***OFFICIAL 'The Walking Dead' TV Series Thread*** (5 Viewers)

[cstu]

Not much that hasn't already been said. Great episode. A little dramatic at times, but I don't think it's out of line given the bleak scenario. Rick turtling up is disappointing, but again somewhat understandable given his limited options. 

I ####### love Negan. Man...JDM is owning that role.... has the potential of creeping toward Ledger/Joker SUPER-ELITE-UPPER-TIER of bad guy if he keeps it up. Brilliant coming out party though. GF is a huge Greys Anatomy fan, and she's in total shock that "Denny" is doing all this.

Alexandria will be interesting... welcoming back the heroes completely broken and defeated will have to incite some pushback from folks who aren't aware of what Negan is capable of. 

Welcome back gang...we've missed ya. 

I love the fact that he can be that guy one second and the next second not think twice about bashing someone's skull in.

 

[tonydead]

Why are you asking me that question as if I run AMC and assume I would do the same thing if I did? 

Because you're making the comparison to GoT that has a different rating.  The only reason people have to get upset about the gore in TWD is because it's rated TV-14, if it were rated TV-MA they wouldn't be able to make that argument.  Plus we could have T&A.

 

[Limp Ditka]

says who?   i'm supposed to be afraid of a skinny dude that smiles all the time>?    he's not scary at all

Agreed! I could poop a better villian than that

 

[Copeman]

You guys are friggin idiots.

 

[cstu]

Completely disagree. 

Study some history, Woz, or even what is going on in the world right now.  The civilization we have today is a ### #### miracle and the result of thousands of years of blood, sweat, and tears.

 

[packersfan]

Because you're making the comparison to GoT that has a different rating.  The only reason people have to get upset about the gore in TWD is because it's rated TV-14, if it were rated TV-MA they wouldn't be able to make that argument.  Plus we could have T&A.

Yeah but you're asking me questions about AMC decisions I may not necessarily agree with. I happen to think our society has a rather mucked up view in terms of what we allow in terms of violence and sexuality. So it happens to be OK to see Negan bludgeon Abe and Glenn to death with Lucille but God forbid if we see Rosita comfort Sasha in a naked embrace in the RV later on that night.

 

[tonydead]

Yeah but you're asking me questions about AMC decisions I may not necessarily agree with. I happen to think our society has a rather mucked up view in terms of what we allow in terms of violence and sexuality. So it happens to be OK to see Negan bludgeon Abe and Glenn to death with Lucille but God forbid if we see Rosita comfort Maggie in a naked embrace in the RV later on that night.

 Now we're talking..  

 

[cstu]

I see no reason* why Negan would leave Rick and this crew alive. Bash them all and you don't have to worry about the revenge factor, and you still have the rest of Alexandria to provide you with the fruits of their labor and they will be willing subjects. I fail to see how the incremental gain received from having 8 extra people working for you overshadows, again, the quest for revenge and also the fact that this group killed a bunch of your own guys.

*-outside of it being a TV show, of course. 

The Romans would capture soldiers and sell them into slavery.  I agree that sending them back to their town is idiotic. 

 

[modogg]

I guess I am alone in thinking that the show has completely jumped the shark.  Basically just horror-porn at this point. 

this pretty much sums up how I feel at this point:  http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/24/13378876/the-walking-dead-season-7-premiere-recap-review-end-of-quitters-club

I will still watch though.  I don't know why, but I will.

That was quite possibly the worst article I could think of. It is on par with most sports radio. So your premise is you don't like the show and want to stop watching? Great, then don't watch. To write an article about all of this, is just shameless craving for clicks to your site. I felt no reason to even read the thing, when I see their thoughts are 100% to quit the show. Nothing like some numb-nuts telling me all about their opinions, thanks dorks 

 

[tonydead]

I guess I am alone in thinking that horror-porn is a step up from the last couple of seasons.  

 

[packersfan]

Remove my GOT comparison and just focus on this show - while the deaths last night were horrible there have been a large number of deaths on this show that have been horrific. Again, the first scene on this show saw a little girl (albeit a zombie) being shot in the face. Hershel was decapitated. Rick sliced a man in the face with a hatchet. The Governor was stabbed in the eye. People have been eaten. Noah was ripped to shreds in front of Glenn. And on and on and on. That's what this show is and always has been.

