After going on a short break over the holidays, AMC’s The Walking Dead returned this evening to finish out the remainder of its (enormously popular) second season. The first half of the season was dominated by the “Search For Sofia” storyline, but that storyline was brought to a close in a somewhat-shocking, gangbusters mid-season finale. With that business all hemmed up, how’d things go tonight? Did this mid-season premiere move the Survivors along to previously undiscovered, interesting new locales? Inspire fresh, compelling discussions about surviving in a zombie-filled world? Or did the show continue to spin its wheels? Find out in this week’s Walking Dead recap, after the jump.
When AMC announced that they’d be taking The Walking Dead off the air for a month-and-a-half-long break in the middle of its second season, there was a fair amount of hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing from fans: for one thing, the show’s first season had already been abbreviated, and nobody wanted to see the show benched for another stretch of time; for another, season two’s first half had been dominated by a plotline that left many viewers with the impression that the show’s writers were—to some extent– “treading water”. This seemed a very inopportune time to take another break.
In some dark corners of the internet, the relative merits of the “Search For Sofia” story-arch— specifically, the time it took to get itself from point A (“She’s gone!”) to point Z (“She’s been in the barn the whole time! And now she’s all, uh, dead!”)—are still being heatedly discussed, but we won’t be furthering that debate here: as of the show’s mid-season finale, the “Search for Sofia” has been put to bed. And—for what it’s worth—that mid-season finale made up for a good deal of the water-treading took place over the season’s first half. Not all of it, mind you, but a good deal. Even the critics had to agree that it was exciting, somewhat unexpected, and handled with style.
I mean, come on: that final showdown in the barn’s corral-area, with Shane shrieking to the Heavens and shooting pieces off of Hershel’s zombified buddies/pets? Rick stepping up to gun down a pre-teen (and, for that matter, pre-living) Sofia? The fear that one of our favorite characters (*coughShanecough*) might get capped right then and there? Pretty satisfying stuff, and you know me: I’m a nitpicker.
Which reminds me: I have been determined to approach the second-half of season two with an all-new sense of optimism. Like any other genre show on TV, The Walking Dead has developed a fanbase which includes a very vocal minority, one that doesn’t take kindly to anyone who might dare to say anything remotely negative about the series (while I consider myself a Walking Dead fan, this is the internet, where it’s all or nothing: one either “hates” something or “loves” it—there is no middle ground). I’ve been made aware of my perceived “pickiness”, and—in response– I decided to spend the holiday break recharging my give-a-shit batteries, taking a few deep breaths, and telling myself that the back-half of season two would be bigger, better, less confined and (most importantly) less redundant.
Maybe the writers had intended all along for the season’s first-half to drag a bit, just to make the mid-season punchline all the more effective. Maybe I was being too hard on the show. Maybe things would be different after the break.
So, how’d that newfound sense of positivity work out for me tonight?
Well, things started off well enough, picking up quite literally right where they left off. Here were the Survivors standing in Hershel Greene’s barn-area, a bunch of recently slaughtered zombies at their feet. Shane just finished having his meltdown, Rick’s just finished shooting Sofia in the face, and everyone else is standing around looking a little shocked. So far, so good.
As you’ll recall, Hershel didn’t consider the zombies “dead people”, but “people waiting to be cured”, so—as far as he’s concerned—the people he let crash on his property over the past few weeks have just murdered a good portion of his extended family and friends. Shocked by the savagery of this epic party-foul, Hershel retreats into his house, telling the Survivors to “get the hell off (his) property”.
The obvious thing would be to, y’know, honor Hershel’s wishes and GTFO, maybe head out to discover their own piece of property to settle down on (yes, they’re inclined to hang around Hershel’s farm because he’s a much-needed doctor, but it’s still not clear why they couldn’t just relocate to another farm– something a few miles up the road perhaps, or even all the way across “town”—and then make trips to Hershel’s as-needed), but of course that’s not what the Survivors do. Some of them—specifically our man Shane—are all for this approach, but Rick seems determined to make Hershel see the light.
There also seemed to be some question as to whether or not Hershel knew if Sofia was in the barn all along. Shane accuses Hershel of—basically—tricking the Survivors, allowing them to continue searching for Sofia even though he knew damn well that she was in the barn the whole time, but Hershel and Maggie deny this (the former claims that all the barn-zombies had been put there by Otis before his untimely demise). We’ll never know for sure, but it doesn’t matter: given the other differences in opinion between Team Hershel and Team Shane, this seems borderline irrelevant.
