NBA Mock Trade Saves Houston Rockets, Boosts Boston Celtics’ Future

The original season of The Walking Dead aired 15 years ago, and the franchise has had significant changes throughout the years as different themes and tropes became outdated or prominent. However, there are a few themes that have persevered throughout the seasons and various shows, even those that are problematic or unpopular. One of the aspects of the horror TV series that has been overlooked for too long is the subtle (or obvious) sexism that has been treated as normal or glossed over.

Fans have been pointing out these issues for many years, with sexism in The Walking Dead: Dead City being pointed out as recently as the last season, which concluded in June 2025. However, this problematic trope was established in the first couple of seasons when gender roles were established in the group while duties were being determined. An overlooked example of sexism in the early days of 

TWD is when Andrea is criticized for wanting to protect the people on the Greene Farm, and Lori tells her that she should be doing more domestic duties and leaving the protection up to the men. That is one of the most blatant examples of sexism that isn't subtle or complex enough to be debatable.

As the seasons went on, the flagship series became more subtle about the sexist ideology, such as women being just as capable of surviving as men, but their spouses suggesting it's their responsibility to protect their women, but not the women's responsibility to protect their men. There are also examples of the fandom having particularly hostile opinions of several women characters, including Lori, Andrea, Rosita, and Sasha, who were largely criticized for their human flaws. It's important to consider why Carol's evolution as a badass survivor who can handle various weapons with no previous experience is controversial, but it's completely reasonable for someone like Glenn, who was a delivery driver prior to the apocalypse, to develop these skills in a very limited timeframe.

This Issue Tarnishes Many Character Arcs

There is an argument that can be made that it is a natural human inclination during an apocalyptic situation for society to resort to traditional gender roles to function effectively. On the other hand, that would suggest that women are better at domestic duties and men are better at providing and protecting, which only further establishes that these stereotypes are a gender-based assumption. Perhaps the most important question is why many of the main characters in 

The Walking Dead were designed to fit these generalizations without much consideration to the diversity in the real world.

In more recent years, viewers have become more aware of the misogynistic portrayal of Maggie's storyline in the original series and 

Dead City, pointing out that her parenting is seen as a major flaw, while Negan's role as an absent father makes him a protective parent. Maggie has been regarded as a fantastic feminist representation, especially in her earlier days when she was bold and defiant, determined to make her own decisions despite the opinions of her father or Glenn. Unfortunately, it's impossible to ignore the fact that her roles as a wife and mother have completely consumed her storyline and reduced viewers' ability to consider her as an independent character with her own agency.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked details in a character arc is when Negan was the leader of the Saviors, and he manipulated women into becoming his wives, threatening them and their families if they didn't comply. Sadly, many have excused this due to his no longer being a villain or by pointing out he was never shown to be forcing these women into sexual situations (which overlooks coercion and manipulation as sexual assault). The franchise has worked hard to convince viewers that Negan is a character worth loving, but it's hard for some to overlook this aspect of his backstory. The controversy could have been avoided simply by not establishing the former villain as a manipulator and abuser of women.

Daryl Dixon Is Finally Tackling the Issue With Tact

In the later seasons of the flagship series, the plot overall was better, with not resorting to gender stereotypes, introducing a complex array of men and women who had various strengths that were not pointedly related to their gender. However, there was never any meaningful plot point that addressed the stereotyping of men and women, but rather, the evolution of the world was able to sweep these previous issues under the rug. In the first couple of seasons of 

Daryl Dixon, the plot successfully avoided any blatant sexism, even considering the role religion and social standards played a role in the narrative.

Though there are still some troubling tropes in 

Daryl Dixon Season 3 that reiterate some of the franchise's biggest problems, the first couple of installments have been positively received. Shockingly, this new season of the spin-off had one of the most horrifying examples of misogyny ever in the franchise. In the Spanish village of Solaz del Mar, the leader agreed to participate in a trading situation with the royals that involved the community offering one of their young women as a bride in return for resources and weapons. Thankfully, it doesn't seem as if the show is going to introduce this terrible tradition and then move on without addressing it.

Daryl and Carol ended up in Solaz del Mar when they encountered Justina and Roberto, who were running away, so Justina wouldn't have to participate in the contest that determined which woman would leave with the royals. Unfortunately, a particularly young-looking woman is chosen, who is perhaps still a teenager, and she is clearly dismayed to be traded off like livestock. Though some of the village people accept and embrace this agreement, there are obviously many others who recognize the trade as normalized human trafficking. An important scene in Episode 2 features Carol pushing back on this tradition, calling the leader and royals out for ruining families.

This Is a Step In the Right Direction For the Franchise