The Walking Dead: Discussion Thread

[ChitHappens]

And Cryreese's head of all people!

[DRW50]

I don't really think it was about Tyreese's head. It was about various themes of good and evil on the show. Tyreese had no great reason to think about people like The Governor. They were doing it to show viewers the best and worst in people, and then Tyreese choosing to die because he couldn't take the worst.

I wasn't thrilled with all of it myself but I thought some of it worked. I prefer this to shock value deaths.

[ChitHappens]

I see your point, Carl, but that didn't need to be an entire hour.

Edited February 9, 2015 by ChitHappens

[Cheap21]

my god, why did this episode waste so much time on Dead Man Walking? I was glad Tyrese is gone but did not need an episode focused on him.

Only good part was seeing Gov. YAY! I loved me some of him

[Antoyne]

Yesssssss. Ding dong Cryreese is DEAD. Why the hell though did we have to spend episode after episode hearing about Karen and the bitch doesn't even pop up for his death?

[quartermainefan]

While I couldn't care about Tyrese I thought the extended death sequence was interesting and well done. This is an ongoing show with no end in sight, why can't they take a 1hour detour into deathland? It might have been cool to have seen this for Merle or Shane, but the show probably didn't think of it.

[Vee]

Soooo, I guess I will be the first to say I really liked tonight's show. It was a bit of a cooldown, but it played the beats it deeply needed to with both Maggie and Sasha, who are two of my favorite characters and got a good spotlight. That ending scene with the sunrise was beautiful, and perfectly done by Lauren Cohan and Sonequa Martin-Green (who, it must be said, have real chemistry - feel free to explore the Glenn/Maggie/Sasha triangle in Season 6!). The big family stand against the barn doors was also very well-done. It doesn't matter if it's an old narrative stand-by if it's well-done.

Also some very good work by Norman Reedus, as always. He gets taken for granted because he is one of the show's most popular characters, but there happens to be a reason for that; he's very good, and the character is not a cliche. His pain is as valid as the girls' and it played well. I also appreciated Rick's anecdote, and Michonne and Daryl both pushing back against the old Kirkman "we are the walking dead" line, which is a little tired. I think they did all this to build hope for the second half of the season, and I think it's coming through clearly now, through Michonne and Daryl and others, who are pitched as the voice of truth. That means even more coming from Daryl, considering he could easily be a character Kirkman could have pinned his teenage nihilism on, but the showrunners have never allowed that.

I could let Eugene, Abraham, whatsername with the cap and several others die, but I am glad Seth Gilliam's character is getting some development. Maggie is clearly not totally not done with her faith, and he is adjusting to the world. I think that's interesting to see and I think there is a place for a more evolver, stronger Gabriel as a man of God.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Vee

[quartermainefan]

I really want to know who this new guy is. His clothes are clean, he has a nice shave, and he doesn't seem to be all that hungry. I could believe there are survivors wherever it is that they are, but how does this person, good or bad, know Rick's name?

As for the episode itself, I am glad they finally addressed their dumb writing when it came to Maggie's complete disinterest in Beth this entire year. That was sloppy but at least they know it. Love Daryl and Carol, but Sasha mourning her waste brother and crying priest burning his collar do nothing for me. Abraham's drinking his depression away also doesn't interest me and he should have let whatever it is his name is taste the water. That guy is useless too. If Carl gets any taller he will soon be taller than Rick. I loved him as the crazy mini killer who looked 12 but could kill as well as anyone, but as he gets taller and taller that charm evaporates. Now he is just a regular person.

[DRW50]

I finally got to watch the episode this morning.

How much of that rain scene was designed for the horny viewer at home? Not sure who would win in a wet T-shirt contest between Rick, Rosita and Tara.

I had mixed feelings about the episode. I felt like it was one of those that had such low lows that they felt the need to insert high highs (for this show).

One of my problems with the highs is they just felt very Hollywood for me. Does that mean I disliked them? No, not entirely. They just nagged a little. Scenes like the rush against the barn door - I like the idea, I liked the scene, and yes, I'm glad for solidarity and a reminder that the group stands together and must be together to truly survive, but the way it was filmed just seemed so unlike TWD. The same with the scene walking out of the barn (although the impaled walkers amused me).

And I felt like some scenes, several scenes, ran on too long, and were full of telling-not-showing. I realize when they don't tell too much, some fans say it's confusing, but I didn't need scenes like Gabriel saying, "I'm sorry I stopped believing!" I wish he'd just looked up at the rain and smiled. And the music box just felt so heavy-handed, as did Aaron's CAN-THEY-TRUST-HIM arrival. The thing is, if you keep telling us maybe we can't trust this person, then we will never trust a new character. They will always seem shady. Their first scenes also seem increasingly stilted and artificial, like that car commercial that used to run (does it still run?) where the people are confused at the man who survives the ZA with a cool car, or whatever.