While some of the Survivors take on the dirty job of rounding up the slaughtered zombie-bodies (Dale bitching the whole time about Shane’s behavior), others are having their own problems: Maggie and Glenn are trying to figure out whether or not they’re going to stay together once the Survivors move on; Secondary Character—whoops, I mean “Beth”—falls into a shocked, catatonic state, prompting Rick and Glenn to go looking for Hershel (who’s in town on a bender); and Dale confesses to Lori that he thinks Shane killed Otis. Basically, we get a crash-course on where all these characters are, mid-season and post-barn-zombie-slaughter (hint: they’re all pretty much where we left ‘em).
All of this stuff is handled well. I was fine with the idea of catching up with all the characters, of being reminded where everyone’s arch left off before the break arrived and seeing how that may or may not have changed in the wake of Sofia’s death. At this point, I was unamused that the Survivors weren’t packing their bags, but I wasn’t exasperated.
Rick, meanwhile, gets sidetracked on his way to gather up Hershel: Lori pulls him aside and tells him that he needs to be making more of an effort to father Carl (the phrase “…instead of running off trying to solve everyone else’s problems” gets used). This brief scene was one of the few times I’ve found myself actively rooting for Lori. On this particular point, she’s absolutely right: Rick’s way, way too concerned with everyone else’s happiness; his hyper-empathy is his character’s least-attractive (not to mention least- interesting) quality. But Rick’s determined to get back in Hershel’s good graces—or, at the very least, to smooth things over a bit before he’s forced to leave—and so he brushes Lori off, grabs Glenn, and heads off into town.
“Uh-oh,” I thought. “Here it comes.”
Soon thereafter, Rick and Glenn arrive at the bar Hershel’s holed himself up in, and—sure enough—we were treated to yet another debate between Rick and Hershel.
Look, I was pretty much on-board with tonight’s episode all the way up to the moment that Rick and Hershel started yelling at one another again. But as the scene rambled on, I felt that ol’ negativity seeping in again: why does there always seem to be so much wheel-spinning on this show? Why does it always feel like each theme or idea or problem needs to be discussed over and over again before it’s finally put to bed? Yes, Hershel and Rick’s argument is slightly different in that Hershel has now come around to Rick’s way of thinking on a few issues, but let’s be frank: it’s really just more “two people yelling their difference of opinion at one another”, and I simply feel that—as a viewer, and a fan—I’ve had about enough of that for the foreseeable future.
Come to think of it, this is a storytelling issue that the show shares with the comics: “wordiness” being confused with “story”, and “making a strong point” being confused with “beating an idea into the ground”.
Recently, I picked up a random, new-ish issue of the comic series, flipped it open, and discovered that not all that much had changed since I’d stopped reading the series: the Survivors were still holed up in a faux-community, they’re still struggling with trust issues, and—most importantly—the pages are still filled to the breaking point with one massive slab of text after another…punctuated by the occasional two-page spread of zombie-killing. The overabundance of speechifying (and the repetitive plot devices) eventually drove me away from the comics, and I’m forced to wonder if the same thing might not eventually get in the way of me calling myself a fan of this series.
But, hey, at least the comics have the good sense to break up all those speeches with the occasional two-page action-spread. So far, season two’s been unreasonably light on zombie action. Yes, the opener was pretty cool (with the big, roaming gang of zombies on the highway), and so was the “well zombie” (though I’m still not clear on why they couldn’t have just sealed that well off), but I’m having trouble recalling much more substantial “zombie action” in season two beyond those two highlights.
I’m not suggesting that The Walking Dead become a balls-out, nothing-but-action zombie-thon; It wouldn’t do for the show to be all sizzle and no steak. I’m just saying that the endless debating (which often sounds a lot like whining) is growing a little thin for me, and that—should it continue, without being balanced out by a healthy dose of action/horror/zombie-stuff—it’s in danger of becoming a deal-breaker.
Too long, didn’t read? The Walking Dead needs to get better at balancing the scares-and-action with the speechifying.
