The Walking Dead

[PeteCalvin]

I actually thought the CDC episode was the second best episode of the first season, too (re: how it wasn't in the comics), but that's largely because Noah Emmerich is a very good actor and had a great character to play.

Excellent point, and I agree. The thing about that episode was the "meat" it gave you. The recorded resurrection sequence was intense, as was how quickly their moment of normalcy was pulled away from them.

 

[swish7]

It worked for me. High quality zombie flicks are rare and should be cherished. Like ice cream in the desert.

That said, there was one shot with the old guy on top of the camper looking down as a hoard of zombies streamed past. On the left was a zombie extra who apparently got bored b/c she started walking normally. My only nitpick.

What I liked about last night's show was they found a way to paint a couple fresh pictures of zombies. Having them stream past while humans nervously waited in hiding, I don't recall having seen that. The zombie bride, and the church goers, very well done. The autopsy was gross, but again, an interesting take.

Thought there was too much dissent too early. You don't need to have everyone split up in ep 1. But we'll see how it plays out. You lose one kid,the other kid's shot, it's a bit much. It's kinda like Terra Nova with the wife losing her memory; it's a bit much and an uninteresting subplot. I'm pretty nervous about the loss of Darabont. This show is gold, but it could easily become bronze. Especially if the rumors about the smaller budget and "hearing" not "seeing" the zombies are true. What I love about this show is the massive scale of the extras and the outside shots.

Why they would continue to use that rickety old RV is beyond me. Get a new one. They're free.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Excellent point, and I agree. The thing about that episode was the "meat" it gave you. The recorded resurrection sequence was intense, as was how quickly their moment of normalcy was pulled away from them.

The CDC episode was good, but they squandered an opportunity to explain some of the "rules" the zombies follow. After the brain wave demo, the scientist could've just listed some of the things they've learned, heard, or (importantly) don't know yet about zombie behavior. A quick scene that would've eliminated much of the nitpicking about why the zombies didn't smell them under the cars, do "fresher" ones have increased speed/abilities, how powerful they are, are there water zombies, etc.

 

[RF2044]

The CDC episode was good, but they squandered an opportunity to explain some of the "rules" the zombies follow. After the brain wave demo, the scientist could've just listed some of the things they've learned, heard, or (importantly) don't know yet about zombie behavior. A quick scene that would've eliminated much of the nitpicking about why the zombies didn't smell them under the cars, do "fresher" ones have increased speed/abilities, how powerful they are, are there water zombies, etc.

Interesting points. Personally, I think that the Walking Dead [books and the show] is a brilliant concept, provided you suspend disbelief a little: guy wakes up from a coma to discover that the zombie apocalypse has already happened. The writers are freed from having have to explain why or how up front. The protagonist has no idea what is going on, and we as the reader / viewer only discover things little by little as he slowly figures things out. Genius!

But I agree--we don't know very much about the zombies. Not suggesting that we have to know ALL of the answers, but I was thinking to myself as they performed that autopsy that they show blatant disregard for any blood / airborne contagion. I mean--how do they know what triggers it? Is it a bite when you're living? Is it a virus? Do the dead just arise and start walking? Some other cause? And why are so many of the corpses [i.e., the ones in the cars they were rummaging through] actually dead, versus undead?

 

[BlazeOrange]

And why are so many of the corpses [i.e., the ones in the cars they were rummaging through] actually dead, versus undead?

And why are they still buckled in? I could see people in the traffic jam locking themselves in their cars and hiding as the zombie horde passes by, only to be done in by the heat in the enclosed vehicles. But they would've passed out down on the floor, not sitting there like they're still on a Sunday drive.

 

[swish7]

Interesting points. Personally, I think that the Walking Dead [books and the show] is a brilliant concept, provided you suspend disbelief a little: guy wakes up from a coma to discover that the zombie apocalypse has already happened. The writers are freed from having have to explain why or how up front. The protagonist has no idea what is going on, and we as the reader / viewer only discover things little by little as he slowly figures things out. Genius!

