinned under rubble when a fire broke out — and now there’s a power vacuum over the zombie-gas operation. But only Kim Coates’ mustache-twirling Bruegel seems to care. There was also, for a brief moment, a cult convinced that becoming a zombie was the ultimate way to return to nature or something equally incoherent. But honestly, it’s all just so tired.

It’s fitting that it’s called Dead City, because there is zero life left in this show. There are two episodes left in the season, and it’s time — way past time — for AMC to pull the plug. Rick and Michonne got their send-off. Carol and Daryl are wandering aimlessly (and purposelessly) around France. Negan is stuck in New York, trying to protect two characters who still hate him despite years of self-sacrifice.

AMC has Dark Winds, the Anne Rice shows, Gangs of London, a new installment of The Terror coming, and even, allegedly, a Killing Eve spin-off. It doesn’t need to be the Walking Dead network anymore. In fact, at this point, clinging to it is a liability. It’s burning up the last remaining fumes of goodwill while 98 percent of former viewers don’t even realize it still exists. “That show is still on?” is the number one response I get when I mention I’m still watching.

Stick a fork in it, AMC. The Walking Dead did its job—it helped you bridge to the next era of streaming. Now let it go. Jeffrey Dean Morgan deserves better. There’s probably a Rockford Files reboot somewhere with his name on it. Set him free.