The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

Along the lines of the things I nitpick about the show....

Why do they take a car like that on these runs? Why wouldnt you drive something made for a bit more offroading? That car would be lucky to run 1 zombie over without it pulling the transmission with it.

IDK...maybe its my inner hillbilly coming out...but in a zombie apocalypse I'm not getting my muffler stuck on a pile of zombies when I need to run a bunch of them over.

Because this season is brought to you by Dodge?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

Interesting...

About the "faking it"

Spoiler

Watch the way she coughs, into her arm, as one person I saw described it perfectly "she looked like my kid when they're faking sick to get out of going to school". Now maybe the girl is just a lousy actress at being sick, but even before the theory emerged I thought she was faking it.

[Chief Rum]

Hmm...

Spoiler

... I still find this theory hard to believe, with respect to the faking it. Putting aside for the moment that she is bastshit insane, if this theory is correct, she is clearly making decisions to attempt to get away with this. This means that, while she may be crazy, it's a "rational crazy" (she knows she has done wrong and she is trying avoid punishment/discovery, even if her actual reasons may be crazy). That tells me she wants to get away with this and, I presume, continue to live. Since she wants to continue to live, why would she willingly fake a disease and put herself in a cellblock with a group of people who are dying from a disease?

That doesn't make much sense to me.

Actually, I have found in general, there seem to be a lot of people jumping to the Little Evil Lizzie theories (i.e. the rats as well), and I don't beleive any of those theories are correct. She clearly has a role to play and I am sure there is a plot point tied to her, but I'm not buying these.

Keep in mind, I have not read the comics, so if there is something there related to this feeding these theories, I'll simply beg ignorance to that.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'll give you my own two cents on the theory (which I first saw popping up within minutes of the end of Sunday's episode)

Spoiler

Best I can figure, the kid is basically 'round the bend. Batshit crazy doesn't need a whole lot of reason, although we could probably wring one out of her recent experiences. My personal suspicion is that she's going to be used in lieu of the Ben/Billy storyline from the comics, and that it'll be Carl who puts a bullet in her head when all is said & done.

Spoiler

My immediate thought was that introducing the two little girls was going to lead to one of two storyline:
1) the Billy/Ben storyline (seems probable, with the younger sister saying something along the lines of "she's messed up" to Carol. I think the little girl was telling her she was nuts, but Carol thought she meant she was stressed or going through a rough patch).

2) they introduced them so they could get murdered a la Hershel's two youngest children in the graphic novel (possibly with Bob Stookey playing the serial killer role.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Tough episode, one that I don't really have issues with being more exposition than action.

More divergence from the source material in some sense, and a great (as I understand it) nod to the source in an early scene.

[Draft Dodger]

I liked it if only it gave us a reprieve from the black plague at the prison, which I am not liking at all.

didn't catch the not to the books, but I usually don't.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Next week's Talking Dead includes "a surprise guest".

That is pretty much NEVER good for somebody.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

didn't catch the not to the books, but I usually don't.

Spoiler to explain what I was referring to (if you want to know).

Also, let me make it clear: I've never read the comic series, I've been familiar with the content via various online Wikis and such for a couple of seasons now

Spoiler

I felt like the Lizzie speech about how people always come back was meant to be very similar to the Ben "reasoning" for killing his brother Billy

[hoopsguy]

Little difference in the quality of Talking Dead guests between weeks, at least based on 3-5 minutes of viewing of each.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Little difference in the quality of Talking Dead guests between weeks, at least based on 3-5 minutes of viewing of each.

Jericho was damned good tonight, the actress chick was pretty solid as well.

It was about as 180 from last week's debacle (which they joked about from the get-go) as anything could have gotten with two strictly non-cast guests.

[DaddyTorgo]

Who the fuck does Rick the fuck think he is, as far as making decisions that effect everyone and such?

Again I hope he gets mobbed and torn apart by Walkers.

[Radii]

I don't really think it was a bad decision at all, aside from making it unilaterally. I'm upset we may not see someone who was becoming interesting anymore, but in the context of the world the show exists in, I'm good with it.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Spoiler to explain what I was referring to (if you want to know).

Also, let me make it clear: I've never read the comic series, I've been familiar with the content via various online Wikis and such for a couple of seasons now

Spoiler

I felt like the Lizzie speech about how people always come back was meant to be very similar to the Ben "reasoning" for killing his brother Billy

I agree with al of this. May not end up playing out that way, but unless they are pulling out a red herring per episode, I'm going to guess it happens down the road.

