The Walking Dead- CONTAINS SPOILERS!

[Totenkindly]

Season 1 Episode 1: Lies, Lies, and More Lies (+ Horsing Around)

 

[great_bay]

I hate the comic book version of the walking dead. I think I got up to 125#

 

[Totenkindly]

[MENTION=325]EffEmDoubleyou[/MENTION]
(spoiler from tonight, so... read after you watch)

hahaha, you were on the right track. I mean, it's not really a true betrayal, but Michonne did put Rick down for a bit after he started going mad dog on Alexandria.

-----

Dumbest moment: Carl and whassername hiding in the tree. WTF? They were literally goners if anything had seen them, there was no escape route and they couldn't even maneuver. They say young love makes people do dumb things.... I guess that was the proof.

Rick was definitely not operating out of pure motives, and it was kind of painful to want to root for him while simultaneously seeing he wasn't thinking completely clearly -- him going back into Jessie's house was crossing the line of no return, I think -- but the moment of truth was when Jessie asked him if he'd do it for anyone else, and he admitted, "No".... and then she agreed to let him solve the Pete problem.

Sasha too... Wow. But some great acting from her in that scene after taking down the zombie crowd. And Michonne's flashbacks were pretty intense. She's fighting so hard to remain stable and civilized while retaining her edge.

Still not sure what's happening in the finale, other than Rick potentially getting exiled. And of course whatever is going on with the Wolves out there.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

[MENTION=7]Jennifer[/MENTION]

Yep, I was right on that one, but I wish I weren't!

This episode got me excited for the finale. So many questions. I have to believe we'll see what "W" means (possibly by Rick becoming one). I wonder if our group will choose up sides or if Michonne will be alone. Or if Rick will simply come to his senses. Deanna's behavior is the most confusing. I can't believe that she believes the dude that got Noah killed (can't remember his name), yet she's acting like she does.

I like this half-season, because I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen in the finale.

 

[Totenkindly]

[MENTION=7]Jennifer[/MENTION]

Yep, I was right on that one, but I wish I weren't!

This episode got me excited for the finale. So many questions. I have to believe we'll see what "W" means (possibly by Rick becoming one). I wonder if our group will choose up sides or if Michonne will be alone. Or if Rick will simply come to his senses. Deanna's behavior is the most confusing. I can't believe that she believes the dude that got Noah killed (can't remember his name), yet she's acting like she does.

I like this half-season, because I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen in the finale.

I don't either. I have no freaking clue. Which, yes, is pretty exciting.

My best guess with Deanna is that she's suffering typical diplomatic uncertainties. Her natural instinct is to make everyone happy and cobble out an agreement... but it looks less and less like that strategy will work, and she's trying to avoid any large commitments in action that are irrevocable in nature. Perpetual negotiator, she wants the best-case scenario that makes the most people happy, and .... so far all her half-measures have just allowed things to get worse.

(She was willing to let Pete beat his family as long as the damage wasn't permanent, because the community needed a doctor, for example. She rebels against taking severe irrevocable actions with huge consequences. Maybe she even was thinking the best of him, thinking he might rise to the occasion if she just gave him time... and why lose the surgeon if he might come around?)

of course, she just lost her son. Even if he was an idiot, he was still her child. And despite his ineptitude, he was alive until Rick and company showed up, and now he's dead. Emotions can override sensibility. I think it would have made more sense for the husband to go out and burn the letter from Carol, tbh; i could see that. While she just sits there in uncertainty. Oh well. She's still a wild card, but I think she will (on some level) push for Rick to be exiled since the group staying is-as seems untenable; or maybe she will just allow things to go that way because it's the consensus and she's going to help shape it.

 

[Totenkindly]

Interview (brief) with Danai Gurira (aka Michonne). They were pretty shameless in trying to get her to spoiler the finale, but she dodged all their inquiries along those lines and only really talked about the most recent episode.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/walking-deads-danai-gurira-why-michonne-put-rick-183118215.html

 

[Totenkindly]

*













*Much of what was said here.






PS. I hope you guys watched until after the credits. There was a short scene with Michonne + another snippet back at the loading docks. The Michonne scene parallels a scene from a few episodes back... but with a significantly different ending and I think one that spells a shift in atmosphere in alexandria.

