The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

[Honolulu_Blue]

Another solid episode as this show continues to rise above the last season or two. Dumping Gimple and getting this new show runner has really seems to have paid off.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Another solid episode as this show continues to rise above the last season or two. Dumping Gimple and getting this new show runner has really seems to have paid off.

Yeah, we're literally each other's dead opposite.

I get exceptionally profane when discussing the new show runners (more like run-the-show-into-the-ground-runners).

I'm trying very hard to hold out for the Negan & The Whisperers bits that should be coming up but it's going to be a narrow run thing whether I make it that far I'm afraid.

We're approaching the degree of "yeah, it's dead" that I've only had with one other show really: when MI-5 steadily booted the originals, they were left with a show I couldn't stomach watching. And I'm nearly there now.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Another solid episode as this show continues to rise above the last season or two. Dumping Gimple and getting this new show runner has really seems to have paid off.

Agreed.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Another solid episode as this show continues to rise above the last season or two. Dumping Gimple and getting this new show runner has really seems to have paid off.

100%. I feel this half-season is one of the best in a long time. The new aspect of horror that they haven't touched on for years is great. The Whisperers are really creepy, and they have done a great job making them even creepier than in the comics. Both Alpha and Beta are supremely cast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Meh. I mean, it was fine aside from the awkwardly handled time jumps but not that big a deal as stories go.

Negan gets line of the night for "we have something in common" though.

The thing that gets me is how some social media (including the show's official accounts) are all into how "dark" this ep was. Excuse me? You had exactly one reasonable conclusion to that in any universe other than Skyrim, and that's the outcome we mostly got.

That was supposed to be "emotional" or something? That right there, that's where the show has lost me. It's become so soft that it's largely annoying.

[PilotMan]

I thought it was possibly the best episode this season, if not the most important to the overall story to this point.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

That was supposed to be "emotional" or something? That right there, that's where the show has lost me. It's become so soft that it's largely annoying.

If forcing one of the your main characters, a character who has shown time and time again that she's compassionate and cares deeply for children (Michonne's relationship with Carl, her taking over as Judith's mom), being forced to kill - even if in self defense - a bunch of children her good friend turned into savage killers is "so soft" then I really don't what to say. YMMV, I guess.

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I thought it was possibly the best episode this season, if not the most important to the overall story to this point.

Agreed.

[Mota]

I thought the episode was great! After being so disenchanted with the series, it has sure redeemed itself.

I did agree that the show was really dark. It was like "how many 5 year olds can you beat up", only you knew them for a while, and you had to kill them. Not something that many people would want to do.

Now my biggest concern is the churn of the major characters. If Michonne is truly leaving during next season, that's a huge hole to fill. Certainly Rick is missed. Henry is not nearly a replacement for Carl. I think they stepped up the Darryl character compared to the last few seasons. But the ensemble cast really needs a few more main players that rise above the B-List or C-List group that has been growing season by season.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I thought it was possibly the best episode this season, if not the most important to the overall story to this point.

I agree, probably one of the best episodes of the past couple seasons. I was a little perturbed at how Michonne struggled to kill the kids. If I got branded and my kid was with/threatened by these feral "children of the corn", I'd whack them no questions asked.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by reddyana

They completely ruined the series after stretching the Negan character.

I totally agree with this. Negan now has a smaller role and I am enjoying him much more.

The season where it was all mindless, stupid shooting really turned me off.

This season has been much better and hoping for the best.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by reddyana

Hope they end the series soon. It doesn't make sense to stretch so long when the storyline is getting weak with every upcoming season.

Only if there are other shows that pick up the slack.

This one looks promising. A trailer I've seen seems to indicate its of higher quality than Z Nation but we'll see.

Black Summer (TV series - Wikipedia)

Black Summer is an upcoming American web television zombie apocalypse drama series, created by Karl Schaefer and John Hyams, and a companion prequel series to the Syfy television series Z Nation. The first season, consisting of 8 episodes, is set to be released on Netflix on April 11, 2019.

The series is produced by The Asylum, the same production company behind Z Nation, and will be written and directed primarily by Hyams. Jaime King stars in the lead role as Rose, a mother who is separated from her daughter during the earliest and most deadly days of a zombie apocalypse.

[Edward64]

Another strong episode. Not much action but a ton of stuff happening.

The communities getting back together (hey what happened to Maggie?).