Seeing Glenn in particular die this way was hard since he was a core member. I get it but still this show has shown us graphic deaths from the very first scene. So for people to get all up in arms about the violence now strikes me as odd and makes me wonder what show they've been watching for six seasons and one episode. This show has always been violent and will likely continue to be extremely violent. That's the world. If you don't like it, you probably should've stopped the moment Rick shot that little zombie girl in the face. That was your fist really big clue this show wasn't for you.   

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Wait. People are actually complaining about the level of violence in The Walking Dead?

This isn't Two Broke Girls we're watching here. 

 

[mr roboto]

It jumped the shark S1E1.

I get this is your shtick and all, but S1E1 (and really all of the first season) was groundbreaking television. It's ####### terrible now (beginning at S2) but it started out as a potential all-time type show. 

 

[jamny]

That was quite possibly the worst article I could think of. It is on par with most sports radio. So your premise is you don't like the show and want to stop watching? Great, then don't watch. To write an article about all of this, is just shameless craving for clicks to your site. I felt no reason to even read the thing, when I see their thoughts are 100% to quit the show. Nothing like some numb-nuts telling me all about their opinions, thanks dorks 

I thought it was a good article but I am someone who has barely held on for the past few seasons, mostly just to see what they do with Negan's character. I'm not a fan of the way the show manipulates the audience and has the characters do stupid things to advance the storylines. I'm not expecting to make it through this season but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[RUSF18]

Destroying that group, even if you bring back the bodies wouldn't be enough.. As he said..  he uses people to do the hard work for him.. Killing them takes away his work force.. Destroying the leaders will to oppose him is the way he gets "Half their stuff" without needing to do anything other then show he will

Yeah I get that, but this isn't just any normal group of survivors that you stumbled on. These guys executed a night time raid on one of your compounds and took out a nice chunk of your army, so they've proven to be formidable. How many people are back in Alexandria at this point? 30ish? That's still a sizeable enough work force where the extra benefit you get from adding the few they "captured" in the woods wouldn't outweigh the whole "these guys could come back and kill me" thing.

 

[El Floppo]

Wait. People are actually complaining about the level of violence in The Walking Dead?

This isn't Two Broke Girls we're watching here. 

I've got my problems with the show... violence isn't one of them.

but that article covered a few of them- manipulative and obvious writing, lack of character development or reality. i've said straight along- at it's best, this show gets into thoughts about humanity (what it means to be human) that are interesting, espeically set within a post-apocalyptic world. at it's worst, it's a flat comic book that doesn't get into any of that. fans of the show seem to run the gamut- but the apologists seem to be most apologetic about the comic book thing because...it's a comic book. regardless- should be better... especially because it's shown at times that it can be.

 

[El Floppo]

and btw... pretty sure- JESUS SAVES

 

[modogg]

I thought it was a good article but I am someone who has barely held on for the past few seasons, mostly just to see what they do with Negan's character. I'm not a fan of the way the show manipulates the audience and has the characters do stupid things to advance the storylines. I'm not expecting to make it through this season but I hope I'm wrong.

well I will admit to not reading the article, just skimming it. Opinions are fine, but it is so silly to try and pawn off an articulated article by simply complaining about something, or discussing issues that have already been discussed ad nauseum (I think I have become more sick of hearing people complain about Glenn and that dumpster then I am about Glenn and the dumpster )

 

[ThaPenguin]

GoT is rated TV-MA.  Does that gore shown last night in Sunday family prime time pass TV-14?

Fairly certain that last night's TWD episode was TV-MA.

 

[[icon]]

says who?   i'm supposed to be afraid of a skinny dude that smiles all the time>?    he's not scary at all

Hitler was 5'9" 155lbs. 

 

[packersfan]

I've never understood the criticism of lack of character development on this show. There isn't a single character on this show who is remotely the same as when we were first introduced to them. All of them have evolved over time and many/most in extremely interesting ways. I think one of the great strengths of this show is in terms of how this show develops its characters. It's always been a character-driven show. Hell, Rick's arc alone has been incredible. Seeing him right now at his most broken is absolutely nothing like any other point in the show's history. He's completely unrecognizable now compared to any other time in any prior season.   

