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The Official "The Walking Dead" TV Show Discussion Thread (Beware Spoilers)


BLUMENKOHL

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Just watched the finale. It wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. The thing is, nothing much happens. It's mostly just setup for the next season, so it certainly is lacking compared to the other season finales.

Having said that, season 4 has, by and large, been the show's strongest season.

Who is making it out to be bad? The finale was both a critical and a ratings success.

I find it laughable the freeze found the claimer attack on Rick as BORING. Yes envelope pushing sequences are BORING.

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Who is making it out to be bad? The finale was both a critical and a ratings success.

I find it laughable the freeze found the claimer attack on Rick as BORING. Yes envelope pushing sequences are BORING.

Well, ok the claimer attack wasn't boring but felt more like a standard episode type of thing than a season finale action scene. And with all the forced flashbacks two thirds of the episode had a boring feel to it. It was a horrible decision to only spend the last 10 minutes at Terminus.. we should have gotten a whole action packed episode just at Terminus itself.

So far the ending seemed really lame. A good show has to deliver the goods at the end of a season and not fizzle out. Even season 2 had a much better finale with the action packed attack on the farm. There the next season tease (prison reveal) worked because of the exciting episode beforehand.

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I respect that you had a different reaction to the finale, but I'm not sure about your approach. The flashbacks were essential in terms of showing the two different sides of Rick Grimes. It juxtaposed the type of person Rick can be in a perfect world to the type of person a leader and protector needs to be in a chaotic one. It shows the inexorable trajectory he was on since the end of season 3 to, in a way, end up back where he started, if only more confident and accepting. Someone like Hershel would never have been able to rip the throat out of an attacker with his teeth.

This transition is important to establish by the end of the episode so that last line has more weight, and we know what Rick is willing to do.

The only other thing the episode had to accomplish was to establish that Terminus was a trap (metaphorically set up with Rick's explanation of the rabbit trap), and I believe that was done. A big action set piece would have seemed unnecessary, or at least out of place, with everything that came before.

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The flashbacks were also necessary to carry the story forward to Terminus because certain elements had not been written or shown yet, because they hadn't been invented yet. An example was Hershel giving Glenn his watch. Rick didn't know that before the final episode's flashback, but he needed to at Terminus to know his people were in trouble.

The sad result of inventing and putting so much flashback into a climactic episode, making it up as they go, is that it makes it seem like the writers think the audience is stupid, that we'll forget throwaway lines from a season or two ago, so we need reminded right before we need them in the present.

It's much like Anduril in The Lord of the Rings movies. Aragorn is supposed to get Narsil reforged before leaving Rivendell, but it's not really important again in the books until he commands the army of the dead. So the movie assumes the audience is stupid and forgetful by giving him a normal sword up front, but only presenting Anduril right before he needs it, when Elrond reads the script and gives him the needed plot point. Bah.

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The flashback scenes are necessary to remind that not all humanity is lost and that good people do exist and are worth fighting for. Not to mention they were heartwarming and allowed us to see dead and recently lost characters that folks were quite fond of.

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That was a nice effect for sure, but it was frustrating as the episode wore on to realize that Terminus would be shortchanged in favor of more Hershel and Beth back story. Yes, it was important to show who inspired Rick to become a pacifistic farmer, but also that is not his destiny. Good people don't chew out other people's jugulars, but threaten his only known surviving child and... Well, people don't like Rick Grimes when he's angry.

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Exactly agree with you Wojo.

This is only Season 4. It hasn't been that long and the audience should be able to remember the kind of man Rick was prior. I can understand a single flashback at some point to give a little hint and nudge, but to make it a dominant part of the episode was just more of the bait and switch that this show does. They could have had the crew spend a little time with the people at Terminus before it became apparent what was going on, but like everything in this show they rush through the interesting moments and spend episodes and episodes on stuff that can be told in a fraction of the time.

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Maybe they didn't want to spend any time at Terminus because they didn't have an established POV character inside already. Last season started with a lot of Woodbury episodes because Andrea was there. Yes, we saw a lot of Governor and Milton by themselves afterwards, but Andrea was their introduction. And this season had a few Governor only episodes because he had become a POV chart. We never saw the Marauders unless Daryl or Rick observed them.

