The Walking Dead | Season 8 | Episode 8 | How It's Gotta Be [AMC] [SPOILERS]

HandsomeBob

lawlolawl wrote: »

-"I'm not going to recap this midseason finale. I don't have the energy to summarize. I don't care enough anymore about the nonsensical plot and the bad writing to go that extra mile. The Walking Dead doesn't deserve careful recaps or deep analysis anymore. Its producers and writers are either lazy or hacks or some horrible combination of the two. Whatever the case, this episode was embarrassing to watch. I can only imagine how embarrassing it must be to have written, produced, directed or acted in it."

It goes on: "And just as inexplicably, Simon lets them all go back to the Hilltop without a scratch. Well, to be fair, he kills a guy. Neil. Good ol' Neil who we just met tonight. Man, that sucks that they killed Neil. We really cared about that guy."

This was published on the Forbes website by a guy who reviews TV shows for them. Oof.

Not that I disagree with anything there but I've no time for Forbes and their film/tv reviews. Utterly click bait ****e with a raft of writers that come across as arrogant dick heads. **** them.

Anyway, I suspect more and more that we're being conned for two reasons; how clean that bite looks and the teaser for the second half of season 8. Rick does not have the look of a broken man who has lost his son. Not depressed Rick. Not psychotic Rick. Just normal grisly and growly Rick looking to defeat Negan.

The only issue is that Carl looks quite sick as if he's been infected. And he could be infected, just not with the zombie virus.

Wouldn't be surprised if the actors are just playing up to the deception.

pjohnson

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

People change their mind when the studio whips out the chequebook.

Kirkman is currently suing AMC....

Yester

It's like they are trying to do a Game of Thrones, Jon Snow type thing.

ebbsy

7

That episode was a sprawling mess. They are dragging the whole thing out. This should have been dealt with in half a season.

Robsweezie

knew this was coming through spoilers, but wasnt sure exactly how. i heard he'd be stabbed, nothing about a bite. chandler riggs actually reached out to the spoiling dead people not to spoil this specific episode.

Interesting that carls death had nothing to do with negan or the saviors. I think this will be the difference between rick killing and sparing negan. Up til now rick wants him dead full stop. i think in the 2nd half of the season we'll a see a switch to rick wanting negan brought to justice, but with the same intensity. plus all the mercy stuff with carl/ siddiq will rub off on rick.

they all need to cop the fuuck on and get on the same page. jesus has been a disgrace,maggie was right putting a bullet in the savior.

storker

4

Wibbs wrote: »

I've really lost most of my enthusiasm for this show in the last few seasons, but I thought after last seasons lacklustre efforts and the drop in ratings and fans complaints that what passes for the writers would at least try and up the quality of pacing, plotting and character, but no.

I've just finished watching the first season of Zoo on Netflix. Now, it's not high-concept stuff, doesn't take itself as seriously as TWD and has its own collection of plot holes, but by Zeus the writers know how to keep it moving. The pace never slackens, the story is always moving along, and events have a purpose. While the characterisation isn't particularly deep, the characters act pretty much within...er...character. There are sometimes frictions withing the group of main characters, but they fit into the plot and never have the appearance of being thrown in just for the sake of it like with TWD. Cliffhangers are resolved quickly and every subplot tends to feature in every episode, and no episode is devoted to just one part of the story.

Granted, the Walking Dead has a larger cast of core characters, but I reckon the show would be vastly improved just by handing it over to Zoo's writers.

Why didn't Rick kill Negan with the business end of the bat?

I did get a laugh from that fight, when Rick (finally) asked Negan "Don't you ever shut up?".

thegreengoblin wrote: »

As I said, I'm confused.

I'm going to start looking at a career change to screen writer. If people can get paid for coming up with this muck...and when Kirkman has already done most of the heavy lifting...

fritzelly wrote: »

This whole "artistic" thing is really pissing me off this season - hell it's a zombie show, do we really need slo mo takes of characters heads all the time on top of all the presumptions about what has happened in between each episode

It's a special technique called

Lipstick on a Pig

.

mojesius wrote: »

I'm indifferent about Karl dying, hated the budding teenage romance storyline with Enid the last few seasons.

