Yep. The wife and I have been bored more often than not this season. I'll stop short of personally attacking Angela Kang. ;)

Darryl spends most of his time sulking and glaring at Rick. I guess I understand Maggie's need to kill Negan, but I'm not really sold on her in a leadership position, and they seemed to have changed her character to "bad guy" mode as a foil for Rick. Garbage dump lady can die, please. There's no chemistry between Rick and Michonne in their relationship. If Carol needs a boyfriend, why not Darryl? They had a nice chemistry in previous seasons. Even Negan is boring.

If she's not the root of all the bad decisions, she's at least the public face of them, fair game afaic.

FWIW, I thought her answers were not impressive on TWD, although I only watched the first 2 segments. I don't know much about her otherwise.

Is Kirkman still involved with the show?

I somewhat feel like TWD without Rick is going to be like the X-files without Mulder. Rick has always driven the show. Without him, I'm not sure the show can sustain my interest. At least the Big Bang Theory had the sense to close up shop when Sheldon said it was his last season.

Enjoyed the episode until the last 10 min.

Rick talking to Shane was great. It was good to see his old mug again. His flashbacks with Herschel was cool.

Rick had a perfect chance to cover himself with guts and hide from the small horde to save himself. Daryl shooting the arrows to try save Rick and walking away was a nice touch. Only thing missing was a short reunion with Lori & Carl.

And then the helicopter scene with Jadis, poor ending IMO. Whatever.

Andrew Lincoln supposedly taking Rick Grimes to the box office in a series of movies. Per Variety

Nailed Rick's fate days ago, pretty much precisely.

Did NOT see following swerve coming at ALL.

I gather that TD (which I didn't see, cause only caught replay) had a lot of info
'Walking Dead' Expansion Plans Revealed: Andrew Lincoln Movies, New Series to Come | Hollywood Reporter

why is it that i haven't watched this show since season 3 yet i'm hearing about the ongoing plot daily

Well, being the most successful TV show in a fair number of years does have some advantages.

Yeah, I was like WTF in that last piece, but watching Talking Dead cleared that up. Loved all the flashback stuff and that last scene with Michonne was powerful as well. Ditto on would have ben nice to see Carl and Lori once more.

Brilliant episode. For the first time in a couple of years, I’m excited for this show. It’s finally back on track!

So I work with a few TWD fans, and for the past couple days, I have been teasing one of the most over the top fans that what happened to Rick (as it turns out) would happen. I randomly picked the weirdest thing I could think of and joked the show would do it.

And then watched flabbergasted as the show did exactly that. I'm afraid what my coworker-fan is going to say to me when we next work together lol.

I enjoyed the episode, although I thought the future sequence was some sort of Walking Dead parody, as if thirty years after the "real events," a movie was being made about those events and casting beautiful people (and a fat guy for comic relief).

I'm honestly surprised that more people didn't get this one.

I felt like it was telegraphed pretty hard the minute trash lady was separated from everyone else in the group.

it IS strange that I can't remember a show where spoilers seem to be announced BY the show's creators so frequently. And Everyone spoilers everyone on the big events.

It's like Harry Potter big at this point.

I'd go the opposite direction right now tbh. It was HP'ish in some years past but at this point a lot of the officially released spoilers feel more like an increasingly desperate attempt to maintain their strength. The show's audience is at its lowest point since very early on & it's fallen off dangerously even since just last year.

They want to maintain a cash cow, AMC seems to be banking on doing so ... whether they can or not is a very serious question giving how hard they're trending in the wrong direction.

They've finally turned the ship around after two years of poor-to-mediocre episodes thanks to Gimple "running" the series. It's too bad that his poor execution has forces so many to flee the show. They're missing out a nice return to form!

And I've thought all but last night were largely the weakest episodes in the history of the show, mostly even worse than The Farm season.

Prior to last night -- which I'm completely fine saying was largely well executed (regardless of the story choices they've made) -- I didn't think there was more than a little over an hour combined this half season previously that was worth watching.

There's certainly nothing here that I see promoting any sort of ratings revival, beyond a bit of curiosity to see the sudden aging cast next week.