That's sloppy because surely someone could have been revealed to be a Terminus sleeper agent like Bob or Carol, or just have someone get there first. Missed opportunities.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Season 3, eppy 3: Good episode. We ain't following the main group this time but the blonde woman (who got separated) and the black arrow shooter woman (who overacts like you wouldn't believe) as they are led to a town run by the 'governor', and who is presumably crazy as hell.

Alex

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Season 3, eppy 4 (Killer Within): Another good one. I was quite impressed with the sheriff's reaction (to the worst possible news). It felt like real pain. Not the kind of fake pain that you see in the theater these days.

ustv_walking_dead_s03_e04_7_zps3dd9559a.

Alex

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Really? That was some of his worst acting yet. Andrew Lincoln (the sheriff guy) is pretty limited to begin with, but I remember thinking that reaction of his was clearly overblown, and was hard to believe as genuine.

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He is limited! That's why I dreaded the moment when they were going to break the news to him. I was prepared for the worst. But the opposite happened, yes, I was very impressed with his reaction and how the scene was directed. It's very difficult to pull off that kind of pain (when you no longer can speak or stand on your feet). He literally broke down and collapsed. There was nothing 'cool' about it. I'm sure Andrew Lincoln surprised a lot of people with this scene.

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That little scene from season 1 when he reunites with his son was well acted. I like how he had him in his arms and fell to the ground for a second. Didn't looked like that bit of business was blocked out quite like that because the camera didn't follow his movement initially.

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Eppy 5 & 6 of S3 in a row (!). Both are average episodes though. I give the series one thing, they really know how to end each episode. You immediately want to see the next one.

Alex

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I agree.

That being said, watched eppies 7 & 8 (yep, two in a row again) but I'm afraid the season is starting to deteriorate. It's oddly edited too, as if they need to cut off scenes because of commercials.

Alex

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Yep. It veers off pretty awfully after the strong first half. I enjoyed season 3, but still felt a little disappointed with it by the end. If that makes sense. Sum of its parts etc.

Btw Alex if you appreciate the slow descent into darkness and grim misery offered by those earlier moments then I suggest you stick around. It gets pretty rough in season 4.

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Just watched the finale. It wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. The thing is, nothing much happens. It's mostly just setup for the next season, so it certainly is lacking compared to the other season finales.

Having said that, season 4 has, by and large, been the show's strongest season.

Everything in The Walking Dead is just set up for future seasons. They build and build and build to these big events, then plow through them so fast only to take another ten episodes to set up the next "big event." If not for my brother I probably would have quit the show awhile ago, but now I'm stuck to finish through I'm afraid. I felt a similar feeling with Dexter years ago, and I'm sure the ends will be equally disappointing.

I did (during the season 4's beginning).

Unfortunately, I think Walking Dead lacks of a good plot. And comics too (I stoped them at the 18th as well) ! We turn turn turn turn turn turn... turn around something unimportant.

At the end, I was just waiting for another "big event" (as Wycket said), but except to move into another place or kill someone in the group, there's nothing 'major' in the plot.

But... Zombies are rather cool.

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Episode 13 (Arrow On The Doorpost) of S3 was a bit lame. It had the sheriff and the governor sitting at the table for a whole episode and outside the members of both camps got mushy on each other.

Alex

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You're at the shitty part of the season now. You've got the terrible I Know What You Did Last Summer slasher scene coming up shortly, the lowest point of the season.

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You're at the shitty part of the season now. You've got the terrible I Know What You Did Last Summer slasher scene coming up shortly, the lowest point of the season.

Episode 14 S3 (Prey): The whole episode was terrible and the lowest point of the season. Blondie (stupid Andrea) had about a million places to hide, but no, the governor always knew exactly where to find her. He even survived a small 'herd' on his own so he could sneak upon her the moment she arrived at the prison camp. While watching this episode, I constantly said "what?!" Garbage episode! However, there was one little good moment: Barbecued zombies in the pit!

