The WALKING DEAD: The One Scene That Saved The Entire Series
The WALKING DEAD: The One Scene That Saved The Entire Series
The Walking Dead is in its final season, but there was a time when it looked like the show was going nowhere. Way back in season 2, a contentious battle with the showrunner and budget cuts threatened to kill the show. We think there was one episode–one scene–that saved the walking Dead. The scene that got the show back on track and laid the foundation for all the great TV that followed.
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Written and Hosted by Ryan Arey (http://twitter.com/ryanarey)
Edited by Randolf Nombrado
#WalkingDead #VideoEssay
0:00 Walking Dead Season 2 Recap
3:18 Problems with Season 2
6:28 How Season 2 Made the Show Better
8:09 Season 2 Laid the Groundwork for The Series
11:47 Crucial Scene Breakdown
The walking Dead is in its final season, after 11 years. Think about that. Eleven years. When you go back and watch season 1, the show is unrecognizable for what it is today. And I think that this is all thanks to the show’s most crucial season, the most important season in the Walking Dead franchise: and that is season 2.
Yes, that is the season with the farm…that everyone says is really slow and really bad–and I’ll talk about that season’s flaws in a second. But this season transitioned the group–and the show into a new era. It made mistakes, but it learned from them–this is the show where the Walking Dead became the show it is today.
The season also contains–what I think–is the best scene in the entire show.
But more on that scene later. First let’s provide a little context for this season. Season 1 was very much about a group pf regular people trying to get their bearings in a zombie apocalypse story. This was groundbreaking, because most zombie movies didn’t have the time to explore what comes after the zombie attack. They focus on the survivors escaping from a herd [herd, sounds about right] and then…we don’t get to see what happens to civilization.
Walking Dead answers that zombie apocalypse question: what comes next? The driving question of the series isn;’, will they escape form zombies? It’s, will they be able to rebuild civilization? Where does all this end? What’s the point? And season 2 is when they started to answer those questions.
Season 1 and 2 are very much about the group looking for structure, civilization. They find the CDC, get hot showers, and think their nightmare is over. It was their ultimate hope, the place they could rebuild from–and it was destroyed. This is a recurring pattern in the Walking Dead.
So, it does make sense that when the group finds a nice farm that’s unmolested by walkers, they want to stay, raise babies, and rebuild civilization. The problem with the season stem from the infamous disputes between showrunner Frank Darabont and the network, AMC. Now Frank Darabont was the showrunner for Walking Dead season 1, and he’s also the guy who wrote and directed this.
There’s a lot of he said/she said, but the gist seems to be that Darabont wanted tighter control of the series, and was shocked when AMC slashed his budget for season 2. “Do more with less.” Darabont left the show, won a 200 million dollar lawsuit, and proud we are of all of him.
Glen Mazzarra took over the show and had to find a way to save money. The solution was to stick to one main location–the farm–and to pad the episodes with lots and lots of dialogue.
When you rewatch the season, you notice something important . Episodes 1-3 are sharp, kinetic. There’s a sense of danger pressing down upon the group, while character developments are always playing out in the background
This is when the walking dead is at its best–when internal conflicts–like Shane’s heel turn–are driven by external threats–like when he kills Otis.
After episode 3, the characters reach the farm, and the external threats stop dead in their tracks. There are far fewer zombies, and no humans to threaten the farm. Instead, the show becomes driven by two questions: will they find Sophia and will carl live? Episode 4 does a nice job of slowing down and letting the characters worry about these kids. It even has this touching scene where Daryl gives Carol a Cherokee rose
Two children living or dying can make for great TV–but season 2 was forced to stretch these plot out for way too long. Characters remain static for most of the season. Or, like Andrea–they change, but then have nothing to do for several episodes. Liek T Dog. They have all this time to fill, and T Dog’s arc is that he gets a cut on his arm.
10:46
"…the writers ignored the only African American on the show…"
What does this sentence even mean – T-Dog being black had nothing to do with his role; I did not see a great many white straight men in ‘Empire’ but Jussie Smollett thought he deserved a pay rise. The NBA is 80% African American males, so is the NBA racist against Asians and White people?
So because Glen is clearly of Asian ancestry and he got a love story and a lot of screen time, does this mean that Asian privilege was to blame?
‘Screen Crush’ desperate to advertise how Woke, stupid can be.
This was an awesome review Ryan! We’ll done! Really makes me want to go rewatch the show from the start again!
Please please please, do more Walking Dead Vid’s
season2 was amazing, the "slow" plot in my opinion was fitting and appropriate and engaging. IMO S2 is better than S1, and an appropriate build up to S1
She did better acting in that one scene than she ever has on Bosch
Lost alot of interest in the show when negan killed glenn but still kept watching but after they killed off Carl I straight up quit
i loved season 2 and the beginning of the transition to the prison
That Was Bad @$$ Ryen. Still haven’t watched since they KILLED CARL though!!!