 

[SensEye]

Yep, I also felt pretty much the same way as the reviewer. My eye's were seriously rolling when dumb ass preacher man left the gate open. I also couldn't believe they let him live at the end, nor that Glen let that other guy off the hook again. I guess it's all part of the plan to keep a few sods around that the viewers love to hate.

The wolves seemed a bit underwhelming too. It seems odd that guy would have an empty gun. Does that mean the whole wolves camp is unarmed (I assume said camp exists out there somewhere)? And why does it seem like anybody from Rick and the gang are under constant threat from walkers when they go wandering about the countryside, but these two wolf guys seem to be able to wander around with impunity and rig up sophisticated zombie traps with nothing more than a couple of machetes?

A bit disappointing as far as a season finale goes. Seemed like more of a set up for the next season than a wrap up of the current season. It was OK though.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, the boxcar trap is explained (however briefly) at the end, because otherwise it wouldn't make much sense. I just don't really get why they do it or what it's for, it seems rather a stupid waste of time for them.

After the finale, I went and looked at the equivalent comic book synopsis and it seems they actually played it pretty close to home. The genders are switched for the leader (it's Deanna and Reg in the show, Donald and Regina in the comic), but it looks like the show actually followed the book in that resolution. So I guess the finale wasn't much of a surprise to the book readers.

 

[Crabs]

tyreese loses his marbles. i blame the zombie apocalypse

 

[Totenkindly]

WTF is going on? Life imitates art??!

The Walking Dead star Seth Gilliam was arrested Sunday morning in Peachtree City, Ga., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

According to the police report, the actor, who plays a priest named Gabriel on the hit AMC series, was pulled over just after 2 a.m. when an officer clocked him going 107 mph in a 55 mph zone.

The officer claims he smelled booze and asked Gilliam if he had been drinking. Gilliam allegedly admitted to having had three beers and a shot, and registered a 0.107 blood-alcohol level. According to the report, the officer also detected the smell of marijuana and found a joint in the actor's car.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/walking-dead-star-seth-gilliam-arrested-dui-marijuana-234028118.html


hint: dude the zombies aren't real
(you've blown the transaxle, You're just grinding metal. ease up, Ripley. ease up.)

 

[Totenkindly]

Surprised no one has posted anything about Season 6.

I came here mostly to bitch. I'll say Season 6 had some really great moments and seemed like a series on the upswing. There was some good stuff there.

However, the "Glenngate" of the first half of the season and the last two episodes in the second half is again basically a series shooting itself in the head and selling to the lowest common denominator. "Glenn under a dumpster" was essentially the writers taunting the viewers rather than creating real drama; the resolution was rather silly, and either way it either highlighted the lack of balls of the show or would manage to kill off a major character with a rather anti-climactic event.

And then we get to the second half of season 6. Aside from the predictable opener (which went as expected, hence little real tension despite the horrific events), then we get some great episodes especially where the Rick 'n Ready Crew decide to initiate the conflict and invade a Savior base without knowing exactly what they were up against. That episode had great drama, it had some characters stepping up, it had uncertainty as to who might live or die, it had sacrifices and people wrestling over their own moral codes vs the cruel realities of the world. And despite the stupid way Maggie and Carol got into the situation, the next episode had a lot of the same + a far more real human face on the Saviors. TBH, aside from one group being part of Negan's, I didn't see a lot of difference between the Alexandrians and the Saviors here... and that was exactly what made it good. How is morality chosen? Who determines who the good and bad guys are?

And then you just see the writers pulling strings and having the characters do dumb-ass stuff.

Carol and Daryl, two of the most capable "wilderness soloists," run off in different directions for their own reason; and despite expecting an attack on Alexandria, for some reason almost the entire main cast runs off into the wilderness looking for them. WTF? Are you stupid? Why would anyone do this... except to make sure half the group gets captured, so that then the other half of the group is easily captured?

