In Defense of Season 8 of The Walking Dead...

[@seananigans3741]

I’ve always thought the line “my mercy prevails over my wrath” was a perfect redemption and beginning of a new arc for Rick. I think it was a perfect ending for Rick’s arc that season and the whole murder rick persona/arc in general.

[@TheDrexLord]

Best part of the season, but wasted with him leaving in 9x05, and still not worth carl dieing and could have been done differently without killing the most important character

[@_jay_6132]

Even tho he’s prolly gonna be murder rick again in his new show

[@kontraktarn7342]

Bro i completely agree, especially that sentence. Its so powerful in that moment.

[@brandonsantiago2298]

@@TheDrexLord to me killing Carl made perfect sense because Rick in the show has a more vile deeper hatred towards Negan than in the comics. And if you wanted Rick to spare Negan at the end like in the comics then it wouldn’t make sense for Rick to do that unless something drastically happened that changed his mind/point of view. Hence Carls death. It made perfect sense but I of course always thought that Rick might’ve died at the end of the show and then Carl would’ve continued the series in a spin off or whatnot. I always thought Carl would be the future. Never thought he would die 3 seasons before the show ended.

[@iamfriendly6483]

@@brandonsantiago2298 it made sense but still a big mistake for the future, Till this day watching season 11 I still think of how carl's death was A HUGE mistake I can't stop thinking on what would have happen if he were in season 11 ending. I hope they de cannonize carl's death although there is absolute zero chance that will happen.

[@mathijnd]

Carls most interesting material was literally the next story arc. Its beyond me that they thought killing him would be smart. The whisperers, the commonwealth with Ricks death and Carl taking control. Why kill him off right before his most interesting story. So sad

[@Cam_DePasquali]

The show is about Rick, the comcis are about Carl and Rick. Killing Carl wasn't a bad decision, lmao

[@mathijnd]

@@Cam_DePasquali worst decision in television history

[@nahhh5552]

@@Cam_DePasquali it was the worst decision made in the entire show

[@yourmother9747]

@@Cam_DePasquali massive L of an opinion

[@Cam_DePasquali]

@@yourmother9747 lol

[@MeMelon]

Before even watching I'm glad this is a video. Season 8 had some big writing issues but I think this season above all else Andrew Lincoln CARRIED. The storyline was convoluted and the writing gets eye rolling but Rick Grimes stays consistent the entire way through and makes this one of the most compelling seasons just for watching Rick.

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Oh you’re gonna like this video 😂

[@TheDrexLord]

That's true but that devolment only lasted for 5 episodes and in the rick and michone show will probably have him screw closer to murder jacket rick than new beginning rick

[@TheRubberMatch]

I haven’t watched yet either but dude you took the thoughts straight out of my head. For all the walking dead’s shortcomings, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes will always stand as one of the best performances in TV history

[@charlessmith9753]

I mean this in complete honesty, sincerity and curiosity, what writing issues? I don’t understand what people mean when they say that. Please elaborate what the exact problem was cause I’ve seen so many people say this but I feel like it’s some confirmation bias.

[@ChopOnBraves2025]

Andrew Lincoln always carried the show on his shoulders.

[@dalegend7215]

I remember how angry i was when Carl died, knowing what was coming to his character, it was really the writer's biggest mistake.

[@RAV3.]

Not rlly Carl was quite a boring and shallow character. The only thing that made him important was that he was Rick's son. The actor wasnt rlly good either

[@notsolilguat6487]

carls character was really starting to become ruthless and fearless. As for the acting his actor would've more than likely changed with the time jump

[@baconpowder706]

Wasn't really the writer's fault, he got screwed over by AMC

[@Laura_Norda]

@@baconpowder706 I thought he wanted to off to college/uni. I might be mistaken.

[@natvelo]

@@notsolilguat6487 really doubt it, they didnt change enids actor

[@ZainIsInPain]

My favorite episode was the one with Ezekiel when his entire crew dies. It really humbled him and showed us more of the true side of Ezekiel, was also awesome seeing Jerry cut that guy in half. It was scary seeing how all his soldiers instantly, without hesitation, just threw themselves onto Ezekiel to protect him. He knew he didn't deserve that and it was interesting seeing his struggle with that. Also I'm a Muslim, and I recognized the phrase "My mercy prevails over my wrath" and when I searched it up I found out that it was actually also a big phrase used in the Qu'ran, so that was pretty cool to find out.

[@commodorezero]

The first half of season 8 was very good. I feel people were already done with TWD because of season 7 and the Saviors arc was stretched way too long.

[@wolfeevi]

i’m a muslim and i found out the same way you did, definitely awesome

[@DJDeezyThaTruth]

-I Thought It Was The Weakest Writing ✍🏾

[@charlesjclin]

I watched all of the 11 seasons of TWD last year for the first time on Disney plus, and i never thought season 8 was boring. But hearing/seeing lots of fans disliking this season, I came to realized it’s because of the different ways we watch shows, just like you said!! I totally binged watch the whole season, and I was able to remember most of the stories and connect them. If I watched it in 2017 on tv, and had to wait every week to watch an episode, and try to remember what’s going on while looking for any sort of excitement and development, I’d probably stop watching too. It’s crazy the different ways we watch shows make a huge difference to our enjoyment level.