 

[El Floppo]

Hitler was 5'9" 155lbs. 

I think we're looking for "napoleonic"

 

[El Floppo]

I've never understood the criticism of lack of character development on this show. There isn't a single character on this show who is remotely the same as when we were first introduced to them. All of them have evolved over time and many/most in extremely interesting ways. I think one of the great strengths of this show is in terms of how this show develops its characters. It's always been a character-driven show. Hell, Rick's arc alone has been incredible. Seeing him right now at his most broken is absolutely nothing like any other point in the show's history. He's completely unrecognizable now compared to any other time in any prior season.   

it's less about their arcs over 7 seasons... its more about the smaller character realities within them. I think the writing gets lazy/bad.not-believable more often than not for that.

re: rick... kinda lost his wife and went kinda sorta nutso... kinda. but yeah.

 

[zoonation]

I get this is your shtick and all, but S1E1 (and really all of the first season) was groundbreaking television. It's ####### terrible now (beginning at S2) but it started out as a potential all-time type show. 

The first episode of season 1, and the rest of season one for that matter, was some of the best tv ever.

But the show has lost its purpose and hasn't had a useful narrative in a while.  It is gore for gore's sake.  Cliffhanger's to hide the failures in the writing and then a twenty minute cliffhanger slapped on to the back end of the last cliffhanger.  

The acting on the show is superb.  Lincoln delivered an emmy worthy performance in that episode as did (the actress playing) Maggie.  Negan was great.  But the show has no direction.  the story telling is gone.  I'm okay with the violence and, although way more brutal than anything on Thrones, I agree that at its core Thrones is just as violent.  The difference, for me, is that Thrones is telling a story.  It is building to something.  The characters behave like we would expect them to.  The violence exists within a strong narrative framework.  

TWD is spinning it's wheels.  It is recycling the same worn out themes and taking advantage of its audience's loyalty to characters it cares about in order to hide the shortcomings.  The show has become gore for gore's sake.

 

[tonydead]

Fairly certain that last night's TWD episode was TV-MA.

My bad, looks like they changed it to TV-MA-V a while back.  Still hoping for a TV-MA-N episode at some point.  

 

[modogg]

The first episode of season 1, and the rest of season one for that matter, was some of the best tv ever.

But the show has lost its purpose and hasn't had a useful narrative in a while.  It is gore for gore's sake.  Cliffhanger's to hide the failures in the writing and then a twenty minute cliffhanger slapped on to the back end of the last cliffhanger.  

The acting on the show is superb.  Lincoln delivered an emmy worthy performance in that episode as did (the actress playing) Maggie.  Negan was great.  But the show has no direction.  the story telling is gone.  I'm okay with the violence and, although way more brutal than anything on Thrones, I agree that at its core Thrones is just as violent.  The difference, for me, is that Thrones is telling a story.  It is building to something.  The characters behave like we would expect them to.  The violence exists within a strong narrative framework.  

TWD is spinning it's wheels.  It is recycling the same worn out themes and taking advantage of its audience's loyalty to characters it cares about in order to hide the shortcomings.  The show has become gore for gore's sake.

stick with it a bit. if they follow the comic art, you have a good narrative now with a larger world and the adjustments the group has to make. It has gone from just trying to survive day by day, to now a bigger picture. Direction should be provided during this season, it has only been 1 episode. It has at time seemed to stall or not provide specific direction, but at times it has

 

[tonydead]

re: rick... kinda lost his wife and went kinda sorta nutso... kinda. but yeah.

And after killing Shane then at the end of Season 1.  This is the 3rd or 4th time they've gone to the Rick hitting bottom well.

 

[El Floppo]

stick with it a bit. if they follow the comic art, you have a good narrative now with a larger world and the adjustments the group has to make. It has gone from just trying to survive day by day, to now a bigger picture. Direction should be provided during this season, it has only been 1 episode. It has at time seemed to stall or not provide specific direction, but at times it has

cool. I know you weren't talking to me, but that helps me to want to stick around.

the day to day survival stuff was the most interesting to me. I feel like the societies have been mostly goofy- but there's definitely a lot of room to find something worthwhile in that... and the separate city-states we found at the end of last season feel like the beginning of what could be interesting. but tbh, I don't have the most faith in these writers to bring the best out of that.