And then somehow the Saviors manage to somehow know Maggie needs a doctor, so they implement a number of huge plans to channel the RV in the direction they want -- zombie chains, multiple larger and larger groups, huge mounds of downed timber soaked in gas -- somehow they have this all figured out and logistically set up, even about where Rick's crew would disembark and that Rick's group is going to be out driving in the first place. Unless Enid poisoned Maggie's food to cause a miscarriage and has been a Savior all along, there's no way the scenario could take place, let alone all the roadblocks that had to be perfectly implemented and for Rick not to blast the first roadblock out of the way; and even then it's a huge stretch.

And here we have a subplot between two of our wayward characters:

Carol and Morgan, who basically got a free pass on the Negan target practice by conveniently being elsewhere. So that some guy Carol didn't kill before conveniently could conveniently find her after dropping a necklace that Morgan could use to conveniently find him and after conveniently shooting Carol in her arm and leg and then waiting long enough for Morgan to conveniently arrive on his horse clip-clopping on macadam without being heard and in the guy's long field of vision, and... well, you get the picture. Yes, we get it, this is Morgan showing he can kill when necessary to save a life, and Carol seeing Morgan being dedicated to his road. But the whole freaking thing felt very contrived.

The last fifteen minutes were well-done. I found Negan both terrifying and funny (the latter of which made it worse) and totally confident in his control, which was also terrifying. Seeing Rick terrified, knowing what Rick has done in his time out on the run, is terrifying.

And then the last thirty seconds, which is basically just a ploy for cheap drama versus actually providing the payoff for the season. There was no reason for a cliffhanger from a dramatic standpoint in this regard, after it's been all over the news about the events of the story for weeks and even months now. Let's do it and get 'er done. Maybe in a series where the cliffhanger is unexpected, this kind of approach has value (like at the end of Breaking Bad season 3, when Jesse's soul and a man's life is at stake and you're not sure what happened); but not here under the context. It's not even about having to wait six months for a resolution, personally, it's simply that it was a gimmick versus a dramatic closure; again, it's the writer's showing their hands to manipulate the audience, just as they did with Glenngate. In six months, I won't give a shit about who lived and who died; momentum is gone, and I'll be sick of hearing the fanbase ramble on ad nauseum about it. It would have felt more authentic and satisfying to just show "the someone" getting beaten to a pulp, then all of them tossed on their sorry asses out into the night without weapons, devastated and needing to figure out what they needed to do next... and Maggie still needing help, if she's still alive. Let THAT sit on the viewers' hearts and minds for six months, let them wrestle with the ache of who was lost and lost in the despondency of what the "heroes" will do next. That would have been substantial dramatic payback, instead of yet another marketing gimmick.

What is this with self-sabotage of the series? Every time it starts to become authentic, it shoots itself in the head.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I think the series peaked season 4-5. There've been a few decent episodes in season 6, like the Morgan flashback, but otherwise, it's becoming a one-note show.

I think the characters have become increasingly stupid, in that never really learn from their past mistakes. The wolf attack was one thing because it came unexpectedly, but to let half of your best fighters run off when a serious threat looms...

the writers have tossed realism out the window in favor of drama, but it only makes the drama less compelling when I find myself screaming at every character's idiocy.

Carol should've known they'd come after her. Daryl too. I can't see these same characters acting this way in the earlier seasons. Rick not barreling through the first roadblock seemed out of character, given how impulsive and aggressive his character has grown.

At least there's FTWD to fill the gap now.

 

[Totenkindly]

I think the series peaked season 4-5. There've been a few decent episodes in season 6, like the Morgan flashback, but otherwise, it's becoming a one-note show.

I think the characters have become increasingly stupid, in that never really learn from their past mistakes. The wolf attack was one thing because it came unexpectedly, but to let half of your best fighters run off when a serious threat looms...

yeah, they must of all had "WTF" for breakfast that day.

the writers have tossed realism out the window in favor of drama, but it only makes the drama less compelling when I find myself screaming at every character's idiocy.

Carol should've known they'd come after her. Daryl too. I can't see these same characters acting this way in the earlier seasons. Rick not barreling through the first roadblock seemed out of character, given how impulsive and aggressive his character has grown.