[@conkwonthechef9569]

I watched season 11 weekly on Disney plus,all the other seasons I binged usually watching two episodes at a time. Season 11 wasnty favourite

[@snerdterguson]

How on earth did you watch The Walking Dead on Disney Plus? They don't have the rights to stream it as far as I know, and it really isn't "on brand" for Disney.

[@diogomarques9228]

@@snerdterguson The Walking Dead its on Disney+

[@diogomarques9228]

@@snerdterguson at least on Portugal its on both Netflix and Disney+

[@snerdterguson]

@@diogomarques9228 weird. Not in the states.

[@lordfrieza1437]

I think if season 7 and 8 was one whole season of 16 episode, in first half they show communities under the savior rule and in the second half they rebel against them removing all the useless stuff from season 7 and 8 it'd without a doubt be the greatest season ever

[@brandonsantiago2298]

I 100% agree. I did not expect season 7 to be completely about living under the saviors boot and then finding a way to get he manpower to fight back. Then we have the entire season 8 which even though it was filled with a lot action, their was boring plot lines, the dialogue stopped feeling as real as before, characters started doing stupid things and since they were main characters on the show they could survive anything. If they’d taken the whole season 7 and 8 and done 1 season of 20 episodes it would’ve bee great

[@lordfrieza1437]

@@brandonsantiago2298 exactly but they did fix this eventually in season 9 and i liked season 9 a lot but they had to do it again in season 10 which imo is the worst season of the whole series, like that episode with carol making soup and daryl fixing his bike is one of the worst episodes of the whole series

[@workinprogress3329]

Absolutely. They spread it out thin and it’s drag watching week to week.

[@diogomarques9228]

@@lordfrieza1437 i skipped the episode of Daryl and Carol because people were saying that it was terrible so i watched the entire show, except for that episode of season 10

[@lordfrieza1437]

@@diogomarques9228 best decision you made.

[@ScottishScrub]

I like how casual viewers who don't know about fear never find out what happened to Morgan... he's seen at the end of s8 and then just never appears again

[@HomelanderHL2]

What i like about this season and doesn't get mentioned often is how much of a Menace Morgan Jones is. Aside from Rick, Morgan Jones wipes out most of the Saviors. Embodies of a Dangerous Man that broke his peace.

[@masterman9978]

W1aa3àaaàdwàaà

[@masterman9978]

33

[@masterman9978]

As Àadaqawww2

[@denisucuuu]

thank you for mentioning his last name i thought u were talking about the other morgan in twd

[@Jsjsusi]

@@denisucuuu sorry i am on s9 on twd and haven't watched fear, but aren't the morgan in ftwd and twd the same person?

[@laux136]

I also remember not paying much attention to season 8 when it aired, but I recently binged it and I think it flows much better if you're not waiting for weekly episodes

[@BlazeBuds]

I stopped watching in season 8, but that was mostly because I got divorced during that season and didn't want to watch or do anything that reminded me of my ex, watched season 9 2 years later, then finally last month I watched the whole show from start to finish. Then watched all of fear and world beyond 😂

[@Redstar24_]

I think Carol had the best story arc with Henry and that story is super important for season 9. Also her finding him in the same spot as Sophia and telling Ezekiel about it is my favorite moment of the entire season.

[@toprope_]

tbh what kept me interested was that seasons 7-9 the walkers didn’t feel like a threat anymore. they’re still super dangerous, but enough time has passed that people know how to handle them for the most part and humans can get back to stuff like organized war, even if it’s just between city-states. not everyone enjoyed the turn from surviving the zombies to surviving the other humans, but post-Terminus it was clear that zombies were no longer the major threat since those could be dealt with easily. other human groups though? those were much harder to fight

[@yoloswagthuglifeselfie568]

I was literally looking for this exact subject the other day and couldn’t find any good videos on it. Never stop making TWD essays! Thanks

[@CupcakeMagee]

The fact that Carls' death is a huge focal point for season 8 is so funny to me. The reason it's so iconic is due to the fact that it is in fact one of the most hated actions taken by the show writers, but when you take a step back and begin to analyze it IT CAN ACTUALLY BE REALLY INTERESTING. The idea of the death of Rick's son pushed him to show mercy to the man who was one of the biggest threats that has ever appeared on the show is so interesting, most people would flip Rick's reaction around. Was carls character wasted potential?? absolutely man got did so dirty, but something I noticed was how Carl himself didn't NEED to be someone, just the idea of him affected SO MANY CHARACTERS!! Michonne was able to heal over her son's death and got with rick thanks to carl, carl showed a softer side of Negan that would have never appeared otherwise, Carl WAS ONE OF THE REASONS RICK KEPT GOING AND FIGHTING!!! Carls death, if it had been done better and with better reasons, would have been an incredible turning point for the show instead of one of its downfalls. (this probably sounds like me just sucking the shows dick but carl was one of my favorite characters in television and i really like analyzing characters if that's anything to show my lack of biases :P)

[@ThatGuyCanmanNC]

I havent read the comics but i dont understand how they continued after carls death, because carls death changed so much in the show, every single character stepped back and became more peaceful, which i love. Im glad he died, he had such a good death too, and what it did, needed to happen.