But I agree--we don't know very much about the zombies. Not suggesting that we have to know ALL of the answers, but I was thinking to myself as they performed that autopsy that they show blatant disregard for any blood / airborne contagion. I mean--how do they know what triggers it? Is it a bite when you're living? Is it a virus? Do the dead just arise and start walking? Some other cause? And why are so many of the corpses [i.e., the ones in the cars they were rummaging through] actually dead, versus undead?

People not being infected by egregious blood spatters happens in every zombie flick and has always bugged me. In their mouth, face, eyes, and no water or soap to wash with, but there is no infection, yeah right.

 

[PhatOrange]

And why are they still buckled in? I could see people in the traffic jam locking themselves in their cars and hiding as the zombie horde passes by, only to be done in by the heat in the enclosed vehicles. But they would've passed out down on the floor, not sitting there like they're still on a Sunday drive.

I wonder if they're not explaining some things because they assume people watching the show are already fans of the zombie genre?

There are some great zombie books out there and most of the questions posed in this thread are answered. Lots of zombies locked in cars, many of which are still in seatbelts because they can't undo them. Zombies don't drown either so there are 'water' zombies - they can't swim and they don't walk on the bottom - they're floating/submerged. In one book I read the zombies who survived being nuked who are now radioactive appeared to the main character to become faster and smarter. No blood in zombies in most versions.

Anyhow, I'm a huge fan of the zombie genre and a big walking dead fan. Two books I'd highly recommend are 'Day by Day Armageddon' and 'Beyond Exile' - both by JL Bourne. They're fun page turners.

Another book I didn't like as much but is real popular is 'World War Z' by Max Brooks. They're going to make a movie out of it with Brad Pitt. I preferred the other two books personally.

If I remember correctly WWZ had the disease start as a form of rabies - so it was transferred through a bite.

 

[qdawgg]

I have a student in one of my classes who I saw today was just starting WWZ. I'll have to tell him about those 2 books by JL Bourne.

 

[PhatOrange]

I have a student in one of my classes who I saw today was just starting WWZ. I'll have to tell him about those 2 books by JL Bourne.

The Bourne books are a series. Third one not due out until June - which sucks. Bourne is in the military so he writes with that knowledge - the main charater is an air force guy officer.

If I'm not mistaken Bourne started blogging the story and it became so popular he turned it into a book.

Read the sample chapter:

http://jlbourne.com/

 

[DCCuse]

I wonder if they're not explaining some things because they assume people watching the show are already fans of the zombie genre?

There are some great zombie books out there and most of the questions posed in this thread are answered. Lots of zombies locked in cars, many of which are still in seatbelts because they can't undo them. Zombies don't drown either so there are 'water' zombies - they can't swim and they don't walk on the bottom - they're floating/submerged. In one book I read the zombies who survived being nuked who are now radioactive appeared to the main character to become faster and smarter. No blood in zombies in most versions.

Anyhow, I'm a huge fan of the zombie genre and a big walking dead fan. Two books I'd highly recommend are 'Day by Day Armageddon' and 'Beyond Exile' - both by JL Bourne. They're fun page turners.

Another book I didn't like as much but is real popular is 'World War Z' by Max Brooks. They're going to make a movie out of it with Brad Pitt. I preferred the other two books personally.

If I remember correctly WWZ had the disease start as a form of rabies - so it was transferred through a bite.

Not my particular cup of tea, but I actually have one tidbit to add. The movie with Brad Pitt is currently being filmed in London (Brad and Angelina with family are over in my brother-in-law's neighborhood while the movie is being filmed there.

 

[BlazeOrange]

I wonder if they're not explaining some things because they assume people watching the show are already fans of the zombie genre?

Lots of zombies locked in cars, many of which are still in seatbelts because they can't undo them.

That would make sense, but the seatbelted dead that we saw were not zombies.

