The Walking Dead (AMC) [**Spoilers**]

Cianan2

I was delighted to finally have something involving Zombies to watch weekly. Loves me some zombies....

Now, though, I know that I will not be watching season 2. Thought the acting was woeful and the story just wasn't appealing enough to follow. Dissapointed is an understatement.

noodler

Cianan2 wrote: »

Now, though, I know that I will not be watching season 2.

Yeah, except that you will watch it.

liah

What the heck is the point of making a judgment on a show that only had six episodes, ESPECIALLY after the majority of the original writers are off the project?

I don't see why I shouldn't give it a chance. They'll have a proper timeframe of 13 episodes this time around with an entirely different writing team. They obviously have the potential to make it good based on the first episode, it just needs to be teased out.

I wasn't won over by season one either, by the way.

RichyX

The shower scene was hilarious!
I often have a bottle of Southern Comfort in there with me when I'm feeling all dramatic.

Duggy747

RichyX wrote: »

The shower scene was hilarious!
I often have a bottle of Southern Comfort in there with me when I'm feeling all dramatic.

Don't forgot the obligitary curling up on the ground and have a thousand yard stare in the shower :pac:

liah

I couldn't figure out if we were actually supposed to laugh at Shane with the bottle in the shower or not, but I did anyway :pac:

Was that meant to be a serious scene?

stevoslice

KerranJast wrote: »

The thing that stuck out for me was him bitching about fossil fuels. Aren't most high tech facilities geothermal? And the French run nearly entirely on Nuclear power. They'd surely have enough uranium stockpiled in the plants to last at least a year.

yes and all those zombie power station workers are gonna be really willing to run the nuclear power stations. most electrical generators require a LOT of maintenance, and many are backed up with fossil fuel powered emergency sets which provide power in the case of a 100% blackout.

it is true enough about the video games though, what with maybe a few 100 watts per video game to a couple of thousand watts for a water heater, but its a TV program about zombies, so i think i'll let it slide, at least they didn't end up in a fully functional theme park like Zombieland!

RichyX

thebhoy wrote: »

but its a TV program about zombies, so i think i'll let it slide, at least they didn't end up in a fully functional theme park like Zombieland!

Zombieland was a comedy, The Walking Dead is just so bad in places that it happens to be funny.

Orizio

noodler wrote: »

Yeah, except that you will watch it.

If the quality of dialogue and acting from the finale continues on into the second series then I'll lose interest with it very quickly as well. Grimacing through TV programmes isn't much fun.

FrostyJack

liah wrote: »

I couldn't figure out if we were actually supposed to laugh at Shane with the bottle in the shower or not, but I did anyway :pac:

Was that meant to be a serious scene?

You've never taken a bottle into the shower ?

liah

FrostyJack wrote: »

You've never taken a bottle into the shower ?

A shampoo bottle, certainly..

FrostyJack

liah wrote: »

A shampoo bottle, certainly..

I had a good response but this the wrong forum

RolandIRL

meh is about i'd summarise the finale. wasn't enough action, and the whole white light seemed a bit tacky and cheesy to be in a tv show.
power thing seems a bit stupid. "go easy on the hot water while i go run my super-computer and huge flat screen" why not try and conserve your energy so it'll last longer.

disappointed enough with it. pilot was brilliant but they're trying to have a story attached to the whole zombie apocalypse but it's not really doing it for me, and it's at the expense of some action.
disappointed as well that black guy from pilot didn't come back into it. if it had been a one season series (where they would have died in the CDC), they would have left his story untold, and i found him to really interesting.

unless season 2 improves drastically, i won't be coming back to this

Richard Dower

Shocked at the level of negativity that has creeped into this thread over the last week....is this a result of the hype/success?, are peope nitpicking?

Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect...but no show is, but some of comments seem a bit OTT, imo.

Mindkiller

I think it has something to do with how phenomenally bad this show is.

Worst thing I've watched this year, and that includes Desperate Housewives.

Richard Dower

Mindkiller wrote: »

I think it has something to do with how phenomenally bad this show is.

