4) Blandness Of Characters
Another super-sore point with me is how underdeveloped our TV show characters are compared to our comic characters. Want an example? Look no further than T-Dog! Seriously, was his only purpose to die in season 3? There were entire episodes throughout season 1 and 2 where all T-Dog did was stand against a tree in the background, sit on a stoop in the background, or walk aimlessly in the background. All and all, he’s a BACKGROUND character, yet all of a sudden is given a martyr’s death like we’re supposed to give a damn? Yes, I know some people are out there singing T-Dog’s praises after his move that saved Carol, but all I saw was another weak attempt at some moving moment wasted by having a character who didn’t mean a damn to the show.
In Kirkman’s comic though, I’ve literally become choked up over certain deaths due to the immense emotional connection and more vibrant personalities. I’m trying to think of a specific example that won’t give too much away, but I can’t even. Maybe because in the comic our artists can draw the exact emotion needed for that exact moment, or because it’s easier to create a backstory on paper with speech bubbles, but you learn so much about each and every survivor through the pages it’s hard not to feel some sort of connection. Sadly, I haven’t had that happen to a single character in the show. Rick could die right now and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
Specific Examples:
See Dale, Lori, earlier versions of Carl, T-Dog – the list goes on.
