The Walking Dead: What we would like to see next season

With season 3 of The Walking Dead firmly in our rear view mirrors now, it’s time to look forward to season 4. I thought, what better way to help kill the six months or so then with some speculation and what I’d like to see going forward. The season finale left us with a lot of change in the characters, the dynamic of the group, and the main villain. There were a lot of great seeds planted that look like they will have some good payoffs come October when the show returns.

First off is the Governor, who thanks to our man Edwin, we now know will definitely be back to harass our heroes next season as David Morrisey has been signed on for next season. The Governor was a character that, though he held some similarities to his comic counterpart, was played in a different way. In the comics he’s essentially just a raving mad lunatic, and though he is terrifying, is a bit one-dimensional. On the show he became more of a layered character, he still had the same psychotic tendencies, but he’s more reserved and more human. I appreciated this take on him as it made him less disposable than his comic doppelganger. I think it was a good play for the writers to bring him back as I agree with Kirkman’s assessment that he doesn’t want a new big bad sowing up every season, I think it would cause us all to say ‘been there, done that’. So how should his character play out next season? He doesn’t survive the prison showdown in the comics, so everything we see going forward will be brand new territory for the character. I definitely don’t want to see another standoff that’s drawn out for a whole other season, but I think it would be interesting if we see him out on his own for a while. Maybe he recruits a new army that Rick has to deal with in the second half of season 4. Personally I’d like to see him become just another survivor for a while, knock him down a peg so to speak, sort of like a new Merle. Then once he’s been out there for a while he sees a new opportunity to amass power again and seizes it to build a new army or community. I could even see him being a TV stand-in for current comic villain Neegan. One thing I don’t want to see is the Governor just instantly becoming the new guy in power somewhere else. It would make his character a lot more interesting if we get to follow him as he claws his way back to the top.

My favorite character on the show and the comics is Carl. The ways we get see his character progress from scared little boy to hardened survivor who understands the new world he occupies is nothing short of brilliant. In the comics he makes that full on leap when he kills a little boy who everyone knows will cause problems for the group. On the show this moment is fully realized when he shoots the retreating Woodbury soldier who seemingly was surrendering his gun. Whether the guy was planning to surrender or not is not really the point here, and it was underscored beautifully with the speech he gives Rick about why he had to kill a seemingly harmless person. In this life there are no prisoners, there is no mercy, it’s kill or be killed. The person you show mercy to today could be the person who kills you or a loved one tomorrow. I am excited to see how this fully realized Carl plays out going forward.  I really hope we get to see Carl take more of a advisory role in the next season as he seems to be one of the few in the group who fully understands this new environment. As much as I love Herschel, he’s not the guy I would be taking the bulk of my advice from, as it would likely get you killed at some point. I think Carl needs to join the ranks of Rick’s “lieutenants” like Daryl, and hopefully Michonne. In the comics Michonne, Carl and Andrea hold those roles, on the show Daryl as taken Andrea’s place, but Carl is the wildcard. He’s the kid who you look at and think he’s a kid, however he’s anything but. I would like for him to be more active as far as going on missions and things of that nature. He can handle himself and I would like to see him move beyond the bodyguard/babysitter role he plays inside of the prison whenever Rick leaves on a mission.

 

We finally have Tyreese joining the prison population, and I was so glad it was handled without a big showdown between him and Rick. In the comics he is essentially Rick’s number 2, and though I don’t want to see him displace Daryl in that role, I am looking forward to what he will bring to the table inside the prison. I am definitely hoping that we get to see that bad ass moment from the comics where he gets overcome by a huge group walkers and left for dead, only to be found still living after taking down all the walkers on his own. That right there would make for some stellar TV! I can’t really see clearly what role he will serve, but we know we’d rather have him on our side than not. I wouldn’t even mind if his relationship with Michonne gets depicted either. She finally opened herself up in the finale and so we should expect more of that to come, I think a relationship with Tyreese would be a good way to play that out.

The dynamic within the prison itself is about to change in a big way as those left behind in Woodbury now join the group. Currently in the comics Rick is in charge of a huge community numbering a couple hundred people or so. He sees this a chance to rebuild society, and I am hoping this is what we’ll see take place in the prison. In the penultimate episode this season Rick comes to the realization that what’s good for the group is what’s good for his family as well, a lesson comic book Rick didn’t learn until a lot of carnage had taken place within his original group. He starts off as the town’s constable, and I think Carl giving him his badge on the show may relate to that. I think we will see Rick move on from just being the leader of a small group of survivors to being someone who is now more of a social leader. Sure the Ricktaorship is over, but lets face it, you still need someone who brings the decision makers together, and that’s where I see Rick headed next season. Of course that will come with its own headaches, like dissenters within this community and the need for bigger supply stockpiles, and I think those facets would make for some great TV as well. We know the Governor will be back eventually, but I’d like to see drama and threats unfold from within this new community rather then just more outside threats. Of course we will still need those outside threats as well, but I don’t want the show to rely on them to create drama and tension all season long. There are going to be new characters and new points of view within all these people and it will be interesting to see how that will play out inside of the prison.

So that’s my sort of wish list for next season, but what say you guys? Sound of in the comments and let us know what you’re hoping for in season 4 of The Walking Dead.

You can follow Christopher on Twitter @AUDone44 and The Nerd @nerdfollowin