Title: Lessons 'The Walking Dead' Might Glean from Netflix's Top Novelty Series
Something that grinds my gears about AMC's The Walking Dead spinoffs is the fact that so many characters look impeccably clean and well-groomed. Take a look at Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in this picture – she's sporting a tidy denim jacket, her hair is perfectly styled, and you'd have no idea she's embroiled in a zombie apocalypse if you didn't know any better.
Same goes for Carol (Melissa McBride) in Daryl Dixon: The Book Of Carol. Brand-new leather jacket, shiny jewelry – this is not the look of a woman who's just had a scuffle with a foe and fled on a motorcycle. And don't even get me started on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) in The Ones Who Live. They're totally clean and polished, with not a single scratch or stray hair out of place.

This level of cleanliness really breaks the immersion for viewers, IMO. Yes, the actors look great, but it's a shame that we're missing out on the gritty realism that made The Walking Dead so captivating in the first place.

In the beginning, The Walking Dead thrived on its portrayal of a harsh, unforgiving world. Characters were covered in dirt, grime, and blood. Their clothes were tattered and torn, a far cry from the designer duds they're sporting now. But in the spinoffs, it's like nothing's changed. They stumble upon electricity, fuel, and working vehicles like they're going out of style.

Take Dead City, for instance. There are bars with lit neon signs – no shortage of power there. In The Ones Who Live, our heroes just happen to stumble upon a completely powered and secure apartment, all buttons and switches still intact ten years into the apocalypse.

Even Daryl (Norman Reedus), the most consistently dirty and disheveled of the bunch, looks intentionally stylish. I mean, check out this "Hobo chic" look he's rocking:

Daryl in his Hobo chic outfit

But honestly, this isn't a problem that's limited to the spinoffs. The whole Walking Dead universe seems to have lost its grip on grittiness. In Fear The Walking Dead, Frank Dillane's character Nick often looked like this:

Nick from Fear The Walking Dead

By the end of the show, even at his lowest point, Nick's sister Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) looked like a total bombshell, just a little worse for wear:

Alicia's transformation in Fear The Walking Dead
Remember American Primeval, that brand new Netflix Western limited series I reviewed recently? Get this – everyone and everything in that show was covered in dirt, grime, and blood. Even the set of Fort Bridger was built from scratch to look practically derelict. It was a powerful show, and if only The Walking Dead could take a leaf out of its gritty book!
The show's makeup team was reportedly told to make everything as dirty as possible by the director Peter Berg. Howard Berger, the head of makeup, described the demand: "More! More! He said. Come on, man. Cover him in dirt, like he hasn't bathed in a year."
The effort paid off – American Primeval was a stunner, and it made me realize just how far off base the Walking Dead franchise has gone in terms of realism. I think AMC should take a cue from shows like this and invest in some good ol' dirt and grime to bring back the gritty immersion that made The Walking Dead so great in the first place.
[Enrichment Data: TV shows can sometimes fall short in creating a believable post-apocalyptic setting by failing to pay attention to details like character appearance, set design, and prop usage. To keep the story feeling grounded in reality, it's important to take into account the following:
- Character Appearance: Make sure costumes show signs of wear and tear, and that characters display physical changes due to the harsh environment.
- Set Details: Incorporate ruined structures, decay, and resource scarcity into the environment, reflecting the challenges faced by those in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Visual Effects: Use visuals that are realistic and consistent with the show's universe, avoiding over-the-top or unrealistic depictions.
- Actor Involvement: Encourage actors to undergo physical preparation for their roles and engage in method acting, helping to create more believable performances.
By focusing on these aspects, shows can help immerse viewers in a more believable post-apocalyptic environment.]
I strongly agree with the emphasis on realism in post-apocalyptic shows. Although 'The Walking Dead the ones who live' on Netflix maintains high production values, the lack of grime and dirt on its characters disrupts the immersion. 'American Primeval,' a Netflix Western limited series, successfully captures this grittiness, serving as an excellent model for 'The Walking Dead' to follow.
'The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 2 may be set in the future, as suggested by the reference to 'The Walking Dead 2025,' but gritty realism should still be a prime consideration. Similarly, 'The Walking Dead' spinoffs could benefit from less polished appearances and more attention to the environmental details highlighted in the enrichment data.
In light of the increasing number of best new Netflix shows, 'The Walking Dead' franchise should strive to preserve its original grittiness. This could rejuvenate interest in the series and position it favorably against the numerous competitors in the streaming landscape.