The Walking Dead (And Telltales TWD Game) Thread

[The Huskar Social Union]

Two episodes in, and I'm just not feeling the love I used to feel about this show. I have to wonder, how much of that is because they announced Andrew Lincoln's departure instead of keeping it under wraps, like they have for every other departure (save Morgan's defection to FTWD)? Or is it just a fall-off in the quality of the writing and show-running?

I'm tempted to think that the show just isn't the same with Carl's death. To me, the entirety of TWD -- much as it is in the comics to this day -- is a story about a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world. Take away the son, it loses something. Take away the father, and what's left?

I don't have high hopes for the remainder of this series anymore.

Ive not even watched the two episodes for this season, i just dont have the interest any more. Most of last season i thought was okay with a few episodes i did like but just been liking it less and less as its went on. Dont think ill start the new one at this point.

[Forsher]

Just watched episode one... I'll catch up on the rest soon-ish.

Interesting premise for the episode but they're still making some dumb narrative choices. They decide to clear-off because of the zombvies but then the kid dies and suddenly they're able to kill all the zombies?

EvilMaggie is evil and screwing the entire exercise up. No, wait, that last part is why she's evil. Hopefully the show acknowledges this in the following episodes.

References to Negan make me think the show is still being written by comics fans. That's not a good thing. Based on what he did in the show... Negan is no worse, perhaps even better, than Rick. The Governor deserved to kick it but Negan's just a cool jacket.

Ran for too long. Mind you, I only watched this because what I wanted to watch was playing up so perhaps if I'd sat down with the intent of watching TWD I wouldn't have lost interest towards the end.

Also, I was thinking the time skip would be longer. It probably should have been longer.

Re: antipathy apathy. While I generally agree with the sentiment that life's too short for anything less than a 7/10 and while I generally don't think TWD has been at that mark for a long time... when I decide to watch something, I decide to watch it. The only narrative I can remember consciously deciding to abandon is Moby Dick. So unless TWD turns into Moby Dick, I will continue to use this thread to record my thoughts on the episodes. That being said, I wouln't be surprised if this is the last series or, perhaps, the penultimate one.

[Forsher]

If you haven't been watching... episodes 2 and 3 might remind you of why you used to stick around through the really terrible episodes.

Episode Two

I don't think they did anything very stupid in this episode. Maggie's still a problem but we are seeing coherent and consistent behaviour that makes sense with the circumstances. I mean, maybe the herd should have been noisier before it got to the worksite but they were working and it wasn't that big but I think this is splitting hairs. Likewise, maybe two people should be on watch but with Maggie being the main antagonist so far, I think we can conclude that "they're too trustful" is kind of a point here.

The mystery they set up seems quite worthwhile too.

Episode Three and the plot is now clear and moving

I think it's quite clear now that Maggie is the current big bad here. Based on the start of Episode 4, the show still hasn't realised that TV!Negan wasn't that bad and, indeed, his insistence that things weren't personal... just how it had to be... can be contrasted with Maggie's recalcitrance about surrendering any authority to something less impersonal. You see, it turned out that the Oceansiders were the ones responsible for the disappearances... and why do they act now you ask? Because Maggie executed Gregory and showed them the Way and the Light. Maggie interprets this as evidence that Rick's way is DUUUMB and so the episode leaves off with her set on a course of action with Darryl ready and willing. (The pair up with someone you trust line putting these two together is probably important given that "too trustful" thing I just mentioned.)

People like Maggie never realise that they are creating self-fulfilling prophecies. It's like people in NSG who complain about toxicity whilst being very toxic posters... the two things are causally connected.

You know, if I didn't know Andrew Lincoln was done part way through this series I'd say its natural end point... for the show as a whole... would be the final defeat of Maggie... the final shot being her pushed into a cell, the door closes and then it zooms out to reveal she's next door to Negan. Ah, well.

And on that down note... still no sign of Heath, though. Even if we finally found out what the deal with Jadis and the helicopters were was... people trafficking or something like that. I think it's possible they caught Heath; although not likely (I fear the Walking Dead has forgotten Heath entirely).

Episode Four

I don't actually remember this episode. That's not a knock on it or anything but rather an indicator of the progression of plot.

Episode Five

Yep. That was a good one.

