The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 16, "Acts of God," which aired Sunday, April 10, on AMC.
Most fans of The Walking Dead would agree that, so far, Season 11 has been a success. The Reaper story arc might have been stretched out too far, but other than that, everything has been riveting. The Commonwealth presented everyone with the challenges that arise while living in safety, and Josh Hamilton has been brilliant as the uber-villainous Lance Hornsby. Even Negan showed a new side of himself by apologizing for his most vile act.
With all of that, fans were more than ready for the Season 11B midseason finale. With Leah as a bounty hunter, Maggie desperate to defend her people and Hornsby ready to unleash hell, “Acts of God” was set up for success. Unfortunately, it ended up falling far short of viewers' high expectations for several different reasons.
Leah’s Death Was Predictable and Unrealistic
When Lance hired Leah, it was obvious that she wasn’t going to survive the altercation. However, the way the show handled it was a disappointment. Leah was touted as a military contract killer. That means she should have killed Maggie on sight, not just tied her up in a cabin. On top of that, she definitely should have been able to tie a better knot. Her background as a military expert felt even more forced after the episode, even taking into account that in a world where zombies are walking around, not everything is going to be realistic.
The Plot Armor Was Better Than Real Armor
After the ordeal at Riverbend, it was only a matter of time before Hornsby decided to get rid of Daryl, Gabriel and Aaron. They knew it and the fans knew it. So when the Commonwealth soldiers fanned out and left the trio in a junkyard, it wasn’t a surprise. Then the soldiers proved their lack of aim -- just like Star Wars’ Stormtroopers -- because the three of them emerged nearly unscathed. Viewers didn't want any of their heroes to die, but it felt like the situation warranted something bigger happening. These were supposed to be trained soldiers, but they all died at the hands of a trio that hasn’t handled guns in years.
Marco Was A Scapegoat
In a midseason finale, the stakes have to be high, and given that this is the last season, The Walking Dead should be starting to whittle down some characters. Someone had to die, and if it couldn’t be Aaron or Gabriel, it had to be Marco. He was the least important character aligned with Maggie, so when he stood up and acted like everything was fine, everyone expected him to be shot in the head. If the audience can’t remember a character’s name, they probably won’t last long.
Hornsby’s Physical Transformation Was Too Corny
Lance Hornsby was always two-faced, but him literally becoming Two-Face from Batman was jut too much. Daryl only skimming his face was worth an eyeroll because if it had been any other character, Daryl wouldn’t have missed. Hornsby’s slow-motion coin flips were also unnecessarily dramatic. No one cared if he kills the people at Oceanside because almost all of them were unnamed anyway. That lack of connection with his potential victims made the episode's cliffhanger not impactful at all.
A Lack of Screen Time for Certain Characters Was Surprising
Daryl and Maggie needed to take center stage in "Acts of God," but certain characters have been snubbed for a lot of the season. Yumiko, Magna, Dianne and Judith got almost no screen time at the Commonwealth. Back at the communities, Virgil, Luke and Gracie saw no screen time whatsoever. Obliviously, the series can’t feature everyone in every episode, but some of them should have gotten a bit more of a look.
As a whole, Season 11B was successful and paved the way for an exciting conclusion to The Walking Dead. “Acts of God” wasn’t bad, but it should have improved on the above aspects and then it would have been the important episode that it wanted to be. As it stands, it was a fine conclusion, but one full of untapped potential.
To see how the series concludes, watch The Walking Dead Season 11C. It will likely air later this year on AMC and be available to stream early on AMC+.
