[Spoilers] Benefits of the group being split up

While some people don't like the idea of the main characters being spread out across different communities, I think it's really good for developing new characters. I was prepared to be disappointed with how the development of certain characters would be handled this season, since the show has been notorious for putting all the main focus on the pre-Alexandria group and treating everyone else like extra, but I'm actually kind of satisfied for the most part.

Also, get used to the group being split up, because this is the future of the show. It isn't just about one main group anymore, it's about a series of different characters spread across different settlements. This will become more apparent than ever after the war with the Saviors. Since there are only a select few main characters in each community, it makes room for minor people to come into the fold and become important.

Putting a few characters that people actually care about in each new place is a good way to get people to care or learn about the new people they interact with, like Jesus, Ezekiel, Gregory, Dwight, etc. These people don't just feel like side characters anymore, which is good. It feels like they actually matter, regardless of whether we like them or not. Imagine if our first time seeing Ezekiel was when Rick met him in 7x09, and Carol and Morgan never went there. We wouldn't give a shit about his weird, non-cooperative ass.

Instead, we basically got an entire separate storyline focused on The Kingdom that came with its own main group. Idk about you guys, but I really loved the Kingdom episodes we got. I actually cared about Benjamin and Richard and was sad to see them go. Carol and Morgan tying the community into the main storyline with their internal struggles was interesting as well.

Here are some examples of how splitting the group up opened the door for us to give a shit about the new or underdeveloped characters, whether we like them or hate them:

Hilltop:

Main: Maggie and Sasha

New or minor characters that became important: Jesus, Enid, Gregory, Simon

Kingdom:

Main: Carol, Morgan and Daryl

New or minor characters that became important: Ezekiel, Benjamin, Richard, Jerry

Sanctuary:

Main: Daryl and Eugene

New or minor characters that became important: Dwight, Negan, Sherry

Rosita also went from being a pretty minor character to being one of the more significant survivors this season.

I know my logic is kind of flawed and can definitely be argued against, because splitting the group up isn't the only way to properly develop new characters, and good writing should just be the standard, but I'm just pointing out the benefits of this format. Especially for the Kingdom, because the storyline over there was almost like a new spinoff show with its own characters.

As a huge comic fan, I absolutely loved season 7 because it was great seeing my favorite comic characters come to life. I didn't mind the bottle episodes at all because I honestly love seeing people like Jesus, Dwight, and Ezekiel get screentime and significance. Also, the fact that I know what everything is building up to makes me more patient during "slow" points.

While I'm still pretty skeptical and kinda worried about Gimple's comments on how the show will go on for like 20 years, I have to say that based on what I've read, and what the next few seasons look like...I'm looking forward to the near future.

Submitted March 31, 2017 at 06:45PM by idkpotatoes http://ift.tt/2ojjofy