[@jayphillips4167]

First person I've seen that shares the same opinion with me. Although Carls death COULD have been handled better if we look at what actually happened it really makes sense. I feel as though a lot of peoples judgements are clouded by the fact they lost a beloved character the same as Rick or even Joel from The Last of Us

[@ThatGuyCanmanNC]

@@jayphillips4167 Yea i would say it perfectly ends Carls arc, he ideas and morals were put down by everyone until it was too late to for him, and so only after his death is when people realized that they need to act human, and not like monsters.

[@wisegamer706]

I agree completely. I thought season 8 was one of the best. I don’t think the show ever really got bad, it just suffered from Rick not being there and they just couldn’t keep up the quality of writing but hey they had set such a high standard with some of the masterpiece moments of the past.

[@lukepridgen3197]

you’re so right

[@kristinc5707]

I agree that Daryl’s hatred for Dwight is boring/annoying at times but I do understand it. I think Daryl holds Dwight responsible for his time in “the hole” & was really traumatized by it. He resents him for this & for “kneeling” after everything Negan did to him & Sherry. Not only that, but the death of Denise really affected Daryl & really fueled that hatred of Dwight. Plus…. He stole the man’s bike. Lol

[@ralcogaming7674]

Bike, crossbow and vest

[@gabriellelytle8537]

Mr. Typewriter I love you’re essays. I listen to the while driving. And I absolutely adore the show (and I’m reading the comics finally!) and I am so excited for this to air in like 30 seconds lol

[@nikkicole54321]

The shiva episode is so heartbreaking. 😢 But King Ezekiel is always a highlights. ☺️

[@rageintothelight]

I can't rewatch it and won't

[@azdaze227]

Some guy is one of my top 3 episodes for sure. Maybe even my favorite.

[@sarahostewn-bv2lz]

shiva is arguably the most heartbreaking death in the show period 😭

[@reyesreviews]

For me I feel like this season had a few good points to it, and I absolutely teared up when Carl had his last talk with Judith

[@Evanz111]

Your videos have just been constant hits over and over, I love how you find so many new angles to discuss this show with!

[@AvaMaxJax]

Finally, i love season 7 and 8, i know some episodes are boring and slow but i think alot of them are great. Personally i love the war against the saviors and Negan

[@zigibisevac]

Me too dude

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

I agree with you!

[@BlazeBuds]

Was the best and longest battle of the show! Plus Negan and Rick are both amazing actors and both have great arcs. As stated in this video, the main issue was focusing on 1 story per episode, would take so long to come back around

[@MrsToscanoHomeSchoolTeacher]

I cant explain it exactly but every rewatch I just find myself looking at my phone more than watching when I get to season 8

[@rogaken]

Lol. I had to watch it on my phone to keep me from doing that.

[@Jay-okc]

REALL

[@harold3165]

That's because you have a low attention span

[@MrsToscanoHomeSchoolTeacher]

@@harold3165 you really liked your own comment bruh hahaha come on thats really sad

[@accidentalmadness1708]

@@MrsToscanoHomeSchoolTeacherhow do you know?

[@TheDMsofDisability]

The one thing I will never understand is that it was SUPER obvious they set Morgan up to have Carl's death, but changed it last minute. He made the prison cell, he had the all life is precious notions, he was falling off the rails, and for him to die and next to Rick while still sharing his old "all life is precious" notion being in Rick's mind would have been a good pay off. Especially with how Rick was seeing everyone else lose their humanity throughout 8A

[@palpatinesboi9549]

They were always planning to kill Carl off this season when they made it. They never planned to kill off Morgan, there was no "last minute" change. I don't know where you're getting this from. That's just how you interpret it, but you're objectively wrong.

[@jordanl1911]

agree 100%. We'll probably never know for sure, but I had the same exact thing in mind (from the cell made for the most evil man ever on). They actually did a great job building it up...only to change their minds and make it Carl. It also explains why Morgan got shipped over to Fear; he was never supposed to make it out of S8.

[@TheDMsofDisability]

@@palpatinesboi9549 I mean they set up Morgan so perfectly to be the person to talk Rick into saving Negan. His entire character arc was him struggling between two sides and for him on his deathbed, in the middle of a war, to tell Rick to choose peace would be impactful. I will always personally believe that's what they set up going into season 8, but switched it when they wanted Morgan in Fear for some reason

[@marshacox5647]

I have always thought the same thing!!

