The Walking Dead

[polkablues]

Actually, for a while I thought it was great. The silent stuff worked so well and I think bodes well for future episodes. But yeah, there were 2 or 3 very problematic moments.

From the AV Club review:

Here is an example of bad writing: Maggie, referring to a zombie: "She could've shot herself." Carol: "Some people can't give up." That's not a bad exchange. Little obvious, but not bad. Then Carol adds, "Like us." As though it were possible for anyone watching the show to not make that connection. The series' themes are so repetitive and one note that's hilariously insulting that the writers believe we still need training wheels to keep up.

Also I guess I accidentally predicted the "push the zombies down the hill" scene:

They seem to have the gift of forward momentum, but that can easily be used against them, right? Just sidestep a bit, trip them, whatever. They shouldn't have the agility to keep up with very simple moves like that.

Yeah, I should specify I meant the dialogue specifically. So incredibly overwrought this week.

[03]

Did anyone else notice the emphasis they put on Glenn and the bat? They're staying pretty close to the source material this season

didnt see this earlier. super spoilery dude.
can we make it a strict rule to keep the book out of this thread? that needs to be moderated, mods.

[Jeremy Blackman]

That was a fairly excellent episode. Gave me some nostalgia for the Henry Gale story from Lost.

I have to say, this new place sounds somewhat promising. It surely can't be another Woodbury.

There are still so many potential conflicts, though. Maybe only some of them pass the "audition" process, for example.

But what's more likely is that they're facing some kind of looming outside threat that they need a lot of help defending against. This would be a decent explanation for why they were so desperate to recruit Rick & friends, who are clearly resilient and battle tested and probably have the right balance of ferocity and morality.

[Jeremy Blackman]

This was probably one of my favorite episodes ever. So much effortless atmosphere. I don't remember feeling so with the characters like this for a long time, if ever.

Except Daryl. He can grow up now.

How is this show, which can be so dumb, able to execute this level of nuance? So many strong scenes, one after another. Carol's act was great. And I especially liked the argument scene with Glen for some reason.

Also, lots of genuinely funny moments:
- Self-described douchebag guy calling the guns "sweet ass biscuits"
- The "I have good news" guy attempting to make another joke that immediately falls flat with Rick
- Carol/Daryl scene ("You look ridiculous")

I think I was right about an imminent outside threat. There's something for sure. This was sparked by an AV Club comment I read, but what if the fence-climbing girl is going to meet her group outside the wall? Maybe they've been watching the whole thing, both groups... and they watched Rick hide his gun, which explains its unlikely disappearance.

[03]

This was probably one of my favorite episodes ever. So much effortless atmosphere. I don't remember feeling so with the characters like this for a long time, if ever.

Except Daryl. He can grow up now.

How is this show, which can be so dumb, able to execute this level of nuance? So many strong scenes, one after another. Carol's act was great. And I especially liked the argument scene with Glen for some reason.

Also, lots of genuinely funny moments:
- Self-described douchebag guy calling the guns "sweet ass biscuits"

- The "I have good news" guy attempting to make another joke that immediately falls flat with Rick
- Carol/Daryl scene ("You look ridiculous")

I think I was right about an imminent outside threat. There's something for sure. This was sparked by an AV Club comment I read, but what if the fence-climbing girl is going to meet her group outside the wall? Maybe they've been watching the whole thing, both groups... and they watched Rick hide his gun, which explains its unlikely disappearance.

so whats up with the 'no book' thing i proposed earlier, bc if not, then this post is open season.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I agree with no comic spoilers. (Although I'm not convinced that other post was a major one necessarily. Or maybe I'd rather remain ignorant.)

[03]

So can we all agree that carol is officially the best character of this show?

[Jeremy Blackman]

Absolutely. And maybe the best actor. Glen and Maggie (separately) have had some awe-inspiring acting moments too, but it's been a while. Carol has had consistently strong material this season... with Tyrese, with Darryl, and now basically everything she's done at Alexandria.