Anyway, back at the farm, Lori decides that she can’t wait for Rick and Hershel’s return any longer. She sets out to bring them back herself (after making a brief –and wholly unsuccessful– attempt to get Daryl to do it), and is only a few minutes down the road when a zombie stumbles out onto the highway. Of course, this causes her to swerve, crash, and flip her car up on its side. While the episode wraps without resolving this little plot-thread– and while fans of the comics know that Lori’s not going to be with us forever—it seems unlikely that she’s out of the picture completely.
Meanwhile, back at the bar, Michael Raymond James (last seen on FX’s sadly-canceled Terriers) shows up with an ominous-looking travel companion, interrupting Rick and Hershel’s debate. These two interlopers have wandered in off the street, are armed, and seem a bit too curious about where Rick, Glenn, and Hershel might be hanging their hats. Things get off to a friendly start, sure, but soon enough these two reveal themselves to be…well, about as dangerous as we assumed them to be the moment they walked into the bar. Post-apocalyptic strangers: they pretty much never come in peace.
Rick ends up shooting the guys, ending any chance that Hershel’s farm might’ve been set upon by yet another handful of ungrateful, troublemaking Survivors.
So, what’d I think? Well, as we’ve already discussed, I think the show needs more of the stuff that most people expect when they tune into a zombie-centric TV series: zombie-action. I appreciate that the show’s writers are pushing for substance, but I can’t help but feel like they’re struggling to balance things out. Besides that, things feel redundant: it often feels as though the same points are being made over and over again, which only makes the big, speech-y scenes all the more tedious to sit through.
I can’t tell if these problems originate with the writers (they’re reluctant to move on without having an issue examined from every conceivable angle), the source material (the books are guilty of some of the same narrative crimes…but, then again, the show has strayed from the source material before) or the network itself (there’s not enough “zombie action” because the budget cuts won’t allow for it), but—whatever the case may be—these problems do need to be addressed.
I want to love this show, I do. I want the writing to kick my ass every week, for new and interesting characters (James’ drifter character was almost—but not quite—kinda what I have in mind) to stumble across the main crew every once in a while, for exciting new locations to pop up every few episodes. The writers have an entire, zombie-filled country to play around in, and I want to see every nook and cranny of it. I don’t need to see eighteen headshots every week, but I would like to be able to count on some amount of zombie-fueled action in each episode. I want this show to be as good as we all know it can be. Honestly.
But as long as The Walking Dead continues to spin its wheels and hold back on the good stuff, I’m going to continue struggling with it. And eventually, I’m guessing that even the most die-hard superfans—the ones that deign to say anything remotely negative about the show—will agree with me. I’m going to consider tonight’s episode a table-setter of sorts: the writers are setting up the rest of the season, and finishing off the Hershel/farm storyline. But if we’re compelled to watch Rick and Hershel go ‘round and ‘round about “living in a zombie-world” for the umpteenth time next week, I may very well blow a gasket. I’m hoping that next week’s episode takes the Survivors off the farm, into completely different discussions, and face-first into some kick-ass,totally- compelling zombie action.
But how ‘bout you guys? Agree with the letter grade below, or was this yet another no-middle-ground, A+++/F- – episode?
My grade? B-
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Ummm I do have to say this isn’t all about zombies…..it’s about the survivors who are trying to deal with things that they would be dealing with in the real world….it’s about them going dark, running into other survivors….yes the zombies play a part but their not the main part….your review is totally inaccurate
If you talked about the sucking scene editing, and unessacary scenes then I would of been on board
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“This show isn’t about the zombies” is the most common BS excuse that all The WD fanboys are using to justify the pace of season 2. For that excuse to make sense, the characters/plot would actually have to be well-written. The last scene in the bar was the only notable scene.
C-. Come on.
Really? You’re complaining about the number of words you have to read in a comic book? Have you never read a comic book before?
why do you feel the need to review this show? youre doing a recap are you not? i missed some parts as i was wathing the episode so i needed a recap for parts i missed. what i did not need though was someone giving their stupid opinion about how they feel about this show. obviously im a fan of the show. i dont need any reviews from anyone about how they feel about it because frankly i could care less. youre doing a RECAP. stick to doing just that. i give this entire article a fail.