In the first 66 minutes tonight, we get basically two good scenes.

The shark hasn't just been jumped, it's being orbited.

Enjoyed tonight quite a bit. New characters with new backstories. Still not sure what their deal is but hope they are friendlies.

I'm good with the time jump. Get Rick out of the way and get Judith w/Carls hat (!) into the game. I really like how they are getting her involved.

Misc thoughts

• Carol is a bad ass again! Meeting up with Darryl again was nice
• Didn't they forget to ask the newcomers the Rick question - how many did you kill?
• Carol's grey and Eugene's rat tail are distracting. Gabriel should just take off the darn collar
• Michonne & Judith dynamics were cool. Good to see Judith had good trigger discipline with the Colt Python (yeah right)
• Judith and Negan was cute. If this is how they are going to reintroduce Negan into the community it may work
• The water tower scene seem to be a wasted opportunity and time allocated to 2 weaker characters. I would have climbed back up the water tower with some supplies

Not that great of an episode.

I did enjoy seeing the garden, the "new normal" daily life scenes, and Daryl and "dog meat" (!).

Michonne is just overdone. Bad hair style, her hair covering a third of her face and her head leaning left is painful/distracting to watch.

It was good to see the new crew fight but a slingshot? It seems as if the show is setting them to be long-term but somehow they don't seem to fit well. May be just me though.

The missing Maggie angle is interesting. Missing Eugene also.

I think we're punching out. Pure boredom again.

I'm feeling the exact opposite. I think the show feels a lot more fresh with the new characters. I'm really enjoying this season so far.

For those that don't watch Talking Dead, it was a bit shocking to find out that the actors who play young Henry, current Henry and Sophia are all siblings in real life.

I am enjoying this season more than last.

Re: Henry on the Talking Dead, I guess he was nervous or something but didn't think he presented himself well.

It was an okay episode. A little boring until the last 15-20 min in the cemetery.

Jesus needs to learn that TKD is not that great of anti-zombie MA. Too much wasted motion and energy, stick with the machete/knife.

Henry is just plain boring. Don't like the character.

Eugene was a bad-ass in one episode but has reverted to a sniveling coward.

Negan taking a trip per Feb previews.

Weakest half-season in show history.

Henry might turn out to be the best young actor we've seen on the show, in terms of skill. (edit to add: I thought his delivery on a couple lines was pretty good, first time I've really seen that from him)

And overall, the farther the current powers that be diverge from the source, the weaker & weaker the show becomes.

I suspect I'll watch through Negan's next few sequences (taking the leap that they handle it like the comics) but after that, honestly, I have so little interest in the characters that are likely to be left standing that I don't know if I make it to the end of S9. Getting through this half was a struggle & for the second straight half season I'm mostly relieved that another grind is over.

Agreed.

Best half a season in a couple of years now.

The half-season finale episode was great! This is the first episode in a LONG time that felt like you were watching a horror show. It was actually pretty damn creepy.

I was surprised at the death at the end of the episode though, I didn't think they would cut someone like that given that several main characters have left. THere are plenty of B or C level characters that should be on the chopping block though...

I have a love hate relationship with Dwight but think he is a good character and glad he is still around.

'The Walking Dead' Star Joins 'Fear' for Another Crossover

Returning this Sunday.

Hope is a good half-season.

Good God, the difference between scenes with JDM and without JDM are even more dramatic this year. (though at least they let Darryl talk now)

I can see sticking around for as long as he's roaming loose but after that ... ESPECIALLY if the signature scene with the Whisperers eliminates even more of the dwindling number of watchable characters.

It was an okay episode. Seem to have alot of commercial breaks though.

Always good to see a show where they bring Jesus back from the dead. Literally.

Given that Michonne will be leaving next season, it is interesting that they killed off Jesus. I thought he was one of the few characters who could step into the inner circle of the show.

They do need a mass culling of B characters though. In a big way.

At least we know how they plan on pulling off the Carl role in the Whisperers storyline now.

Not a big deal to me, I won't miss his character.