Worst thing I've watched this year, and that includes Desperate Housewives.

Shirley you jest?...comparing TWD to DH :rolleyes:

RolandIRL

for me, it was generic enough. characters didn't feel developed and for a zombie apocalypse, it was surprisingly lackluster. i was expecting a lot more (especially from frank darabont, i loved the mist). i found myself rooting for some of them to be killed, rather than surviving
it was a bit too much hyped for me. pilot lived up to my expectations, but the rest of the season didn't.

Richard Dower

Orizio wrote: »

Pacing is a huge problem. I see missed opportunities everywhere - the first 6 episodes could have been focused on Rick, the black dude and his child and the Asian chap, and left the camp out of the picture. Rick and the other three could spend their time trying to find Rick's family and other survivors and the whole thing could have been focused on developing those four characters and putting them into difficult situations involving ****loads of zombies. The final episode could be them finding the camp...under mass zombie attack. Cue loads of death, a great gun fight and Rick uniting with his family.

The second series could then focus on the camps survivors (lets say 7-8 of them, the ones listed above, plus Murro and his brother and some zombie fodder) finding the CDC. There then could be a few scientist survivors rather then one, all of whom disagree on how to treat the survivors, some of whom should be infected themselves. Cue everyone turning on everyone 'The Thing' style.

****, I'm wasted over here, I should be writing TV scripts in LA...

I'm quoting this. becuase i agree with your outline on how i thought the show might have gone, based on the pilot.

Snake Plisken

seriously don't understand all the negative comments on this I watched from episode 2 to 6 over two nights and really really enjoyed it, I even had a "walking dead" dream last night where I was one of the survivors here in lucan lol. btw what kind of ratings did this get on AMC say compared to first season of Breaking Bad?

Snake Plisken

Interview with Robert Kirkman Executive Producer, no writer was fired one left because Frank Darabont decided to stick around for season 2.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29802

Orizio

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Interview with Robert Kirkman Executive Producer, no writer was fired one left because Frank Darabont decided to stick around for season 2.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29802

That is a shame. I always believe one should be punished for poor workmanship.

Syferus

Official mouth-pieces are never good sources for honest information - there's clearly a reason Darabont's sticking around because if he had complete faith in what the creative team did this season he wouldn't be continuing his day-to-day showrunner role.

I agree with the sentiment that the negativity has went off the deep end here lately. Even at it's worst the show was never less than entertaining and it had some great moments, be it covering themsleves in zombie blood and all the never jangling tension that ensued to the final episode where we learn just how desperate a state the world is in. It's certainly been uneven in parts, but I'd take this over just about any other straight drama on US network or basic cable tv - it's a class below Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men at the moment, but not for lack of ambition. The high ratings mean they have the leverage to survey this season and iron out most of the flaws.

And honestly, one of the most poignant parts of the entire series came in that finale when Jenner said 'this is our end', the idea that whatever manner of victory the main characters can claim they'll only ever be fighting over the scraps from a broken table.

senordingdong

FrostyJack wrote: »

The Doc explained why it would explode, seemed a fairly resonable explaination.
The reason the "talking computer" was left on was it ran the whole show. The screen was only on for a few minutes where as the kids could have been on for hours, that's how I would explain that one. I liked the way the Doc wasn't the expert and he explains how if his wife was and if she was there, she would have found the cure. A nice touch I thought. The CDC was important because it showed how little they knew about it, origins etc. but also showed it was world wide and they were the last station running. I thought Rick would have mentioned the chopper though at that point though. Good episode, not great but it leaves a lot of the donkey work done for season 2 so hopefully it will fly along. Roll on 2011.

Yes, but a self destruct mechanism...bit ridiculous, especially in the manner it was used. This episode was full of great ideas that were wasted as one liners.

And in retrospect, they got to the CDC at the start of the episode, dicked around in the CDC, then left the CDC at the end of the episode.

Nothing really happened in this episode, like I said, all the interesting plot developments were fobbed off in place of shower scenes and an angry hillbilly.

noodler

Orizio wrote: »

If the quality of dialogue and acting from the finale continues on into the second series then I'll lose interest with it very quickly as well. Grimacing through TV programmes isn't much fun.

