The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

[Edward64]

Decent episode.

I like the introduction of the new group and looking forward to see how that develops. Re: the "knowledge" its not as if they couldn't go to an abandoned library/bookstore to find the same thing.

Maggie vs Michonne and the right thing to do was pretty cool. Glad it turned out well vs Maggie going downhill.

Rick and Negan fighting was a yawner (kinda knew neither one was going to die) and why did they have to reintroduce you know who.

Simon and Dwight was a nice setup for something.

[Edward64]

I liked last night's episode. More of Maggie's growing leadership skills and creds. The Hilltop walkers breaking free and roaming around was well done (the slumber party/massacre was nice). Good action that wasn't just mindless, filler shootups. I think Simon is going to get his soon.

I would have liked to see a Negan and Jardis scene to get a hint on out what was going on there. The kid that let the imprisoned Saviors free was just stupid (where were the guards)?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not crazy about some of the stories they've chosen to tell, but I thought tonight did a reasonably good job of telling them (if that makes sense)

[Edward64]

Not bad episode but definitely better than avg episode from 1H of the season.

I liked how Jadis-Negan was resolved and the setup for the future but getting there was just weird and didn't like it. More mysteries with Jadis re: helicopter and her nice digs, really wish she would go away already.

Morgan and Rick was pretty cool. Somehow though, you would think Rick's anger would be directed against the main group in Sanctuary vs the prisoners but liked the fight scenes.

I like how Carol is struggling to reclaim her humanity (?) but TBH wouldn't mind her being the Rambo she once was (seems as if there are too many internal conflict/struggles threads already). Could have done without finding the kid, I think he is a goner.

[Edward64]

Solid episode except for the weird Aaron scene.

I would have like to see how Eugene played out, him being brought back to the compound but think the bad bullets is a foreshadowing of something next week, so its an interesting angle.

Never really liked Simon so glad he is gone. Poor Dwight. TBH, they have plenty of chances to cap Negan with a gun so their fault.

Regardless of the last scene with Negan, hoping there will be a "peaceful" resolution which will setup next season for truly rebuilding vs mindless shooting (which I think is played out and pretty boring now).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Solid episode except for the weird Aaron scene.

The first 30 mins or so felt very dragged out to me. And I'm sure the return of Aaron & that angle (which I don't care about) played a part in that.

I find the would-be Amazonian enclave about as interesting as the Klingon trash people and just another bit of annoying filler.

[Kodos]

I'd say the trash people look more Romulan than Klingon.

I hope they kill off Eugene. Sick of him. In general, I'm thinking I might punch out after the season ends.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I'd say the trash people look more Romulan than Klingon.

I hope they kill off Eugene. Sick of him. In general, I'm thinking I might punch out after the season ends.

One of the problems for me at this point is that I feel weary with a number of characters. Eugene, Aaron, this season's fairly neutered Jesus, Maggie, and almost anyone that seems conflicted about how to survive. I'm over Tara, I'm over almost everybody.

I mean, hell, Gregory has been little more than an annoying character since he was introduced but his outburst last night might have been one of the most eyecatching 60-90 seconds stretches of this entire half-season.

[Honolulu_Blue]

It was on of the better episodes this season, which says more about the season than it does about this episode.

I am very much over Tara and Darryl debating about Dwight. No one cares about Dwight. Stop trying to make Dwight happen. Thankfully, this particular plot line seems like it will be resolved next episode.

Rick has become officially more evil than Negan. Though, what I suppose they are setting up, is that Rick is so moved by Carl's note that he stops his psychopathic ways (maybe just for an episode) and Negan does not to restore the balance of evil.

Aaron is pretty scrappy, but I have no idea what his plan was. Just hang around the outskirts, yelling at them whenever he crosses paths, and then hoping, eventually, they'll come around to his point? Solid plan, Aaron!

I'll miss Simon. He was usually pretty entertaining.

[Edward64]

Looking forward to Fear & Morgan joining the team.

The first season with the Johnny Depp wannabe sucked but I thought last season was pretty good.

[stevew]

So how is Morgan joining the Fear team? I saw the bumper ad on ESPN and it made no sense.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by stevew

So how is Morgan joining the Fear team? I saw the bumper ad on ESPN and it made no sense.