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Who the fuck does Rick the fuck think he is, as far as making decisions that effect everyone and such?

Again I hope he gets mobbed and torn apart by Walkers.

I think he cares about Carol and recognizes what she is going through, but made the best decision. His complete focus is on his children now (and his protection and attempts to keep Carl "a child" is the driving force behind his character, so it isn't much of a stretch) and he pretty clearly explained that he couldn't trust her anymore. He didn't want to be the executioner so he spent a last trip with her and helped her get some goods. And, in any case, Tyreese would have killed her and that would have destroyed the community further.

Aside from it being a rational decision, I think it is important that they just let some characters go without dying and leave that option open. The more people that they add, the more likely that some folks are just going to leave the group to stick with smaller numbers and that really hasn't happened since they split up at Atlanta.

[Butter]

I was slow getting into season 4, but watched all 4 episodes yesterday. It has really turned the corner from Seasons 2 (bo-ring) and 3 (Governor got tiresome) into something that we all thought it could be... showing the grind of day-to-day life in this post-apocalyptic world. You have to go out and get supplies for everything, and you are always taking your life in your hands. I thought Hershel's speech last night summed it up pretty well... as far as choosing what's important enough to risk your life to do.

Enjoyed the matter-of-factness with which it was shown that the 2 people in the house didn't complete their supply run. Kind of just opened the fence, made a couple of comments, closed the fence.

For me, this season has worked emotionally as well. Michonne's arc, especially with having to hold the baby... Carl has really gone from a completely shit character to probably one of my favorites... the reaction of Tyreese to the final semblance of any type of "normal" world falling apart. Rick's return to form as a decision-maker, even if it was unilaterally.

Wondering how Daryl is going to react to this decision next week, assuming they even make it back by then. Would have to think that all of the discussion this week about it puts an end to the theories that Carol was not responsible for the deaths. Also, for a non comic-book reader, was the zombie herd they ran into going to find its way to the prison, and how will the group get out of that?

Just well done all around so far this year. Not perfect, but really, really good.

[PackerFanatic]

Jericho was probably one of the best Talking Dead guests I've seen to date. I didn't watch last weeks, but I almost wish I would have now

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Would have to think that all of the discussion this week about it puts an end to the theories that Carol was not responsible for the deaths.

I don't know...I am still not fully convinced. SOMETHING seemed off with how she took the whole thing with Rick and I could see her going pretty far to protect Lizzie (or someone else). It seems pretty cut and dry at this point, but from the speech at the beginning to how Carol and Rick were at the end....it just seems off.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

I don't know...I am still not fully convinced. SOMETHING seemed off with how she took the whole thing with Rick and I could see her going pretty far to protect Lizzie (or someone else). It seems pretty cut and dry at this point, but from the speech at the beginning to how Carol and Rick were at the end....it just seems off.

Agreed that something seemed off. They made too big a point of both the Lizzie conversation AND of showing the body being dragged away WITHOUT showing Carol doing the dragging.

That was either supposed to be a red herring in & of itself OR we still haven't gotten to the bottom of this.

{snaps fingers} Hmm ...

Spoiler

If the killings continue with Carol gone from the prison, the plot could thicken rather quickly. AND that would echo a different wrong-suspect/oops people still getting killed storyline from the comic

[Brownkeg8]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

I don't know...I am still not fully convinced. SOMETHING seemed off with how she took the whole thing with Rick and I could see her going pretty far to protect Lizzie (or someone else). It seems pretty cut and dry at this point, but from the speech at the beginning to how Carol and Rick were at the end....it just seems off.

I felt the same way, commented that she didnt really argue or plead with him.

[Radii]

I have a very hard time believing Carol wouldn't come clean once she figured out Rick was ditching her if she was protecting the kid. She may have been willing to take the heat from Rick because of her vow to protect those kids, but if she's not in the prison she can no longer protect them, and Carol would know that there is no way taking the fall for this one incident will just fix things going forward, there will be another incident soon and she won't be there to help or try to prevent it. I'm still pretty much all in on the idea that Carol did it. I get the signs you guys are talking about, but the setup for that just doesn't work for me I don't think.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

and a great (as I understand it) nod to the source in an early scene.

