The Walking Dead

[PeteCalvin]

I think they wanted to cast the Jeffrey Dean Morgan from Watchmen, but got the JDM from The Good Wife instead.

Morgan bulked up for the role in Watchmen, then he lost a ton of weight to play Deef in Texas Rising, which wasn't too long ago.

 

[upperdeck]

since 10% of the people watching the show have read the comic books why should they hold to every detail. if they did that why bother to watch the show. i dont know how evil he is supposed to be but he has a great presence.

 

[RF2044]

I've enjoyed this season a lot--but it has certainly felt disjointed.

And I agree with the poster above who talked about the leaning back laughing thing--it's almost like this is a caricature of Negan. Sunday's episode was pretty cool, though.

 

[shandeezy7]

The preview of the mid-season finale kind of makes it seem like someone else is getting the Lucille treatment.

 

[Oráiste]

this season is just not working for me. it seems to me there are clear budget issues - the Saviors and the Sanctuary just do not look that formidable. Everything feels cheaply done.

And for the most part, especially from the secondary characters, the acting is well below B level films.

overall, this is the weakest season since season 2, IMHO

 

[Guinness]

I've enjoyed this season a lot--but it has certainly felt disjointed.

And I agree with the poster above who talked about the leaning back laughing thing--it's almost like this is a caricature of Negan. Sunday's episode was pretty cool, though.

Heard an interview with him and he talked about walking the line between the caricature being too much and not being enough. It was on Stern and was a really nice interview about him playing Negan.

 

[upperdeck]

this season is just not working for me. it seems to me there are clear budget issues - the Saviors and the Sanctuary just do not look that formidable. Everything feels cheaply done.

And for the most part, especially from the secondary characters, the acting is well below B level films.

overall, this is the weakest season since season 2, IMHO

in some ways I think this is the best season acting wise. its far less about the zombies and more about the emotional toll things are having on people.

 

[Quazzum69]

this season is just not working for me. it seems to me there are clear budget issues - the Saviors and the Sanctuary just do not look that formidable. Everything feels cheaply done.

And for the most part, especially from the secondary characters, the acting is well below B level films.

overall, this is the weakest season since season 2, IMHO

They could start by killing Carl and the other 5 pointless characters. The formula - running into bad guys, fighting them, then finding a new home - is getting stale. They need a new element like the military or a science-fictiony thing now. If it's just another psycho guy next season (which it probably will be since Negan won't be defeated this season) I might have to walk away.

 

[Oráiste]

in some ways I think this is the best season acting wise. its far less about the zombies and more about the emotional toll things are having on people.

ultimately, that's what all zombie movies come down to, there's nothing remarkable about Walking Dead in that vein. Going all the way back to Night of the Living Dead, the greatest dangers came from your fellow survivors.

I'm no drama critic, but to me the performances from characters like Olivia, Rosita and even Eugene last episode were of the caliber you see in low budget indy films with amateur actors, but that's just my opinion; to each his own.

And they are clearly working with budget limitations this season. The Sanctuary was unimpressive and featured shockingly few Saviors. Maybe because they are working with several other locations this season they had to cut corners somewhere, but the at the Sanctuary also have the feeling of a low budget production.

 

[RF2044]

Heard an interview with him and he talked about walking the line between the caricature being too much and not being enough. It was on Stern and was a really nice interview about him playing Negan.

I saw Phat's note above about Negan being evil personified. But I think he's more subtle than that. Negan is scary because he's unpredictable. Even when he's being "nice," the people around him always mistrust his sincerity and live in fear of how he might flip on a dime. It's the ultimate intermittent operant conditioning -- unpredictability.

His interaction with Carl at the Sanctuary... his conversation Sunday with Spencer... his confusing mind games with Darryl / Dwight -- all examples of how not knowing what he's going to do makes Negan more scary that someone who is evil personified, but whose actions and motivations are more straight forward.

I think that's what they've been setting up with Morgan this year, and he's doing a great job of it, even if it feels "slow" at times.

 

[PhatOrange]

I saw Phat's note above about Negan being evil personified. But I think he's more subtle than that. Negan is scary because he's unpredictable. Even when he's being "nice," the people around him always mistrust his sincerity and live in fear of how he might flip on a dime. It's the ultimate intermittent operant conditioning -- unpredictability.