I was kind of surprised. If I wanted to give any credit, I'd just think maybe he smelled a trap. (And there SHOULD have been, since there were so few guys there visible in comparison.)

I just hate the hoops and contrivance.

Anyway, if the show tries to maintain any balls, it will be Daryl or Glenn. Michonne as a dark horse. If they don't have balls, they'll go for Abraham (since they did the Denise / Abe shuffle a few episodes back, how convenient) or worse, Sasha or Eugene.

....but who cares at this point.

At least there's FTWD to fill the gap now.

I honestly liked Season 1 of FTWD. Characters are kind of interesting. Most are rather dark too... not the nicest or easiest guys to deal with.

More growth arc left too.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

yeah, they must of all had "WTF" for breakfast that day.



I was kind of surprised. If I wanted to give any credit, I'd just think maybe he smelled a trap. (And there SHOULD have been, since there were so few guys there visible in comparison.)

I just hate the hoops and contrivance.

Anyway, if the show tries to maintain any balls, it will be Daryl or Glenn. Michonne as a dark horse. If they don't have balls, they'll go for Abraham (since they did the Denise / Abe shuffle a few episodes back, how convenient) or worse, Sasha or Eugene.

....but who cares at this point.



I honestly liked Season 1 of FTWD. Characters are kind of interesting. Most are rather dark too... not the nicest or easiest guys to deal with.

More growth arc left too.

It's predictable, but I think it will be Glenn. His emotional outbreak sealed his fate and Negan was just toying with them by playing eeny meeny.

It was terrifying to see the fear on Rick's face. Even when the Terminus people were about to execute him, he remained cocky and sure of himself, but here, he just looked broken and shattered. Good acting from Lincoln.

I find myself enjoying FTWD more than TWD now. Something about the early stages of a zombie outbreak is more terrifying because no one knows what to expect. Also, the walkers are less ripe, so it's harder to discern them as monsters...they still look almost human. It's Romero good. The audience knows the world is ending, but the main characters don't know this yet. TWD is about rebuilding, FTWD is about barely surviving. It's a far scarier show for those reasons.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

And regarding Rick smelling a trap, I can't imagine he'd continue to play into the saviours' plans once he smelt the trap, even with Maggie in danger. Why would he put his whole group at risk with every roadblock growing increasingly more ominous?

I'm pretty sure Enid is one of them. There were hints she might be working with the wolves, but it makes more sense she'd be a spy for the saviours. Perhaps she and her parents were originally trying to defect from Negan's group? I don't know, but unless they have inside surveillance, there is no logical way they knew Rick was heading for Hilltop.

Love that they hinted at the Kingdom making an appearance next season.

 

[Totenkindly]

It's predictable, but I think it will be Glenn. His emotional outbreak sealed his fate and Negan was just toying with them by playing eeny meeny.

Yeah, I am suspecting the earlier tinkering with Glenngate was just to throw off the base. Although announcing Norman Reedus was going to show on The Talking Dead after the finale was kind of a red herring too; obviously that one was a fake-out.

It was terrifying to see the fear on Rick's face. Even when the Terminus people were about to execute him, he remained cocky and sure of himself, but here, he just looked broken and shattered. Good acting from Lincoln.

It was one of the best parts of the episode. They all looked sufficiently freaked.

I find myself enjoying FTWD more than TWD now. Something about the early stages of a zombie outbreak is more terrifying because no one knows what to expect. Also, the walkers are less ripe, so it's harder to discern them as monsters...they still look almost human. It's Romero good. The audience knows the world is ending, but the main characters don't know this yet. TWD is about rebuilding, FTWD is about barely surviving. It's a far scarier show for those reasons.

yeah. Just the only concern is when they catch up and realize the world has ended, all over; then it becomes TWD. I just think they like having a fresh slate that has nothing to do with book continuity. No spoilers, no conflicts or dictates with the books, etc.

The plane webseries was okay. We already knew what to expect, being TWD fans; felt bad for the "schmucks on a plane" though. I assume the boy will be join FTWD since he got a last name in the wiki. The other option would be Charlie, she's kind of a psycho survivor.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

yeah. Just the only concern is when they catch up and realize the world has ended, all over; then it becomes TWD. I just think they like having a fresh slate that has nothing to do with book continuity. No spoilers, no conflicts or dictates with the books, etc.