I just love the "I won't wtach it" threats as if it required some kind of financial sacrifice to downloand an episode of a TV show for free.

More likely is, they will watch it, then simply complain about it afterwards. Hey, that is fine, but I just find it funny the way some people make the threat as if there was a writer or studio exec on these forums.

senordingdong

Well with the trends of how tv shows are being watched these days, I wouldn't be surprised if those involved were combing the internet looking for more adequate feedback.

I'm genuinely curious as to whether the CDC does have a self-destruct feature. I'm trying to find out through Google, but nothing concrete turns up. So far that it's possible, which it is considering the kind of diseases they could have in there.

Hopefully Dabaront will have more involvement with the writing and direction.

Richard Dower

Anyone think Darabont was pleased with the success and just wanted to stay onboard?...or, even IF he did see flaws in the writing shouldn't we be HAPPY he's not taking a backseat and is now actively involved in every aspect?

At least he isin't JJ Abrams, the guy who just adds a credit to a show and p*sses off to let others do the work!

Basq

Numerous places online mention the rumour that Darabont rewrote all 4 episodes he didn't primarily write..

.. now how true this is, or how much of a change in each episode was made by his "rewrite" is up in the air.

Interesting nonetheless!

Richard Dower

He wrote or co-wrote 4 outta six, Kirkman did one and Mazza did one.

Basq

Richard Dower wrote: »

He wrote or co-wrote 4 outta six, Kirkman did one and Mazza did one.

Rumours suggest he wrote 2, and co-wrote the other 4..

The first season of “The Walking Dead” only consisted of six episodes and Darabont wrote the first two, and co-wrote the other four. This wouldn’t be the first show to use the freelance writer model. The BBC/Starz hit “Torchwood” was able to do it after they borrowed the practice from the U.K. but people are worried about how the Writer’s Guild will react to it.

Source: http://screencrave.com/2010-12-01/frank-darabont-fires-all-the-writers-of-the-walking-dead/

Now, this is not as extreme as it may seem but the optics are terrible. Of the six episode first season, Darabont wrote two himself and apparently rewrote all of the other four, meaning he had direct, heavy involvement in all six scripts himself. And if that's the case - if Darabont now considers himself another David E Kelley, Aaron Sorkin or J. Michael Straczynski - then it makes sense that he'd question the need to maintain and pay a permanent writing staff moving forward. Word is that he intends to use freelancers when needed instead, and if he's going to continue having direct involvement in the writing process himself then that should be all that's really needed to maintain continuity.

Source: http://twitchfilm.com/news/2010/12/congratulations-walking-dead-writers-your-shows-a-smash-hit-now-youre-all-fired.php

Deadline reports that on the four of six episodes he didn’t write all by himself, Frank Darabont still felt that the Frank Darabont draft was better, co-writing or even totally rewriting them all.

Source: http://www.avclub.com/articles/frank-darabont-decides-frank-darabonts-script-was,48444/

don ramo

Snake Plisken wrote: »

seriously don't understand all the negative comments on this I watched from episode 2 to 6 over two nights and really really enjoyed it, I even had a "walking dead" dream last night where I was one of the survivors here in lucan lol. btw what kind of ratings did this get on AMC say compared to first season of Breaking Bad?

last episode got 6 million viewers, probably the higest ratings of any other scripted cable show, ever, (i stand to be corrected)

i seriously dont understand the negativity either, people hyped it for themselfs, its a zombie end of the world show, which isnt gonna appeal to a lot of people, end of the world series never go far, jericho was the last show i know that tried and only got a 7 epidsode second season due to fan pressure, (sad part is that if it was made now the ratings it got would have got it renewed),

it is very experimental to say the least, but with a 13 epsidoe second season, id say itll expand the show more, and with these ratings they could probably add a few extra supporting caracters,

i wasnt blown away, but i wasnt dissapointed either, some solid ground work has been laid, and im really looking forward to season 2.

