Well folks, in case you have been living under a rock, recently was the premiere of The Walking Dead. While it did not quite match the ratings record that was set forth by the season five premiere just last year, the zombie opera still managed to snag an average 14.6 million viewers (according to Variety).

But I have bigger undead corpses to fry, and this may be tough for some of you to hear (as I know there are many dying fans out there) but …. The Walking Dead just isn’t very good anymore.

Hear me out first. Before we go into the dark abyss of riddling me as a “savage” with no respect for the genre, on the contrary, I love horror flicks and am a strong advocate for George Romero. Back in, oh, what was it Oct. 31, 2010, when The Walking Dead first premiered on AMC? Yes, I believe it was, when NOBODY knew the giant behemoth it would become today. For me, I have been there since Day One, and up to this point have seen every episode (including the boring season 6 premiere that took place this past Sunday, more on that later).

DISCLAIMER: HUGE spoilers about The Walking Dead are ahead. I also did not, nor do I intend, to read the comics which this show is based on.

When The Walking Dead first debuted, it only had a six-episode season. I find that tough to imagine now that we have grown accustomed to 13 episodes. I digress. The first season introduced us to family man Rick, as the sheriff with everything to lose in the city of Atlanta. His partner, Shane, not so much. Obviously things spiral out of control. Rick gets put in a coma only to awaken to a world that has been left to ashes by a global epidemic: Zombies. Or the more firm term: “walkers.” Those first moments when Rick wakes up are some of the best scripted television I have ever seen. Now here is a man who is waking up to nothing, assumes his family is long gone (they aren’t), and he has to understand exactly what the hell is going on.

While on the other side of the city, Shane, along with Rick’s wife (Lori) and son (Carl) are struggling to survive. They are paired with Daryl, his sadistic brother, Merle, and RV driver, Dale, among others. Of course we can’t EVER leave out Michigan native Glen. This was the start of what would become a beautiful foundation for a great friendship (some friends that are still with us today). These characters were well-written, had dynamics and an empathetic aspect which made them more relatable. They basically made us ask ourselves “what would we do in these dire circumstances?”

I suppose the point I’m trying to get across here is the first season did such an amazing job at setting up the premise – (of course the whole “zombie” thing was still fresh back in 2010 – which you can’t say today) – and created characters worth rooting for. So, it’s no surprise for me when I can say that after the first season concluded, much like any fan today, I was hooked and ready for more carnage.

The second season was even better.

SO many things happened that season I can’t even begin to dissect. But that’s what made it memorable. I remember being a junior in high school and being so caught up in the hype of the show that I felt so privy to be in on the conversation. By around the time the second season premiered, Netflix had just started taking off, and folks were binging the first season religiously. So the world was starting to see why this show was unique. All hype aside, the second season was brilliant with a capital B.

Not only did we learn that everyone was infected with the zombie virus, we got introduced to such pivotal characters in the universe including: Hershel Greene, a farmer whose house the gang seeks refuge at after Carl gets shot (on accident) by Otis. (Hershel being a noble doctor, nurses him back to health). Then there is Maggie (Hershel’s daughter) who also turns into the love of Glen’s life.

On the other side of the spectrum, Carol’s daughter went missing, forcing the group to go on a wild goose chase to track her down (unfortunately the virus gets her before they do). Shane also becomes more of a threat this season, forcing Rick into a tough corner between friend & leader.

Eventually, in the second to last episode, Rick kills Shane … which then leads to Shane turning into a walker and being shot by Carl. Oh, the irony. I distinctly remember this season being a huge event. I would buzz up my pals over the phone (in a three-way call) screaming in sheer excitement about what just happened. I remember my mother yelling at me to “keep it down” because my shrieks of “OH MY GOODNESS” were shaking the house. One (most) would argue this was just me being a teen-ager in the middle of his adolescence, but I genuinely believe the second season of The Walking Dead is still to this day the best this show ever had to offer. Oh, I also forgot to mention the emotional death of RV driver Dale, which was so shocking, that the pain has never gone away. I still miss him. And while Otis accidentally shot Carl (he felt really bad for it) he did not deserve to be executed by walkers by the clutches of wrongdoer Shane, which made his death even more bitter sweet.

Then it was all downhill from here.

The third season opened with promise – a new setting in a prison – but quickly faded into oblivion after about the third episode. The main issue? Zombies stopped becoming a threat and people started to come into the picture.

So basically take the crux of the show, and make it a sidebar. The first human villain that came into contact went by the comic favorite “The Governor.” An interesting angle to take the show in that just never paid off. See, I don’t even have much an issue with that, I just more hated the Governor for the wrong reasons. Maybe it was the too cheesy acting, or better yet, he just wasn’t a fun villain. Oh sure, he had an eye patch and a basement filled with heads, but he lacked any real depth other than he had a daughter, who turned, caged up. Think of the Joker in The Dark Knight, a villain who was a marvel to watch. Obviously that’s probably not fair to compare the two (as they exists under different circumstances). I’m merely pointing out that villains can be fun to witness, despite the havoc they reap. Although Governor vs. Joker would make for a great video game.