Budding? I haven't even seen a seed. It seems that as well as everyone having picked up the autozombie virus, something has happened to teenagers to the effect that not even the rush of adolescent hormones combined with constant danger and the probability of imminent death can result in anything resembling horniness.

Yester wrote: »

I reckon they are going to go back to the Hilltop and they will all donate blood, the doctor will give Carl a transfusion and he'll be grand.

They'll amputate his chest and replace it with a section of the box that Maggie took.

Well that's enough televisual self-flagellation for this year. Thanks to all contributors for their comments, which do indeed seem to be the only real entertainment this show has to offer. See y'all in February 2018 for some more masochistic viewing.

mrkiscool2

ebbsy wrote: »

That episode was a sprawling mess. They are dragging the whole thing out. This should have been dealt with in half a season.

To be fair to them on this one, it was basically 3 and half arcs in the comics so makes sense for it to be 2 seasons. Still, they have muddled everything up in terms of the source material.

sonofenoch

No walking dead for weeks.....free at last free at last thank God almighty we're free at last

rtron

6

Does anyone remember the scene with Rick seeing a helicopter this season? Was that explained Maybe it was flash back?

mzungu

rtron wrote: »

Does anyone remember the scene with Rick seeing a helicopter this season? Was that explained Maybe it was flash back?

Yep, my guess is they will come back to that whenever the current storyline is done and dusted.

bear1

rtron wrote: »

Does anyone remember the scene with Rick seeing a helicopter this season? Was that explained Maybe it was flash back?

Don't be coming around here with your logical questions.

FreudianSlippers

5

pjohnson wrote: »

Kirkman is currently suing AMC....

Over residuals, not creative control. I actually wish it was over creative control.

StringerBell

youngblood wrote: »

Am I the only 1 who wants to see them all die........??
All of them....

I remember when I reached that stage with Sons of Anarchy, liberating. Cheering each characters death

Seriously though, I am not exactly enjoying this season, though it is better than last. The thing I'd like to know though is, a week after the break, is anybody actually missing the show this week?

I'm not, didn't miss it when it was between seasons either, its become a take it or leave it thing, Ill get around to watching it at some point type show.

Jobs OXO

StringerBell wrote: »

I remember when I reached that stage with Sons of Anarchy, liberating. Cheering each characters death

Seriously though, I am not exactly enjoying this season, though it is better than last. The thing I'd like to know though is, a week after the break, is anybody actually missing the show this week?

I'm not, didn't miss it when it was between seasons either, its become a take it or leave it thing, Ill get around to watching it at some point type show.

I stopped watching a few episodes back. TBH I'd miss these threads more !

StringerBell

rtron wrote: »

Does anyone remember the scene with Rick seeing a helicopter this season? Was that explained Maybe it was flash back?

As I think I stated previously, will probably see it alluded to some time in season 12

jrkb

7

Jobs OXO wrote: »

I stopped watching a few episodes back. TBH I'd miss these threads more !

Why do you keep voting in the polls then.

Jobs OXO

jrkb wrote: »

Why do you keep voting in the polls then.

Tradition

FreudianSlippers

5

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Tradition

So you're skewing polls by voting 1 on episodes you haven't even watched. That's silly isn't it?

Jobs OXO

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

So you're skewing polls by voting 1 on episodes you haven't even watched. That's silly isn't it?

Nope.

bear1

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Nope.

Why vote on episodes you haven't watched?
Or are you reading everyone's opinions and then voting.
Makes no sense.

Jobs OXO

bear1 wrote: »

Why vote on episodes you haven't watched?
Or are you reading everyone's opinions and then voting.
Makes no sense.