I'm glad Rick didn't die. As some of you, if you still read this, might know, I watch the MCU and a big criticism of it is that characters are killed off when they don't need to be. Rick's death doesn't provide any real satisfaction. You might remember I've been very critical of the zombies' level of success in the apocalypse and have been calling for an end to the show for a long time... in the sense, I think they should have an end in mind. Leaving Rick alive and having Jadis' weird helicopter people take him away? Now, that provides a proper ending to the character's relevance to the story whilst not having him have to die. He's a Hawaiian surfer now (reference to Inhumans).

In other news:

• Maggie didn't kill Negan because Negan's already dead... in the same way Wolverine is dead in OML.
• Whatever the consequences of Evil!Maggie were aren't going to be seen properly because of a time skip (reassuring).
• Sadly, Judith appears to be the new annoying Carl. Although, I think they were strongly hinting at her actually being Shane's daughter.
• Michonne has either hung up her sword or is also dead in the future.
• Still no Heath.
• I can finally watch this video which told me there'd be a twist.

Hey, turns out one of the people in the video was in... Hawaii.

[Juristonia]

The Rick thing was obnoxious, and I'm not too sure how long fans are going to keep accepting these "LOLPSYCH" moments before switching off.
Which they've already been doing in droves anyway, because TWD just can't resist shooting itself in the foot over and over again.


Having said that, I will keep watching for however long Nadia Hilker is on that show, because good god, that woman is gorgeous.

[Forsher]

The Rick thing was obnoxious, and I'm not too sure how long fans are going to keep accepting these "LOLPSYCH" moments before switching off.
Which they've already been doing in droves anyway, because TWD just can't resist shooting itself in the foot over and over again.


Having said that, I will keep watching for however long Nadia Hilker is on that show, because good god, that woman is gorgeous.

Just don't watch their marketing. Problem solved.

Based on the episodes themselves and knowing nothing but the news "Andrew Lincoln is leaving TWD" you can hardly claim that the show pulled a "PSYCH".

[Juristonia]

Yeah, that would only work if I also never watched a season of TWD before.
It's not like this is a new habit they've suddenly developed.

[Wrapper]

Another mid-season finale is in the books, and once again I am on the fence. I was looking forward to this next group of big baddies, but now, with no Rick, no Carl,

no Jesus, and no Maggie at least for the rest of this season,

I’m not sure I want to continue watching. On the other hand... I like what they’re doing with Negan, and I’m intrigued on how his interactions with Judith will develop.

[Ameriganastan]

Another mid-season finale is in the books, and once again I am on the fence. I was looking forward to this next group of big baddies, but now, with no Rick, no Carl,

no Jesus, and no Maggie at least for the rest of this season,

I’m not sure I want to continue watching. On the other hand... I like what they’re doing with Negan, and I’m intrigued on how his interactions with Judith will develop.

...Negan isn't dead? What the fuck. Now I'm even more glad I quit watching.

[Juristonia]

I have to say, despite the things spoilered above, I thought that was a pretty solid episode, and this whole season hasn't been terrible so far.

Negan is gonna be fairly important when it comes to the Whisperers and I still think the character could be at least somewhat redeemed now that someone other than Gimple is running things.
Although I also wouldn't be surprised if, in true TWD fashion, they screw it all up again.

Jesus dying kinda sucks, because they were finally starting to give him some attention (Beth 2.0), but apparently Tom Payne wanted out anyway, because of what they were doing to his character.
Which he definitely has a point about. Comic Jesus was a badass. TV Jesus was a side character.

[Wrapper]

...Negan isn't dead? What the fuck. Now I'm even more glad I quit watching.

Didn’t think I needed to spoiler that! Anyway, they pretty much took the same route as the comics, and looks like they will continue to do so, with Judith replacing Carl as Negan’s foil.

...You do know that Carl died, right?

[Ameriganastan]

...Negan isn't dead? What the fuck. Now I'm even more glad I quit watching.

Didn’t think I needed to spoiler that! Anyway, they pretty much took the same route as the comics, and looks like they will continue to do so, with Judith replacing Carl as Negan’s foil.

...You do know that Carl died, right?

I'm aware, yes.

[Forsher]

Okay, so I finally got around to watching the two episodes I had left (they were about to expire)... and

I thought that was a pretty solid episode, and this whole season hasn't been terrible so far.

I agree.

Negan is gonna be fairly important when it comes to the Whisperers

Interesting theory.

