The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

[panerd]

Like any great show they are kind of running out of new ideas and things to do. The wire beheading thing was fun but overall just a lot of build up that I fear will still take multiple episodes to pan out. Don't get me wrong I still watch and find it more enjoyable than a lot of other crap I still watch but it certainly is dying. I mean once they defeat Negan eventually I'm not sure what is left to do and as much as the possibility of character deaths makes things interesting it sucks when it actually happens.

[hollmt]

i still watch, but now i watch while playing a game on the laptop. used to be i would watch and do nothing else while watching, so i imagine my interest in the show is slowly diminishing. perhaps i should pay attention a bit more because i just read an article and i missed the 'shadowy figure' in the car with gabriel because i was killing evil creatures in grim dawn while 'watching' the show.

[Honolulu_Blue]

It was a decent enough episode.

It was better than most of the last half-season, but that's not saying much. It was nice to have the group largely together again.

I was wondering how Rosita became a demo expert. Apparently she has some past military experience and has shown she knows some stuff about engineering. I would imagine that whatever device the Saviors put together it wasn't all that complex or difficult to disarm. Maybe? They have some with rudimentary demo skills, so it can be undone by someone who has some combined military and engineering knowledge?

The episode was better in that it had no Negan. His endless menacing and speechifying were brutal last year. It only had his eulogy for Fat Joey on the CB, which made me laugh a bit.

Rick's smile at the end was fantastic.

As for the pacing of the show and new ideas and all that... The show has no over arching plot or narrative. It's just these characters surviving in this world and trials and tribulations they face. If they race super fast to deal with Negan, something else will pop up, and then they'll race super fast to deal with that, and then something else will pop up... We just have to hope that, whatever the pace, the episodes are well written, interesting, and do something new that either enhances or changes the characters or dives deeper into some aspect of this new world. Unfortunately, most of the last half season was not this. It really sucked, which is why it felt so damn painful. Hopefully, this half season will be better. So far, it's off to a better start at least.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

The episode was better in that it had no Negan. His endless menacing and speechifying were brutal last year.

I'm in the opposite camp on that I guess.

His best work (granted, not all material was choice) was the one real standout of the entire last half-season, his monologues were better than 90% of everything else for me.

The degree of brutality was too much at times -- and I think that can't be dismissed as a reason for the audience decline -- but it's one of the best played characters (given what he had to work with) in TV history for me.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm in the opposite camp on that I guess.

His best work (granted, not all material was choice) was the one real standout of the entire last half-season, his monologues were better than 90% of everything else for me.

The degree of brutality was too much at times -- and I think that can't be dismissed as a reason for the audience decline -- but it's one of the best played characters (given what he had to work with) in TV history for me.

I like the actor a lot and thought he did a fine job. It was just way, way, way too much of him acting menacing and speechifying with nothing happening but him acting menacing and speechifying. It grew tiresome, repetitive, and annoying. Also, it boarders on not at all being realistic that someone like that could actually lead and organize a group of people. He's such an asshole to everyone that someone, /anyone/ would have to kill him at some point and I don't think anyone would really care. I think less is more in Negan's case.

I think the brutality of the first episode - in particular - drove a lot of people off. Even friends of mine who I watch the show with, haven't enjoyed it since then. You combine the shitty season finale from last year, where they pulled the big tease and didn't show who died, and then the way, way too brutal deaths of Abraham and Glenn (in particular), and you have some good reasons why the show lost some audience.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Kind of surprised there has been no discussion on the first episode Sunday. Nobody watching anymore?

Out of the country and didn't get a chance to watch it. Will catch up next Sunday.

[Mo.Raider]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I like the actor a lot and thought he did a fine job. It was just way, way, way too much of him acting menacing and speechifying with nothing happening but him acting menacing and speechifying. It grew tiresome, repetitive, and annoying. Also, it boarders on not at all being realistic that someone like that could actually lead and organize a group of people. He's such an asshole to everyone that someone, /anyone/ would have to kill him at some point and I don't think anyone would really care. I think less is more in Negan's case.

I find the Negan character very unconvincing. It seems that the writers are creating scripts that conveniently make everyone pacifists. I can't believe people that have survived this long didn't take him out at their earliest convenience. If they had chosen an actor that was maybe huge and menacing, but instead he is just a skinny little dude with a bully complex. Any of the survivors would have taken him out a long time ago. Heck my grandma would have choked him out by now. He isn't charismatic, so I can't even use that as the reason some are following him...he's just a homicidal jerk. Homicidal jerks would get fragged real quick in a lawless society. I think they made a misstep by not taking the opportunity to make him more of a nefariously, charismatic genius, rather than a little rooster.