[@KaraokeNig]

That would be so much better. Great idea

[@joshwatson103]

Thank you so much for recognizing Do Not Send Us Astray it’s my favorite episode in Season 8 and definitely most watched episode in the season for me at least

[@RedAnimal100]

Glad you made this video. Even before seeing it. I never understood the massive hate for this season( understood some) I felt like after season 7 an all out war season like season 8 was warranted and actually fun to watch. Rick carried the season of course.

[@TheDrexLord]

Yeah well season 7 suffered from week to week and kn binge is ok while this season suffers from a bringe in my eyes because nothing really happens and they are stretching what could esaly be 8 episodes into 16 were season 7 while mabey could have been shorten it used it's time to add to the source instead of random stuff, and Daryl was so stupid this season. And every just seemed invincible and less like real people

[@franfran160]

Fully agreed, season 7 is my least favorite but 8 isn’t slow to me at all

[@jaythomas468]

I think the biggest issue with Season 8 was just the hype/excitement and expectations for the “All-Out War” story arc and it kinda didn’t end up as epic as it could’ve been (plus, a lot of the writing contrivances made things seem goofier).

[@parkeranimations3671]

How do you not understand the hate?

[@gavina4241]

Great video. This season has a solid story but overall the real issue other than Carl is that it’s in a 16 episode format so everything is dragged out when it could’ve been better as 12 episodes. Morgan made the most sense to have the Carl death, he was the one that started the whole no killing idea in the first place plus he was the one who build the cell that negan would eventually live in. Ig it’s more believable rick would save negan for carl over someone like morgan, but i think it still couldve worked plus it would just be better in the long run of the series. Side note: I personally wasn’t a big fan of 7x13, like i dig with the idea of the story, but it’s executed poorly. The battle is very awkward, a lot of dumb character moments like henry letting saviors out by accident, reintroducing tobin after 2 seasons just to kill him off, the way no one woke up when walkers started biting them and falling down the stairs. So yeah basically s8 has cool ideas in mind it’s just not handled greatly imo

[@amazed7301]

i totally habe to say, I absolutely LOVED scenes like the Rick and Negan 1v1. Scenes like that kinda carried the season from falling apart.

[@HenriqueHCA14]

Finally a well done video that isn't a recap, i can see effort was made for this

[@OMGDDAAVVIIDD]

I’ve been going through my own re-watch. Going through Fear the Walking dead, I just finished season 8 of OG Walking dead. I totally agree, with streaming, being able to watch episode after episode makes it easier to watch. Back then having to wait for certain storylines to wrap up, only to find it underwhelming is what I think drove so many away. The hardcore point to certain deaths that made them watching the show. Ultimately I think it’s the pacing to the start of season 7 and the whole pace of season 8 that was its downfall *side note I’ve been loving your videos man. Really well laid out and thoughtful!

[@lukeoconnor3616]

To be honest, the whole show from start to finish, despite the way they did Glenn and Carl, was amazing. The biggest issue with it was that I’d say from season 8 onwards, you can only appreciate it when you watch the episodes back to back. I watched up to season 7 week to week and it was amazing, then I stopped at season 9 after a few attempts. And I have only just now binged the whole show from season 8 onwards, and I really think the show finishes as strong as it was in season 5. It just needed to be binged, rather than one episode per week.

[@nostalgiafactor733]

Facts

[@Cons4Zachy]

17:25 I would agree binging the show makes it 10 times more watchable. I wish I didn’t know the spoilers but not having to hold out for a meh episode is fantastic.

[@samthebrownman]

I think the reason Eugene was more easily welcomed back is because most of the militia likely recognized that they all would have died had Eugene not sabotaged the ammunition.

[@bennorfolk6633]

Interesting point at the end. As I only just watched TWD, I ended up binging season 8 in 1 day, so I didn't have the major gripes that some had. So from my perspective, ig you are spot on.

[@iconicszn735]

i 100 percent agree i stopped watching around season 8 and like before season 11 came out had a thought to rewatch it and always wondered to myself why did i stop watching it this is still an amazing show but like u said i get the attachment we may have had with some characters made us stop watching

[@darioscomicschool1111]

I watched Episode 8 of Season 7 "Hearts Still Beating".... man what an EPISODE! At the End of the Ep, I shed a Mantear....or two. Thank you for sending me on this Journey! Without you I wouldn't have watched it. Your Enthusiams pointed me in the right direction! This show is saving my life... in a way.

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Glad to hear it!!

[@Xpertfusion]

Certainly an underrated season. It’s biggest issue was the budget but that’s a problem for most seasons of this show.

[@tomfrakking9426]

You hit the head on the nail. Absolute perfect review. I always thought there were a lot of good things in s8, the pacing was just off. It's not as good as it could have been. I love the 20 minute format

[@tonyvillota21]

yes finally, someone who doesn’t completely hate season 8. I binged watched it with my dad and he liked the fact it was more action. I liked also cuz it was action but it really had war vibes and shows how both groups had their own ways of attack. I also agree with you saying carls death was growth to ricks character arc. i know it could’ve been better but i enjoy it the way it was. IDC what anyone says This was an awesome season in my opinion.

