I've been on board with The Walking Dead and its writers even though they has taken a lot of criticism. They might not be following the comic books to a tee. They might not be cranking out the most intelligent hour of television on the dial. They don't fill every minute of air time with zombie gore, either. But I've enjoyed the story they have been telling and the characters they have developed up until now. In my eyes, "Judge, Jury, Executioner" is The Walking Dead's first misstep. I understand why the writers did what they did, on a show like this you have to make the audience fear they could lose any character at any time, but I think Dale's death was misplaced and I fear the event's repercussions.
The Walking Dead is set in a world consumed by death; it's everywhere you look and at the core of every story told. To think that our favorite characters are immune to death themselves would be disingenuous to the world they now live in. At the same time, you would like to think their deaths would have some greater meaning in the grand story being told, that the writers would use the loss of a character to make the story richer. I just don't see that with Dale's death. It was random and meaningless, almost as if the writers realized they needed to kill someone off to keep true to the show and Dale seemed as good as anybody.
If Dale's death has any meaning, it's that hope and humanity are now dead in the world our character's are living in and that message scares me more then it having no message at all. Dale had grown to become the conscience of the group, the person who kept them grounded and reminded them there are still choices on how to behave. By having him die in such a random and pointless way, I can't help but feel hope died with him. If he died in some heroic gesture it would have supported his beliefs and the theory that there is still something to being living and acting with civility for. But instead we are left with the feeling that there is no room anymore for people like Dale and his humanity.
Even more bothersome for me is that his death came on the heels of such a great moment of hope. Rick stopping the execution of Randall after seeing the blood lust in his son's eyes was such a poignant moment; a realization where the group was headed and the effect it would have on the future. Now, who is going to carry that message on. Rick? As powerful as the moment may have been for him, I'm not sure it was a transcendental moment that is going to totally change his outlook on things. Rick is still the leader and leaders have to make tough choices. Him becoming the conscience of the group isn't realistic to his status. Andrea? She had some nice moments in the episode where Dale helped her see the errors in her behavior of late, but we've spent almost two seasons documenting her downward spiral. I don't think it's realistic to believe she's suddenly done a 180.
So, as far as I can see it, we're left with no hope. And as much as I understand that being a possibility in the world the show takes place in, I don't understand it from a story telling point of view. Why are these characters continuing on if there's no hope? Why am I watching if it's just a matter of time before all the characters are dead and society fails to exist? I want Dale's death to have meaning and purpose other then the loss of hope. The season isn't over yet, there is still more story to be told and maybe the writers are going to make it all come around, but I need to be given a glimmer of hope if I'm going to stay interested in the plight of this group of survivors. Hopefully that glimmer will be coming soon.
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