Still a mystery (presumably one solved tonight) as to his method of travel.

Hiking? Helicopter? Abducted by aliens? All still in play.

[Edward64]

An okay episode but somewhat underwhelming for a finale.

A little too much deus machina for me.

Typical TWD where there are some glaring "they wouldn't have done that".

Unfortunately, they didn't let Negan die. I don't need another season (or two) of him.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Unfortunately, they didn't let Negan die. I don't need another season (or two) of him.

Without him, they don't have much that's interesting enough to put on screen left at this point.

Okay, Jerry & Ezekiel should be paired in a buddy sitcom, but other than them they've pretty well written the interesting (and in some cases even the tolerable) out of almost everyone. A few might be salvageable but that about it.

[Edward64]

Maybe they should have taken this opportunity to make a clear break with the comics.

Kill of Negan, split the party up ala Morgan, bring in fresh characters and scenarios.

TBH, tired of seeing Rick's greasy hair and with Carl dead, it would have been perfect to see him go.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Maybe they should have taken this opportunity to make a clear break with the comics.

I've seen that notion from several quarters, but honestly I lean in the other direction. I simply have more faith in the original material to be watchable than I have in whatever the TV creatives come up with.

Right now the one thing that seems to get the most agreement is that what they're doing isn't working nearly as well as it should/could be.

[Mota]

I really enjoyed the season finale. And it was pretty damn close to the comics. When Negan got what was coming to him, my wife reeled in surprise, it was great to see!

My biggest problem with this season is that no one looked strong. Being under Negan's thumb for two complete seasons has really damaged a lot of characters. Remember Michonne and the machete? Remember Carol kicking ass whenever they needed it? None of that has happened for two years. It's been scene after scene of them looking sad. It's not why I watch. Hopefully in the next season, they can get back to what made the strong characters strong.

Anyways, I do hope that that the horde is exactly what we all think it will be, and that they stick to the comics there as well.

I don't know how they'll pull it off since Carl is a major player in the next storyline though, but I am looking forward to it!

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Mota

Anyways, I do hope that that the horde is exactly what we all think it will be, and that they stick to the comics there as well.

I don't know how they'll pull it off since Carl is a major player in the next storyline though, but I am looking forward to it!

As someone who hasn't read the comic, but is interested in what your thoughts are, can you {spoiler} it so I can have an idea?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mota

Anyways, I do hope that that the horde is exactly what we all think it will be, and that they stick to the comics there as well.

I both _don't_ want to deal with that storyline and feel like they're nuts if they don't do it.

I'm in the camp that says that they're going to skip it, at least for S9.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

As someone who hasn't read the comic, but is interested in what your thoughts are, can you {spoiler} it so I can have an idea?

I don't know if I can tell you anything without ruining it though. But it should help bring walkers back into the storyline as a threat, which is a good thing since they were basically just set decorations this past season.

[JonInMiddleGA]

fwiw, I did my first podcast on Anchor about the season finale. I mean, yeah, I'm kinda hyping the existence of that with this post I guess but it IS relevant to the topic in this case.

https://anchor.fm/jonsthreecents/epi...-Finale-e1bapc

[Suicane75]

Just binged the 2nd half of the season. I dunno, I was never in love with the show from a writing perspective, but at least the characters had some charm to them. I'm not sure if there's any character I care about right now outside of Neegan. JDM is just so damn charismatic that he overshadows EVERYONE else currently on the canvas. Problem is there really isn't any redemption for his character given what he did, at least one that I would buy.

Also, if I see another scene where one person decides to do something and another person says they'll come with, only for a long melodrama to break out over staying or going, I'm going to shoot myself. And I'm not even infected.

[CraigSca]

Yeah, I'm in the "Neegan is the only interesting character" camp.

Frankly, the large cast of characters confuses the heck out of me as they pick up plot lines that haven't been touched for weeks at a time. Having Neegan in a scene draws much more interest from me than the countless, "oh yeah, she's the girl who wears the hat" type of character.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

Yeah, I'm in the "Neegan is the only interesting character" camp.