Really enjoy community scenes - the market/fair, the movie, the "new normal" etc.

Darryl and Beta again was cool (and the crazy woman). BTW - why aren't they carrying their guns. I get silent weapons are the way to go but they should be carrying too.

The herd looks promising.

And the "border" scene was fantastic. Good start on the culling.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

The communities getting back together (hey what happened to Maggie?).

Headed off with those weird folks (that will become The Militia or whatever)

Darryl and Beta again was cool (and the crazy woman). BTW - why aren't they carrying their guns.

Some do, at least one Whisperer had a pistol.

Good start on the culling.

I'm way happier with the culling on TV than I would have been if they'd culled the same as the comic

[JonInMiddleGA]

This was not a bad episode, one of the few times I've been able to say that all season. I'm honestly just relieved to have this shoe finally dropped. And without a single really enjoyable character victimized (tho they did a fine enough job of having The Highwaymen serve their purpose I thought)

But what was up with all the GoT references? I mean, "winter" pretty much belongs to GoT now, right? (culturally I mean).

They teased the hell out of doing a Red Wedding right behind two winter is coming references, then we end with snow.

[PilotMan]

Another really good episode. The cinematography was on point, the storytelling was on point, the episode flew by and it had a lot of gravity. Great follow up on last weeks big episode.

The episode was moving and dark. Lot's of good to take away. The deaths were completely necessary. Although, as long as Tara has been on the show and how she has grown into a major character, it seems like her character deserved a better send off than an off screen killing and reveal.

It's funny that we see things. The glimpse of 'winter coming' has GoT refs no doubt, but the reference predates that too. The reference I saw in it was United 93, in the story after the events. A rallying cry for survivors.

They've been teasing a few more things too. Almost to a point where it's heavy handed, but I'm curious to see how and when it comes into play. I have on experience with the comics, so I could still be off.

Won't miss Henry at all.

[Mota]

The border scene was really powerful. And quite different than it was on the comic book.

First of all, the cast that they lost was okay. It was completely different than the comics. And I think it was necessary. Some characters that never were fully developed. Some characters that weren't getting much screen time anymore. And a really annoying character that had the most screen time of any this season.

I was 100% sure that this scene was ending Season 9. But when I thought about it, the baseball bat scene ended Season 7, and was so dark that it drove away a lot of fans. To end the same way would likely do the same. So they added in the Siddiq scene and the "hero battle" to make them heroes and to add hope to the story. I'm okay with that.

But now that they have another episode to fill, how does the season end?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mota

But now that they have another episode to fill, how does the season end?

The first, possibly two, of the three key battles would be my guess. If you saw the short preview they ran during the show that followed that would certainly be what they suggested.

The other option would have been the Negan role in this that I've basically hung around all season to get, but they'd have to majorly rush that to get it in next week (more likely ep 2 next season as a mostly standalone).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mota

To end the same way would likely do the same. So they added in the Siddiq scene and the "hero battle" to make them heroes and to add hope to the story.

I don't consider this spoiler territory so I'm gonna throw it out in the open, as far as I could tell it was purely speculation on the part of the recap writer (I'm about 99% sure it was Newsweek)

re: Siddiq - the writer suggested that scene was there specifically to add another level of intrigue, about how much of his speech was truth & what was fiction. And what the motive(s) for any fiction might really be, beyond simply "good of the community" sort of embellishment.

That possibility certainly makes for some interesting scenarios. (that'd be wrapped up in 1-2 scenes down the road, but interesting nonetheless). Perhaps ol' Siddiq had a failure of character ala Ftr. Gabriel's backstory?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Brilliant. One of the top three or five episodes ever for this show.

[Edward64]

What a waste of an hour. I was waiting for something to happen and what a letdown. Spoiled by the last 2 episodes I guess.

I did like the Judith-Negan interaction but that's about it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thus ends the longest & most tedious season in show history, with an episode where the special effects were the star but otherwise failed to do much to liven up the dullest shit since Rick turned into Mr. Greenjeans.

[Edward64]

For me the longest and most tedious was the shoot-shoot-oh-look-lets-shoot-more season. This season was average but had a couple really good episodes.

Oh, they should have added Gabriel and Ezekiel to the border pikes.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

For me the longest and most tedious was the shoot-shoot-oh-look-lets-shoot-more season. This season was average but had a couple really good episodes.

