Wow I hadn't thought of all those details. I guess I was just into the story, so I hadn't noticed. Are you sure the neighbor that waived was the one that turned?
I'm sure as shit. The scene where the birthday neighbor dies, first it starts with the next door neighbor's car still with the trunk open and things sitting in the driveway waiting to be loaded into the trunk. Typical setup. I'm actually considering watching that episode again because I'm stoned for the first time in 2 years and also sort of buzzing. But I'll probably just rewatch Jets/Giants and then a couple of movies.
I thought the same thing until I realized that they were beating you over the head with every other plot point in the show. Not much nuance going on here.
Okay, I hadn't remembered it that way, but I prefer your way of looking at it. Makes it less ridiculous IMHO. SPOILER: There is still one thing that bothers me about the scene though: is it me or did it seem like he and Madison decided "aww, screw it" to bringing the food back after finally killing the principal? I mean they go to the trouble of getting a cart, loading the food, running for their lives, and nearly becoming a living happy meal for a newly minted living dead, right? But when Tobias gets out of the car I don't think he unloaded any food!! WTF!? I suppose he could've put something in his backpack (he had one, right?) but he took WAY more. I really want to like this series, so I'm looking for plausible reasons not to call BS here.... so far the only thing I can come up with is that they ran after the encounter, but if I remember correctly, they actually show them walking from the scene. I'd have to watch again to be sure.
Yep, you're right Byz. They even mention, very quickly mind you, that it was the coughing neighbor by name. He was loading his car exactly as you described, but he didn't seem well. Next time we seem him he is shambling toward the B-day party neighbor for a snack of soccer mom pate and Madison sees this. So she does what any good neighbor would do: makes sure the door is locked, the blinds are closed, and she and her family go about their business while their neighbor is getting turned into zombie tartar.
It's on at the right time. Nothing else really on yet, bridging you to THE WALKING DEAD premiere in October. It's alright, for what it is so far. Hopefully it gets better. Byz with some pretty damning points though. AMC smartly puts TWD commercials on between each scene to keep the fans pumped at least.
Some really good points, thanks! The school with a stash of oxy bothered me. If a student had brought that in then it would've been flushed IMO, unless it was evidence of drug dealing in which case the police would've taken it for evidence. Either way, I don't think it should be there, and certainly not in that shitty cabinet. The difference in timing between the neighbor and BF doesn't bother me as there are a few ways you can explain this. I think the easiest way is the extent of the bite. If the BF had only a mild, slow infection then he would linger until being finally going zombie, whereas the neighbor might have gotten a really nasty bite with a lot of contagions and turned quickly. If you've ever read Max Brooks WWZ this is discussed, so it isn't my idea, just something I've read in another story that I think the writers may have had in mind. I found the idea that you could have wildly different infection curves to be an interesting idea. Here is something else that has bothered me and it relates to this kid as well. How is it that the government has put such an effective clamp on information spreading about these zombies? In this day and age even the most repressive regimes find this difficult, so it stands to figure that there'd be a lot of examples of cell phone video of zombies, right? The kid has been paying attention, right? So a few people have been circulating video. However, seem to insinuate that this is a very tiny circle of people who've noticed any of the Internet info about zombies despite the apparent reality there are already quite a few people who've turned into walking meat shredders. I get that a lot of people would question the video and so on, but it seems to me these vids would've circulated WAY earlier to a MUCH larger audience. After all, if a video of a kitten playing with a ball can get tens of thousands of views I don't see why believable footage of the walking dead being killed and attacking the living would get, ya know, a few views as well. As it is, by the time they show people looking at this video on their cells, the world is already on the cusp of falling apart! I agree that the kid is destined to be a regular and he will be used as an exposition device. Yea, it is a lazy writing device. But sometimes it is necessary to move the story along in an expeditious manner IF it is used tactically. But as you mention, if this is too common it really starts to kill suspension of disbelief for me as well. I cannot agree with you enough about the show missing Darabont. Even a few years after his departure TWD's success is still based in large part on the foundation he built. The show runners have made numerous errors that, IMHO, he probably would've avoided, so I can only imagine how much better (and more popular) TWD would've been with him at the helm. Thats been my impression anyway, I could be wrong. I had thought he was forced out really early, no? Fear is lacking even this foundation and it hurts. Still, it is early and a good show can recover. I'm willing to go into season two since this season is only six episodes and probably already shot. So even if they get feedback there isn't much they could do with it until the second season. At least that's my take... Anyway, I think I came away liking these first two episodes a bit more than you, but I've been looking forward to this series for so long I think I'm inclined to be more forgiving simply because I want this damn series to work. Know what I mean? I still have high hopes for all the interesting things that can be explored in dealing with a society coming apart and under stress. This is a good convo, I hope it continues.
I made it through 15 minutes of the premiere before being honest with myself and admitting there is no enjoyment sitting through this piece of shit show just because I enjoy the other Walking Dead.
The explanations you came up with aren't lost on me, they are good ones. I also find myself logically bridging the gaps, which is also why I will keep watching, with the hope that it'll get better. Darabont... I don't have the respect for him that you do. He's made some excellent movies, he made the early TWD good, but he's also made some stinker movies and he fired all of the TWD writers right before the worst season of the series. I won't be back on this site for at least a month or so, but if you need me to, I'll find a citation when I log on again. I'm enjoying this convo as well, you're an open mind. Peace.
Not impressed and agree with alot of the commentary here.. My advice, smoke a bowl and talk shit like MST3K..