As a Comic fan, I was there from day one on the TV show and still watch. My family wouldn’t watch it. But then, they heard so much chatter about the Sophia/barn episode at their work at school they started to watch, got caught up, and loved the show. But, like a lot of others I lost them with the Negan and Glenn Abraham episode. They quit watching after that one episode.
Season 2 was one of my favorites
Never fear, Sophia actually got better!!!…..she now lives under the name Madison Lintz and plays Harry Bosch’s daughter on ‘Bosch’……. The more you know…..*
Sophia caused her own death.
She was told to shut up and hide.
She screamed and made a run for it
It wasn’t Sophia that lost me. It was the moment where Glenn died, i never watched another episode again
very well done! Pretty Much Dead Already is my favorite episode in all the seasons! glad I found this video! ❤
This was really good! Thank you for your insight.
I loved season two. I never understood why people didn’t like it.
Such a wonderfully made video! You managed to pinpoint exactly why I love the show… it’s trash sometimes with some plot holes but the way it studies the human society and psychology, going deep into the consequences an apocalypse like that could have on all of us *chef kiss*
I have yet to see the last season and your video made me even more impatient to catch up with it!!
TWD is the best show ever
I miss shane
I’d love to see more of these walking dead deep dives ❤️
Season 2 is so slow at the beginning but the back half is the best set of episodes and it has some of the best scenes w Rick, but season 3 is it for me
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Man this was a great video. U did an amazing job
How was Season 2 bad? I absolutely loved those first few seasons, now the show is pretty meh
That was absolutely a fantastic moment but S2 overall was the beginning of the end for me. Show runners who didn’t understand the source material constantly making unfathomable decisions. The show never recovered.
I never liked shane
Im late but i also think Dales death was a major scene. For one it reminded me of the lord of the flies when the conch shell was shattered. The one symbol of order/reason was lost, Dale being that to the group. Two Dale was fighting tooth and nail to stop an execution yet becomes the one who is executed while hes in to much pain to talk. Yes he was doomed but the look on his face while they decide who will do it and right before its done shows his realization of how hes become the one the group is deciding on to put down. Season 2 by far had some of the best writing in the show, the subtle plot lines that come full circle in the season was incredible.
I miss the old seasons so much! no other seasons have the realistic vibe that they have. Love the whole show tho
walking dead should pay you for advertising, because now i am going to watch this series
As a matter of fact, from season 1 to 6 i think are the best season they ever have
The last of us doesn’t even come close to this show.
It is a great series.. The scene with the girl its not what save the series..
The most crucial scene happened in the sewer as the show and the camera proceed down the tube.
I enjoyed The Walking Dead season 2. I know people didn’t like it but I enjoyed that they was able to slow down.
Lol…He really just claimed Tdogs bad writing on the face he was "African American".. So tired of the victim-hood BS. Anybody can make shows. Anybody can use whatever actors in their shows. Time and time again, we see a show reverse and go COMPLETELY woke and it ruins everything. It ruins it all when the main goal is identity politics and NOT about story and good actors.
Show was not saved woke writers took over and ruined it
I’ll always wonder how great it could have been if Darabonte was given carte blanche. He knew what he was doing …
TV Series fans- "Wow, this is a great scene."
Comic Book fans- "Ah, she’s still alive, marries Carl, and they have a daughter in the last issue."
Season 2 is amazing and underrated af
This was a great video
Might be the best breakdown. Ryan ends all on a serious note. Lol
This makes me think of a couple of years down the road when they find Alexandria and new badass Rick’s like "Nice place. If they don’t let us stay. We’ll just take it from them."
Season 2 is iconic! Love the Farm! I miss this group so hard
Incredible video, the ending as really well done.
I loved this season, it was only the 2nd of the first show that was like a great nonstop horror movie. People said it was slow and, with hindsight, there is truth in that. Yet I always cared about the characters and that’s different from the last several years where only about 1/2 of what was happening was interesting to me. And that "one scene" was so shocking.
I always thought if I was in that world I would live for the hope that the vast majority of the zombies would rot away in a year or two making the world a much safer (though not "safe") place. Somehow that hasn’t happened in the show or even really been addressed as far as I know.
Man I really liked the 2nd season
I Like season 2
I always thought second 2 was slow but it has major character development that shape the character for the rest of the series so in retrospect it wasn’t a problem for me
Why do I have tears in my eyes! TWD was peak TV. People don’t understand the impact of this show, which is saddening. It was the number one cable show & in it peak was beating Sunday night football in ratings. 15-16 millions viewers! This is when you actually have to watch it on tv. Game of thrones was big but not doing these type of numbers and everyone couldn’t afford hbo back in the day too