Oh, they should have added Gabriel and Ezekiel to the border pikes.

The absence of E. from the pikes - which seems pointless now since he doesn't appear to have anything left to do - was probably the highlight of the entire season for me, at least in terms of surprises.

We have very few characters with any ... charm, for lack of a better word, left. I find Ezekiel to have that at least, along with Jerry, Darryl, I guess Carol (until we put her back into emotional wreck mode next season). But for me it's 50 minutes of tedium to get 10 minutes of Negan at this point. (I exclude the current Big Bads from this really since they ultimately serve little point except to be vanquished)

Most of the rest can live or die, just so long as they keep them off my screen. They really seem to be trying hard to get this show in as bad a shape as FTWD was when it started

[kingfc22]

They definitely should have ended the season after last week's episode which was top notch. This one, not so much.

[Mota]

It was a strange way to end a season for sure. I guess they didn't want to end on a sad note. They didn't even want to end last week's episode on a sad note, we had to get the motivational speech to close it.

Then this week we get pretty much what I would consider a filler episode of TWD. The zombie scenes were cool, but it was pretty much pointless.

I did like the Judith / Negan scenes. They really have good chemistry together. You genuinely care about them.

Funny that considering how big the world is, they had to walk right through the 20ft width of spikes in the ground. There's maybe 12 spikes, 3 feet apart from each other? Couldn't they just walk another 50 feet down the road and say "sorry, we didn't realize that was across the border".

[PilotMan]

Finally got caught up on the finale and man, what a let down. They put a couple great episodes together and build up to something and then this. It wasn't great, felt somewhat disconnected from the other episodes. So what's the significance of the radio at the end. Just couldn't put that together either.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Finally got caught up on the finale and man, what a let down. They put a couple great episodes together and build up to something and then this. It wasn't great, felt somewhat disconnected from the other episodes. So what's the significance of the radio at the end. Just couldn't put that together either.

We only know that it was a woman's voice and that she's out there ... somewhere ... looking for other survivors.

(I'd seen a previewer note that having closed captioning on would be helpful, so I did). She basically says "broadcasting in the open, is anyone out there".

COULD it have been Maggie's voice? Possibly. That was my immediate reaction to it in real time.

Subsequent stuff I've seen from Kang said that it was meant to be faint, garbled, and not entirely clear even with regard to gender (the CC: identified the speaker as female however). Whoever/whatever it is will be a plot catalyst for next season, that's about all she was willing to give away about it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

FYI, the source material is finished.|Issue #193 will be the last

The coverage includes a (spoiler-free as of posting) lengthy letter from Robert Kirkman to the fans, well worth reading IMO.

A couple of highlights from the letter: he's known the ending for over 4 years, since issue #142. There was not a specific issue date target for the finale but the journey was known to him.

Also, for the first time he reveals where/when the original ending was to have been. All the way back in issue #72, with Rick's "Alexandria is worth fighting for" speech. I actually think the planned ending (which he describes in some detail) would have been quite solid on paper, though "bleak" is a pretty fair word to describe it.

[Edward64]

I typically go to B&N every so often, get a cup of coffee, and read the latest comic book. He didn't start my favorite genre but certainly a major force in sustaining it. Wonder whats up next for him?

[Edward64]

Dropped by BN tonight and read the last TWD comic. Somewhat unsatisfying for me but it was okay. I didn't like the epilogue so much, a little too "unbelievable".

Overall, wished it continued for a bit more.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I figured tonight was a reasonably safe episode to watch after the long string of disappointments. I mean, even Kang can't screw up A&B backstory.

Clearly I underestimated her.

[Edward64]

Pretty sad, I didn't even know the season started.

I went to AMC and caught the first 2 episodes. I really liked Ep. 1, great Michonne swordplay and fun Negan scenes (and wonder what Eugene will do with the satellite parts?).

Ep. 2 with Alpha & Beta was a solid episode. I would prefer the Alpha/Carol arc (we know there's going to be some killing between the 2 of them) finish mid-way and they go on to do something else. Its wearing thin just like the Negan storyline.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Pretty sad, I didn't even know the season started.

I went to AMC and caught the first 2 episodes. I really liked Ep. 1, great Michonne swordplay and fun Negan scenes (and wonder what Eugene will do with the satellite parts?).

