The Walking Dead The Complete Eighth Season comes out just in time to get caught up for the next. With recent news of the change in cast looming overhead, fans will want to be completely caught up before season nine begins!
“Together with the Hilltop and the Kingdom, Rick and the Alexandrians bring “All Out War” to Negan and his forces. The Saviors are larger, better equipped, and ruthless, but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future. The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic action-packed offensive.
Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it’s not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. So that they can rebuild. As with any battle, there will be losses. Casualties. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom, Negan and the Saviors’ grip on this world may finally be coming to an end.”
The Walking Dead has taken quite the turn in season eight, with the insanely slow build of tension in the entirety of the seventh season finally producing some action, with Rick uniting the communities of Alexandria, the Kingdom and Hilltop against the Saviors. Fans of the show will no doubt enjoy the change in pace as the start of the season begins immediately with a battle with the Saviors. The three communities have started to take on their own identities with Maggie being the unofficial leader and as we learn more about Ezekiel and his backstory and his deep care for his people. Instead of a jumbled mess of characters, I feel like the communities are finally coming to the forefront and when we deal with one character in one camp, you feel a much bigger picture.
That’s about where the differences end, however. Critics of the show’s recent direction will learn that nothing has really changed. The show as a whole seems very unfocused, utilizing terrible shifts in time as a plot device. I suppose this is intended to speed up the action sequences and go back in time randomly with different people leading up to the event. This is not done well at all, and only serves to confuse viewers until they realize what’s going on. Devices such as this didn’t have to be used in the earlier seasons of The Walking Dead, it relied on character and story between a small group of people trying to survive. Now, instead of meaningful and heartfelt dialogue when it comes to impossible choices and the difficulty of living in this new world, all we get are inspirational speeches one after another, filled in with recycled drivel and the back and forth of characters ‘going bad’ and reaching that breaking point where you abandon your morals.
I used to really enjoy the show, but I know I’m not alone in seeing how far it’s fallen from what it used to be when a certain show runner was in charge. With Andrew Lincoln stepping away from the show, the future of it seems uncertain, but I think it’s a good time it comes to an end. Very few television shows get to make it to this point these days, and ending it on a positive note would be preferable than to continue to let it decline to the point of ill repute. Although I may not be as big of a fan as I once was, the show has definitely become a worldwide sensation since its beginning. Who knew a show about zombies would become so popular? For changing it up and raising the bar when it comes to what a television show can do, I’ll always remember the best of times when it comes to The Walking Dead.
Video
The Walking Dead is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. The transfer here looks good, and what I have always loved about the show is the heavy grain used to make it look so absolutely gritty and dirty. It plays perfectly to the tone of the show, always creating very drab and washed out colors like the life has left the world.
Audio
The audio is presented in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and sounds great on the show. There is always a very eclectic amount of sequences that range from bullets whizzing by your head, the moaning of hoards of undead, and the hissing insects in the Georgia wilderness. The track highlights these in every episode, totally immersing you in the world.
Special Features
A few extras on the disc that fans will definitely want to check out. These include:
- Carl Grimes: Leaving a Legacy
- In Memoriam
- The Pride of War
- Audio Commentaries
The Walking Dead season eight does go a step in the right direction for the show but still has lingering issues that don’t look to be resolved any time soon. There is a monumental shift approaching, and this set will definitely get you ready for the next season due out in a couple months.
