The Walking Dead’s Most Glaring Plot Holes

AMC’s The Walking Dead is perhaps the most popular and influential zombie TV series of all time, and it managed to keep audiences hooked for years. However, over its eleven-season run, fans have identified several inconsistencies that challenge the show’s internal logic. In this article, we delve into some of the most egregious plot holes in specific episodes and the series as a whole.

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Variable Walker Abilities

In early seasons of The Walking Dead, the walkers display behaviors suggesting some degree of intelligence and even memory. For instance, in Season 1, the infected wife of Morgan Jones (Lennie James) attempts to open a door, suggesting this is a skill she has retained. Some walkers are even seen using rocks to break windows. However, as the series progresses, these behaviors disappear, and walkers become more uniformly mindless. It’s almost as if the walkers become less dangerous as the human villains in the story — like Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan — replace them as the real threat. This inconsistency raises questions about the nature and progression of the walkers’ cognitive functions.

Inconsistent Decomposition Rates

The rate at which walkers decompose varies throughout the series. While some appear significantly decayed, others, bitten around the same time, show minimal signs of decomposition. One might expect more uniform decay among the walkers, leading to questions about whether certain factors can influence their preservation, or if it’s simply plot convenience.

Furthermore, some fans have pointed out that characters who have been completely swarmed by walkers should be far more torn apart, yet some emerge with only a few scratches, looking mostly like their un-mangled selves. One user on Reddit commented:

“Wasn’t Deanna supposedly ripped apart by walkers in Alexandria? So why is she later seen walking in the woods, totally recognizable?!”

The Gasoline Conundrum

Gasoline has a limited shelf life, typically degrading within a year without proper stabilization. Despite this, characters in The Walking Dead continue to use vehicles and generators years into the apocalypse without apparent issues. This oversight ignores the challenges of fuel degradation and the necessity for alternative energy sources in a prolonged survival scenario. This is obviously a plot convenience, but it undermines the show’s often superb realism. Some fans have wondered why the characters didn’t use bicycles.

Additionally, during the prison assault, The Governor (David Morrissey) and his group roll in with a fully operational tank. While fans have some ideas as to how they got the tank itself, how they procured the resources to run it remains a mystery. It would be nearly impossible to maintain and fuel a war machine of that size in an apocalyptic setting with limited access to gasoline — let alone the jet fuel used to power most modern tanks. Even more puzzling, why would the Governor’s militia destroy the prison’s fences and walls if they intended to live there?

Unexplained Character Escapes

There are instances where characters escape perilous situations without sufficient explanation. For example, in Season 11, Episode 9, Aaron (Ross Marquand) is trapped in a basement surrounded by walkers. Lydia throws him a rope, and despite having only one hand and fending off walkers, he manages to escape. The mechanics of this escape are not clearly depicted, leaving viewers questioning its plausibility.

This issue extends as far back as the iconic pilot episode. In the first major event of the series, Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes awakens from a coma in an abandoned hospital. With the chaotic onset of the apocalypse, it’s questionable how he remained alive without medical attention, hydration, or nutrition for an extended period. Some health experts have noted that survival under such conditions would be highly improbable.

Another example is one of the most infamous moments in The Walking Dead history, Glenn’s fake-out death under a pile of walkers. The scene depicted the character, played by Steven Yeun, falling into the horde, seemingly torn apart. However, it was revealed episodes later that he was miraculously alive. The overwhelming number of walkers surrounding the dumpster makes his survival feel implausible and a little frustrating, given the whiplash of his real death occurring not long after.

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Unclear Walker Sensory Cues

Samurai-sword-wielding Michonne, played by Danai Gurira, became a fan favorite after her appearance in Season 2’s finale and has gone on to appear in spin-off shows and games. However, her tactic of using armless, jawless walkers as camouflage raises questions about the behavior of other walkers. If the presence of these “pet” walkers can mask her from detection, it implies that walkers rely heavily on the sensory cues of smell. However, this method’s effectiveness is inconsistent with other instances where walkers detect humans through sight or sound. Still, Michonne’s captive walkers are a fantastically gruesome detail that helps develop her character as a tough, resourceful survivor.

Bonus Plot Holes

Season 2, Episode 7: Sophia’s Barn Reveal

When Madison Lintz’s Sophia disappeared, it marked a major Season 2 plot point, yet it makes little sense that she was in Hershel’s barn the entire time. The group had searched extensively nearby, and Daryl (Norman Reedus), whose own spin-off show is still running, found her doll near a river far from the farm. She somehow ended up back in the barn unnoticed. Some viewers have speculated that Hershel (Scott Wilson) knew and was keeping her hidden, while others have blamed Rick for her fate.

Season 7, Episode 16: The Scavengers’ Betrayal

Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and her group betray Rick, siding with the Saviors, only to switch loyalties again later. Their motives are never fully explained, and it makes little sense why they would help Negan when Rick was offering them more stability. Perhaps she believed the CRM would take over and saw it as a way to ensure her own survival. Or maybe it was just a loose end the writers never tied up. Jadis returns as a CRM officer in the spin-off series, The Ones Who Live.

The Walking Dead’s Legacy

While it can be fun to poke holes in the plot of a beloved TV series, it’s worth remembering that suspension of disbelief is an essential part of engaging with these stories — especially when they are set in a zombie apocalypse. If the writers had chosen to prioritize one hundred percent realism, they might have had to sacrifice exciting plot points, character details, and story arcs. The show might not have been as gripping or emotionally impactful. Despite the inconsistencies, the show remains a landmark in television history that has led to tons of spin-offs. The Walking Dead’s exploration of human nature and survival continues to resonate with audiences.

The Walking Dead

Release Date

2010 – 2022

Network

AMC

Showrunner

Frank Darabont, Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Glen Mazzara

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