The Walking Dead; 3.16 "Welcome to the Tombs" (open spoilers)

[voltaire]

@Human_Action

I’m assuming their staying at the prison was a mandate from AMC to keep the budget in line, I’m sure that dressing a factory as a prison strained the budget some. Assuming also that this would have been known all season, it’s unforgivable that the writers were unable to either a) make the prison valuable to the group, by making the outside world more dangerous (every time a character walked from Woodbury to the prison or back with no trouble, it highlighted how little they need a prison to be safe), or by having them invested in it (such as fields of crops), or b) think up a plausible way for the prison to be defended. What they went with was embarassing, frankly.

Your post made me curious to go back and review what I had posted in the previous episode’s thread, where I was speculating and hoping that the newly instituted dumbocracy would vote to leave the prison - doubting that even *they *would be stupid enough to stay. Since it was speculation based on the preview for this episode, I spoiler-boxed it, but now I’ll quote the relevant excerpt out in the open:

@voltaire

I don’t care how the story goes in the comic books, this show is best when they are out there on the road, exploring how the zombie apocalypse has affected everything. I realize that there are logistics and budget concerns that can make that challenging, but I see no reason why it can’t be done. If a much lamer - and presumably tighter-budgeted show - like Falling Skies manages to do it, TWD can do it, too.

They need to get out there and mix it up, instead of aimlessly hiding in farms and prisons. I want to learn more about how the larger world is dealing with the circumstances, not just a small part of Georgia. I want them to touch more on the backstory of how the zombie virus came to be, and on the possibilities of reversing it (in the unafflicted) through an antidote of some sort.

If I don’t see at least hints of some of this in the first few episodes of the next season, I think I may have to finally and regretfully abandon this show.

And I’m glad I went back to look at that thread, because **coolbyrne **had replied to the points in my post with a books-based spoiler that I didn’t read at the time. And now that I really don’t give a fuck, I read it.

I recommend that anyone as jaded as I am should also read his post. NOTE: They’re fairly major long term, high-level story-arc spoilers, but since there’s not much in the way of specifics, they’re really not that bad, even if you do plan on sticking with the show. Plus, there’s a good chance that the show will deviate greatly from the books (since that’s already happened with the Governor and other stuff, from what I’ve been told) so they’re almost not even spoilers.

All that said, if I didn’t have major gripes about the show and serious doubts about continuing to watch it, I would never want to read any of it. As it is, though, I’m glad I just did.

Now that you’ve been properly and thoroughly warned, here’s the direct link to his (spoiler boxed) post from last episode’s thread.