My wife and I still like the show, and part of the fun is second guessing the so called "survivors"; but man they do miss a lot of opportunities for character development.

[SteveM58]

Originally Posted by Mo.Raider

If they had chosen an actor that was maybe huge and menacing, but instead he is just a skinny little dude with a bully complex.

Yeah, to quote women, size matters to an extent. He doesn't have to be massive, but it would help sell him if he was more imposing and fit. Think Henry Rollins.

I know they want a quality actor but sometimes (and particularly when it comes to a bully character), you can't be a "superbully" or a "bully of other bullies" without really looking the part. And an actor with enough physicality could pull that off much better without resorting to the bending knees laughing and general "cartoonery" JDM seems to use.

So many shows/movies ignore this angle in selling the bully. Ironically enough, the movie Bully where Nick Stahl (talented actor, but not physically intimidating) plays the bully Bobby Kent. Again, you don't have to look like Brock lesnar to be believable, but come on...

Nick Stahl


Bobby Kent (I guess Mario Lopez was too busy?)




I thought JDM did a great job in the season finale/1st episode scenes with the group, and with Rick. But after that its been entirely ridiculous.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mo.Raider

Homicidal jerks would get fragged real quick in a lawless society.

Not when you consider that the default value for humans is, essentially, cowards.

And we're definitely 180 degrees. I think the character is one of the most charismatic in TV history for sure.

Absent the direction of his brutality I dare say he'd have come close to having the audience split 50-50 in whether to root for him or the regulars.

[Mo.Raider]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Not when you consider that the default value for humans is, essentially, cowards.

Ah, but natural selection has been at work for quite awhile in The walking Dead universe. I would think that only the salty would be left.

I hadn't read how the Negan actor has fared in his reviews. I hadn't heard of the guy as we don't watch a lot of tv. Maybe people like him from something else he was in and that helps him be more believable to them. To each his own I guess. I just keep thinking back to the bar scene where Rick six gunned the two that were trying to figure out the coordinates of the farm. That Rick would have walked up to find Negan holding his daughter and the story line would have ended catastrophically for the unarmed Snidely Whiplash.

I mean the "Rick" character changes from season to season, and sometimes week to week. One week he is letting the lead fly and the next he is burying his guns by some tomatoes on the farm.....in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Then later on Bad Company Rick shows up with a case of PTSD
only to lose himself again in subservience to the Pontificating Pol Pot.

When the season opener had Abraham on his knees taking one on the noggin without so much of a struggle that really didn't make sense. Abraham would have probably shot in for the take down, beat the skinny dude with his own bat and received thunderous applause. Not much of show I guess, but come on the big bad has to be more imposing than a wise cracker.

I know it is a silly show, but we still enjoy it. However, probably more in the beginning than now.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Mo.Raider

Ah, but natural selection has been at work for quite awhile in The walking Dead universe. I would think that only the salty would be left.

I hadn't read how the Negan actor has fared in his reviews. I hadn't heard of the guy as we don't watch a lot of tv. Maybe people like him from something else he was in and that helps him be more believable to them. To each his own I guess. I just keep thinking back to the bar scene where Rick six gunned the two that were trying to figure out the coordinates of the farm. That Rick would have walked up to find Negan holding his daughter and the story line would have ended catastrophically for the unarmed Snidely Whiplash.

I mean the "Rick" character changes from season to season, and sometimes week to week. One week he is letting the lead fly and the next he is burying his guns by some tomatoes on the farm.....in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Then later on Bad Company Rick shows up with a case of PTSD
only to lose himself again in subservience to the Pontificating Pol Pot.

When the season opener had Abraham on his knees taking one on the noggin without so much of a struggle that really didn't make sense. Abraham would have probably shot in for the take down, beat the skinny dude with his own bat and received thunderous applause. Not much of show I guess, but come on the big bad has to be more imposing than a wise cracker.

I know it is a silly show, but we still enjoy it. However, probably more in the beginning than now.

Meh... you're welcome to your opinion but I think I tend to agree with Jon on this one.

[Edward64]

Nice! I like the 2 car improvisation ... but would the old gas (and batteries) in the cars still really work?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mo.Raider

I hadn't heard of the guy as we don't watch a lot of tv. Maybe people like him from something else he was in and that helps him be more believable to them.