His interaction with Carl at the Sanctuary... his conversation Sunday with Spencer... his confusing mind games with Darryl / Dwight -- all examples of how not knowing what he's going to do makes Negan more scary that someone who is evil personified, but whose actions and motivations are more straight forward.

but that's one thing that makes him so evil.

 

[Oráiste]

not any chatter about season 7.5?

I'll start - King Ezekiel is a silly fool, I don't know why anyone would follow him. Terrible character, I hope he is killed off soon.

 

[shandeezy7]

not any chatter about season 7.5?

I'll start - King Ezekiel is a silly fool, I don't know why anyone would follow him. Terrible character, I hope he is killed off soon.

I like Ezekiel, but his story of how he came to power does not make much sense. I also don't get how he was able to bargain with the Saviors to keep them from setting foot inside their community.

 

[Jeepers]

I was worried about Ezekiel and the tiger being in the show after reading the books. Pretty cheese.

I think the saviors are lenient on them simply because they have more numbers than Alexandria and the Hilltop. Seems they are implying that they'll keep pushing them for more and more "protection" until they're just as beat down.

 

[Oráiste]

I like Ezekiel, but his story of how he came to power does not make much sense. I also don't get how he was able to bargain with the Saviors to keep them from setting foot inside their community.

to me, he comes across as a pretentious jack*** his people are scrambling to survive, risking their lives to serve up goods to the Saviors, and he's keeping his tiger well fed? They should be eating that cat, not feeding it!

 

[upperdeck]

how do we know they are scrambling to survive? there are a ton of people there that seem to be living pretty well.

 

[PhatOrange]

I like Ezekiel, but his story of how he came to power does not make much sense. I also don't get how he was able to bargain with the Saviors to keep them from setting foot inside their community.

i don't recall the comic backstory but I'd assume the kingdom relationship was early on in the rise of the saviors. the relationship is obviously very different since we've seen a couple of outright fights break out and guns pulled but they leave the kingdom alone. my guess is that it's largely b/c the kingdom produces a lot and pay's their taxes in full and on time. no reason to upset the apple cart and create resistance.

ricks group was different because they destroyed an outpost and killed a bunch of saviors.

 

[shandeezy7]

i don't recall the comic backstory but I'd assume the kingdom relationship was early on in the rise of the saviors. the relationship is obviously very different since we've seen a couple of outright fights break out and guns pulled but they leave the kingdom alone. my guess is that it's largely b/c the kingdom produces a lot and pay's their taxes in full and on time. no reason to upset the apple cart and create resistance.

ricks group was different because they destroyed an outpost and killed a bunch of saviors.

Yeah, could be. It's still weird to me that they have this kind of arrangement when they view themselves as being so powerful, but I supposed it could make sense.

 

[Oráiste]

how do we know they are scrambling to survive? there are a ton of people there that seem to be living pretty well.

the writers might present it that way, but non-mechanized agriculture is subsistence level; it rarely produces surpluses and such a society would always be a single bad harvest away from disaster. and the Kingdom doesn't really even appear to have serious agriculture, just a glorified garden.

 

[SUintheVille]

Is it just me, or does Rick and Michonne seem like the odd couple?

Looks like some big battle at the end of Season 7 is likely. Someone big will probably get knocked off.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Is it just me, or does Rick and Michonne seem like the odd couple?

Looks like some big battle at the end of Season 7 is likely. Someone big will probably get knocked off.

I'd say anyone but Rick, Carl, Daryl, Michonne and Carol...could be offed.

 

[senorpalmer]

The second half of this season has sucked so far IMO. Ezekiel is annoying as hell. This new group is uninteresting. If the show follows the same story line as the comics, the outcome with Negan will be good, but as much as Negan and the Saviors have been built up, it would seem like a poor choice to topple them in this season.

 

[orangefog]

I'd say anyone but Rick, Carl, Daryl, Michonne and Carol...could be offed.

I am ready for Rosita to go, I'm not sure why, but probably because she had her shot at Negan and missed it.

 

[KaiserUEO]

I am ready for Rosita to go, I'm not sure why, but probably because she had her shot at Negan and missed it.

yeah, if she gets caught, its not going to be pretty.

 

[Jeepers]

Rosita is hot--hope not. Sasha is supposed to be in the new Star Trek TV show, so won't be surprised if she's gone.

What about that craptacular deer scene? Lol