'The Walking Dead': Another Fan-Favorite Character Reportedly Exiting

He's pretty much the only other character I'll miss at this point.

D&C certainly have moments when allowed, Negan is the show, and the rest I honestly can't give two fucks about. Eugene's awkwardness only appeals for so long & in short doses.

The rest largely have me pulling for the walkers. Its' getting downright Fear bad at this point.

I liked the Sun episode. It was good to see snippets of the initial fall (wish they do more of this) and the new enemy. The stroll around could have last longer. Still not sure I like the new crew, something just seems off about their characters fitting in.

Like that Daryl had lots of face time but com'on, take a bath and shampoo/soap that hair. Somehow the ladies do okay.

What I found most interesting about those flashbacks was the very Fear The Walking Dead vibe I got from the lighting & camera work.

I didn't watch that mess of a series for all that long so I was surprised how immediately that was my reaction to it

I didn't notice that until you mentioned it.

I liked story lines of survivors hunkered down. I enjoyed the prison season(s) with TWD from clearing it out to the growing gardens to get back to normal.

Enjoyed the Daryl and Alpha face off. Daryl the reluctant leader is growing on me.

Carol and King E plot line was weird, a waste of time IMO.

Father Gabriel in next weeks episode ... whatever. Jerry with a kid ... whatever. Henry endangering everyone ... what a douche.

I thought for sure Jerry was gonna get it

Like watching a glacier melt.

On the bright side at least this week we didn't have to deal with the largely talentless cast of newcomers (i.e. the Hilltop add-ons)

I'm trying to hold out long enough to reach the conclusion of the Beta storyline but, damn, they're making it tough.

Good 40-45 min other than Eugene, Eugene's rat tail, Gabriel, Rostia BS.

I like the idea of Negan being free and helping out. In the comics Rick is still around. Without Rick around, it would be good to have Negan roaming about. If Michonne is really leaving the show, they will need a Negan to help out.

Like Judith's sass.

Daryl is the man. I don't think he is a good leader but a good "hand"/enforcer.

Next week's episode looks interesting.

The garrote was pretty cool and the "peeling" and creating of a new mask.

Eh, I mean, how did we think they did it though?

The real problem I'm having at this point is kinda two-fold though.

1) The casting - aside from a few Whisperers that I'm still giving a pass 'cause those are pretty limiting roles to this point - is to the point of FTWD levels. And the original cast of that is still the single worst cast I've seen in 51 years.

2) I'm a pro wrestling fan who has reached the point of being unable to suspend disbelief any longer with TWD. I mean, that's bad. The sheer level of stupidity on display on a regular basis makes it impossible for me to believe they would have survived more than a decade. I'm just not able to buy in at this point.

And then the other bottom line is that there are very few characters I like well enough to watch any more ... and I figure several of those are dead by the end of the half season.

Started watching the episode tonight. Got to the end of the recap where the girl is taken by her mother, cut to Henry deciding to leave to save her and just thought "Ugh, no." Turned it off. I think I'm finally done with the show.

I’ve been enjoying this season. Much more so than the last one or two, which were awful.

I loved that scene in the cornfield a couple episodes ago.

Good to see things are tending back upwards, though I don’t think it will ever be the show it once was.

Is there any way to watch this without cable? We have hulu live, but AMC is not included. Also, we can watch episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, but not this. I'm not really sure I want to, but why not.

Half a dozen (or more) ways, Sling is probably the most common.

This link seems to have most of the options covered
Watch 'The Walking Dead' Online Without Cable | Grounded Reason

Absolutely stupid to trap the team in a high-rise apartment. Hide in the high-rise if you need to but don't announce yourself, or keep on running.

With that said, enjoyed the episode. Good Daryl and Beta faceoff.

Carol wheeling and dealing was cool. The King is worthless, long live the Queen.

A better than average episode for this shit-show of a half season but that's such a low bar to clear that I'm not sure it's major praise.

Between the resolution of the Highwayman standoff (my look was roughly the same as the King's) and the next-level stupidity of Henry, the shark is soooo jumped.