Yeah. That's my concern as well. I like that they've introduced unique challenges such as having to deal with a heroin addict's withdrawal, but I don't know how far they can take it before it becomes another "we can rebuild" storyline.

Maybe if they change the pacing and keep the storyline occurring within the first few months, rather than drawing it out over several years? Dawn of the Dead did that successfully, although that was a movie. Doing the same in a series could prove more challenging.

Cool to see it set in an urban zone, considering most of TWD has remained Rural and Suburban. I wonder how far they will travel in this one. L.A. could get boring (and increasingly dangerous)

 

[Totenkindly]

Yeah. That's my concern as well. I like that they've introduced unique challenges such as having to deal with a heroin addict's withdrawal, but I don't know how far they can take it before it becomes another "we can rebuild" storyline.

I gotta say, that was damn cold when he was lying under the bed stealing the morphine drip. WTF? I mean, I loved it from a story perspective -- finally we're dealing with less-than-admirable characters -- but... wow.

Maybe if they change the pacing and keep the storyline occurring within the first few months, rather than drawing it out over several years? Dawn of the Dead did that successfully, although that was a movie. Doing the same in a series could prove more challenging.

It looks like Season 1 happened in the space of a week or two max? So yeah, maybe. They're also in a different geographical region + dealing with some different environments (like the aquatic one), so... maybe that will shake things up a bit.

see it set in an urban zone, considering most of TWD has remained Rural and Suburban. I wonder how far they will travel in this one. L.A. could get boring (and increasingly dangerous)

It looked like once they get on that boat, they can go up the coast. But I don't really know their plans for it.

What about islands? What if they go to Hawaii? Is the virus there? (I guess it will be, since they are all probably carriers now. Sigh.)

And regarding Rick smelling a trap, I can't imagine he'd continue to play into the saviours' plans once he smelt the trap, even with Maggie in danger. Why would he put his whole group at risk with every roadblock growing increasingly more ominous?

I'm pretty sure Enid is one of them. There were hints she might be working with the wolves,

Yeah, some pretty strong hints, and I was surprised when they never did a reveal there.

...makes more sense she'd be a spy for the saviours. Perhaps she and her parents were originally trying to defect from Negan's group? I don't know, but unless they have inside surveillance, there is no logical way they knew Rick was heading for Hilltop.

Yeah, that was one of my huge issues. It was just so far-fetched... just to set up the "Negan" appearance. They have to do better than that.

Love that they hinted at the Kingdom making an appearance next season.

Is that who the guys in armor and spears are? So I assume they're more 'neutral/good' and are willing to stand again the Saviors. I haven't read the books, aside from stuff I've picked up online.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I gotta say, that was damn cold when he was lying under the bed stealing the morphine drip. WTF? I mean, I loved it from a story perspective -- finally we're dealing with less-than-admirable characters -- but... wow.



It looks like Season 1 happened in the space of a week or two max? So yeah, maybe. They're also in a different geographical region + dealing with some different environments (like the aquatic one), so... maybe that will shake things up a bit.



It looked like once they get on that boat, they can go up the coast. But I don't really know their plans for it.

What about islands? What if they go to Hawaii? Is the virus there? (I guess it will be, since they are all probably carriers now. Sigh.)



Yeah, some pretty strong hints, and I was surprised when they never did a reveal there.



Yeah, that was one of my huge issues. It was just so far-fetched... just to set up the "Negan" appearance. They have to do better than that.



Is that who the guys in armor and spears are? So I assume they're more 'neutral/good' and are willing to stand again the Saviors. I haven't read the books, aside from stuff I've picked up online.

I think they're a weaker group who've been under Negan's foot until now. It's looking like they're going with the alliance thing they did in the graphic novels, hilltop/Alexandria/kingdom vs saviours in season 7. They veered away from the comics a lot in the early seasons, but it seems like the writers have really steered it back toward the comic storyline lately.

I haven't read them either (only up to where Shane dies, which happens earlier in the comic), but I've picked up tidbits from wikis and elsewhere.