I must have missed that, it's been awhile since I've read the source, what was the scene?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

I must have missed that, it's been awhile since I've read the source, what was the scene?

Described in the spoiler tag of this post

Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Described in the spoiler tag of this post

Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - The Walking Dead -- TV Series Thread

Yes I got to that after I posted this. I'm still catching up from my business travel last week!

[Grammaticus]

Rick is pretty much a crappy leader across the board. Hard to believe that is the best they have.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Agreed that something seemed off. They made too big a point of both the Lizzie conversation AND of showing the body being dragged away WITHOUT showing Carol doing the dragging.

That was either supposed to be a red herring in & of itself OR we still haven't gotten to the bottom of this.

{snaps fingers} Hmm ...

Spoiler

If the killings continue with Carol gone from the prison, the plot could thicken rather quickly. AND that would echo a different wrong-suspect/oops people still getting killed storyline from the comic

But didn't they show Carol doing the deed with the knife?

I was kind of thinking the same thing until that scene came up.

Spoiler

But either way...I don't think that necessarily eliminates the idea of more killings happening without Carol around.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

Rick is pretty much a crappy leader across the board. Hard to believe that is the best they have.

Isn't that the point, he never wanted to be the leader...

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

But didn't they show Carol doing the deed with the knife?

That was Rick visualizing what happened as he imagined it would.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My God what an episode.

Quite possibly the best episode of the series to date (or at least since the Wow factor of season one). Easily the best 20-30 minutes stretch of the series.

The quicker cuts in the editing, the tension was as high as I've seen yet. Utterly fucking brilliant afaic.

edit to add: Note that the original timestamp of my post was 9 minutes before the episode ended.

[hoopsguy]

It has felt like a fairly steady ratcheting up of the intensity with each episode this season. Just hoping that they deal quickly with the plot twist introduced at the end of this one. Also, I'll be happy if the plague thing is 100% done now; seems like it should be.

Curious to see if any of the interested parties are satisfied with Rick's solution to the Carol problem ... suspect that will be coming next week as well.

[Swaggs]

That was a top 5 episode for me. Seemed like a prime time opportunity for them to knock off one of the primary characters (as in seasons/episodes past), so I was kind of expecting to see a major death. Glad that they have us thinking that way (and that it didn't happen).

I don't know if the show is taken seriously enough for one of the actors to win an Emmy, but that sure seemed like an Emmy-worthy performance by Scott Wilson (Hershel).

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I don't know if the show is taken seriously enough for one of the actors to win an Emmy, but that sure seemed like an Emmy-worthy performance by Scott Wilson (Hershel).

I don't think it is, outside of special effects stuff, and Breaking Bad is probably going to sweep everything next year anyway (I hope, at least, personally). However, I do think that's probably the best performance by a main cast member we've seen in the entire series, and second only to Lennie James playing Morgan last season overall.

Great episode, though my dislike of the storyline that was brought back up in the final couple minutes clouds things slightly. If I set that aside, I can easily agree on it being a top 5 Walking Dead episode.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Curious to see if any of the interested parties are satisfied with Rick's solution to the Carol problem ... suspect that will be coming next week as well.

I'm looking forward to how this works, with both Daryl and Tyreese. I am very glad Rick just told the truth, instead of trying to go with "oh, she didn't make it."

[Bad-example]

I'm a little surprised to read the praise for this week's episode. I thought it was incredibly stupid that the doc told Herschel exactly what would happen yet he took zero precautions to prevent it. Um...it is a jail...can we get some locked doors, please?

I think I'm mostly just getting tired of the endless, humorless drama. The return of the Gov doesn't excite me about what's coming, either.

I hope the spinoff show is something a little closer to Zombieland.

[Butter]

Oh good. The Governor is back.

Agree with the surprise that one of the major cast members didn't end up eating it also. It seemed like they were doing some strong foreshadowing with Hershel especially... but he made it out. I liked the episode a lot, but didn't love it. I agree also with the poster who says it'll be good that the plague subplot gets behind us after last night.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

I'm a little surprised to read the praise for this week's episode. I thought it was incredibly stupid that the doc told Herschel exactly what would happen yet he took zero precautions to prevent it. Um...it is a jail...can we get some locked doors, please?