Frankly, the large cast of characters confuses the heck out of me as they pick up plot lines that haven't been touched for weeks at a time. Having Neegan in a scene draws much more interest from me than the countless, "oh yeah, she's the girl who wears the hat" type of character.

I agree with you about the cast. Look at Carl's story. It defines the 2nd half of the season, and possibly seasons to come. However, he barely had any screentime at all during the first half of the season.

There has definitely been way too much "yeah she's the one that did something 2 seasons ago", and have absolutely no role in the show now other than taking up screen time once every 3-4 episodes.

[Kodos]

Spoiler

Sounds like next season is Rick's last.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/th...ource=facebook

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Spoiler

Sounds like next season is Rick's last.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/th...ource=facebook

I'm okay with it. The stupidity was pissing me off

[PilotMan]

So i have to say, the news that broke today seems a bit surprising, coming out before the season starts.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

So i have to say, the news that broke today seems a bit surprising, coming out before the season starts.

Kinda saw it coming, whether for $ reasons or simply actor reasons. I was already on the fence about whether to watch the next half season, this just shoves me farther along that fence.

That's not so much any sort of character/actor loyalty or love, it's just that the more deviation from the source material, the weaker the show has become IMO.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Kinda saw it coming, whether for $ reasons or simply actor reasons. I was already on the fence about whether to watch the next half season, this just shoves me farther along that fence.

That's not so much any sort of character/actor loyalty or love, it's just that the more deviation from the source material, the weaker the show has become IMO.

Whew, no more greasy hair Rick with his stupid decision making. The series has been in a decline but maybe freeing away from Rick will allow the show to grow in other more interesting ways.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Whew, no more greasy hair Rick with his stupid decision making. The series has been in a decline but maybe freeing away from Rick will allow the show to grow in other more interesting ways.

I don't believe they have the writing talent for that to happen. The show is dead, but the body was so robust that it'll take it another 2-3 seasons to stop twitching.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't believe they have the writing talent for that to happen. The show is dead, but the body was so robust that it'll take it another 2-3 seasons to stop twitching.

I like the dead body metaphor! Quite appropriate for a zombie series.

I do have hope. I think Fear of the Walking Dead has gotten better with each season.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I like the dead body metaphor! Quite appropriate for a zombie series.

I do have hope. I think Fear of the Walking Dead has gotten better with each season.

It woulda had to lol.

First season was quite possibly the worst acting I've ever seen on television. Removing nearly all of the original cast was a mercy killing.

[Edward64]

Catching up on this season and just finished watching episode 1.

A somewhat boring episode but I still surprisingly enjoyed it. It was good to watch an episode on rebuilding and internal politics vs shooting/war all the time. It still had decent zombie kills too.

Carol & the King doesn't seem right. Gregory's punishment was also off, a bullet would have been better. Maggie becoming more hardass fits.

Rick's mace makes a lot of sense vs Michonne's katana (sharpening it must be a bitch).

[Edward64]

Dropped by the local B&N, got a cup of coffee and read through TWD vol 30.

I like the new (presumed) antagonists and how its setting up class warfare.

[Edward64]

Episode 2 was pretty good also. Enjoyed the increasing tension between leftover Negan Saviors and the rest, Maggie's introspection. Some good zombie skull crushing. Carol seems to be mellowing out but we know, deep down, the "look at the flowers" killer is still in here.

The only thing that was off was the trash lady and the priest.

.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Under the new (alleged) showrunner, this is rapidly becoming unwatchable.

It's not The Walking Dead, it's (Post)Modern Family or some other shit.

[Edward64]

Episode 3 was okay. Not a lot of zombie killing though.

I guess they are trying to give Rick a nice send off. More scenes with Michonne and daughter, talking about rebuilding, kumbaya with everyone/Saviors etc.

The Saviors vs others conclusion was pretty good. I like how Maggie & Daryl just walked away (and the setup for next week).

I get Rick wanting to save some of the redeemable, peripheral Savior workers but there are clearly some Saviors that just deserve to die. Stupid risk to keep them around, just bump them off.

Stupid shit - Maggie taking unnecessary risks in approaching the cabin. More Jadis BS (tired of her).

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Under the new (alleged) showrunner, this is rapidly becoming unwatchable.