I voted too high in the past in retrospect so I am balancing the average out now.

worker bee

8

Was a pretty good episode and got things moving again, I thought.
Lots of people who didn't die despite mad wounds alright though. The Rick v Negan fight was obviously never going to result in one of them dying just like that - I presume it's gotta be an epic showdown rather than a brawl in the kitchen. But some of those hits with Lucille were savage and would finish most people off.

Who got killed by Negan's sidekick? Somebody fairly unnamed I guess. I thought Maggie had some sort of a plan for the wooden box rather than just burying someone - she still could now that she's gone all tough and mean.

I had forgotten that Eugene slightly betrayed the Saviours by helping Sasha become a zombie - and that they still don't know that and think she just suffocated. I guess that will come to a head now that Eugene is back from moping. Though he's not doing much giggling for someone necking the 'gigglejuice'.

Carl's bite mark was a bit ridiculous - it was like their lips just burnt him or something. A bite involves teeth. I don't see how a walker got a perfect suction kind of bite and then didn't actually bite a chunk out of him.

Still though, a fair few good plot lines to come now - def gonna keep watching.

Dandelion6

worker bee wrote: »

Carl's bite mark was a bit ridiculous - it was like their lips just burnt him or something. A bite involves teeth.

You can see teeth marks in close-up. But I thought the location of it seemed a bit ... awkward.

stronglikebull

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

So you're skewing polls by voting 1 on episodes you haven't even watched. That's silly isn't it?

Not really, I'd say. Every episode so far this season deserved a 1, or 2 at best. Really just stupid and mind numbing boring stuff.

worker bee wrote: »

Who got killed by Negan's sidekick? Somebody fairly unnamed I guess. I thought Maggie had some sort of a plan for the wooden box rather than just burying someone - she still could now that she's gone all tough and mean.

I had to rewind that killing scene twice to see who it was, and I'm still none the wiser. No idea at all who it was.

The box/coffin wasn't for burying that dead guy in though, she put the savior that she killed into it and had her people leave it somewhere the rest of the saviors would find it. The message she wrote was a threat that she still has 30 or so more prisoners she can kill one by one. But TBH, I think this was daft. They are outnumbered and outgunned in hilltop, so Negan's crew could easily wipe them out.

The whole season so far has been a mess. I saved them all to watch this week in a quick run through, as I couldn't be bothered to watch them one at a time. How many times did they have Negan standing in the open, just daring to get shot, and yet no one with the guns would shoot at him? It's beyond ridiculous, even by comic book standards this is bad.

When the saviors were trapped in the sanctuary, and then Daryl crashed the dump truck inside, why did no one wait around to make sure they didn't escape, or alert them if they did? Everyone just went home "assuming" everything would be wrapped up nicely. Reminded me of the Simpsons when Mr Burns stole the puppies. Hilariously stupid, except this is not The Simpsons.

Everyone in it deserves to die at this stage, die from chronic stupidity.

Riskymove

stronglikebull wrote: »

why did no one wait around to make sure they didn't escape, or alert them if they did?

they did

at the start someone asks rick about the "spotters" or "snipers" and wonders if they got out..."they didn't" syas Rick....presumably because if they did they would have been warned

just another convenient loose end wrap up in this big mess

Yakuza

I was over in Spain over the break, TWD came up on my Netflix feed. I re-watched the first three episodes and it's abundantly clear how far it's fallen from the high S1 standards

worker bee

8

Started watching the first few episodes of Z Nation. Not as good as original Walking Dead but still fast moving enough. Quite self-aware too - first time I've seen any zombie series/movie actually call the walkers/dead/undead etc 'zombies'.

Reggie.

worker bee wrote: »

Started watching the first few episodes of Z Nation. Not as good as original Walking Dead but still fast moving enough. Quite self-aware too - first time I've seen any zombie series/movie actually call the walkers/dead/undead etc 'zombies'.

Ah it gets a little silly later on but once ya know

TerrorFirmer

4

worker bee wrote: »

Started watching the first few episodes of Z Nation. Not as good as original Walking Dead but still fast moving enough. Quite self-aware too - first time I've seen any zombie series/movie actually call the walkers/dead/undead etc 'zombies'.