I haven’t seen anything in Season 2 that impresses me. Then that 2 month gap just added insult to injury. A couple years back, V pulled this same bullshit, and they never saw a third season. I can’t even bring myself to care about watching the rest of the season. From now on, I think I’ll just just read these recaps of it here. It’s more interesting to me than the series itself.
I am a ghost writer of this and many other TV series…also movies. My writing work was not paid for, so I will keep a big part of the series from being made.
Also more than one writer…that is a joke. Do they write every other word or just hold hands during the process?
This show already has one foot in the grave! The only chance it has is if a lot of people write to AMC and urge them to pay up. I know this won’t happen! Enjoy what’s left, and I will let lesser minds entertain from now on.
One foot in the grave? How so? Do you not realize it’s one of the most popular shows on tv and nearly breaks viewership records every episode. This show is far from having a foot in the grave. Great tension building episode. Great show.
why do you feel the need to review this show? youre doing a recap are you not? i missed some parts as i was wathing the episode so i needed a recap for parts i missed. what i did not need though was someone giving their stupid opinion about how they feel about this show. obviously im a fan of the show. i dont need any reviews from anyone about how they feel about it because frankly i could care less. youre doing a RECAP. stick to doing just that. i give this entire article a fail. if youre going to do a review then do that. dont try and add in your opinions in a recap. i couldnt care less what you think. i just want the recap. recap does not equal review. review does not equal recap. recap recap recap recap. just because recap contains the same first two letters as review does not make them the same. yest i am repeating myself because hopfully if you even do bother to look at these responces this sinks in.
Totally agree with this review…love the show concept, but the characters continue to do frustratingly stupid things…a gunned down zombie jumps out and attacks one of the survivors? I think an hour later I’m going to jump in the back of the truck on a pile of them with my back turned. And that scene with Lori in the car…you take the trouble to bring a pistol, who would ever put the gun in the back seat? Ridiculously stupid, just like lowering Glenn down as bait into that well when they had fifteen other ones to drink from….! This show is good for a half hour of TV, the rest drags. Although that scene at the end with Rick was awesome though…and that dude from Terriers kicked ass! He did more in 5 minutes acting drawing us in than most these characters have accomplished in 2 seasons! Team Shane with props to Reedus!
Like the show concept and geek out on zombies, but the series keeps routinely cramming stupid scream at the TV scenes down our throats…who would jump on a pile of dead zombies when one of the gunned down ghouls just almost killed one of the survivors an hour ago? Even worse, wasn’t the shotgun seat empty? Dumb. And then Lori taking the trouble to grab a gun for her own wild goose chase and she leaves it in the back seat? Why would anyone ever do that? Reminds me of Glenn fishing in the well for no reason with fifteen other wells on the property…why WD, why? Totally right about that actor from Terriers…sad to see him die…he did more with his 5 minutes of screen time than most regular actors on this show. Shane and Reedus are the only actors on WD that have any real charisma…even Rick is light, but I will give Lincoln props for that last scene tonight. Good scene.
They have no respect for the audience.
I caught part of Zombieland the other night on cable. I couldn’t help but think that if Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and his rules had somehow wandered into the Walking Dead, and if everyone started following the rules, the show would last about 15 minutes. They have to keep the characters stupid to keep the plot moving forward.
Haters. All of y’all. This episode was great. Loved the ending.
I think they missed a great opportunity by killing Michael Raymond James. He is a great actor and would of been a great addition to the cast.
I’ve just about had it with this show. Same shit as before. Long boring discussions, characters doing stupid things(Lori) and no zombie action. I know it’s “not really about the zombies” But in order for that statement to mean something, the show kinda has to have compelling characters and good stories, call me crazy.
Personally, I think it’s the source material. They are following it too closely it seems. I admit I only Read the first issue which I didn’t think was that good. I thought the pilot was a million times better than the first issue. Anyway from what I hear-like in this article- the comic really isn’t that good.
Anyone see Dave Navarro on Talking Dead call out the show? Finally someone says it out loud.
Actually they’re not really following the source material closely at all. The stuff on Herschel’s farm only lasted like 3 issues long…whereas they’ve been dragging it out all season long for some stupid reason. In the comics, Sophia never gets lost in the woods and she never ends up as a zombie in the barn (in fact, she’s still alive as of #93)…the characters are also much stronger in the comics and aren’t portrayed as stupid and annoying as they’ve been on the show. The zombies coming out of the barn moment was also much tamer on the show compared to how it happened in the book (Hershel’s entire family ends up getting slaughtered)…I feel like the zombie attacks in general give of a much more palpable sense of doom in the comics than they have on the show, although I suppose it’s because the show is on network television so they have to tame things down which really sucks when you think about it.