FWIW, I knew he was on ... something, but it wasn't anything I'd ever watched. From what I've gathered from people who knew him from whatever it was (I honestly don't remember off hand) it actually makes the character more difficult for them. (Against type I gather)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by panerd

I mean once they defeat Negan eventually I'm not sure what is left to do

He's not the last big bad in the source material, never mind what they could do as original big bads.

[Radii]

RE: The actor playing Negan:

I imagine on this board most people would know the actor from his role in The Watchmen. I loved him in that.

He had a recurring guest role on Greys Anatomy. Liked his character, despised the storyline that came along with it, so that's mixed bag (Grey's is my guilty pleasure, whatever!).

Looks like he had a role on Supernatural too which is probably popular amongst a big segment of FOFC. I haven't watched that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I will say that tonight's episode prompted my social media cohorts to use the word "cheesy" more often than in all other episodes combined.

The boss fight didn't go over well, and the cameo appearance by a very recognizable trailer (at least among my friend set) created more confusion than joy.

[Honolulu_Blue]

The spiked zombie fight was pretty lame.

I have no idea why that woman talks like that. It's weird. I mean, civilization just fell apart 2-3 years ago max. It's not long enough to forget how people talked. Very strange.

I really liked the Darryl and Carol scenes. Good stuff.

What's up with the trailer? The one Darryl and Richard were hiding behind? No clue what it was.

[PilotMan]

Aside from Carol and Darryl the episode was a throwaway. The junker scenes all felt like a Star Trek episode with Rick and Kirk, and nothing really moved along much at all. Pretty disappointing all together.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

What's up with the trailer? The one Darryl and Richard were hiding behind? No clue what it was.

It looked like a old west stagecoach holdup scene. I thought it was fitting

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

The spiked zombie fight was pretty lame.

I have no idea why that woman talks like that. It's weird. I mean, civilization just fell apart 2-3 years ago max. It's not long enough to forget how people talked. Very strange.

I really liked the Darryl and Carol scenes. Good stuff.

Agree. Looking forward to the showdown.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

It looked like a old west stagecoach holdup scene. I thought it was fitting

The trailer is the one used in Smokey & The Bandit.

(Talking Dead confirmed that it is the exact same trailer)

[miked]

That episode was stupid. I guess it's a community of people who never learned to talk.

[hollmt]

I think next week they find the tribe that has all the guns, but that tribe won't give them any guns until Rick's crew finds them some excess gasoline.

After that they find the tribe that has the gasoline, but they won't give them that gasoline until they get some excess grain for bread making.

They find the tribe that has the grain, but they won't help them until they get some good milk producing cow's.

They find the cow's from the tribe that has them and they finally just say 'fuck it' take some cows off of our hands, we don't want anything in return because we are tired of shoveling shit.

All the while, none of these tribes have come across each other.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by hollmt

All the while, none of these tribes have come across each other.

Generally speaking, a lot of the "communities" seem to be far less mobile / adventurous than our merry band has been.

A lack of contact between them doesn't seem all that incongruous to me.
{shrug}

[hollmt]

yeah, but that kind of begs the question of 'why?'

[hollmt]

and was tribe the wrong word?
community does sound better.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by hollmt

yeah, but that kind of begs the question of 'why?'

Goes back, perhaps, to something I said earlier (in the how-does-Negan-do-it discussion). About how there's a lot more relatively timid survivors in the universe than we might expect.

Alexandria was certainly insular prior to our group's arrival.

Earlier, you might say that Woodbury was surprisingly insulated as well, with the majority of the population staying inside the walls most of the time. The Kingdom seems largely in that same mold.

Hilltop likewise, although maybe to a lesser degree. They certainly didn't seem remotely aware of how to deal with a walker invasion though, which suggests most of them don't spend/haven't spent a ton of time outside the walls (which limits how much random interaction they'd have with other groups)

The "fish camp" group is certainly isolated & quite intentionally so.

Point being that relative isolation, rather than interaction, appears to be the universe norm going back quite a bit.

If you wanted to get really creative about it -- if you consider the woes the main cast has encountered -- you might say that the show promotes the benefits of isolationism. Go out, interact, and you end up in a mess almost every time.

[hollmt]

yeah, good points.

i was more making fun of all the errands that our merry band probably has left to do this season before forming the future alliance.

but, ill keep watching.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by hollmt

yeah, good points.

i was more making fun of all the errands that our merry band probably has left to do this season before forming the future alliance.

but, ill keep watching.