Ciaran500

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm genuinely curious as to whether the CDC does have a self-destruct feature. I'm trying to find out through Google, but nothing concrete turns up. So far that it's possible, which it is considering the kind of diseases they could have in there.

Not a chance they would have a self destruct anything like what was shown here. There is far too many problems with that idea to list.

Possibly have some sort of destructive containment in specific storage areas. But they would have to have very limited destructive scope and certainly not something they are going to put the details of up online.

I was thinking something similar too - perhaps specific rooms like at the beginning of the episode, when he spilled the acid.

KerranJast

They have several layers of containment between the dangerous stuff and the outside world. Most important one is negative air pressure. Any opened door and air rushes in. It makes airborne escape nigh on impossible.

Colmo52

Season finale on FX UK tonight at 10, For those who haven't seen it.

The Black Oil

The finale held my attention, easy to pick holes in it, mind. I enjoyed the scene with the brain and synapses, that was a pretty moving meditation on what it means to be alive.

PhiloCypher

I have been giving a bit of thought as to why this season dissapointed some of us given the (imo) strong source material and I have come to the conclusion that the problem was down to 3 things A) being just that the strong source material (for many the show will always be a pale shadow of its printed form) The PTB desire to change things but not completely break with the source material . and C) the shortness of the season .

To expand on my points :

A) The source material : to the purist any digessions from it are heresy to a realist like myself they are an unfortunate necessity when adapting from one medium to another not just for the new audiances benefit but for the old ones so they don't know all the twists .

& C) Im Gonna tackle B and C together because they are inextricably linked, in the walking dead the PTB's found a wonderful character study of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation in adapting this story they had 2 choices hew closely to the material and thus leave those familiar with the material knowing all the story beats or as they ended up doing make changes(something I would have had no problem with if the changes had improved on the original material) . Where the problem arose aside from the obvious(and questionable)cast changes was that in such a short season to fit in these new story elements they shortchanged others , we get Daryl, the search for Merle and the kindly gangbangers but at the expense of a more detailed view of camp life and the various character Dynamics therein, dynamics that may have made us actually give a **** when the hispanic family left when Jim died or when Jaqui(sp?) stayed behind .

Effectively they more or less kept to the bones(certain story beats) of the story(the meat suits , shane drawing a bead on Rick , the zombie attack) but cut out alot of the meat and sinew that made those bones(beats) work, now It's quite possible that if they had gotten a full 13 episode season and had put some flesh on the bones of the cyphers we currently have we could forgive them their digressions but as things stand I'm not feeling very forgiving , they need to seriously up their game come next season

Syferus

I think fans of the comic are in a massive, massive minority of the audience, though. I'd never once heard of the comic before the show and the show was sold to me and most everyone on the basis that Frank Darabont was the show creator rather than it being based on the comic.

That doesn't mean the few disguntled comic fans aren't going to be kicking dirt up at every given chance either, mind. This is the internet and the most forceful voice usually wins out no matter the logic underpinning it.

Orizio

noodler wrote: »

I just love the "I won't wtach it" threats as if it required some kind of financial sacrifice to downloand an episode of a TV show for free.

More likely is, they will watch it, then simply complain about it afterwards. Hey, that is fine, but I just find it funny the way some people make the threat as if there was a writer or studio exec on these forums.

...I suppose you don't think you are taking the question of complete strangers you converse with over the internet watching an episode of 'The Walking Dead' just a little bit too seriously?

And it isn't a 'threat' (**** knows why anyone would describe it as such) - I dislike watching things that aren't very good. Simples.

Richard Dower

^ but Noodler is right, they will watch next season and come here to b!tch about the show, par for the course.

Mindkiller

Why are you guys so sure that people will continue wasting bandwidth on a show that they hate?

I've dropped loads of shows if they had a poor first season (Dexter, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Brotherhood). There is far too much good TV out there to waste your time watching crap.

Walking Dead so far is way worse than any of the shows I mentioned so unless I hear really great reviews for season 2 I wont be wasting my time on it. That's not a 'threat' to Darabont or any other silly ****. I just think it's rubbish.

don ramo

Mindkiller wrote: »

Why are you guys so sure that people will continue wasting bandwidth on a show that they hate?