I think I'm mostly just getting tired of the endless, humorless drama. The return of the Gov doesn't excite me about what's coming, either.

I hope the spinoff show is something a little closer to Zombieland.

I think it was about Hershel trying to retain his faith versus assuming the most likely outcome was inevitable. The scene, at the end with him losing it and crying alone, pulled the whole episode together pretty well, I thought.

[JonInMiddleGA]

There just felt like a lot that went right last night, it was an episode (save for the Gov appearance at the end) that assured me that the show is indeed in good hands at the moment.

-- I thought the filming/editing style of the scene in the prison added a great deal. I don't associate the show with being huge on the use of quick cuts but in that situation it portrayed the chaos, shifting
-- The foreshadowing-that-wasn't was pretty pitch perfect IMO. I'd say the next time we get that ominous feeling somebody will die, but they add to the tension by making sure we know that we really never know for sure.
-- I most decidedly did NOT want to lose Herschel last night. Sooner or later it has to happen, but dammit, not there & not without seeing his efforts rewarded. I was more prepared to lose Glenn if need be (although I was certainly hoping he'd pull through)
-- Great sign: they had me talking to the screen throughout most of the cell block sequence. And not just talking, actually yelling at Maggie (who I thought was about to unleash hell on the entire prison rather than save the day). Engagement was as high as I've had with the show ever.
-- Straight up killing machine Carl. I actually liked the internal struggle Rick had about that last night (I've not been a big fan of the push/pull with Carl overall). I felt like he knew that Carl was truly in his element and that he needed that very thing in that situation. He knows it's fucked up, and knows that the new world has fucked up his kid ... but that fucked up is precisely what you have to be to survive in a number of circumstances.

The only negative was ol' One-Eye lurking in the bushes, but on the bright side (maybe) with just three episodes left in this half of the season, maybe his return is brief or at least gets wrapped (temporarily?) with the Feb return episode. I don't want a half-season+ of the guy, but I can probably tolerate 3-4 hours of dealing with him ... especially if his end leads directly to the next arc.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I thought last night's episode was fantastic. It was incredibly well paced and shot. It was tense, hellish and brutal. Hershel was fantastic. Beyond the action and intense scenes, they did a great job of having the various characters - mainly Herhsel and Rick - finally have to confront what they've been wrestling with all season.

I, too, wasn't thrilled to see the Governor at the end, but they need to resolve that storyline. I agree with Jon that I think they are bringing him back now to wrap up his arc by the time Season 4.5 wraps up. This is based somewhat on a statement from the new showrunner who said in an interview earlier that he wanted to put the whole Governor story on hiatus for a while because he, like everyone else, was a bit sick of it. So, he comes back, raises hell, they deal with him some how and that Season 4.5 will be dealing with the repercussions of all of that. Perhaps the end of the prison? Who knows.

Really great episode and, so far, great season. Hopefully, they'll be able to handle the Governor in a way that's not quite as tedious and annoying.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

I'm a little surprised to read the praise for this week's episode. I thought it was incredibly stupid that the doc told Herschel exactly what would happen yet he took zero precautions to prevent it. Um...it is a jail...can we get some locked doors, please?

I think I'm mostly just getting tired of the endless, humorless drama. The return of the Gov doesn't excite me about what's coming, either.

I hope the spinoff show is something a little closer to Zombieland.

Huh? Hershal was going around, checking on everyone, and closing the doors...

This is a drama it isn't an action comedy.

[DanGarion]

I honestly though that everything was going to come down last night. When I found out the governor was back (FUCK YOU THE WALKING DEAD FACEBOOK PAGE) and the tension building and building I actually thought they were going the route of the comic.

Spoiler

I thought the zombies were going to overtake the prison at the same time the governor and men stormed it (along with the sickness issue) and they would have been forced to flee the prison while losing people).

Nonetheless, it was a GREAT episode, and I'm perfectly fine with them bringing back the governor and finishing off that story arc.

[panerd]

So I admit that the only real discussion I have about the show is on this page and personally I can't stand the governor storyline either. But is it possible we are in the minority on this one? It seems like the group here analyzes story arcs and characters where the general audience might just be like "Oh fuck here comes the governor!". Maybe I am not giving them enough credit but AMC sure seemed to show in its ads that the governor's return is a huge deal.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by panerd

So I admit that the only real discussion I have about the show is on this page and personally I can't stand the governor storyline either. But is it possible we are in the minority on this one? It seems like the group here analyzes story arcs and characters where the general audience might just be like "Oh fuck here comes the governor!". Maybe I am not giving them enough credit but AMC sure seemed to show in its ads that the governor's return is a huge deal.