It's not The Walking Dead, it's (Post)Modern Family or some other shit.

Better than the shoot-shoot-mindless shooting-more shooting-stupid Rick decisions-more shooting ...

I'm willing to give them a little more room. Rick is gone in 2 more episodes so there's hope it'll shake things up for the better (or not).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Better than the shoot-shoot-mindless shooting-more shooting-stupid Rick decisions-more shooting ...

I'm willing to give them a little more room. Rick is gone in 2 more episodes so there's hope it'll shake things up for the better (or not).

At this point I can only assume Rick's manner of departure will lead to everyone inanely sitting around a campfire holding hands.

Angela Kang is worse than useless & couldn't run a hot knife through butter, much less helm a (once) hit show.

[Mota]

Who becomes the star of the show once Rick is gone?

I can see Maggie, but I also heard that she is leaving by the end of this season.

While I do like Carol, Darryl and Michonne, I"m not sure if they can elevate into "main character" status.

I am enjoying this season so far, it's different at least. And as Edward64 said, the mindless repetitive shooting is done for now, that was boring as hell last year. I'd rather get to know the characters on the show, and then when they die it means a lot more.

The cast is so large right now, they desperately need a culling. And that could very well be coming what I considered to be the most shocking moment in Walking Dead comics.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

At this point I can only assume Rick's manner of departure will lead to everyone inanely sitting around a campfire holding hands.

Angela Kang is worse than useless & couldn't run a hot knife through butter, much less helm a (once) hit show.

YMMV, but the first three episodes of this season have been much better than almost anything the prior two seasons had to offer. Any low ratings for this show are a result of general fatigue and the largely poor to mediocre run that was the last two years or so.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

YMMV, but the first three episodes of this season have been much better than almost anything the prior two seasons had to offer. Any low ratings for this show are a result of general fatigue and the largely poor to mediocre run that was the last two years or so.

Yeah, my mileage definitely varies.

I was pretty (closer to very) lukewarm about the start of this season already. The first three episodes combined probably didn't have an hour I would call watchable, certainly not a total hour I'd call enjoyable.

While I enjoyed this week perhaps the least of the three so far, I'll give them credit for the Oceanside twist. Never mind the bad performances (Cindy/Cyndi/Syndi/Whatever reminds me of a high school kid told to 'emote') the twist itself I didn't see coming & that was good.

Overall The writing has gotten downright painful and in some instances the acting isn't helping. (Maggie in particular, who appears to be losing her ability to hit the accent & looks like she's almost phoning her work in now)

I'm fine with the culling that is to come, not sure if that can fix things though.

[Edward64]

This episode is going down quickly.

Way too much philosophical discussions and psychological mind games in the first 30 min.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'll give 'em (some) credit -- stupid setup aside -- Andrew Lincoln handled the scene with Darryl in the pit well.

But the difference, at this point, in JDM speaking and pretty much anyone else on the show speaking is stark.

[Edward64]

Not a great episode IMO.

Trash woman and Gabriel was senseless and waste of time. The showdown between Carol and Survivors seem too short to really matter in the show.

Team work between Rick and Darryl was good -- "take my hand brother" was cool.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

The showdown between Carol and Survivors seem too short to really matter in the show.

It seems like it largely existed to put the horse into play (that is where it came from, right?)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Oh, and I asked my FB this but I'll ask here too.

If someone has the ep DVR'ed would you check to see if I really saw something or if I just imagined it?

Right after R & D exit the pit, they're attacked by two walkers (one each). Rick dispatches his & then Darryl quickly puts another one down, it's Darryl's that I want someone to look at: was it my imagination or was it wearing a Freddy Kruger (style) sweater?

That just feels like a completely easter egg thing that they'd do

[Honolulu_Blue]

This has been the best stretch of episodes in a long while.

[Kodos]

This show is on a respirator right now.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Kodos

This show is on a respirator right now.

We don't agree all that often, so I have to make note of this.

The first really 5 hours I guess (with overruns) have produced less than an hour
of entertaining television with the rest being an exercise in tedium.

I've come to hate Angela Kang so fucking bad that I couldn't even watch TD with JDM & Michael Rooker because they had that talentless #$@$ on the couch.