Agree, the pacing of the show is an absolute mess right now. Too many groups and too many characters to fit into 16 episodes at 45-50 minutes each.

I've started fast-forwarding ... Never thought it would come to that!! I've never missed an episode before, but feel a bit ho hum about it these days.

TWD has always been better watched in binges than week to week IMHO. Some of the character development eps. are really good (like the Walking Dead Karate Kid with Morgan, Eastman, and the goat) but it can be frustrating when the main plot doesn't advance and you have to wait for next week. Although this season is the first one where I've honestly found myself exasperated by the slow development. They really need to get on with it! I hope we don't have two more filler episodes and the real fighting starts only at the end of the second to last, so pretty much all the action is in the season finale. We deserve three or four episodes of wall to wall mayhem.

I don't know if reducing the season order to 12 is the answer, or simply putting more critical plot points into the season to keep it moving along. This year it's basically been a journey from Negan taking over to the start of the revolt against him. Too little ground for a whole season to cover so there's been more filler than usual and the pace (despite some individual moments) has turned positively glacial. It often feels like nothing is happening. That doesn't bode well for the show's future if it continues.

i agree. the pace of the show seems to be getting worse with each season. the filler episodes are becoming more frequent. could it be the cost of having all the actors in one episode?

@beith1 said:

i agree. the pace of the show seems to be getting worse with each season. the filler episodes are becoming more frequent. could it be the cost of having all the actors in one episode?

The global ratings of TWD have declined a bit but remain very strong. Budgetary constraints are rarely the issue. I think they're sitting down before every season and setting goals for where they want to be in the story at the mid-season and season finales, and for some reason they've been a lot less ambitious this year. The result: 5 or 6 episodes' worth of story are being spread out over 16. You have a strong season premiere, mid-season finale, post-hiatus premiere, and finale. In between the pace slows to a crawl. It looks like literally all that's going to happen this season is, we go from Negan forcing Alexandria to work for him to Alexandria assembling a coalition to fight back. That's it. I have a bad feeling that the war against the Saviors won't start until the very end and we'll have to wait till October to see most of it. They need to put several critical plot points into every season, not just one.

In season 3 for example, they had that episode where Rick, Carl, and Michonne went back to his hometown and ran into Morgan. I liked that one. But then they jumped right back into the main prison vs. Woodbury scenario immediately, and the guns they took from Morgan's place factored into it. For the most part the show kept its eye on the ball with occasional digressions that usually added to the story. The Walking Governor episodes in season 4 were an extended tangent but I enjoyed those too, and they were woven nicely back into the prison endgame. Season 7 seems like they're set on having the war break out near the very end so it's like: we have sixteen episodes to fill and there can't be a confrontation with Negan yet - so what are we going to do this week? That's no way to plan out a show. I wonder why they didn't stick with the approach that served them well for years? TWD potentially has a lot of life left in it (no pun intended) but they need to revive that feeling of a show that hits the ground running and doesn't stop until the credits roll on the finale.

The pacing of the show has been bad since Terminus. Well, let me take it back. It actually started to go bad around Terminus but was still acceptable. Once they got to Alexandria the pacing has been atrocious. Its just that with this season most people have finally had it. I lose interest very easily. I have seen so many movies and TV shows that if the pacing is not snappy and have new things happening every episode I get bored. The show is fucked and the ratings prove it.

I don't know what proress means.

@LastLion said:

I don't know what proress means.

That's what happens when you move forward, but leave the g behind.

@LastLion said:

I don't know what proress means.

Really. WTH is proress?

TWD has always had pacing issues except maybe the first season but that season was just really short. Actually it's my second to least favorite season. This season being my least favorite other than the first episode of the season, I liked the Eugene episode we just had, and anything with Carol and Ezekiel. I am sure it will be way better once you can binge watch it. Right now everything seems to drag because you have to wait a few weeks or more to find out about a character or in Carol's situation many episodes after episode 2 and the season break. It's like Glenn's dumpster dive. We reallly didn't need to wait that long to get it answered especially since everyone already pretty much knew he survived. Walking Dead is like a soap opera and they should really hire soap opera writers that like horror to do this show and fire most of their staff. At least Soap Operas keep you entertained and drawn into a story line if you are into that kind of thing. That's what TWD needs.