The Walking Dead is one of the biggest shows on TV and after six seasons it continues to be one of the most talked about. The fifth season of the show came to a bloody climax when the Alexandria community debated whether or not to exile Rick (Andrew Lincoln). Season 6 picks up in the aftermath of those events as Rick and his group attempt to secure Alexandria so they can co-exist with the community that already resides there.
Six seasons in and there’s definitely starting to be a feeling of déjà vu on The Walking Dead. Each season now Rick and the group find a new place to live that they think is safe only for it to come crumbling down around their ears, forcing them to move on. That formula is present for the latest outing as Alexandria comes under attack by The Wolves and The Saviors make their presence known part way through the season. There is also the introduction of the Hilltop, another community that Alexandria tries to negotiate and work with.
Much of season six is a tease for the big reveal of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his trusty baseball bat Lucille. Honestly the tease is dragged out far too long and Negan only appears in the show for a very small amount of time in the final episode. It’s clear that he will be the main antagonist when the show returns for its eagerly-awaited seventh season, especially after that anger-inducing cliffhanger that the season concludes on.
Elsewhere in the show it’s pretty much business as usual as Rick battles between insanity and being a true leader. His group try to integrate into the Alexandria community but they face resistance from some of the community. Michonne (Danai Gurira), one of the show’s best characters, is relegated to the background for much of the season and Carol (Melissa McBride) takes a few steps back getting closer to the timid woman we were introduced to in season one.
The problem with The Walking Dead is, and always has been, that the 16 episodes in the season are bogged down by filler and/or backstory. With the sheer amount of characters now present on the show, it can be hard to connect to many of them as they barely get any screentime. That makes it near impossible for you to care if they get slaughtered a few episodes after being introduced. Every new character is potentially walker food so you don’t feel there’s any point getting attached to anyone. There’s also a bit of a cheap stunt pulled with a fan favourite character that is explained away with pretty much no realistic logic.
The Blu-ray release is absolutely packed with extra features including an extended version of the season finale, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a closer look at Negan, and audio commentaries.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Sixth Season delivers the same thrills and frustrations as its previous seasons. When it’s good, it’s really good but when it’s average it’s pretty skippable. There are still far too many characters, the pacing of the plot is often snail like and the thrills are few and far between. The show really needs to break out of its formula if it really wants to deliver any real surprises. Hopefully Negan will severely shake things up in season 7 along with the introduction of Ezekiel.
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Steven Yeun, Danai Gurira, Lennie James Certificate: 18 Released By: Entertainment One Release Date: 26th September 2016