So, we got the Governor and his cronies, along with the Rick brigade. ALL this tension gets built up between the two dueling groups, yet, when it’s all said and done, NOTHING happens – and they left the Governor as a pawn to come back for the inevitable fourth season. That’s basically like building up the huge battle for Harry Potter and Voldemort, and then to have it not happen. We were teased, and teased that this whole big showdown would happen, and guess what? It never did.

Sure we can’t forget that Lori had Rick’s child (and died while giving birth) or Hershel getting his legged chopped off in the season premiere, AND meeting the machete-wielding Michonne. These were the “minor” memorable spots of the season. But since they did NOT kill the Governor and left that huge cliffhanger for the fourth season, of course I came back. Oh, and what’s-her-face, Andrea, was killed off, too (probably the best event to happen that season). PLUS the season finale that takes place inside the prison walls just could not hold a feather to the season two finale that took place on Hershel’s farm. Sorry Governor, you lose.

Next came the fourth season, which is kind of a blur, minus about two episodes. One of course was the (finally!!) demise of “said” Governor, but also the death of Hershel; that episode would serve as the mid-season finale. Then later in the season, Daryl would eventually have to kill his brother Merle, which was very, very emotional. Other than that, what can I tell you about the season? Not much. The gang is split into two separate groups (Glen’s & Rick’s), the former which featured new characters like: Dr. Eugene Porter and Sgt. Abraham. The latter which had Carl, Maggie, and Rick (there was more than that, but the article needs to keep flowing).

These groups are heading, for what they hope is, salvation in the form of a town called “Terminus,” which, judging by the name alone, seems to be shady anyway. By this time the new characters were introduced, they just didn’t have the features that made the first two seasons what they were. There was no Glen jumping to save Rick’s life in the middle of a crowded horde of flesh-eating goons, or a Hershel to offer assistance.

Of course, I’m probably preaching to the choir, and many who read this will probably cite all my indifferences, as well as my neglect for some major events. I’m not dismantling the show or it’s accomplishments. I’m saying from the third season on, it’s just boring.

The Walking Dead had good writers (like um, the first two seasons) who came aboard with original showrunner, and Academy Award-winning director Frank Darabont. He is THE man whose resume includes: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Little did you know that Darabont, along with his team of writers, LEFT after the second season due to creative differences with AMC, and now showrunner Greg Nicotero, so the man who created the show from the comics up was left in the dust.

The fifth season has come and gone, and there are hardly any characters (aside from the original ‘brigade’) who I actually care about. With that said, The Walking Dead has become nothing but a chore. It’s a weekly ritual that I don’t enjoy partaking in. And I know you’re all thinking: “why the hell doesn’t he stop watching it then?”

Here’s the thing: I don’t want to miss out on the hype because I enjoy being a part of the conversation – a travesty I feel most original fans could attest to. EVEN my closest friends (those from the three-way call I mentioned earlier) share in my distaste for what the series has become. The Walking Dead was this little Indie show that had (depending on how you look at it) little acclaim with the FANS who have been there since Day 1 (like me). I’m not saying those who have jumped on the bandwagon are terrible-minded people, or a disgrace to the show. I’m saying those who jumped on the ship around the third or fourth season are going to get different aspects than me.

Of course, this is all matter of opinion. Nothing I say here will change the ever-growing success of this franchise. However, the fact is, whether we believe it or not, the show has become a brand, and is drastically forgetting the roots that bind them together, an emotional pull that kept everything tied together.

I have an underlying hope the show will start steering in a direction that is worth discussing, but after watching the season six premiere, I fear that’s not the case. I also fear the show has worn out its welcome. Case in point: there was discussion by AMC president and showrunner Nicotero about the show going on for 12 or even 13 seasons.

Do we all remember what happened to Lost? By the third season, the show was scrambling for ideas. The whole concept of what resembled a “story” was left behind (and when it should have ceased to exist). ABC needed their workhorse to make them money. Eventually you know what happened? The series finale (the sixth season) was met with widespread criticism, not from critics, but from fans. This is why I have such respect for shows like HBO’s The Newsroom or FX’s Justified (shows that DID not overstay their welcome).

Then there is the argument that Zombies just aren’t what they used to be, and now every Hollywood property in the state is taking advantage. In the next few weeks alone, we will have the film Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse (which I do admit looks appealing). And next year will have the film Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. Yikes.

But even if the show fails to capture the essence of what those first two seasons did, I can at least thank The Walking Dead for giving us some great actors, an intrepid story and some gory action sequences.

What do you think? Do you agree that The Walking Dead has lost its original touch? Leave your feedback below.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays @ 9 p.m. on AMC.