Hey, their travels (vs everyone else's) are a fair question afaic.

I hadn't really thought about just how unusual their habits are vs almost everyone else's until laying it out in more detail.

Once I did, though I joked about it, I started to wonder if maybe there really is a pro-isolationist point of view seeded into the source material.

[Mo.Raider]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Aside from Carol and Darryl the episode was a throwaway. The junker scenes all felt like a Star Trek episode with Rick and Kirk, and nothing really moved along much at all. Pretty disappointing all together.

I am the opposite. I find the Carol scenes really hard to watch. How does she get to just call time-out during the zombie apocalypse? Why didn't anyone else think of this? Why struggle with the zombies when you can just hole up in a house and read a book and make beans? Are there still zombies or just some herds here and there. They seem like they are just pesky mosquitoes at this point.

The new group does seem weird. It would be understandable if like someone mentioned before the zombie plague was decades old, but just a few years and they are talking like stunted toddlers? I guess people in the real world develop annoying speech patterns following pop culture, so I guess they could be creating their own language?

I hope the show heads more toward where it was when the little girl walked out of the barn and begins steering away from the silliness of late. The Kingdom? Negan's cartoony behavior? Carol retiring to a cabin in an alternative universe with no zombies? I think the Shane/Rick conflicts were more believable/interesting.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mo.Raider

I hope the show heads more toward where it was when the little girl walked out of the barn and begins steering away from the silliness of late. The Kingdom? Negan's cartoony behavior? Carol retiring to a cabin in an alternative universe with no zombies? I think the Shane/Rick conflicts were more believable/interesting.

This might be where we have to remember that the source material for the show is a comic book. Fine, "graphic novel", since the content is more adult oriented but still ...

[Mo.Raider]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

This might be where we have to remember that the source material for the show is a comic book. Fine, "graphic novel", since the content is more adult oriented but still ...

True. I forget that there is a comic book that this is based on. That explains a lot of the over the top things. I really enjoyed it early on, but I'm definitely not a comic book guy, so that is probably why it is jumping the shark so hard for me. Still keep tuning in for now, but don't look forward to it like I used to.

I also have wondered why they don't CGI more zombies. If a true zombie apocalypse were to occur, there would be a massive amount of zombies. I don't think most people realize the massive amount of people that are in the cities/world. They are held captive by their lives/jobs etc., and are in these uber dense populated areas by their own volition. Zombie virus hits and nothing keeps 6.5 billion zombies from spilling into the countryside. My point is The Walking Dead would have throngs of zombies....wave after wave. Think football stadiums after the game is over, wandering into suburbs and then on to greener pastures. Now that would bring the zombies back from mere pestilence status.

[PilotMan]

Really enjoyed this episode. I'm guessing this is our episode.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Really enjoyed this episode. I'm guessing this is our episode.

Really? Was kind of meh for me, personally. But I understand it's one of their set up episodes preparing us for developments involving Eugene and Dwight down the line.

[PilotMan]

Yeah, I love Eugene. There was some really good underneath character stuff going on with Eugene and Dwight, and the subtle enjoyment of Easy Street by Eugene had me laughing. The scene where Dwight reads the letter was deep and painful for him. As a guy, to hear my woman say those things, I'd want to kill everyone within an arms reach. It's absolutely a set up, but it was done, really, really well.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Yeah, I love Eugene. There was some really good underneath character stuff going on with Eugene and Dwight, and the subtle enjoyment of Easy Street by Eugene had me laughing. The scene where Dwight reads the letter was deep and painful for him. As a guy, to hear my woman say those things, I'd want to kill everyone within an arms reach. It's absolutely a set up, but it was done, really, really well.

Yea, you're right, I'll give it that. It was an episode with some good focus scenes on those two that were pretty well done.

[Edward64]

Watch the episode again. In retrospect, Negan so easily believing the Dwight frameup of the Dr. was way too easy.

Still enjoyed it though.

[Edward64]

Good episode tonight. Good build up continuation ...

I think the only thing off is the female led group that Rick's team is trying to team up with. They are too weird ...

Next week preview shows a Carol episode which will be great.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I think the only thing off is the female led group that Rick's team is trying to team up with. They are too weird ...

I am beyond ready for them to be beamed back to ... whatever planet they came from.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I am beyond ready for them to be beamed back to ... whatever planet they came from.

The only thing that could salvage them at this point is if someone. ANYONE, asked on the show: "Why do you talk like that?"

Please just address the nonsense straight-on.