Also I’m not sure who told you the comics aren’t very good, because I felt the same way for the first 13 issues or so (basically up until the end of the story arc on Herschel’s farm) up until they reached the prison (TWD’s longest story arc)…the prison story arc is incredible, by far some of the greatest stuff I’ve ever read in a comic book. I worry that the show’s adaptation of it won’t live up to the comics because of how much they have to tame things down.
I wasn’t thrilled with the Lori stuff, but I liked the rest of the episode. Could have James and his friend stuck around a little longer? They could have, and I wish they did (the series could use a villain or two), but we did get to see Rick do more than attempt to delegate. Perhaps by the end of the season he’ll have done the same to Shane.
To everyone saying, “We need more zombie killings!”. I’ll stick to this great zombie apocalypse series, you go watch more horrible George A. Romero flicks…
You forgot to mention the best part of the epsiode, the closing song by one of my favorite bands, Clutch!!
Also, please stop referring to Shane as ‘our man’ or ‘one of our favorite characters’. He is YOUR man and favorite character. I haven’t seen him getting much love outside of your weekly recaps.
what was the name of that song!?
The writing in this show has become so poor, it’s laughable sometimes. Same arguments, same yelling, same issues; the reviewer is right. I do agree that the culmination of the whole Sophia search was a good conclusion, but a good ending doesn’t satisfy a terrible buildup to the climax. Season Two has been disappointing to say the least. A lot of great serials take a step forward with each episode. Although The Walking Dead never takes a step backward, it does take a lot of steps sideways and a lot of the episodes feel poorly paced, and just never feel like well-rounded episodes. I think we might have another Heroes on our hands (great first season, every subsequent season getting poorer and poorer until cancellation), but I hope I’m wrong because I’ve been entertainment by this show before.
Too much speech-ifying? Take a look a this article! I got the idea that you didn’t like all the preaching the first couple of times you said it. Talk about redundant. And loooong.
I am always shocked to hear people complain there’s too much “treading water” in this show. I have a few issues with the series, but the pacing isn’t one of them.
I don’t want this to turn into an action show, and I don’t want it to become some SyFy zombie show. I want it to remain true to the Walking Dead I’ve loved for years, and that means coming to care a whole lot more about what happens between characters than when the next creative zombie kill will come up.
As “Nebraska” perfectly demonstrates, it’s the living that pose the greatest threat, not the dead.
You put it perfectly! This show is in dire need of more action and zombie kills. I think it’s evident that the budget cuts and Darabonts dismissal have hurt this show immensely. I had hopes that the show would pick up the pace and have more zombies but it continued with the same nonsense and pointless scenes that do nothing for the story. I think half the episode is just filler. They give the audience no credit for inferring where the characters are without having to spoon feed it to us.
Is it really worth watching a show if all you have to see is the sneak peeks and the last five minutes to know everything that’s happening. I am done making this appointment television and will probably just wait until the show finishes and watch them all on demand.
Oh and maybe AMC could free up some money for the show if they didn’t put on Talking Dead or Comic Book Men. Does anyone give a damn what some washed up rocker thinks of the show? Did we really need a comic book version of Pawn Stars?
I’ve been saying this elsewhere. The show doesn’t need a freaking after-show talk show and any budget being used on that is a ridiculous waste of money that could be instead going towards the show.
It started off with such promise and its been fucked over by Mad Men and executives who chose to alienate Darabont and cut hte budget instead of doing what you’d normally do with your new hit show and throw money at it.
Maybe a little more reading would help those short attention spans. Stay clear of Mad Men. Herschel’s whole POV has collapsed from being a good Christian into an existentialist crisis. Sure, a zombie apocalypse would tend to bring that out in people, but he’s been insulated on the farm more or less. While the scene dragged a bit, it lent tension to the drifters’ entrance. Here they are in their debating if life is worth living when there’s a stark reminder that living is better than being shot (or being eaten as one of the drifters mentions). I agree that the table is being set. The group has been living in relative safety. Now they’ve lit up a signal flare for anyone to see. Did you think those two were alone?