I think they are trying to make it a big deal - maybe because they have to or trying to make the "Governor" happen - but the general consensus (even the showrunner said: "You know what? I’m sick of The Governor.") is that people are a bit tired of him. It really dragged on too long last season. It needs to be resolved, but hopefully it will be relatively quickly.

This show has had a history of letting things go too long - the search for Sophie Ann, the stay at Hershel's farm, the Governor saga, and perhaps the flu epidemic, but they seemed to wrap that up last episode and might have nipped it in the bud just as it was getting long in the tooth and it was a pretty stellar conclusion.

[CleBrownsfan]

I'm only 40 min in this episode but all I have to say is please no more Gov.

I'm soooo bored...

[JonInMiddleGA]

I suspect tonight's episode will get mostly negative reviews -- hell, until I see where it's going I'm not sure that I won't be one of them if the storyline drags on too long -- but as a stand-alone I think the episode was pretty strong with the possible exception of the ending (although I didn't expect the final twist)

It's a story, one of millions in the proverbial naked city, but that's something that sometimes needs to be told IMO. I know it's contrary to the big picture but that's something that I don't have a problem with honestly.

[Swaggs]

I didn't so much mind the content, but I thought they could have edited it down into half an episode and spliced it in with something more interesting (maybe seeing what the core group was up to during the same period of time or splitting it with current stuff the governor is up to).

As it was, it wasn't awful, but with a limited number of episodes, I'd much rather see them use it on more currently relevant things.

I feel like the past two episodes have been used to try to get critical acclaim for acting (Scott Wilson last week, David Morrissey this week) and that last week's was much, much better.

[DanGarion]

I realize this episode saves them a bunch of money on talent. Thought it was a really good episode.

[hoopsguy]

I was fine with this episode as a one-shot, but looking at previews for next week it appeared to remain Governor-intensive. I would prefer that we not have a 2nd of exclusive Governor backstory, as that would seem to suggest that he'll be prominent in his interactions with the group at the prison. Already been through that last year, not looking to revisit it for longer than an episode of conflict.

That said, I've been happy with the season so far and thus have some faith in the show to get it right, compared to relative mess that was last season.

[PackerFanatic]

Guess they have to have at least one of those episodes a season, eh? It is nice to see what the heck the Gov has been up to, but like hoops said - I hope they don't stretch it any further. With the mid-season break only 2 episodes away, I am sure somethings starts to come to a head next week.

[DaddyTorgo]

It's also nice to see what other people have been up to. I thought the same (although with less depth) of the couple of people that Rick and Carol came across. It's those little vignettes of how other people are dealing with things that help to...flesh out the world.

[SteveMax58]

Yeah think I'm in the same camp as most that were interested to see what the Gov was up to but feel like it could have been shorter.

To the point of how others have coped with the world to date....found it real hard to understand how those 2 women (being the only able-bodied/capable members of their group) have been able to last that long without figuring out how to kill walkers. Not sure how long an oxygen tank lasts but you'd think they would have needed to make that run for more tanks much sooner than when the Gov showed up. I know they said the dad had grabbed a bunch but the world has been shit for well over a year in world-time...just seems to be a bit of a hole in my logic.

Otherwise not a bad episode. Also seems to be an interesting dynamic with the Gov & the little girl that I want to see how it plays out (or ends).

[Flasch186]

I loved the episode and while I went into it thinking, "Oh god, an entire governor ep." the struggle, the character development, the torment (minus the really weird scene of sexuality next to the kid in the same frickin' truck for cryin' out loud).

One of my favorite eps of the season thus far and now Im really wanting to learn more.

[Radii]

I liked the episode as a standalone thing, much more for seeing how a stray family is coping than anything. Though I don't quite understand how they're just hanging out in an apartment like that without the ability to move b/c of the old guy or even the knowledge of how to take down a walker... but I'm ok with just seeing an interesting story and not asking too many questions about it at this point.

This did not do anything to make me care about the governor or feel invested in where this is going at all, so we'll see if that improves if they keep this line of things up for any amount of time.