[Chief Rum]

I just watched the episode tonight.

I felt it was a solid episode, although I did think the whole "yeah, we can do this" risky decision making of Rick and Michonne was too over the top, and out of character (especially for Michonne).

Also, I'm just done with Rosita's negativity. I used to like having her around because, IMO, she's easily the hottest chick on the show (although Soniqua def gives her a run for her money when she's dolled up). But now Rosita is just a show suck with her endless attitude/chip on the shoulder act.

While I liked this episode, probably the most exciting thing for me was the incredible preview for next week, involving Carol and Morgan and having a guns-pointed scene where the Kingdom and the Saviors are clearly about to get in a showdown.

[CraigSca]

So many things on this show are just plain dumb right now. Reckless behavior of Michonne and Rick - that's how people die, idiots. The whole, "Me want more guns," or whatever the hell that new group says. And now the whole Rosita and that other woman going to bump off Neegan by themselves - gee, that will turn out well.

Meh, I'll still watch.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The whole carnival scene deserves the "stupid stupid stupid" criticism afaic.

While good judgment has never been the hallmark of our intrepid band, if they were carnival scene stupid 24/7 since the outbreak, they'd all be long dead by now.

From the 2-man show plan to climbing the f'n ferris wheel, it was all just dumb as hell as plans go. Granted, again, not the first time but maybe one of the worst examples.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The whole carnival scene deserves the "stupid stupid stupid" criticism afaic.

While good judgment has never been the hallmark of our intrepid band, if they were carnival scene stupid 24/7 since the outbreak, they'd all be long dead by now.

From the 2-man show plan to climbing the f'n ferris wheel, it was all just dumb as hell as plans go. Granted, again, not the first time but maybe one of the worst examples.

And what with the, "There are no brakes!", so I'll close the door and stay in the car while Michonne decides the right thing to do is hop in the trunk?! Huh?!

[stevew]

That CGI deer was awesomely awful.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by stevew

That CGI deer was awesomely awful.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Reminded me of the awful CGI effect when the camera pans behind Rick to show the sheer size of the new group's junk yard.

https://moviepilot.com/p/the-walking-dead-cgi/4211904

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by stevew

That CGI deer was awesomely awful.

You mean the one I thought was a goat when I saw it the first time?

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

And what with the, "There are no brakes!", so I'll close the door and stay in the car while Michonne decides the right thing to do is hop in the trunk?! Huh?!

Makes total sense to me

I rarely ever "talk" to TV shows, but that scene got a "What the fuck are you doing Michonne?" out of me.

[Mo.Raider]

Wow, this week's episode.....tough to watch.

What we learned.

Morgan is demented and a stone cold coward. Harps on for episodes about not killing anyone, then kills the only dude with an ounce of courage.

Carol is a self pitying jerk, who is now refreshed from her sabbatical and ready to fight. Of course she looks like she should be clipping coupons and knitting shawls, but instead is a battle tested warrior...ugh. Oh and did I mention she is a self pitying jerk?

People are calling Ezekiel "your majesty"....what? I guess where I live people are just a little to self reliant to imagine anyone calling someone "your majesty". Not to mention he is a coward.

I think the main characteristic the supposed good guys share is the mentality, "I hope the alligator eats me last". All it takes is for someone to act mean and tell them to hand over their guns and they comply as fast as they can. Why do they even carry weapons if they are so quick to hand them over. Even with equal numbers the bad guys talk tough and the cowards...I mean good guys slide their weapons over like the security guards in the movie "Tommy Boy".

Have the writer's changed? I remember the episode where Rick killed Shane in the field and as Rick was explaining to Carl what happened, the zombie horde was slowly coming into view. That had a creepy atmosphere to it. Now it just doesn't have any direction to it. It is all unbelievable Tom Foolery. I have to rewind a few times just to make sense of it.

They are definitely killing the golden goose. The actors are rarely united. I'll bet some of them don't even feel like they are still on the show. Appearing in an episode here and an episode there. And when they are together they are either doing something unbelievably stupid or cowardly. They never stand up for each other. They stand around petrified until someone gets killed. They thank their lucky stars it wasn't them and go back to serving their overlords. If they don't have enough loyalty to one another to stick together like "A Band of Brothers", then what is motivating them to loiter in the area? It can't be the fear of zombies. Grandma Carol goes for a walkabout all the time, dispatching the undead like she is the wrestler that has finally been tagged during a WWF tag team match.

Still I watch to see the ending. Which for me is three more episodes.