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

Thanks for making this video! I really enjoyed season 8, though I waited for the bluray and watched it all back to back, so as you say watching it week to week might have been less fulfilling. Still good to see someone talking about its strengths!

[@AsianSatire]

This makes me glad I never watched TWD when it aired. I just binge watched seasons 1-11 and like you said you were able to skip bad episodes. (Although I do remember watching some season 1 episodes when they aired)

[@TheDHCreator]

I was serving a mission for my Church when Seasons 8 and 9 were on the air, so I really enjoyed binging then when I came back. XD I loved this video man! Cannot wait for another one of your Walking Dead or other deep dives!

[@cristobalmonroy2446]

My favorite episode of this season is 14, because rick in his killer jacket, he's like "man, give it to me always" and I saw it very recently, just revisiting the series. An episode with Rick and Morgan as protagonists will always work, since Despite the little screen time they were given, their affinity for the story is unique and probably a lot of people missed out on it due to the disaster of the end of Chapter 8 and all of Chapter 9. I can think of as many ideas of how to make Rick change his mind without killing Carl as they would be: 1. See how Carl is determined to kill Negan, making him become everything Hershell tried to help him not to, so he leaves him alive as a show to everyone, but especially his son, that things can be different. 2. Rick sees in the communities themselves not only a way to defeat Negan, but a new future and that this also involves recovering concepts such as justice and humanity, not survival. Carl lives and supports his father in this way, just like in the comic. Those are some, but there are more. My point is that, indeed, that was the biggest mistake made by the showrunners at the time and that in many ways, it was what killed the show for me. Rick has lived by and for Carl since the beginning, his entire journey is about keeping his son alive, his engine. To take that away from him was to make his character wander aimlessly and his departure felt almost necessary.

[@heresnegan6825]

This video is already one of my favorites of yours and if your considering this video makes me want other whole season videos like this where you look at the good, and bad of the season

[@TheRubberMatch]

One of my biggest gripes with season 8 is the fact that if Eugene didn’t interfere in the finale, Rick would have led his people to a slaughter. Wish Rick actually defeated Negan with better tactics and didn’t have to get totally saved by Eugene

[@greatwhitebuffalockobenben1019]

Great video man! I’m literally watching it now on amc+ “ the key” and “do not send us astray “ I never realized how well they went went into each other .. Rick gets there right after fight w negan, the horn relays.. great few episodes in a row .. love all the Rick Morgan scenes ..

[@AlejoConejo-vb8ln]

I'm commenting this before watching the video btw. In S8's defence, it is a great season if binge-watched. The whole story takes place over the course of 3-4 DAYS. The first 9 episodes take place over the first 24 hours of the war. And watching it only one episode a week is not good because you feel the story isn't progressing as it literally took over 2 months just to piece together what happened during that first day of war from everyone's point of view. That's what turned people off I think.

[@watersauce7834]

Thanks!

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Thank you!

[@EubyGamingUK]

I didn’t have an issue with the season, story wise, except for Carl dying. The main thing for me is like you said, the season felt different, it tried to be more like an action show, and just felt really cheap for it. The action scenes themselves had no real choreography, just mid/close up shots of people shooting, no real set pieces. I just got bored of all those scenes. I didn’t mind character scenes at all. I did fall off mid season though, and didn’t get back into it until just before 11C, and finally continued from mid season 8, but i’m glad i did because i really enjoyed season 9 onwards

[@KooChi1]

So as I am rewatching the series I realize Carol and Morgan had a pretty good friendship that no one really talks about. Every one talks about Rick and Morgan. Wondering if you could or would do a video on their relationship? Thanks.

[@YamiEryie]

My issue with episode Do not send us Astray is that it makes no sense if u remember the details from previous seasons. Cuz in season 1 they met this scientist which told them that they are all infected and they are gonna turn anyway even if they die from anything else ( which is even proven in prison arc when that kid dies under shower and than turns ) and rick, daryl and carol were there they've seen it and heard it but they were still going with that theory that walkers blood turned them, I mean yeah maybe it did but they didn't even need to actually use it to make them turn and it's just funny for me how they all completely forgot all of a sudden about everything that scientist said and did not even consider it as an option.

[@alesundgresiek8389]

I felt like season 8 was my favorite season. I think the reason would be that there is this big bad villain and I knew the season would end with him either dying or loosing (Because Dead City was out when I was watching) Not that other seasons were bad but its true that it felt really different, more like an action show than a zombie show.

[@kingpen6432]

I've always have said you can tell a casual fan from a hardcore fan with Glenn's death. I stayed around watching it even after it got "bad" it definitely had its moments of success and downfalls. I just wish I could watch 1st time again and be amazed by it.