 

[snogger]

Destroying that group, even if you bring back the bodies wouldn't be enough.. As he said..  he uses people to do the hard work for him.. Killing them takes away his work force.. Destroying the leaders will to oppose him is the way he gets "Half their stuff" without needing to do anything other then show he will

Yeah I get that, but this isn't just any normal group of survivors that you stumbled on. These guys executed a night time raid on one of your compounds and took out a nice chunk of your army, so they've proven to be formidable. How many people are back in Alexandria at this point? 30ish? That's still a sizeable enough work force where the extra benefit you get from adding the few they "captured" in the woods wouldn't outweigh the whole "these guys could come back and kill me" thing.

They don't know how many are back in Alexandria or if they have others out and about .. aka Hilltop.. and Negan's group has dealt with raiders before and got them to bend to their will .. again Hilltop, and probably other communities.. Int he pat they have made the leader break and thus get the rest of the community to do as they say without any more trouble. Yes, Rick's group had killed many, but if he can get Rick to break, then he knows the rest of Alexandria, no matter how many there are will break also.

Should be interesting to see how long the "peace" lasts..

 

[El Floppo]

And after killing Shane then at the end of Season 1.  This is the 3rd or 4th time they've gone to the Rick hitting bottom well.

it's like the recent john oliver bits

 

[packersfan]

it's less about their arcs over 7 seasons... its more about the smaller character realities within them. I think the writing gets lazy/bad.not-believable more often than not for that.

re: rick... kinda lost his wife and went kinda sorta nutso... kinda. but yeah.

We'll agree to disagree. I think Gimple is the best writer/showrunner the series has had. Better than Darabont. I think the show slipped a bit in Season 3 but it regained its way ever since Gimple took over. The story and season arcs remain strong. I'm impressed with how, in its 7th season, the show is now expanding its universe in a unique way and about to open up the show even more with perhaps more compelling characters than ever before while continuing to provide a compelling storyline for the primary character (i.e. Rick) for the audience to focus on. I haven't seen any signs of laziness since Mazzara was canned. I continue to be impressed by the work Gimple has done. 

 

[snogger]

Also, the end of this episode with Rick looking at the Dead walking towards him and just getting into the vehicle and driving away was pretty good at being a "This show is no longer about surviving the dead" moment.

 

[[icon]]

Also, the end of this episode with Rick looking at the Dead walking towards him and just getting into the vehicle and driving away was pretty good at being a "This show is no longer about surviving the dead" moment.

Yep. That was a "humanity is more evil than zombies" thing. A touch heavy handed... but the point was made. 

 

[zoonation]

stick with it a bit. if they follow the comic art, you have a good narrative now with a larger world and the adjustments the group has to make. It has gone from just trying to survive day by day, to now a bigger picture. Direction should be provided during this season, it has only been 1 episode. It has at time seemed to stall or not provide specific direction, but at times it has

I will.  as frustrated as I get I can't stop watching.  lol.

 

[tonydead]

stick with it a bit. if they follow the comic art, you have a good narrative now with a larger world and the adjustments the group has to make. It has gone from just trying to survive day by day, to now a bigger picture. Direction should be provided during this season, it has only been 1 episode. It has at time seemed to stall or not provide specific direction, but at times it has

We'll agree to disagree. I think Gimple is the best writer/showrunner the series has had. Better than Darabont. I think the show slipped a bit in Season 3 but it regained its way ever since Gimple took over. The story and season arcs remain strong. I'm impressed with how, in its 7th season, the show is now expanding its universe in a unique way and about to open up the show even more with perhaps more compelling characters than ever before while continuing to provide a compelling storyline for the primary character (i.e. Rick) for the audience to focus on. I haven't seen any signs of laziness since Mazzara was canned. I continue to be impressed by the work Gimple has done. 

