It was still weird that they depicted him as the only person recording the events. He even had a line about how what he was doing was “important”. Even 6 years ago everybody with a cell phone (that is, almost everybody) would have had it out and would have been recording.
Wow, what the fuck. The first episode was available to stream for free on AMC’s site the day after (and it still is). I saw this morning they put up a stream for Episode 2, but in order to watch it you have to sign in with a cable provider’s account. Changing the rules like that is some major bullshit. Due to my TWD fandom, I was curious enough about this show to watch it despite it being bad with terrible characters, but it’s not even worth torrenting let alone paying for.
I do like that you are getting to see more of the spread of the virus and watching society fall apart but I’m just not getting into this one as much as the original.
That annoys the hell outta me, as well.
The writers are still setting the scenes for the zombie pandemic. What’s missing is why the media outlets haven’t yet made these reanimations the only story du jour. It’s been reported that several dead people have woken up and are now eating people. And now, the weather for the weekend.
All of the characters have to decide for themselves how best to deal with the bizarre events of the last few days. Some will get lucky and survive until season two. Some have seen things they don’t understand, but don’t want to panic their families or friends. Hunker down, or flee to the desert? Attack the police, riot, or stock up on supplies?
Nick the junkie is a liar, scam artist, and willing to do whatever it takes, including killing his friend, to stay alive. Useful skills in a zombie apocalypse. It seems that Nick’s mom has seen way too many druggy outbursts, and teenage angst to be rendered mentally useless by an attack by Principle Big Ears. Nick’s stepdad(?)/father is a DIY type guy who owns an older, fixer-upper pickup, and doesn’t easily panic.
The new Latino family hasn’t been fleshed out yet. Religious and not overwhelmed by a riot outside of their shop/home. Maybe they’re used to riots in their neighborhood/LA???
Everyone texted in 2009. The girl is shown routinely texting her boyfriend on her smart phone. It’s just a little ridiculous that the dad tries calling his son over an over, and never once just texts “CALL ME IT’S AN EMERGENCY.” I’m OK with a little clueless-ness and keeping secrets for dramatic effect, but there was too much of it in this episode.
This was better than week one but still not-great. The most effective scene was the brief moment at the end while they watched as their neighbor was killed in her front yard. It was well staged and horrifying. A whole episode that evokes that kind of emotion please.
Unfortunately I don’t think Tobias is long for this world. He’s only on the IMDB for 2 eps. Unless they bring him back lean, mean, and acne-free in Season 4 when he becomes the Morgan of FtWD. It’s too bad, because so far I like him and Travis best.
StG
Part of the frustration factor is that we all know damn well what’s going on, but the characters live in a world that apparently didn’t evolve horror movies, much less Romero Zombie Films, and consequently, have NO idea what’s going on. They’re trying to react realistically… after all, if any of YOU turned up at my house acting funny and not talking, my first thought would not be “Welp, they’re all zombies, get the shotgun.”
Unfortunately, this leads to frustration for us, the viewers, as we scream “HE’S A FRAGGIN’ ZOMBIE, YOU DUMB BIM, SMASH HIS HEAD BEFORE HE EATS THE CANNED GOODS KID!” It also leads to some frustration because the principal seems to have died for some reason. Why? Most high schools don’t have THAT many suddenly lethal situations, particularly when half the kids are out sick. Does this zombie virus actually kill some of the healthy people? Or did the blood streak on his back indicate a more violent end? We’ll never know.
I also notice that we have killed pretty much every named black character, now. First. Although boyfriend dude is not dead, it’s a pretty safe bet that in an episode or two, Idiot Daughter will sneak out to check on him, only to be almost consumed by him and his returned parents. I’m kind of hoping her parents are too late to save her.
I am also wondering what we are going to do with Ruben Blades, a supremely talented guy. Who had nearly nothing to do in this episode, although the coming attractions seem to indicate that they’ll need to bust out of that barbershop in the near future…
Two major gripes: I am in complete agreement about Dad’s silence issues. WTF? And when he’s barrelling across town to save his family, I just kept thinking, “What were you planning on telling your ex and son to get them to cooperate? Hell, you wouldn’t even tell your junkie stepson that perhaps he’s not COMPLETELY crazy, or contact the cops about gore splats in the church, even after you accidentally put your hand in one. What, are you just going to pick them up, sling them over your shoulder, and storm back out to the truck? Good thing there’s a zombie apocalypse going on, or you’d never get away with that…”
And, of course, the issue of keeping Schedule I and II medications in a locker that a reasonably determined junkie could open with his teeth. We speculated that perhaps these meds were confiscated from drug dealing students… which then made me wonder why Dead Principal didn’t simply turn them over to the cops, like my principal would, and why a guidance counselor would know where they were in the first place.
Overall grade: better than the pilot episode, but this is shaping up much like the second season of Walking Dead: dull and cheap. We need to improve, and do it quick.
I get the feeling the writers are in that “Everyone Loves Raymond” mindset of “a million people are going to watch it anyway, let’s just call it good and go home.”
Yeah, the kid knows way too much. And we can’t have that, now can we?
AMC’s already renewed it for a second season.
(post shortened)
Maybe this is the Latino version of The Walking Dead? What have you got against Latinos? Can’t Latinos have their own zombie apocalypse in LA, or California?
The silence is a little frustrating, but keep in mind that they have killed each of the zombies they encountered. They don’t know they were dead, and they had put down a walking corpse. They see people that were friends, who seem sick, severely injured, and inexplicably violent which is bad enough. On top of that, they either killed or were complicit in the killing of these people. So telling the daughter means recounting something that sounds really crazy when you say it, which they can barely believe themselves. It requires confessing to murder even though it was self defense. The person you are telling wasn’t there and didn’t see the highly unlikely horror show you experienced, so it would be easy for them to second guess what you say happened and what you did. It’s bad enough telling your child something that will terrify them, without possibly making yourself look like a monster as well. They are thinking if they can just everyone out of town, they can tell them about what happened when they are at a safe distance so they story doesn’t have to be so terrifying.
CH-king!
Sadly Tobias is the only character I found interesting enough to care about. It’s not like I haven’t been trying but no one else is really compelling in any way. They all just kinda feel more like props than heroes. I’m sure it’s more realistic but it’s not bery interesting.
I’ll keep watching though. It’s not like there are better choices on Sunday night. I’m pretty disappointing they’re already taking next Sunday off. More time to care less about these people. Not a good thing.
Seriously, FtWD, the first three named characters who die are the only three named characters who are black? Seriously?!
The one bit that really pissed me off is that after killing the principle, they strolled out to the car without bringing the food they risked their lives for. For shame, pizza face. You paid the price, keep the reward.
I for one am glad to see minorities get more meaty roles.
I should be disgruntled too, were I to make bad puns. :dubious:
And in a zombie apocalypse … that’s a Good Thing. -Martha Stewart
Still no eye-candy. I need a Daryl or Rick too overshadow plot holes.
Did Nick fake his Grand Mal? Just to keep his sister from leaving the house?