The Walking Dead: The Television Series

[Professor S]

I think a lot of the "filler" is intentional. In the book, there are LONG stretches of dialogue, group norming, and just life in general in this new world. These are intentional to make the instances of extreme violence even more effective.

On a side note, who thinks the Governor is coming soon?

[Swan]

Originally Posted by Professor S

I think a lot of the "filler" is intentional. In the book, there are LONG stretches of dialogue, group norming, and just life in general in this new world. These are intentional to make the instances of extreme violence even more effective.

On a side note, who thinks the Governor is coming soon?

Governor has been cast for third season already.

[Angrist]

Originally Posted by Swan

Governor has been cast for third season already.

I have no idea who that Governor guy is, but 2 episodes ago Shane saw a guy walking through a field. That guy looked like a Governor (or a Baron) to me.
But it was probably just a random walker.


Anyway, about 'setting the mood' etc... This whole season they've been on the farm, and what really happened? They lost a girl and found her zombified. Carl got shot and recovered. They went to town a few times and got attacked. They met part of another group. They were about to hang a guy.
And that's about it. 11 episodes built on just that. I think it's time to move on, leave the farm and make something happen. Winter is coming.

[The Germanator]

Haha, Michael Bay? Are you serious? I've never even seen a Michael Bay movie since The Rock when I was 10 years old. I wouldn't know what you're inferring there.

I don't think it's about if they travel, it's just the fact that the farm is boring. In my opinion it's a crappy spot that the writers have dug themselves into. I want them to move somewhere so SOMETHING HAPPENS and that the show can actually get better!

You talk about "realism", but I don't watch a show to watch some terrible philosophers hemming and hawing about "what life is like now" or that "the world is not the same anymore." We know! You've told us about 50 different times in the last few episodes.

I understand what you're saying about "realism", but this isn't reality TV. This is a fictional show and it's supposed to entertain me. Is Breaking Bad always realistic? No, but is it usually entertaining? Almost always. You can't say the same for The Walking Dead. If you're enthralled by Dale's speeches or Lori's idiocy, or T-Dog's, umm...nothing, then good for you, but I'd personally rather be entertained, and Hershel's farm isn't conducive to that.

And no, it doesn't have to be fast-paced or whatever. The Wire is one of the best TV shows of all time and it's conflict is all within one basic setting and it's relatively slow-paced. If the things Rick and Shane were ever more than one-note "my way or your way" conversations, then maybe it would be better.

I understand it can't be zombies all the time and it shouldn't be, but the parts that aren't zombies shouldn't be completely uninteresting, and for the most part, they are. I guess I've just accepted the kind of crappy acting at this point, but it probably would help the show if that weren't part of it.

I have not read the comics, so none of this is coming from unrealistic expectations. I just honestly feel that it's not that great of a show about 50% of the time. It can be great at times, but that's still not a great average.

Anyway, just as you can't seem to accept why we complain about it, I'm just as shocked that you want to defend it so much.

[Angrist]

Hey, I've never read the comics either, so don't act like the comics are to blame.

In a way it's like Terra Nova (is it cancelled yet btw?). Instead of focussing on the potential (dinosaurs! survival!), they try to make it a family drama. And clearly it doesn't work. The acting is terrible, the stories are boring... it's worse than just not getting what you expect.

The Walking Dead isn't just about zombie action, we know that. I wouldn't like the show if there would be 2x as much action. It's just that the show is trying stuff that doesn't work. All the women constantly arguing about the laundry... or people trying to kill themselves...

The second-last episode proved that they CAN get drama right. The parts with Shane and Rick were awesome. Very well acted, just intense enough without getting annoying. And combined with some logical action. And guess what: it wasn't on the farm, it was in a new area.
I wish they would learn from themselves and write more scenes like that.

[BreakABone]

Damn fine episode.

[Vampyr]

Yep, best episode so far, I think.

Unfortunately the average acting ability of the show dropped several standard deviations.

[Professor S]

Vamp, I thought the same thing last night. I'm not a fan of Lincoln's portrayal as Rick. He's kind of like a pensive mannequin. Very one note so far, but Shane being his foil has really helped make him more interesting. Looking at the previews for the following week, though, hopefully the character breaks out a bit.

I'm getting the feeling the show is going to kill off a few more people next week. I see most of Hershel's family, including Hershel, biting it with Maggie being he sole survivor (saved by Glen). What's interesting is that this will leave the group relatively weak against the Governor next season unless they pick up some new characters. I'd rather they develop whoever remains, though.

One day I'd love to hear an explanation of why certain aspects of the show were changed. Example: In the book Carl kills Shane to save his father, and that is a pretty big moment in his life that you could say defines his character and sets a huge expectation for the new world everyone lives in. Having Rickkill Shane must have been a conscious decision, and I'm curious as to why they make their choices. I'm not complaining, I'd just like to know.

Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet: How does zombie Randall, with a broken neck, walk or chase characters? If the disease affects the brain, and the spinal chord is severed, wouldn't the zombie be just as paralyzed as the human who died? That's my trivial complaint for the week.

[Dylflon]

Lori should just stop talking. Always causing fights. She convinces Rick that Shane is crazy (rightfully so I guess) and the result is them trying to kill each other.