All sounds cool, but, they left for DC to find a cure (not really , but, a really cool civilization in Alexandra) but in real life they never left backwoods Georgia.  I don't have faith that they will pull it off and after this very good episode it will revert back to the normal stumbling around lost in the deep woods that make up the DC suburbs along with irresponsible van flips and improbable zombie escapes.  

 

[Thunderlips]

Upon thinking about it (and I still think the premier was great)........ the show should have killed Rick in the season premier.  It would have provided the most shock and made the most sense storywise. The comic didn't have Daryl, Abraham was already dead and Carl is still a little boy.  They could have offed both Rick and Glenn (or just Rick) and still had A) a popular lead (Daryl) and B) "Alpha Dog" quality characters that could have eventually taken the fight to Negan. Glenn and Maggie could have become the main focus....or we could have seen Carl grow more into a role (I'm not sure how plausible this is as I'm not sure Chandler Riggs is that good of an actor). Game of Thrones showed us that this can work when done right.....and to me, an Alexandria lead by another main character who is using Rick's death as a catalyst to eventually fight back makes more sense than Rick coming back from being cuckolded.

IIRC, while the comic has Rick as the main focus...he's not an "immune" character... I think Kirkman even said the story would go on without him...that it doesn't end if/when Rick dies.  Him being the sacrifical lamb for Negan makes sense in the realm of the story.  Why would Negan leave the Alpha Male alive?  Better to off him and incorporate the remaining heirarchy into his organization than let a guy live who had the balls to tell you that he's going to kill you a couple of seconds AFTER you've just bashed two of his friends heads in with a ball bat.   

Would have taken balls to deviate so drastically from the comic.....but it would have been memorable and I don't think they'd have lost much. 

 

[Thunderlips]

My bad, looks like they changed it to TV-MA-V a while back.  Still hoping for a TV-MA-N episode at some point.  

It's not like there's showers or going to be much awesome sex.  These are smelly characters looking to survive...not bang. 

 

[packersfan]

Also, the end of this episode with Rick looking at the Dead walking towards him and just getting into the vehicle and driving away was pretty good at being a "This show is no longer about surviving the dead" moment.

That but also the walker dropped down and started licking up Glenn's blood. I think Rick also was feeling a state of complete loss and helplessness in the moment. His entire world had been shattered. He had never felt so powerless before. He may have hit some form of rock bottom before but Negan completely stripped him of his dignity. That's never happened before. 

 

[snogger]

Upon thinking about it (and I still think the premier was great)........ the show should have killed Rick in the season premier.  It would have provided the most shock and made the most sense storywise. The comic didn't have Daryl, Abraham was already dead and Carl is still a little boy.  They could have offed both Rick and Glenn (or just Rick) and still had A) a popular lead (Daryl) and B) "Alpha Dog" quality characters that could have eventually taken the fight to Negan. Glenn and Maggie could have become the main focus....or we could have seen Carl grow more into a role (I'm not sure how plausible this is as I'm not sure Chandler Riggs is that good of an actor). Game of Thrones showed us that this can work when done right.....and to me, an Alexandria lead by another main character who is using Rick's death as a catalyst to eventually fight back makes more sense than Rick coming back from being cuckolded.

IIRC, while the comic has Rick as the main focus...he's not an "immune" character... I think Kirkman even said the story would go on without him...that it doesn't end if/when Rick dies.  Him being the sacrifical lamb for Negan makes sense in the realm of the story.  Why would Negan leave the Alpha Male alive?  Better to off him and incorporate the remaining heirarchy into his organization than let a guy live who had the balls to tell you that he's going to kill you a couple of seconds AFTER you've just bashed two of his friends heads in with a ball bat.   

Would have taken balls to deviate so drastically from the comic.....but it would have been memorable and I don't think they'd have lost much. 

Personally, I'd probably would have dropped this from my "Must watch TV" down to .. "I'll watch it when I get around to it" if they had killed Rick off.. His story line is what has driven the story so far.. As I mentioned before, I could see them kill him off half way through the Series Final season and spend the next half showing how society has "grown" ..