So another episode has passed. The convo has sort of petered out, but methinks that is a sign of the general interest in the show. I want this show to succeed, I really do. I like the fictional "universe" for the most part, I like the subject/topic/whatever you wanna call it, I like the angle they are taking on it, and I am intrigued by what happens when the social fabric is tested and, as is often the case, subsequently tears. Still, the show continues to rack up some fairly stupid moments. SPOILERS ahead: 1. Why in the world doesn't Madison want to tell her daughter about the potentially life-threatening zombies lurking outside? This would be like not telling your daughter about the rapist outside when, in fact, you KNOW there is a damn rapist outside. What shit-for-brains parent does that? 2. While in the barber shop the son (can't recall his name) is looking thru a security slit and sees what appears to be a zombie looking back. The thing is, this Zombie is walking around a bunch of living people! Now why in the world would this zombie give a flying fart about the people behind the cage when he has a lovely selection of food on the hoof within arms reach all around him!? In fact, why isn't this zombie munching down on all the human zombie lunches vandalizing property around him? It seemed like this particular zombie didn't so much enjoy eating flesh as he enjoyed frightening kids. Perhaps a sort of quasi-pederast zombie? 3. Spanish guy teaches son to use a shotgun and dad gets mad because he "doesn't like guns". Okay, I get that the dude has strong political views. I don't like guns either but that is because I think they are dangerous in a CIVILIZED place (more to say, not gonna say it, don't want a political fight). However, seeing as the government at that point seemed to be falling, society was melting, and people were being turned into chew toys for the undead, I can assure you with utter certainty that my pansy ass would find guns. Notice I didn't say "a gun." Fuck that., the time for politics is over. In the undead apocalypse I want me and family to be armed like Rambo. I mean, does this guy think that the Zombies will be adhering to the next laws passed by the Supreme Court?! Perhaps if the local municipality passes an "No Zombies" law then they'll go away, right!? Moron. Or does he think there are zombie democrats and zombie republicans!? Okay, he might be on to something with the last one, but otherwise the little moment was patently ridiculous... So here I am, trying to hold out hope for this series, and I need some moral support here folks. Help me suspend my disbelief!
As you can see from my comments I am having some issues with the show as well, but I wouldn't be so quick to judge if you like the general genre. Most first episodes, and even first seasons, have hang ups. This show has quite a few tho so I get where you're coming from. Some shows tweak and get it right, others die. Does anyone here remember My Name is Earl? The first few episodes Randy was a real dick. Then they changed his character to be more of a lovable moron. Made a world of difference since part of the show was that Earl was fighting some of his natural inclinations to being a dick to people, so making a show. Where one character wasn't redeemable sometimes and the other wasn't often just wasn't gonna work. After that change the show was great until the writing tanked. But if you had judged that show on the first episode, or just the first 15 minutes of that episode, then you'd probably have missed a really endearing and funny (for me) series..... and I generally hate sitcoms, but I really liked the ethical issues embedded within the story structures.
Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. I find that trying to find reasonable explanations for things in movies and TV series increases my enjoyment of them. The unfortunate reality is that the medium doesn't lend itself to full explanations without some creative writing, dodgy expository tactics like you mentioned before, or alluding the answers. Otherwise the story just has to move on. This leaves the watcher with trying to infer/deduce (damned if I can't recall which is correct in which circumstance.... never can) how different things could logically or reasonably be explained. The problem comes when there isn't any reasonable explanation--that is when my suspension of disbelief comes crashing down like a third world apartment building. This is why I appreciate people like yourself who like to analyze shows, movies, etc. I find it a very enjoyable exercise and you've hit on some really excellent points, a number of which I had missed. BTW, no need for a citation. I must be remembering things wrong, but what you're saying makes sense and definitely causes me to rethink my confidence in Darabont. I wonder if perhaps he'd have been better as a sort of Executive Producer so he could lay the foundation of the show, but leave the day-to-day to others? I dunno. In any event, I really do wish this new show had the same great beginning as TWD. However, I am not sure that was going to be workable. Perhaps they should've taken a page out of Breaking Bad's script on how you can start small and build up...... Of course that conjures images of Zombie meth heads, but I repeat myself. Enjoy your break from TGG and "see" you in a few weeks.
Number of likable characters so far: 0 Average number of zombie kills per episode: 2 Being stuck in the zombie apocalypse with your wife and ex-wife: priceless
LMAO! Okay, I buy it! Shoot, zombies gotta have hankerings too, right? Zombie1: ugh, I'm hungry. zombie2: (moan) okay, how about Mexican? There's a Taco Bell worker trying to run away not fifteen feet away.... zombie1: no way, those guys give me the shits. Anyway, I'm not feeling it. How about some Person Tikka Masala? I could really go for some Indian right now.... Zombie2: sounds great! (And they lumber off looking for an Indian guy..,,)
Nice! The ex-wife is really cute, but Dickinson's character (Madison) is annoying and she lost too much weight, so she seems downright scrawny. She was way better in Deadwood. For anyone who doesn't remember her here was my favorite line: "We'll come on on Jane, the cold breeze is nippy on my twat..." Poetry man, that show was pure poetry....
Drug kid to mom: "Ssssshhhh, be quiet, we don't want to draw the attention of the zombie outside." Mom to drug kid: "Yes, be very quiet, keep whispering." (Shines flashlight all over curtains and points it directly at zombie)
Quick review of tonight's episode..... Best part: when Madison beat the shit out of her junkie son Nick. Worst part: the parts of the show before and after Madison beat the shit out of her junkie son Nick. I want to like this show, but if Madison does one more stupid thing I am gonna start rooting for the zombies. So who else is still watching? The biggest upside is I think the last two episodes will Really pick up. I just hope it is enough to save this show.