[@EliteePlayss]

Season 8 is mad underrated

[@kleinerbar8953]

I notice the same thing. I watched the show over streaming for the first time an I haven't notice all the "awful" things my friends told me about or I thought they weren't that bad.

[@MarrsJ]

I hated that they killed off Carl (forcibly too if you're aware that AMC booted him off, the college thing was never the reason why he left). In my eyes not only was it the worst decision they made for any character, but both Chandler and Carl deserved so much better, I would have loved if they changed the story a bit to where Carl was a more pivotal character in season 8 and actively trying to change Rick throughout and then maybe when Rick leaves Carl steps up as the defacto leader, and then instead of Rick and Michonne series, it's Rick, Michonne and Carl where Carl and Michonne try to seek out Rick together

[@Proxyyy825]

they should’ve just instead have morgan died and be the one to convince rick to let negan live or as you said

[@tarapatrick532]

I agree with your assessment. For me the season is better when you consider it in the whole arch of the story. But going through it week by week it dragged. I kept watching, but it was hard.

[@Avi-rl6qb]

I always felt like Morgan could have replaced Carl's death. If they kept Morgan as a pacifist his death could have pushed Rick's character in the same direction that Carl's did. Morgan even built the cell negan gets thrown into. I always felt like this is how the writer's were intending the story to go.

[@vincentgirard4950]

Chandler Riggs had a stream a few years ago mentioning that he wanted to continue college and live a normal life. Don’t know if he truly meant that, but probably why he was written off.

[@Sovereign77]

I honestly liked this season, never considered stopping the show once. Guess I'm lucky

[@cliffjumper416]

Same. Me and my dad watched the show to its end and still rewatch it. We will be watching the spin-offs together as well

[@zigibisevac]

Same bro

[@overlord6993]

Season 8 is the only reason i started watching TWD again since 2017 being the last time I ended at mid season 7 and I find the conflict between negan and rick, the kingdom, alexandria, the hilltop super interesting. Thus after watching it for the first time It became my favoruitr season - season 8 with all out war

[@mythiccheese_]

Before watching this video, I'm gonna say on my first viewing of the season, I honestly thought it was one of the best seasons throughout. The season starts so fast it's hard to imagine people stopped watching a few episodes in.

[@langdonledwig3734]

It is much better to experience all in one time instead of weeks then months apart

[@littlemiller6]

Every season was beautiful

[@holymolystudios8467]

Season 8 is where I also stopped for a while . I remmeber seeing the trailer for season 9 with the whisperers and I had to get back into it. I went back and watched season 8 then and I remember it being super hard to get thru

[@joshwatson103]

Season 8 is my favorite season on TWD I rewatch it the most on Netflix and I was the most hyped for this season even tho it was painful to get through as a week to week viewer but still a great season with many flaws and issues but the overall narrative is incredible

[@TheDrexLord]

It my least favorite but for action fans it's OK I guess but it's to long and carl shouldn't have died

[@joshwatson103]

@@TheDrexLord duuuude I absolutely agree with you on my part where I said it has flaws like Carl’s death and the fact that it was painful to sit week to week through after a slow but amazing Season 7, I wish they had the build up to the war in 7A and All Out War in 7B and have the Whisperers in Season 8 but fuckin Gimple got too in over his head

[@Saiyan1229]

This season was where i had to take a long ass break binge watching the whole series in preperation for the last season. The whole “no killing thing” got so damn old so fast with morgan and then other people started doing it and i couldnt help but roll my eyes

[@Vendetta_killer]

For me season 7 and 8 are not bad at all, in fact they are pretty good

[@sethboyd9877]

I didn’t watch twd until 10 seasons were out i rewatched all of it twice and the foreshadowing when u realize it. It’s so good.

[@alexanderthered5603]

Killing Carl was just an unforgivable action of the show.

[@ruizbrian1051]

🤣, almost spit out my coffee at the sound effect at 5:42.

[@Arkanyte]

Man you really have to watch Fear the Walking Dead. S1 to S3 is some of the best walking dead content I've ever seen. Then Morgan and the new showrunners got S4 and the show turned to shit afterwards. S6 is surprisingly great but the show is still mid after S3, which is sad because S3 of Fear is a masterpiece

[@boonecarlyle]

Honestly Fear had so much potential, If only Dave Erickson continued being showrunner 😭

[@AZbluedot196]

I'm still watching every single show in the Walking Dead Universe 😃 EDIT: and I could not agree more on the binge watching, trying to watch the show week to week with commercials is painful!!

[@ryantruskowski2803]

I love season 8, it’s honestly my third favorite season behind seasons 4 and 6

[@YungSmackAddict]

4 & 6!?

[@ryantruskowski2803]

@@YungSmackAddict yessirrr seasons 4 and 6 were absolute masterpieces

[@YungSmackAddict]

@@ryantruskowski2803 no 5?