The zombie genre has various contradictory "rules" (fast/slow, ability to use doorknobs or recognize things, etc.), which may be what's leading to alot of the questions. As I said earlier, the CDC guy would've been a convenient way to address some of the questions that viewers are starting to raise within the framwork of the plot. I don't need all of the answers explained to me, since none of our main characters know the answers either, but some hints on what kind of zombies they are would've been nice.

Mainly, I just want the zombie portrayals and interactions to be internally consistent within the series. Don't want to see them being able to smell the living from 100 yards away one week and then walk right by someone who's standing motionless against a wall the next week. Haven't had anything that egregious in this series yet, but precautions (or lack of) against the spread of the infection is getting there.

 

[jekelish]

If I'm not mistaken - and I could be, I haven't read the early books in the series in awhile (and POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR ANYONE READING), but...

With The Walking Dead, isn't it that the bites aren't what turn you into a zombie, it's actually dying? The bites just speed the process? This is why people have been bitten in the books, they chopped off appendages, and those people both 1) lived, and 2) didn't zombify, right?

Of course, I could be mistaken and just be remembering incorrectly, but I could have sworn that's what the books said.

Also - the Bourne books are extremely entertaining (if not always particularly well written - so many grammatical and spelling errors, you can tell it started out as an online blog). I recommend them to anyone who enjoys zombie movies/shows/books. I think I've read the original Day by Day Armageddon about 20 times.

 

[swish7]

Note, I am watching the "talking dead" post-show. The producer is explaining a few of the items being debated here. They smell, but not well. They are not "bloodhounds".

 

[CuseCPT]

Halfway through and I'm still looking forward to it every week and still really enjoying it. Judging by the discussion of the show on the other forum I participate in, I'm in the minority. The consensus there is the show has gotten boring, all the characters suck, and the writing is horrendous.

I disagree on all counts. While it did appear they were stuck on the farm for budget reasons at times I don't think it's fair to say that NOTHING has happened this season.
SPOILERS: Come on, who can forget Shane's betrayal of Big Ol' Otis, the well walker, or Glenn getting with the proverbial farmer's daughter. SPOILERS.

As far as character development goes, I think it's fair to say both Darryl and Shane are both going in interesting directions. Shane reverting from the "respectable" cop into his inner psycho, and Darryl going the opposite direction from the dirtbag to the solid team player at the same time is interesting character development for both. The only point I really agree with the haters is that Lori is kind of annoying and Rick seems to have stalled a bit. Still, the last 10 minutes was plenty intense and even if you had a suspicion about who else was in the barn it was still really well done. Can't wait for season 2.5.

 

[Czar]

The problem is that everything that has happened had no reason to take 7 episodes to happen. Show has serious pacing issues, and some characters are, well, two dimensional right now.

 

[CuseCPT]

I think the pacing problems are from budget issues. The other thing to me is the "lost footage" from before Darabont left where they went back to the nursing home. Some of this footage can be seen in the early trailer for season 2.

 

[Czar]

I think the pacing problems are from budget issues. The other thing to me is the "lost footage" from before Darabont left where they went back to the nursing home. Some of this footage can be seen in the early trailer for season 2.

WHY? WHY DID HE WANT TO GO BACK? THAT WAS THE SINGLE DUMBEST STORYLINE, AND CAN BE TRACED TO AS THE ROOT OF WHY EVERYONE RAGS ON THE SHOW SO MUCH!

 

[qdawgg]

I loved season 1 but season 2 has really gotten boring. I've started to wonder certain things that I normally wouldn't care about if the pace was a little faster; such as with all of the noise they make at the farm not one walker or one of those big packs has just shown up at the door? Season 1 was awesome and now it's starting to get a little boring.

 

[Guinness]

I loved season 1 but season 2 has really gotten boring. I've started to wonder certain things that I normally wouldn't care about if the pace was a little faster; such as with all of the noise they make at the farm not one walker or one of those big packs has just shown up at the door? Season 1 was awesome and now it's starting to get a little boring.

