Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 4, 2023

It’s common practice – or at least it should be common practice -- this deep into a television show’s run to reference past season Blu-ray releases in order to encourage and facilitate anyone’s journey to “catch up” and explore the show’s world as it was and why it’s at the place depicted in the current season. There may be no other show on television for which that exercise may be more necessary. Why? The Walking Dead is almost entirely indistinguishable from season one to now in season eleven. This is not Star Trek with a stable core of characters who have lasted from season one to season seven. No, for The Walking Dead, almost the entire character roster has turned over since the show's debut season, primarily due to in-show character death in the zombie infested and morally depraved world. While the show, and even season eleven, can be enjoyed in the moment, exploring the world and soaking in the ambience and action and horrors, it’s best enjoyed with a deeply rooted understanding of who has come from where and why they’re important to the show today. That said, even for series veterans it can be a little disorienting to dig through the character sprawl and sort out various allegiances, pasts, presents, connections, and so on and so forth, especially if viewers (like this reviewer) are on the once-per-year plan, watching the show with a sizeable gap in between seasons. But it’s going to be a fun ride when it’s finally all said and done (supposedly) after season eleven to marathon the series over a couple of months and see the progression, and the steady hold to essential themes and ideas, play out as one large, unified story, even as there’s been so much turnover through the years. Audiences who are not up on 'TWD' essential story developments should not read the rest of the show review; skip to video, audio, and supplements! So, without further ado, catch up by clicking on the links below:

• Season One
• Season Two
• Season Three
• Season Four
• Season Five
• Season Six
• Season Seven
• Season Eight
• Season Nine
• Season Ten

Official synopsis: In the epic final season of "The Walking Dead," Daryl and Maggie embark on a risky mission with Negan to root out the shadowy Reapers while Eugene and Ezekiel make contact with the sprawling Commonwealth. To secure aid for Alexandria – their goal – they must assimilate…a tough ask for people who’ve seen no end of deceit, betrayal, and loss. Stunned by the Commonwealth’s resources, the group slowly adjusts to their new home, but they can’t ignore what lurks beneath its seemingly civilized surface. Soon, threats abound, loyalties are tested, and shocking fates await. But the fight for the future, threatened by an ever-growing population of walkers, means the walking dead will live on…

In many ways, the final season of The Walking Dead looks and feels much like previous seasons especially those of a more recent vintage. And, really, it has to be that way, because the world in which it takes place is static: walkers are a constant and so are bands of survivors with varying degrees of survivability and resources. As always, survival hinges on hunting and gathering supplies and weapons while also fending off a threat that is just as dangerous -- if not more dangerous -- than the dead, which is the living. The season deals, then, with how the core band of survivors, spearheaded by current series staples such as Daryl, Maggie, Carol, Rosita, Eugene, Ezekiel, and Negan, along with a host of other characters who have joined the cast over the years, once again find themselves presented with great surface opportunity and greater underlying danger.

The season plays out with the same cadence as so many before it, then, for better or for worse but as necessary in many ways. The big question, then, is how the show wraps up. As the final season in this long running main series, a series known for turnover, boldness in killing off main characters, and a fearless push into the gore and madness of a dead world, the final episodes, and the finale in particular, feel somewhat dull and lacking in urgency to deliver something spectacular and memorable. It does not deliver something out of the ordinary, something that doesn't evolve the show -- no point in that at the end -- but it doesn't really hit the mark for embodying what has gotten the show this far. The sad reality is that the finale lacks depth and much in the way of serious gut punches. It's not entirely feeble, but it's not entirely memorable, either. It's a bland send-off that seems more concerned with keeping possibilities alive rather than sending this series off in spectacular fashion. It's OK, but for a show that had been spectacular, but which had fallen into complacency, repetitiveness, and risk aversion in recent seasons, it seems fitting to send it off more or less in line with where it is rather than with the absolute vividness and utter violence that brought it so far.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This final season release of The Walking Dead includes all episodes spread across six Blu-ray discs. The presentation is adequate, remaining more or less in-line with the bleak appearance established in previous seasons. The sense of grit isn't quite as pronounced, but the picture is nevertheless stable in bright exteriors (even where there is an obvious, and deliberate, color drain at play) and decently lit interiors. Things are shaky in very low light, such as the snatch-and-grab operation seen at the very beginning of the season where some significant noise and heavy compression artifacts are in plain evidence. Overall, however, things are in good working order, delivering crisp, efficient details to faces, zombie gore, tattered clothes, weathered structures, and natural elements. The image has its struggles, but it's essentially in-line with recent season releases in terms of look and feel and Blu-ray quality.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Season eleven's Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a generally satisfying listen that takes advantage of the full soundstage to deliver intense action and world ambience alike. Action scenes are lively, particularly with zombie groans and general chaotic din enveloping the listening area and nicely transporting the listener into the action. While not so full and intense as the best major motion picture audio experiences, the general feel for chaos and activity are nicely integrated. World ambience satisfies for accuracy and immersion as well, with good placement and seamless engagement for the duration, Musical clarity is good, with dominant front-end positioning but well-balanced surround usage as well. Subwoofer engagement is never prolific, but it does offer nicely defined reports that support content with often just the right low-end kick. Dialogue is clear and efficient from its well prioritized front-center location.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This set only includes two deleted scenes on one of the discs. No DVD copy of the series is included, but a digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Disc Three:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "New Haunts:" (0:59) and "Rogue Element" (0:27).

The Walking Dead: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Season eleven offers more of the same, changing places and some faces, but essentially regurgitating familiar content throughout what is the longest season of the eleven. That offers at least a baseline for what is unquestionably solid entertainment, but the lack of significant shock and awe disappoints. Yes, there are some challenging events, some tearful goodbyes, and a few shocks, but it's nothing that snags the reigns and really pushes the series towards the best that it has had on offer in the past. It goes out with neither a bang nor a whimper but rather some static middle ground that is arguably more disappointing than if the show had actually done less than it does. Regardless, the final season Blu-ray feels phoned in. For all of this, supplements are limited to less than two minutes of two measly deleted scenes. Video and audio are fine, but this set is pretty threadbare. Recommended for fans.