Ep. 2 with Alpha & Beta was a solid episode. I would prefer the Alpha/Carol arc (we know there's going to be some killing between the 2 of them) finish mid-way and they go on to do something else. Its wearing thin just like the Negan storyline.

I'm only sticking around to get -- or at least hoping to get -- the Negan role in the Whisperers resolution.

Otherwise, the scripts are just so fucking bad at this point, I can't deal. $40 million dollars reportedly tied up in Darryl & Carol contracts, yet they didn't appear* in ep 1 until the 40th minute. The newer cast members among the survivors are Fear caliber bad at acting, zero fucks given about any of them. Zeke & Jerry can be enjoyable enough but there's not much for them to do at this point.

The comparison to Fear is pretty good for me at this point, I spent the first season of that rooting for the zombies. That's mostly where I am with the main show now.

*ensemble opening scene with quick cuts notwithstanding

[PilotMan]

Ep 3 was great after two weak openers. Very dark, old school, with very good storytelling. The story felt moved ahead with good cuts, and nothing bogging it down.

[Edward64]

I'm not too hot on Carol going crazy but overall a solid episode.

[Edward64]

Waste of an episode.

Michonne and the big Ezekiel? He lost the Tiger, his people, his woman etc. and he doesn't fight well. Please, time for him to go.

[PilotMan]

Naw, I think it played alright. It was one of those "need to seek like" moments and it didn't mean anything. The episode was good. It set up a number of things including the needs and desires of the group. It foreshadowed a lot of what is to come. Michael Cudlitz has a certain emotional aspect to his episodes that I like. It's good.

[Edward64]

Good to see Negan in action again. The "interlude" by the bus was nice (but Negan should have known what was going to happen).

Yup, King Ezekiel is pretty much worthless.

The new joiners arc is pretty much a waste of time. Acting and writing for them sucks.

Carol & Daryl next week!

[Edward64]

Solid episode with some nice scenes.

The sickness, Daryl & dog, the "Nice & caring" Carol with honey & jam, using Lydia and the Siddiq surprise ... all good.

No Negan or Beta progression.

[PilotMan]

Cudlitz has been solid in the episodes that he's directed. He's got a real good head for fleshing the story out on screen. Liked the episode and feel like this season, while drawn out, has been pretty solid. Just accept is as a live action comic with those trappings and all is well.

[Edward64]

Mid-season premier tonight.

Anyone excited?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Mid-season premier tonight.
Anyone excited?

Not in the slightest.

I think my plan going forward will be to catch up on episode recaps and then go back and watch only if there's something specific I want to see.

About all that's left for me of interest at this point is the source material payoff with Negan and Alpha (if TV even does it that way) and I've grown tired of watching the rest just hoping they'll eventually get around to that.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

About all that's left for me of interest at this point is ... Negan and Alpha

Welp, you called it. Officially jumped the shark for me but different strokes for different folks.

Really didn't like Carol's breakdown.

[JonInMiddleGA]

5 minutes of reading the recap and I'm caught up, having saved myself an hour of tedium.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Maybe what the show has turned into is the real lesson of this universe: that in a zombie apocalypse the interesting people mostly get killed early, and that most of the people who are left after this long are either annoying, boring, or both. Or become that way after surviving this long.

[Lathum]

Catching up on the show. It fell off the radar after Carl died for us and we decided to catch back up. Really glad we did. Season 9 has been crazy. Love the whisperers and the tension has been awesome. The end of the second to last episode was epic. Just a great season.

[Edward64]

Good episode, kinda slow first 45 min but I like the buildup.

Hilltop strategy was the worst and reminds me of GoT. At the very least, fall down some trees and try to redirect some of the walkers vs setting up a funky electric fence.

And Daryl has a knack of picking inefficient zombie killing weapons. First a cross bow and now a morning star, pretty low dps ... sheeessh

[tarcone]

Season 5 grinded to halt for us. Just slow. But it did have a level of intensity under the skin.

Hopefully, we get back into it soon.

[Edward64]

Caught up on last Sun's episode. Solid, liked the surprise ending and looking forward to next week which seems to be focused on Michonne.

But still don't like the new characters they introduced a couple seasons ago. That group never seem to blend in well to the core group.

[Edward64]

A little boring episode but not too bad. Liked how they sprung the "surprise". I read this was Michonne's exit strategy until we see Rick again.

Next week looks great. But hard for me to believe that Beta will last long.