That is one of my biggest pet peeves. Once you set the rules so to speak then you need to stick to them. This year they have ignored most of the rules they set in season 1.

 

[Ghost]

I also have a problem with the whole farm storyline. At some point wouldn't someone ask if there is a neighboring farm? Why is camping outside of this one man's house soooooooooooo important. There was a town nearby, so there MUST be more homes in that very rural area.

You get your own house, own water, you keep your guns, and you still live near the vet.

 

[qdawgg]

I also have a problem with the whole farm storyline. At some point wouldn't someone ask if there is a neighboring farm? Why is camping outside of this one man's house soooooooooooo important. There was a town nearby, so there MUST be more homes in that very rural area.

You get your own house, own water, you keep your guns, and you still live near the vet.

LOL - I was thinking the same thing 2 episodes ago when they went to the pharmacy again.

 

[swish7]

I also have a problem with the whole farm storyline. At some point wouldn't someone ask if there is a neighboring farm? Why is camping outside of this one man's house soooooooooooo important. There was a town nearby, so there MUST be more homes in that very rural area.

You get your own house, own water, you keep your guns, and you still live near the vet.

Well, you stay at that house because the man saved the lives of two in your group. They said all along that they would not leave until they were fully recovered. And the kid and Darryl are still weak.

I'll give season 2 a pass. It is still a fantastic show. I love zombie / apocalypse flicks, and can say from much experience that it is exceedinlgy rare for a zombie flick to be even moderately good. Most are purposefully cheesy.

My major quibble would be what Guiness mentions. That huge pack should have shown up by now. Especially with all the gunfire. Now, they do sort of indicate in the mid season finale that the surrounding swamp is where the walkers are getting stuck.

My other quibble would be the gaggle of largely unused characters. That preachy old guy is annoying. The black guy serves no person that I can see. The Asian kid is close. The mother of the missing girl... etc.

I do not mind them being stuck on the farm. They can venture out into the world for the season finale. There's lots of story to tell.

 

[Ghost]

Well, you stay at that house because the man saved the lives of two in your group. They said all along that they would not leave until they were fully recovered. And the kid and Darryl are still weak.

I'll give season 2 a pass. It is still a fantastic show. I love zombie / apocalypse flicks, and can say from much experience that it is exceedinlgy rare for a zombie flick to be even moderately good. Most are purposefully cheesy.

The house/homeowner is a cause of a lot of the angst though - they want to stay local because of the lost child, but if this guy wants them gone, and people want to leave - just take over another local farm. Darryl and the kid could be moved in their mobile home pretty easily.

I don't really care, just find that storyline going on for 3 episodes where nobody knows what to do a bit too much.

 

[swish7]

The house/homeowner is a cause of a lot of the angst though - they want to stay local because of the lost child, but if this guy wants them gone, and people want to leave - just take over another local farm. Darryl and the kid could be moved in their mobile home pretty easily.

I don't really care, just find that storyline going on for 3 episodes where nobody knows what to do a bit too much.

Forget to include the girl as another reason to stay.

They've done a good job building opposing tensions. Farmer vs daughter, Good cop vs bad cop, cranky old moralist vs bad cop, farmer vs bad cop, the blonde vs the cranky old moralist. All tied together by the horny good cop's wife.

The season finale cliff hanger will probably involve some physical fracturing of the group. You even wonder which side the good cop's wife, or maybe the son, will choose. It'll be old morality vs new morality.

 

[Ragman2000]

I quit after Episode 2 this Season. Just lost interest; the stories seemed very forced, pacing stunk, and just wasn't enjoying it like the first season. I was also annoyed that they didn't seem to be following a lot of the "rules" established in Season 1 (such as the walkers ability to smell humans - in S1 they hung rotting meat from themselves to not arouse suspician, and now they can suddenly just hide behind or under a car? Meh.).

I'm devoting my time that I would be watching this to "Homeland." Wow, now that show is kicking ass. A more "realistic" 24 with fantastic characters and acting. Best new show of the past few years IMHO.