I've dropped loads of shows if they had a poor first season (Dexter, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Brotherhood). There is far too much good TV out there to waste your time watching crap.

Walking Dead so far is way worse than any of the shows I mentioned so unless I hear really great reviews for season 2 I wont be wasting my time on it. That's not a 'threat' to Darabont or any other silly ****. I just think it's rubbish.

smallville is a prime example of people not just turning off a show, i personally still kinda like it(its pure fluff but watchable), but a lot of people stopped liking the show probably 4 if not 5 year ago, yet continua to watch it, apparently its cause they had invested all of 5 days over a 5 year period that they wanna know how it ends,

mark the users on this thread that cribbed and cribbed and ill guarantee 90%+ will be here still cribbing this time next year,

Richard Dower

Yup, it's the Gossip Girl effect...great first season then we had two more of utter sh*te!...but you invested in it, it was lame but you might as well stick it out mentality set in. Thankfully S4 is a return to form....point being, i'll bet many who say they'll never watch will be back.

Even if it's to troll and bemoan how crap the show is.

Snake Plisken

Maybe it takes a certain type of viewer to appreciate these types of show viewers like Mindblower who hates Dexter and probably others who hated Lost, where as I love Dexter & in the case of Lost watched all the seasons and was extremely happy how it ended. One show that I did give up after the first season was Heroes, Season finale was such a let down that I didn't go back, and I didn't bother trolling on the heroes forum giving out how crap it was as I knew it had its fans, what would be the point?
Like others on here I recognise some of the flaws & plot holes in the walking dead, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to season 2, as will the 6 million AMC viewers who also enjoyed it.

ixoy

Finally bothered to watch the finale and the show still is very weak. I stuck with this season because it was short but I'm going to wait for some consensus on the second show. I was disparaging after the third episode on this thread (even after the second to an extent) but I really hoped for better.

There's plenty of things wrong with this episode that people went into here. The CDC exploding like that was laughable (why it blew outwards, rather than sealing in the explosion, etc) and I don't really understand why all the scientists killed themselves, given many presumably wouldn't believe in any sort of after life (given he mentioned how the self was pure synaptic fire rather than a soul).
I don't understand why they didn't hunt for fuel or why they would even need to do that so quickly (or the convenience of arriving on its last day of supply).

It also added nothing to the main storyline or arc, other than something being whispered. I doubt the writers know yet what was said - they're probably only thinking about it now...

It's wrong when I want the zombies to win but right now I find it hard to care about anyone on the show. The acting is weak, the characterisation weaker and the plots fill of missed opportunities. It has such potential that I still want to believe there can be more but, like Jericho, I just can't care right now.

Tristram

Mindkiller wrote: »

I've dropped loads of shows if they had a poor first season (Dexter, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Brotherhood). There is far too much good TV out there to waste your time watching crap.

I love(d) all those shows I couldn't care less if other people like/dislike a show and I have no problem if someone finds a programme is not for them and comes on here to say so. I do find it a bit odd if that person then comes back week after week to reiterate how crap they think said programme is and point out all the things they find wrong with it. Why are they still watching it?

(Not directed at anyone btw!)

Richard Dower

Based on posts and thread views...most sucessful show this year! (forum wise - and NO i don't count Take Me Out, it's reality tv and it's in the WRONG FORUM!).

Syferus

Richard Dower wrote: »

Based on posts and thread views...most sucessful show this year! (forum wise - and NO i don't count Take Me Out, it's reality tv and it's in the WRONG FORUM!).

Have you heard of this thing called the Late Late Show?

Kylo Ren

Syferus wrote: »

Have you heard of this thing called the Late Late Show?

Unfortunately I have.

Thought it was a great first season really enjoyed it and will definitely watch season 2.

senordingdong

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ but Noodler is right, they will watch next season and come here to b!tch about the show, par for the course.

Unless someone I know tells me that there have been sweepign changes than I certainly won't.

There's enough ****e on the telly without having to waste my time watchign ****e that I don't like.