That said, I’m ready for some new locales and characters. This episode would have worked better without the break. Instead of wrapping up the mid-season finale, it needed the excitement of a premiere.
And this review would have been better without alluding to Lori’s future despite the show’s departure from the comic. Which is actually a pretty good book.
I hate Zombies!!
I still like it a lot. But I’m going to make a drinking game out of the number of times the actors use the old angrily-point somewhere-then-snap-your-head-away-then-back acting technique when arguing.
They need to get on the road again. I don’t know what it’s going to take. Maybe that Zombie horde visits the farm. That would be cool. I thought the bar scene with the two new guys was really intense. It’s like the writers have one good scene for each episode and the rest is sort of filler.
The show is going nowhere. A bunch of people roaming around Georgia. Do we ever know what happended in the rest of the world? How long is it since all this started? A month? 6 months? Do zombies/bodies eventually decay and “die” again, thereby ending the threat? If not, how not? Give me “I am Legend” or “28 Days”. Far better.
keep in mind the show and writers have their own contraints. and weren’t there budget cuts last year and a lot of static around how much $$ love AMC was doling out in some areas, but not spreading it evenly among its other shows?
There are soooo many invisible factors that go into what ends up on the screen- it’s hard to cast blame, at least not fairly. We have no idea how much creative latitude the writers have been given. no idea what dictates or mandates, or what behind the scenes writers quarrels/perceptions clash…
granted, at the end of the day, one would hope that all remain professional and do their jobs, come together with a common vision– but behind the scenes may reflect as many disparate visions, as the characters in the story have.
I like the show. am not in love with it. I think it will have more depth when it finds a balance between being character driven.. and what the character driven choices drive the players into ( zombies and dumb corners like the well.. characters do not have to be as smart as the writers– that was the ONE thing I liked about the well. In any moment, a dumb-ass idea can seem like a good one. real people doing real things…
tonights epi- lori and the car? seriously? ugh! a definite groan of disbelief there… I just couldn’t willingly suspend it- no matter how hard i tried- to say, sure, I buy that…
I think this epi is again, setting up pieces, on the board.. slightly changing position.. and then will turn them loose again. We’ll see where it goes…
You hate zombies? Great, then you’ll love this show. No zombies at all.
But seriously, would all you geeks please stop hanging from Darabont’s nuts? I know you all hate to believe it, but HE WAS THE SHOWRUNNER FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THIS SEASON!!!!!! All your complaints should be targeted his way…not Mazarra’s.
And, for the record, I love this show. Zombies or no.
For all of you who want more action and less speechifying, they’re making another Resident Evil, enjoy.
Horrible review…spent half of the review complaining about a month break from the series and spent the rest of the review complaining, doing the same thing that you accuse the series of being, about how much they talk and not fight zombies. This is a stupid review, if there was any more zombie fights, people would go crazy. Constant, non-stop danger would cause the survivors to lose the will to keep fighting, there is enough turmoil already. The show is better than other zombie stories because of how it gives you an insight into the minds of the survivors and their struggle to find peace in a world such as theirs.
Also, Lori is an idiot for going get Herschel, like they needed her to come save the day, and look what happened. And with that I will say, spoilers for the current episode are one thing, you have to say what happened in the episode to give the review, granted, but foreshadowing Lori’s death because you read the comics is a big spoiler that should have been kept to yourself. You are reviewing the show, not the comics. Now there is even less “action” or “balance” in at least one scene, because we know Lori will die now. This is why the writers are doing character development instead of dropping people every episode, to counter this whose going to die, who will survive mentality, instead of actually attempting to care about the characters…
Again I say, horrible review..
Have faith, the show will get better, they got Robert Kirkman and hes the guy who created the whole thing.
Hey genius, Rick went to find Herschel because he is a doctor and his wife is pregnant. This is purely a father taking care of his family, not taking care of others problems. It was honorable in a beautifully selfish way. Also, feel free to not include spoilers relating to the comics when we are not at that point of development yet. It’s not as if everyone has read the comments, a little bold spoiler alert wouldn’t hurt. Also, stop excusing yourself and rationalizing all your opinions. Say what you feel and be done with it. Much of all your entries address how you feel people will respond to your criticism as opposed to the criticism itself.