Lori gives Shane a big talk this episode which reveals her ambiguous feelings about him. The result is that Shane thinks that maybe he could have Lori if Rick was gone. Then we know what happens after.

She's definitely a shit disturber.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Dylflon

Lori should just stop talking. Always causing fights. She convinces Rick that Shane is crazy (rightfully so I guess) and the result is them trying to kill each other.

Lori gives Shane a big talk this episode which reveals her ambiguous feelings about him. The result is that Shane thinks that maybe he could have Lori if Rick was gone. Then we know what happens after.

She's definitely a shit disturber.

Hahah

I thought I was the only one who felt that.
Like she was playing both sides, but realized both can't live in harmony.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Dylflon

Lori should just stop talking. Always causing fights. She convinces Rick that Shane is crazy (rightfully so I guess) and the result is them trying to kill each other.

Lori gives Shane a big talk this episode which reveals her ambiguous feelings about him. The result is that Shane thinks that maybe he could have Lori if Rick was gone. Then we know what happens after.

She's definitely a shit disturber.

Women.
Wait.
Pregnant women.
Am I right.
Up top.
Right here.
Maybe she's crazy, doesn't know who's baby it is - and wants the protector of her and the child to be the strongest of the two, thusly pitting them against eachother in some type of Darwinian battle. She loves them both and she can't decide, being a pregnant hormonal women (lol), so she figures in her crazy-ladymind that it will sort itself out, and the strongest of the two will 'win' her. Sort of like Gorillas!



I thought it was a pretty solid episode. I didn't expect Shane to die. I actually thought Rick was going to take a bullet. I was expecting them to take the most unexpected route. I don't mind Rick as an actor most of the time (not that I minded Shane), but I'm not complaining.
I also was thinking of Rick's voice being sort of shitty, line delivery and all aswell - but thinking on it now, I'm just chalking it up to the fact he thought he was going to get shot by his insane best friend who was going to steal his son and fuck his wife. So now, I'll go with "good acting", and not "actor with a chest cold". But I mean, clearly sometimes you can tell he's trying to ham it up when he's giving his monologues - like in season 1 when he'd radio to [black guy and son], or last episode when he was talking to Carl about 'growing up'. It's like they're directing him to try read them like they are a line in a comic book, and gave him Christian Bale Batman tapes to study for accents.

Example: In the book Carl kills Shane to save his father, and that is a pretty big moment in his life that you could say defines his character and sets a huge expectation for the new world everyone lives in. Having Rickkill Shane must have been a conscious decision, and I'm curious as to why they make their choices. I'm not complaining, I'd just like to know.

Well, Carl does shoot zombie-Shane who is about to eat his dad's brains from behind. So he does still save his dad's life, just not in the same way.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Vamp, I thought the same thing last night. I'm not a fan of Lincoln's portrayal as Rick. He's kind of like a pensive mannequin. Very one note so far, but Shane being his foil has really helped make him more interesting. Looking at the previews for the following week, though, hopefully the character breaks out a bit.

I'm getting the feeling the show is going to kill off a few more people next week. I see most of Hershel's family, including Hershel, biting it with Maggie being he sole survivor (saved by Glen). What's interesting is that this will leave the group relatively weak against the Governor next season unless they pick up some new characters. I'd rather they develop whoever remains, though.

One day I'd love to hear an explanation of why certain aspects of the show were changed. Example: In the book Carl kills Shane to save his father, and that is a pretty big moment in his life that you could say defines his character and sets a huge expectation for the new world everyone lives in. Having Rickkill Shane must have been a conscious decision, and I'm curious as to why they make their choices. I'm not complaining, I'd just like to know.

Network censorship maybe?

I can't stand the kid. I think they really dropped the casting ball with that one. What we need are either more kids...or less kids.

For me, this week's episode was like a step back. I don't know. This entire Season has lacked any serious zombie threat...and this episode they suddenly start boarding up the house. I mean, shouldn't that have been episode 2? Maybe instead of fixing the well they could have boarded up the house. I get it: Hershel wasn't planning on letting them live there. But in the case of an emergency zombie outbreak, wouldn't having a fortified house make sense?

Okay, so I'm back to nitpicking about bad writing. I'll stop. Lori is truly annoying...I can't stand Andrea....Rick is annoying...the kid can't act...

There were like random extras on set today. That's happened a few times. Of course the black guy is helping move all the shit, and "no you aren't sleeping on the couch." "Okay, masta sir!"

Honestly? I'm rooting for Glenn, Maggie, and Daryl. Seeing Daryl and Glenn work together was the highlight of the episode for me. So far, this show has failed miserably at the drama. I also feel like the farm stuff has been fairly meh. The past few episodes have been very interesting....because we are getting new scenery, new characters, and not focusing on this group's tired ass drama.

This was like a solid B episode for me. I feel like Rick and Carl are still both way underdeveloped. Carl didn't kill Shane. If you think about it...Rick didn't really kill Shane. I mean he waited til the last second, and begrudgingly busted out a knife. Is this the same badass who is going to keep shit together down the road?

I predict they abandon the farm next episode and find the prison. If Meryl is the Governor I will be sad.

[Angrist]

Good episode. Finally some action.

[Professor S]

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Professor S

This is hilarious. I thought this scene was kind of terrible in actual context, but this is awesome.