Sometimes I Wish AMC's The Walking Dead Had the Balls to tell a Completely New Story

I don't mention specifics, but I do mention things that are spoilers of Season 2 and the comics if you know the context at all.

During the first season of AMC's The Walking Dead, fans of the original comic on which the show is based were throwing hissy fits. "This didn't happen in the comics! Gaaaaaaaaaay!" seemed to be their rallying cry, and they wanted to be heard. With Season 2 AMC apparently listened, and that's really my only gripe with the show.

Don't get me wrong, as someone who has read through the seventh trade paperback of Robert Kirkman's comic, I'm extremely excited to watch how the prison stuff plays out in Season 3, and how Michonne's awesomeness translates to the television screen, but I'd also like to see something completely new. It's a constant back-and-forth going on in my head as I watch the show, and sometimes I wish they'd just choose one or the other, complete faithfulness to the source, or a brand new direction.

Everyone involved with the show seems to use being different more as an excuse than they do an actual goal. If anything even the slightest bit doubting of a new direction is asked of them in an interview they'll walk the line with something like, "Well we want the show to be its own thing, but there'll be plenty to keep fans of the comic happy as well."

That's a scary prospect, something completely new, but there are a million cool stories that could be told in the zombie apocalypse setting. Fans of a property are always going to want faithful reproduction of the source when it is adapted to a new medium, but to me some things are better left where they started. Some comic book fans might argue otherwise, but the medium can get away with telling stories that are a bit more extra-ordinary than that of television. Michonne and The Governor were amazing in the books, but on the TV I'm a bit skeptical that they'll just be too over-the-top.

TellTale seem to understand with their upcoming video game adaptation of the franchise. They're going to be setting it before any of the happenings in the comic, and have a brand new cast of characters. Sure, they've teased that there might be some run-ins with members of Rick's crew, but given the timeline they're still forced to make every bit of the story completely new. The fact that it will be entirely different is why I'm actually excited for the game, because I'm not sure I would have wanted to play what I've already read and watched.

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to be glued to my TV again come Season 3, and I will probably love it just like I've thoroughly enjoyed the last two seasons. I just worry that by going down the prison plot line they're shoehorning themselves into an extended run on faithful comic-book recreation. The prison isn't just a quick detour in the comics, and while I'm excited about the idea of seeing some of those stories on the television screen, I wouldn't mind seeing something completely new. Of course, I'd probably be the first to complain if it sucked.