It’s pretty tough for a TV show to make major waves in the pop culture zeitgeist. But back in 2010, some series really showed what they were made of, breaking records and getting audiences to wait every week for a new episode. The Walking Dead definitely made that list, pulling in a massive 5.3 million viewers in its pilot episode alone. But as time went on, things changed, with lots of ups and downs. The Walking Dead Season 2 is a perfect example of this, with a pretty messy story, but luckily it managed to turn things around just in time. The big question is: What happened?
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The second batch of episodes of The Walking Dead is still remembered by many as one of the slowest in the series. The lethargic pace, the repetition of scenes, and the lack of big events left fans frustrated (even though the last few episodes got better in some ways). What a lot of The Walking Dead fans may not know is that all these issues were just a reflection of a much bigger problem behind the scenes – from creative clashes to messed-up behavior, everything was in chaos.
The Walking Dead‘s Behind-the-Scenes Problems
When The Walking Dead started, acclaimed filmmaker Frank Darabont was in charge of production. The showrunner was also a co-creator of the series, playing a huge role in its early success. Thanks to him, the episodes had an ambitious cinematic style that set the dark and realistic tone for a plot centered around a post-apocalyptic world. However, when season 2 kicked off, Darabont was unexpectedly fired by AMC. The reason? Clashes between his creative vision and the network’s demands, budget cuts, and, as later revealed in court documents (after the situation led to a lawsuit), his alleged abusive behavior behind the scenes.
As Darabont sued AMC, emails were leaked that contradicted his story, showing that he regularly insulted and verbally attacked members of his team. He also expressed frustration over things happening on set. “F—k you all for giving me chest pains because of the staggering f—ing incompetence, blindness to the important beats, and the beyond-arrogant lack of regard for what is written being exhibited on set every day,” Darabont said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “I deserve better than a heart attack because people are too stupid to read a script and understand the words. Does anybody disagree with me? Then join the C-cam operator and go find another job that doesn’t involve deliberately f—ing up my show scene by scene.”
The showrunner claimed that he was unfairly removed from the series and excluded from profits. The heart of the problem was accusations of creative accounting (a practice in which studios manipulate figures to make it appear that a production is less profitable than it is to avoid paying profit-sharing). The calculation model was later revised, but Darabont continued his fight for fair compensation.
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However, surprisingly, not all of his actions were entirely unfounded. After the success of Season 1, AMC decided to cut The Walking Dead‘s budget by 25% for the new episodes despite ordering a second season with 16 episodes (up from just six). This naturally led to production disagreements. There were fewer locations, fewer action scenes, and fewer zombies on screen. That’s why most of The Walking Dead Season 2 takes place on Hershel’s farm, with fewer sequences full of tension and danger – the very elements that had garnered the audience’s positive feedback. Financial constraints also affected the special effects.
But the plot wasn’t the only issue. There was a huge problem in the writer’s room. Reports indicated that Darabont was already planning to fire the entire writing staff and work only with freelancers. The result? More instability behind the scenes. He eventually left the series, but the challenges didn’t end. The writing team had to be quickly replaced, and AMC had to reorganize the staff in a hurry with Glen Mazzara assuming showrunner duties for Seasons 2 and 3.
With the pressure to launch Season 2, The Walking Dead‘s story moved at a slower pace than before, with long sequences of characters dealing with their moral dilemmas. The plot didn’t progress because there was no one left to drive and maintain the intense pace of Season 1. Plus, AMC required that all scripts be approved before filming began. This caused strong viewer criticism, and to this day, the season is considered one of the worst and most disorganized of the series. For a show whose main draw was the zombie apocalypse, this shift didn’t sit well with the audience. Fans expected more threats and confrontations, but everything became too monotonous.
Season 2 Reception Was Really Negative
In Season 2 of The Walking Dead, after the destruction of the Center for Disease Control, Rick and his group set out to find a new refuge and come across the isolated farm of the Greene family. As they try to adapt to their new life, they face both internal and external challenges, including leadership conflicts between Rick and Shane, as well as the search for Carol’s daughter, Sophia. Eventually, the girl is turned into a zombie and discovered in the farm’s barn. The story culminates with the place being overrun by a horde of the undead, forcing the group to flee.
The plot was basically split into a slower section and a faster one (though that only happened at the very end). Despite the script undergoing constant changes in an attempt to match the pace and balance of Season 1, some argue that the creativity in the second half of the season wasn’t as strong. As a result, the reception was affected, with many viewers feeling the plot had stalled and interest gradually waned. Though the series still maintained strong ratings, it was essentially a wake-up call.
Fortunately, The Walking Dead managed to bounce back in Season 3, reintroducing the tension and action that originally won over the audience. However, the turbulence of Season 2 will always be remembered as one of the most troubled times for the series – even though the rhythm returned with ups and downs starting from Season 7.
The Walking Dead is available to stream on Netflix.