Yeah, it's a fun show but you'd kinda want to know that it's campy b-movie style fun rather than realistic/gritty before watching.

The first time I watched it I had thought it was a serious show ala TWD/FTWD and thought it was horrendous, but once I readjusted my expectations I really got into it.

TheDoc

What should have been the most impactful and "holy ****ing ****" moment of this entire show fell completely flat for me because a) It's such a spin away from the comics and b) this entire season has disgusted me.

Jobs OXO

TheDoc wrote: »

What should have been the most impactful and "holy ****ing ****" moment of this entire show fell completely flat for me because a) It's such a spin away from the comics and b) this entire season has disgusted me.

Which moment was that ?

snowgal

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Which moment was that ?

Corrrrrrrl Id imagine...........

TheDoc

Jobs OXO wrote: »

Which moment was that ?

Carl revealing he was bitten

frash

Just binged the last 4 episodes after the wife decided she was quitting after the first few episodes of season 8

I haven't read this thread but Carl isn't going to die. One of the following will happen.

The new Indian guy will have some ridiculous cure given that he's new to the group.
Or the doctor that Gabriel brought back alluded being into herbs and Eastern medicine.

The little fecker isn't going to die.

FreudianSlippers

5

frash wrote: »

Just binged the last 4 episodes after the wife decided she was quitting after the first few episodes of season 8

I haven't read this thread but Carl isn't going to die. One of the following will happen.

The new Indian guy will have some ridiculous cure given that he's new to the group.
Or the doctor that Gabriel brought back alluded being into herbs and Eastern medicine.

The little fecker isn't going to die.

We're getting an 80+ minute episode for Carl to die; I think if they don't do it at this point people will rage-quit the show.

dashoonage

They cant take this away from me....I've waited so long for this...

Rasmus

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

We're getting an 80+ minute episode for Carl to die; I think if they don't do it at this point people will rage-quit the show.

Do what? Kill him?

billybonkers

Carl's dead man

Rasmus

billybonkers wrote: »

Carl's dead man

Course he is! But do some people think there is a chance for him?

pjohnson

Rasmus wrote: »

Course he is! But do some people think there is a chance for him?

Well some people think Beth is alive still so I'd say there is.

Rasmus

What?? Hilarious!

FreudianSlippers

5

Rasmus wrote: »

Course he is! But do some people think there is a chance for him?

Literally the person to whom I was responding. :pac:

Robsweezie

Beths still chilling under that dumpster with glenn!

There are a few characters left that really shouldve died before carl. Gabriel for example.

Norman reedus wasn't happy with the decision. I get a feeling there were a few on set looking at gimple and thinking " you fuucked this one up". Probably why he left his showrunner gig.

Doltanian

The Walking Dead has fallen so far from grace it is unbelievable. I wish it go back to sheer survivalism against Zombies and please please kill Negan in some way ideally torturing him first. Let it end and let they find a cure or some other solution. It reminds me of Revolution a few years ago which was a great TV show but sadly it got canned.

Reggie.

Doltanian wrote: »

The Walking Dead has fallen so far from grace it is unbelievable. I wish it go back to sheer survivalism against Zombies and please please kill Negan in some way ideally torturing him first. Let it end and let they find a cure or some other solution. It reminds me of Revolution a few years ago which was a great TV show but sadly it got canned.

That show only got better as it went on. Why was it cancelled

Sandor Clegane

It's something else to witness how bad the show has gotten, the icing on the cake for me was the introduction of Ezekiel and the Kingdom, it was terrible in the comics and even worse on TV.

It really needs to end soon.

DoozerT6

Reggie. wrote: »

That show only got better as it went on. Why was it cancelled

I enjoyed Revolution too. I think after a strong start, the ratings fell in S2 and the American networks are pretty ruthless about cancelling any show that doesn't consistently perform well.