[@ryantruskowski2803]

@@YungSmackAddict I wish I could say it was, but the hospital arc was way too uninteresting and boring

[@MrOzzy-zx1yk]

honestly, the show had a massive chance to make a great ending season with season 8 but blew it by dragging it on with the following seasons and spinoffs

[@CallsignHicks]

You've perfectly explained how I felt about it. I watched this since the day it aired and then dropped of in this season as well. I only came back because it was ending, and felt the same way and came to the same conclusion. Week by week it's a slog, bing watching made this season far better.

[@CallsignHicks]

The main thing that annoyed me about Carl's death was the instant invalidation of his sacrifice.

[@SlaqNarrationHub]

Daryl probably couldn't get past who Dwight was before the outbreak, i dont know much about him, but that's my assumption

[@gerardogaxiola]

You should do a pros and cons for every season of The Walking Dead just like this video, I’d really enjoy watching those type of videos.

[@IPrayToSappho]

I didn't care about Carl but that was so stupid and even worse when you know what they did to the actor.

[@misterchico99]

I would agree that season 8 had its lows and I respect your opinion me personally though season 7-8 are my favorites and it doesn’t have too much to do with the episodes themselves but the story as a whole it was telling. The rivalry between Rick and Negan is one of the best stories that TWD has shown I think. Negan being the one character that breaks Rick and strip his power was good and the journey Rick has to take to gain his power back was one of the things I love about season 8. Overall though I see your points and would agree it definitely has its ups and downs

[@kellydavid8169]

Totally nailed it!! If you binge it, it’s actually very good. Having to wait weeks to see certain characters is the big reason I stopped watching it. I just kind of got bored after season 10. And I didn’t go back and finish it until recently. I chose to start at season 5 (since I had seen seasons 1-4 about four or five times already). Binging the show made me interested in the Walking Dead world again. I immediately binged Fear right after and I really enjoyed that too. That’s another show I just lost interest in as well. If AMC were able to release a season at a time, instead of week by week, more people would watch the new spin offs.

[@ljuvskinka9351]

I watched to season 7 when it was all released like 10 years ago then stopped. I recently rewatched all seasons 1-11. And the best was easily s8

[@BlazeBuds]

Whats funny is so many stopped watching because of Negan and missed probably the best character arc in the whole show! I honestly would have stopped watching after Rick left if Negan wasnt still alive

[@treelover420xx]

The carl death was wht did it for me an hearing about the the behind the scenes stuff with Chandler made me even madder at the show an how they treated him an his character

[@Noway022]

I binge watched the show recently and can attest that I really enjoyed season 8, the fact that it felt different and more action-based was a positive imo! My only problem was Morgan and Carol. I was sooo over them flip flopping between being killing machines, finding peace within themselves as well as others, and dealing with mental issues. Nice in concept, but it seemed repetitive and dragged out to me.

[@jennagarden7371]

Thank you! Everyone was always team Morgan and it was just getting so old watching him never make up his mind

[@neuskirachyr]

This was a smaller point, but I've always found the whole Daryl/Dwight rivalry to be incredibly realistic and thought provoking. When they meet, Daryl shows Dwight kindness and mercy time and time again even after he was captured and tied up, returning the insulin for Sherry's sister and considering taking them back to Alexandria with him. His kindness was always a part of him, but something he was constantly working on and making the decision not to leave behind. His time with Beth after the prison was the thing that showed him there were still good people left in the world and it was his responsibility to give them chances. Because her time on the show was pretty brief and her time being an actual interesting character was even more brief, people tend to forget just how much Beth changed Daryl. I think it would be fair to say that every single act of kindness Daryl shows someone after season 4 is, at least in part, because of her. So to have that development blow up in his face so badly with Dwight was such a slap in the face to his worldview and his relationship with Beth. Something else a lot of people I've seen look past is how Daryl was treated in the sanctuary and just how horrifying it was. Even though it doesn't appear on the surface to be as blatantly gross as a lot of other scenes, the whole Easy Street montage is essentially psychological torture. It's something I'm not sure anyone reading this- or I- will be able to truly understand the cruelty of, being locked in a tiny, pitch black room, completely isolated for days on end, eating dog food and listening to the same song repeat over and over again with nothing to do but think about how you literally just watched two of the most important people in the world to you get beaten to death, and how one of them was completely preventable on your part. And then after he's let out into the rest of the sanctuary, he's still taunted and terrorized constantly, reduced to a servant to the man he watched kill his friends and is still exploiting the rest of them. He was forced to give up his loyalty, his identity, and his morality, the very things he holds most sacred. Out of everybody in the group that could have been taken that day, I think Daryl was probably the hardest to break, but also the one who would have been the most profoundly affected and traumatized by the experience. If he'd never met Dwight, none of that would have happened. It makes complete sense to me that he's the one person Daryl will never be able to forgive.

[@mozhganteimourzadehbaboli3370]

Correcte ❤❤❤

[@PaddyRoon7]

Daryl's hatred of Dwight was so forced, really confusing to watch

[@diddydiscipIe]

bro what? did you not see the way Dwight was treating him while he was imprisoned? how he double crossed him?