 

[packersfan]

Upon thinking about it (and I still think the premier was great)........ the show should have killed Rick in the season premier.  It would have provided the most shock and made the most sense storywise. The comic didn't have Daryl, Abraham was already dead and Carl is still a little boy.  They could have offed both Rick and Glenn (or just Rick) and still had A) a popular lead (Daryl) and B) "Alpha Dog" quality characters that could have eventually taken the fight to Negan. Glenn and Maggie could have become the main focus....or we could have seen Carl grow more into a role (I'm not sure how plausible this is as I'm not sure Chandler Riggs is that good of an actor). Game of Thrones showed us that this can work when done right.....and to me, an Alexandria lead by another main character who is using Rick's death as a catalyst to eventually fight back makes more sense than Rick coming back from being cuckolded.

IIRC, while the comic has Rick as the main focus...he's not an "immune" character... I think Kirkman even said the story would go on without him...that it doesn't end if/when Rick dies.  Him being the sacrifical lamb for Negan makes sense in the realm of the story.  Why would Negan leave the Alpha Male alive?  Better to off him and incorporate the remaining heirarchy into his organization than let a guy live who had the balls to tell you that he's going to kill you a couple of seconds AFTER you've just bashed two of his friends heads in with a ball bat.   

Would have taken balls to deviate so drastically from the comic.....but it would have been memorable and I don't think they'd have lost much. 

I'm out if they kill Rick. It's like The X-Files without Mulder or 24 withour Jack Bauer or (from a comedy perspective) The Office without Michael Scott. Kill off Rick and I'm done. 

 

[James Daulton]

Too bad Carol wasn't around.  She'd have taken out Neegan and his whole crew.  Glenn at least would have been saved.  Not sure about Kris Kringle, but Glenn for sure. 

 

[snogger]

Too bad Carol wasn't around.  She'd have taken out Neegan and his whole crew.  Glenn at least would have been saved.  Not sure about Kris Kringle, but Glenn for sure. 

You mean the Previous Carol right?? The current Carol has given up on life and would have loved to have taken the Bat to just be done with it.. Will be interesting once they show her and Morgan with the new group and if Morgan can bring her back.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Why would Negan leave Rick alive?

To prove how strong he is. We, the audience, know/hope he's underestimating Rick but Negan doesn't think so.

He rules because his crowd thinks he's the most powerful. What better way to prove that than showing that you can break even a guy like Rick?

 

[James Daulton]

You mean the Previous Carol right?? The current Carol has given up on life and would have loved to have taken the Bat to just be done with it.. Will be interesting once they show her and Morgan with the new group and if Morgan can bring her back.

That Carol's still in there.  She just needs a catalyst to bring it out.

 

[snogger]

Why would Negan leave Rick alive?

To prove how strong he is. We, the audience, know/hope he's underestimating Rick but Negan doesn't think so.

He rules because his crowd thinks he's the most powerful. What better way to prove that than showing that you can break even a guy like Rick?

X 100 .. exactly what I was saying above.. Break the Leaders will, you break the will of those that follow.. You kill the leader and he becomes a martyr.

 

[Thunderlips]

Why would Negan leave Rick alive?

To prove how strong he is. We, the audience, know/hope he's underestimating Rick but Negan doesn't think so.

He rules because his crowd thinks he's the most powerful. What better way to prove that than showing that you can break even a guy like Rick?

Meh.  That's pretty cliche.  Not saying the entire show doesn't sidle up to the cliche frequently....

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Meh.  That's pretty cliche.  Not saying the entire show doesn't sidle up to the cliche frequently....

It's not cliche. It's human nature.

 

[packersfan]

X 100 .. exactly what I was saying above.. Break the Leaders will, you break the will of those that follow.. You kill the leader and he becomes a martyr.

Yup. Powerful message to send to those who've been following Rick. Plus look around at the ones Negan left. He took Daryl. Who did he leave alive who looks terribly imposing as a threat? Carl's probably the one he has to worry the most about as I said before but he's just a kid.  

 

[Andy Dufresne]

It just struck me how similar this show is to Battlestar Galactica. 

After civilization is destroyed a group of survivors is forced to find a new home as they are pursued by forces bent on their destruction. There have been numerous "Tom Zareks" in TWD.

The reason BSG>TWD is that in the latter we've now stopped feeling like we're getting somewhere. It's just one survival situation after another.

 

[Todem]

God I love this show.