Alex

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S3 Episode 15 (This Sorrowful Life) : The governor kicking Merle's ass like that? Hmm, I thought that wasn't very convincing.

Poor Merle!


Alex

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Finished S3! Please, don't tell me S4 is actually The Governor Part II ...

Did everyone get that they explained that the Governor has the mindset of a kid?

Walking_dead_tv_carl_zpsed5adfd7.jpg

Governor Jr.

.

Alex

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The Governor has a brilliant episode early on in season 4. For a while he becomes less of the pantomime villain and more like the pulpy nemesis he was supposed to be.

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So now that 4 seasons have completed airing, which seasons are considered the best and worst by you guys, and how many more years do you guys think the show should go on for?

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In order:

1

3

4

2

The show is really open eneded. There's really no determined overall plot other than survival, which can go on forever. We also have to remember that there is another Walking Dead companion series on the horizon that will run concurrently. So now it's just a matter of figuring out how much we can tolerate, and how much would be considered enough to tell this groups story. I fear that if the audience keeps coming back, and the actors remain invested in the material (or whichever ones don't get eaten ;) ), they'll go well past the expiration date.

I say they go 10 years.

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I hope there's no more than 2 more seasons. That'll be comfortable.

My favourite seasons in descending order are:

3 and 4 tied. Both have their ups and downs, but when it's good it's brilliant.

2. Really enjoyed it overall where apparently most people were left disappointed. I wasn't.

1. Great pilot but awful middle section which was rescued last minute by a decent finale.

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Funny, I had the opposite reaction to season 1.

Loved the pilot and then each next episode of Season 1. But then the Season 1 finale was so bad, it really turned me off to the show. I still haven't seen a further episode since.

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I certainly would have, the problem is that Marcy has no interest in watching it (hates Zombies), so I'd have to somehow find 45 hours of free time to catch up, which seems like a pretty daunting task. Most of the shows I watch these days are shows we watch together, or some of the long running comedies I was watching before we met (HIMYM, Parks and Rec, Family Guy, Simpsons, etc)

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I'm glad they broke the mold in season 4. Aside from an oddly weak 1st half, the back end was rather great, and a nice change of pace. Season 3 was probably the most consistent from a rather inconsistent show, and the best full season, but there's something rather brilliant about those six season 1 episodes that I think are still the best.

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I quite enjoyed the first 5 of them very much.

Shame Darabont and AMC couldn't come to terms after they were made.

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I had to really persuade my other half to watch it, too. "It's not just zombies; it's about the people!"

Now she loves it as much as Game of Thrones and even has a "Team Daryl" t-shirt!

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My better half occasionally points out that she hasn't seen an episode of TWD yet, which I've taken to indicate she may like to. There's just so much other good TV to watch, stuff that neither of us has seen or which that we're in the middle of. I sometimes wonder if our time binge watching The X-Files through the present -- we just finished the episode where the golem sought revenge on a shopkeeper's murderers -- would have been better served watching 24, to prepare for next week's return.

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I sometimes wonder if our time binge watching The X-Files through the present -- we just finished the episode where the golem sought revenge on a shopkeeper's murderers -- would have been better served watching 24, to prepare for next week's return.

While that is certainly not the strongest episode, you're right in the heart of the good stuff (seasons 3-5, plus the 1st movie). However, if you're already starting to lose stamina then you're going to start hating yourself come season 7 and beyond.

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... but when it's good it's brilliant.

Let's not get carried away here, when it's good, it's good, not "brilliant".

Would not know how to rank them, every season that I've seen is a bit of a mixed bag, but it's always watchable in a post-apocalyptic, non-demanding, pulpy kind of way.

Alex

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I know what you're saying, it's far too shaky to be considered "great", but as I said previously; I do think it does have its moments of pulpy brilliance. It's a great B-entertainment with a blank cheque budget.

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Another appealing thing is ... I love deserted places! There's a lot of decay and quietness in the show (not counting the occasional groaning of a passing zombie, of course).

Alex

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The bleak environments and decaying sets are a major draw, especially for blokes. There's something about apocalyptic imagery which stirs man's imagination. To be completely free from society with no law; it's the romance of the Wild West with cool brutality.

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