I also felt like there were a few too many padded scenes of talking about being sick and weak and wandering along the roadside. It felt very self-serious and borderline parody.

The other small thing that annoyed me was when Michonne grabbed Sasha in the middle of Sasha going HAM on a walker. I understand why Michonne did it - Sasha was out of control and had a death wish - but the way it was framed, there was a walker right next to Sasha. I had no idea how Sasha did not get bit.

So, what did I like?

- Michonne in a central role, taking Sasha in hand when everyone else (aside from Maggie, who was giving more of the soft, quiet approach of mutual loss) was letting her just drown in herself. It was a new side of Michonne, and it was a reinforcement of how vital she is to the group. She has no time for these crises, and I can respect that.

- The scene with Maggie and the car trunk. It went on a little, but I just liked how it represented Maggie's paralysis over her choices and over the world they lived in. Then when she wanted to kill the walker inside, do the right thing, it was too late. Overall I thought this was an episode Maggie needed, and one of her strongest in a long time. She wasn't just a part of a group, with her thoughts and feelings left for us to grasp at or make up for ourselves. We finally got to hear her voice on her terms. And frankly, as someone who has always liked the character even when it was cool to call her a selfish bitch who only cared about dick, I don't give a crap if this was some sort of afterthought writing to make up for lack of mention in 4B and 5A. I'm still glad she said it and tried to express why she hadn't mentioned Beth. If that's too late for some people, that's up to them. I still like the character, and I always will.

- I liked that Carol, Glenn, Daryl and Michonne all represented different types of hope, while not being Disney-type voices of the right path. I also liked that Rick's more hardened view was challenged, but not in the old ways of seasons 2 or 3 where it was one person shouting against another person and all kinds of conflict for the sake of conflict. These people are friends, and we saw that here.

- As much as I dreaded Daryl Woobie Hour, the limited scenes we got worked for me, especially the harrowing scene of him burning himself with a cigarette, so he could feel something (anything), and as a reminder that he is still, deep down, an abused child. I was shocked that scene got through. His conversation with Carol was moving, and mature, and very them at their best; it was nice to see Carol there for him.

- Sasha feeling alienated and needing to be alienated, always at a distance. Yet she never just seemed sullen or unpleasant, as can happen with poor writing choices. I hadn't expected them to show as much of her struggle as they did. The scene of her killing the dogs was also a real jolt, and very interesting to me in terms of her role in the group - it was a reminder that she's always been a little separate from them, and they need this.

- Even with the music box cheese, I liked the Maggie/Sasha scenes. Lauren Cohan talked to Hardwick about how much she appreciates this relationship, and I can see why. I'm glad to see it revisited. And as much as the rain scene felt a little too long for me, the shot of her and Sasha being the only two to not react did get to me.

Edited February 16, 2015 by DRW50

[slick jones]

Thoughts on last night...

Rick gives good speech. He can't back it up a lot, but he rises to the occasion to speak...

Maggie needed some grieving time, so I'll let that go.

I don't understand when Abraham has the time to dye his hair Ronald McDonald red in in a post apocalyptic world, but I don't give a rat's *ss about him so that's not important to me either...He can drink his wife beater wearing self to death for all I care...Rosita and Eugene can be his lunch before he gets put down. Those are three too many characters I wouldn't miss.

When Darryl cries, the world cries. I loved the look on Carol's face in that scene mentioned above.

What to do about Gabriel? .....????????

Michonne, Rick, Darryl, Carol and Glenn all stepping up and taking care of the others(like the leaders they are were good scenes as well.

Sasha's rage (even over Cryreese...yawwwwwwnnnnnn)..Sonequa is wonderful, and I want to see much more of her growth. Noah's scene, looking guilty over Cryreese was good, too. I want to see him interact more with the others.

Overall, a solid episode, and I'm looking forward to Aaron..."Hey...it's the new guy....Hi new guy!" We'll see what happens.

[DRW50]

When Daryl cries I mostly roll my eyes.

[slick jones]

I wish sarcasm translated better...I did mean that sarcsastically...

[ChitHappens]

Super happy we are getting back to the action. All this [!@#$%^&*] crying has got to stop!

[Antoyne]

It's hard for me to watch all this grieving over two characters I never liked.

[slick jones]

Great episode tonight. I'll post later so those of you that were watching the Oscars have a chance to watch!