[@thickchip2694]

Such little time actually passes between 6x10 and 8x16. It’s told slow for that reason n definitely hit the mark when binge watched. One of my favorite franchises of all time

[@Rudravijai]

I watched this series on netflix and i loved this series until this happened. Carl was one of my fav characters but after he died i stopped watching this show but ultimately i watched all of it after quitting it for like 2 months

[@geckz716]

10:00 what a fantastic point, I didn't hate the pacing because I watched it for the first time on Disney plus over a span of two weeks and really enjoyed it, and I can understand why waits causes pacing issues

[@franfran160]

I really liked Morgan’s stories in season 8 especially the parallels between him and Carol. In season 6 they were literally fighting each other between all life is precious and having to kill to protect Alexandria, in season eight they were complete opposites. Carol did what she had to do but was feeling extreme remorse for all the bodies she had while trying to help Morgan not lose himself in the killing. They made amazing soldiers especially together, while also showing the mental effects of having no choice but to kill to protect your loved ones.

[@jonathanmendez310]

Recent to Waljing dead and just finished season 8. Ima keep it buck with you, I loved S8 and everything with the only thing I hate was Carl's death. I get the spirit and meaning but was stupid and how they treated Eugene specifically Rosita and Daryl like no its your fault Daryl the saviors escaped Eugene just helped innocent people in there survive. Also seeing the ending guessing Maggie is gonna be the villain for future seasons considering that ending but overall I liked it plus I'm Netflix only so to me the experience is more different and I enjoy it alot more then people who watched it weekly did

[@ClairDeLume]

Andrew Lincoln was the only reason this season was slightly good, he absolutely CARRIED.

[@darioscomicschool1111]

Can't Wait!

[@diegoprodriguez]

Binging season 8 makes the whole story certainly more compelling. Just didn’t work in a week to week format

[@sethperez9865]

Its really crazy because i feel like ive had the same opinion for a long time and i finally get to see someone talk about it, because when this season first aired i was so disappointed and having to wait each week for a meh episode was such a bummer esp once we got to that carl episode i lost all hope because ik wed never see a old man carl story line like in the comics and id always hate that decision but honestly after watching again on netflix and binging it straight thru i really came to appreciate s8 and what it brought to the show it was like a foot stone for what was to come and evolve in the future if the show and i liked that ( still minus carl dying ofc lmao )

[@saturn_wolf]

Season 9 was where I tapped out. Judith was neat, and I *was* really excited for the Whisperers....but I just couldn't get invested without Rick. Rick was *the* reason I kept up, we woke up in this world with him and largely saw it through it eyes. Writing him off, and killing off Carl, are two top 3 dumbest changes from the comics

[@joemoney7640]

You are 100% right with everything you said here, and also with binge watching it on Netflix was better!

[@Gibbypastrami]

Idk if I read it somewhere or rumors have just become fact in my head but I feel like Morgan was originally going to die not Carl, then they decided to move him and Dwight to Fear and didn’t want to pay Chandler anymore Bad move, they should’ve done a Rick-esque situation where an explosion happens and we assume Morgan died and he leaves a letter for Rick that gives him that change of heart needed, you would need to add some moments with Morgan and Negan together, maybe Morgan gets stuck with Negan instead of Gabriel, anyways, the main cast thinks he’s dead, he did what he needed to do to save them and then dips to get his head right, then he pops up on Fear Carl definitely shouldn’t have died, and then killing Siddiq so soon after, very dumb, give all of Carls stuff to Morgan, Morgan saves Siddiq, etc Then have Carol, Daryl, and Carl be the main characters after, until eventually Carl and Daryl head to France? Lol

[@Zombie_Trooper]

I've always loved season 8 because season 8, and more so season 6, are exactly what I always wanted from a show in this genre. We can put on our Freshman film/TV analysis glasses and pick it to pieces until the cows come home, or people just get angry that the show broke from the norm and made wild decisions (SOME OF WHICH PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW THE FULL STORY ON), but I enjoyed everything about it. I always wanted to see warfare in this genre, and not the 10 minute action sequence kind, the actual "this is going to be tedious and painful" results of war. We see our team go ham and take names for 4 solid episodes and then we start seeing the results of that and the cracks within the Saviors, and then true, unexpected loss, followed by the politics of protection pacts and the value of building relations, all capped off with a massive moral quandary and a touch of espionage. I just loved getting those perspectives and storytelling opportunities. Most say this show was best when it was them surviving on the road, but I've seen that 5001 times in the zombie sub genre, it's old hat, I was ready for something different and season 8 delivered for me. It's far from perfect, but I'd rather they shoot for the fences and miss instead of just the same old same.

[@MrChronicpayne]

I never thought about the _why_ , but looking back I also stopped at S8 and clearly it was no coincidence.

[@elchapo5614]

They should of had half of season 7 where Rick was being submissive to negan then the second half all out war make a slow burner of a season with the mid season finale start a crescendo, would eliminate all the filler episodes