I'm glad they were not actually talking zombies. Eugene made some good points about how it's no more ridiculous than the idea of zombies in the first place but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be creatively duuuumb.

and I still think the character could be at least somewhat redeemed now that someone other than Gimple is running things.

?

Carl and Negan were probably the most interesting things about... the last few years. From an interest point of view I don't see what needs redeeming. From a moral point of view... Negan is frankly more moral than Rick was so I don't see how you can mean redemption in this sense either. If your point is that they're finally going to make Negan as bad as they keep telling us he is, I guess I find:

your theory really interesting now.

Although I also wouldn't be surprised if, in true TWD fashion, they screw it all up again.

Hey, the opening credits are completely different now. It's like it's a whole new show!

Jesus dying kinda sucks, because they were finally starting to give him some attention (Beth 2.0), but apparently Tom Payne wanted out anyway, because of what they were doing to his character.
Which he definitely has a point about. Comic Jesus was a badass. TV Jesus was a side character.

Show Jesus was too, though? And if the problem is literally that the character is more minor than they were in the comics this is just more evidence that the existence of the comics makes the show worse.

[Forsher]

Okay so I've just finished episode 11 and felt guilty about not having done any of the episode reflections I've done for pretty much every episode since this thread started.

I think this set have been the best for a long time. They're moving the plot forward an episode at a time. The capture one of the Talking Zombies, they find out she's an abused daughter & rehabilitate her and then they spend a whole episode negotiating hostages but then set off to rescue the abused daughter. Also they kind of kidnapped a baby from the Talking Zombies but the latter didn't appear to care... presumably because the captive's abusive mother ordered the baby's mum to sacrifice the baby to the actual zombies.

In Episode 11 there was also a side plot related to the wider mystery of whatever went wrong at Alexandria but not very directly. The important feature is that they managed to show us two different things in two different settings in the same episode. Back when this thread was (a) active and (b) not completely anti the show this would not have been possible. Obviously they're not switching to a fast burn show but whoever is in charge now seems to have recognised that there was something wrong with TWD even before the Negan stuff where suddenly everyone woke up and smelt the daisies.

On the other hand, still no Heath.

[Forsher]

Okay so episode 12 was about rescuing Lydia from her mother (the "alpha" of the Whisperer's) and also recusing Henry from Lydia. It also developed the Fair (read: market) storyline further because Michonne was convinced that she was becoming a dictator... presumably after Negan pledged to make her a better dictator (so she took away his window)... and decided to let the Council take another vote on going. As I said, it still doesn't move fast but it did two things in the one episode.

Episode 13 ends with the start of the market. Mostly, though, it's about escaping from Beta with Lydia and Henry. Beta falls a couple of floors on to the top of a lift... which doesn't kill him since apparently TWD is now an action film. On the other hand, it also features a new group known as the Highwaymen... so it's a campy action film. Haven't seen an Aston Martin yet but I really don't give a toss about cars so maybe I have.

In an interesting development, the Highwaymen are convinced... in the same episode... to join up with the Light Side of the Force since the Light Side has "movies". This convinces the Highwaymen to abandon their dark shed of mannequins and become auxiliary forces for the Kingdom who rescue Tara and a group headed for the Kingdom with trade goods. When they get there Carol asks where Henry is and Tara goes, "Isn't he here yet? We were going to meet him here." Technically I think that's an assumption... I can't remember episode 12 properly since I watched it a few days ago except for the last five minutes.

Henry and co. have escaped from Beta's crew (who are all dead except for Beta) after a fight out in a high rise (Beta isn't blonde if you're wondering). They're on their way to Alexandria to get Henry patched up since he got himself stabbed in the leg. Possibly Lydia and Henry are planning on running off into the sunset afterwards since Alpha's going to keep hunting her down and anything else will threaten the communities. (It turns out that the Whisperer's are, like the Saviours, a bottomless pit of manpower.)

And that's what you missed on Glee!

[Forsher]

I said Negan wasn't really worse than anyone else they'd already met. He was clearly less bad than the Governor and honestly Rick too. Alpha... much less fanfare. Much less talking about how bad she's meant to be. A lot more evil. And many big name characters just gone without fanfare. So many in fact I'm not 100% who. The Highwaymen's bossman seems to have bit it. Enid, Tara, Henry (of all the recent characterisation) and some of Henry's bullies/friends too for sure.

Oh and they died off screen.

One more episode to go and I suppose it looks like just one more post for this thread. Ah, well...