*comics, not comments.
“And while fans of the comics know that Lori’s not going to be with us forever”…fuck you. Im getting into the comic series because of the show. Call me a late bloomer, but seriously, fuck you.
Here’s the thing: Walking Dead has a big cast, a small budget, and has to take it’s time with things to balance the money spending. To me, the slow speed of season 2 so far is leading to something major. The first season was a more even mix of conversation and action… season 2 so far is most likely a way to create a sense of security with the audience, but at the same time, the longer the calm is, the bigger the storm to follow. My guess is that the action is going to ramp up shortly… a violent gang is in town, and most likely is being followed by a swarm of walkers – Season Two is going to end in a slaughter and a narrow escape, I’m thinking.
The only whining I hear is from those who complain about “wordiness”. Have we all become ADD victims?
If you listen to all those words, there is very little wheel spinning. Most of the conversations do not beat a dead horse but do usually add something new to the character or the overall story.
Of course, if you shut off and start internally whining about all those words as soon as 5 or more of them are strung together, it all does seem like wheel-spinning.
The show does come off like a play at times and you know what? I like it.
The show is the very antithesis of what we all expect from B-grade zombie flicks. We are learning about each character instead of getting horror movie cliche’s. The show forces us to slow down and listen, really listen, to what’s going on. It is making us think about the characters and the situations on a level we are simply not used to anymore.
Here’s an over-wordy analysis.
We have all come across people we can’t stand at first. Then, once in a while, we learn more about that person until finally we become friends with them. Many of us can say that about our closest friends (or lovers). How many times do you hear “We HATED each other at first, then we had to do (something that required talking to one another to avoid boredom) together and became friends. This what the show is doing.
We get frustrated that The Walking Dead is not acting like the life of the party friend we all have. At some point we realize that the party-person is actually an idiot. We discover that it’s his/her quiet friend turns out to be the most interesting.
I realize that those of us under 50 are used to the instant gratification of rapid fire action sequences and music videos but we need to re-learn the art of listening. There are hundreds of standard zombie flicks out there if you need to get a splatter fix.
As a huge fan of gory horror, The Walking Dead is actually refreshing in its deliberate slowness.
I just hope we don’t see a glut of zombie films by people who think they are far better at this type of exposition than they really are. Deliberately slow in the hands of hacks is boring on all levels.
Most of these characters are cliches. Lori running off and crashing the car. Ridiculous. The women characters are all portrayed as fairly weak so far. In the comics they also handle Andrea far better and Lori, although just as annoying was nowhere near as stupid. Hate to break it to most of you but the appeal of this show is the zombies and anyone who says otherwise is just fooling themselves. The characters are in a scenario where zombies are everywhere threatening their very existence and if they die they could become a zombie. The characters are defined by the zombie world they find themselves in. If the Walking Dead was better written it could be so much more. It’s frustrating and just hard to believe that many of these characters would have survived this long considering how stupid they appear to be.
I love the show and loved this episode. TWD is really an end of world show with zombies. It works great for me.
Hey Scott,
Some of us may not read the comics, so thanks for the major spoiler! You need to make sure that is line #1, or at least before you blurt it out in the next sentence. C’mon man.
Mike
Thanks for spoiling a future plot point and ruining part of the show for me, you dick. TRY PUTTING A SPOILER ALERT ON YOUR “REVIEW” NEXT TIME!!!
ah man. If you are bothered with repetative and long text without new content, don’t bother writing down any more recaps, and certainly don’t ready back your own text. You write the same whining filler each time an episode airs. Our shane is the man, their rick is a whiny puss, people talk to much and I stuggle to continue… With the exception of some episode details you could swap your reviews and none would be the wiser. Nice spoilers too by the way. I hope you had fun watching yesterdays zombie filled episode and come up with something new. I won’t be reading it anymore though. Your reviews tired me out quicker then the show.
I guess you scared him off because there was no recap posted for the last episode.
I keep hoping for a huge army of zombies to sweep like a wave out of the woods and move the story along a little, but so far no luck. But yeah, too many big emotional confrontations about sweet FA, not enough exploding heads.
Really Scott? No spolier alert? You flat-out said Lori was gonna die. Asshole.