This was another great episode. All the weirdness with Rick and Sasha was just wonderful (especially Rick getting all dreamy at the end). The Walking Dead is the type of show that is so easily elevated when it gets weirdness working in its favor.

[03]

i think carol talking to the child was the best part aside from the music at the ending.

[03]

my god, was that the most violent episode we've seen so far?

[Jeremy Blackman]

So that's basically four great episodes in a row. Has this ever happened on The Walking Dead?

SPOILERS

I can say without hesitation that Noah's was the most affecting death I've seen on the show. It sort of had everything... GoT-level gore, Noah being terrified, Glenn being horrified and devastated (there's the acting I was talking about), and the fact that it was 100% unexpected. Hit me hard.

At the same time, I'm sad that Noah is gone, because I really liked his character. And I'm utterly confused as to why they didn't introduce a new black character before offing him. They're breaking protocol.

The key players need to get together and decide where things are going. Rick and Carol need to meet up with Glenn and Maggie. (Where's Michonne by the way?) They need to establish a Plan B and a Plan C right now. I think it's interesting that both Glenn and Maggie have just been motivated to be in favor of drastic measures.

Our group has plenty of warning. If they don't end up on top, that would strain credulity.

Deanna has to end up dead or subjugated, right?

Noah's death (a further thinning of the main cast) makes it likely that at least some of the Alexandrians will be sticking around for a while.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Well, that ends the streak. Apparently they let the PAs write this episode. Still had some excellent scenes, but it was underwritten and stretched.

Why didn't Deanna conduct a full inquiry about the supply run? If she did, why on earth wasn't that shown? And why didn't we see Tara? Why omit those things in an episode that feels padded?

Rick being evenly matched with drunk doctor guy (who never goes outside the walls) was definitely strange.

Theme of the week: Knowing or realizing that you need to go out and encounter some walkers to avoid getting soft. They didn't necessarily need to repeat it so many times with so many characters, but it did sink in, so who am I to judge.

Oh, and to answer Deanna's question, yes absolutely yes you should have a jail and lock up the wife beater. What is "civilization" without a justice system? How does it make any sense that she's content with a "don't ask don't tell" domestic abuse policy? And why is she surprised that this conflict literally spilled out into the streets? That's exactly what happens when there's no justice system to turn to. Rick even gave her some warning.

The wife beater is a doctor and surgeon (which we still haven't seen at all), so shouldn't they have had him teaching people everything he knows from the very beginning? Less dogwalking and cocktail partying, more learning about how to actually survive.

[diggler]

I like how patient they're being with the new outside threat. That shot of the fire burning in the distance had a nice eerie vibe. Everything else though, yikes.

I get the moral quandary of letting your only doctor get away with domestic violence, there's some interesting drama to be mined there. Unfortunately, they're going about it in the most brainless way possible. Sure, he's the only doctor and provides a valuable service, but couldn't one argue that he benefits just as much from everyone else? He's got a safe community, food on his table and a fucking HOUSE. It'd be pretty easy for the community to hang that over his head in order to keep him in line. It'd also help if they stopped giving him unlimited beers.

[03]

Fear the walking dead trailer premieres after tomorrow nights episode.

[03]

finale spoilers
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this episode was amazing. i was very impressed.
i've been impatient with this story arc bc i know where it's going and i wanted it to get there before the next season. but i wasn't disappointed at all.

best shit:

. carol. everything about her, and the actress. she's just perfect.
she's multifaceted and brilliant and can also balance terrifying and warm and loving.
every scene she was in, she killed it. the way she talks to rick when she first walks in, the way she talks to the doctor guy. absolute brilliance.

. the opening with morgan. i felt this was tarantinoesque, i dont know if i'm alone in that, but the conversation and the action was super satisfying. perfect scene.

. the violence. i know i've said other episodes were the bloodiest before, but DAMN this episode was disgusting!  i don't think we've ever seen anything like the dying guy that gabriel approaches. that was gruesome.