That’s a fair point, but in my mind a car is essential in this world. It gives you mobility, protection from walkers, and shelter from wind and rain. I would keep them running at all costs. If there is no gasoline in Noah’s neighborhood, I would go to others in and near Richmond. The last thing I do is say “Fuck it” drive as far as I can get and then abandon the cars. Stop at the James River on the way out of town and fill up with water. Take all that can be carried. Nobody knows what is waiting in D.C.
I like character development as well, but it seems that more and more the show keeps beating it into the viewer. Yes, they are sad because loved ones have died. Yes, they miss the old world. Yes, they worry if they will retain their humanity or turn into animals. Yes, they worry how the next generation will view this world. Yes, yes, yes. That point is well taken. One of those asides per episode would be an improvement from 3 or 4 per episode. In this episode we have Maggie alone thinking, Daryl alone thinking, Carol and Daryl talking, Gabriel and Maggie talking, Michonne and Sasha talking, Rick talking to the group and forcing in the show title in a speech.
Don’t know why, but that really bugged me. I half expected him to look at the camera and wink. Took me out of the moment in an episode I otherwise enjoyed. I LIKE that they have never used the word zombie, I like that they go through their day-to-day interactions without once ever referencing zombie movies or zombie fiction. They live in a world where none of things ever existed. Somehow him using those exact words, and the way they were worked into the speech, I don’t know, it just didn’t feel right.
I loved this episode. The episode wasn’t showing us what it is like in-between “action” we see in the usual episodes. It was showing us that the group is coming apart, physically and emotionally, after this much time. They’ve been surviving like this for awhile, but you can’t operate that way forever. Things are worse than they’ve been in the past. Rick’s “This is what we do” type speeches about survival were falling on deaf ears. No one believes it anymore, it is just a matter of time. On many levels, they literally and figuratively have nothing left and they’re each coming apart and are beginning to fall apart as a group and as individuals.
I thought this episode did a great job in just setting our characters in an incredibly dark and empty place, a place where any thought of hope is just gone. They’ve been through too much, there is no happy ending, there isn’t sanctuary. How many times did they think there would be better days ahead, even safety (the farm, the prison, Sanctuary) only to find the world is just a place of death and violence?
My theory is Aaron’s arrival signifies the existence of a place with real safety, real community of survivors who are prospering to some measure. And our group who has sought that for themselves has now hit a spot where they can’t accept it, can’t believe it possible anymore, can’t trust it. There is far too much psychological trauma to overcome. If that is the case in regards to the plot, I think it will make for a very interesting season. Maybe not as many “action sequences” but I’m okay with that.
As per usual, just looking mopey and talking about angsty feelings is not character development. I love character development. It’s what makes good shows good. TWD cannot develop a character, even with entire episodes and half-seasons in which they do nothing but dialog.
My sense is that they lack any overarching direction, other than very broad strokes about plot. So very much of what happens seems driven to serve the moment rather than the longer term.
Take Tyreese, for instance. He struggled with reservations about killing walkers and about violence in general. Why? I don’t know. Just 'cuz. Suddenly in his last episode, he’s talking about how his dad was a big proponent of keeping your eyes open to what’s going on in the world. Did he mention his dad before? I don’t recall if he did, and I certainly don’t remember him mentioning anything about his dad impressing any world view upon him. Did that pertain at all to his semi-pacifism? I don’t know. I do know that it served the immediate moment, in that it gave a mechanism that could symbolize his letting go of the world. (Even Chad Coleman joked about how odd it was that his dad listened to the BBC.)
Sure, laud them for doing character development. But, in my opinion, they should not be lauded for substituting superficial (and at this point worn out) reflections on their sad feelings in place of actual character development.
Within a hundred miles (probably south) of Washington so we’re probably talking Virginia. No really great source I can see but even during a killer drought (all the dead frogs) I would expect something.
The whole hoard thing at the doors bothered me a little. At first when they went from the hoard at the doors to the survivors waking up my thought was that it had been a dream sequence.
[Quote=Skald the Rhymer]
One thing. How sure are we that the midnight walker assault actually happened? It seemed like Maggie’s dream to me, perhaps influenced by the storm raging outside.
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For me the crew coming out of the barn in the morning and seeing the tornado damage was pretty definitive.
Frankly, I’m thinking it’s time to wind this series up. As someone mentioned upthread, there was about ten minutes of plot in an hour ep.
I’ve tolerated most of the plot idiocies in the past, but it’s really getting to be too much. The inconsistencies regarding availability of transport, the tornado that comes just close enough to sweep away all the walkers, but not so close that it tears the doors off the barn…
Then there’s the whole lack-of-water plotline. No farms with wells for miles and miles, right? And they battle the trailing zombies at a bridge, right? A bridge over…what? OK, maybe if they were in Arizona, it could be crossing a dry wash, but this is supposed to be Virginia, fer cryin’ out loud.
Lastly, Aaron. It seems highly unlikely that his appearance will lead to anything but yet another variation on Woodbury or Terminus.
Even with all that, I only rated it “Meh” in the poll. I really want the show to be good, but it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Arriving in Washington would be a good exit point. I wish they’d flippin’ get there already.
I think so too, but our team of wanderers are too far gone to be able to accept it, and THEY wind up being the bad guys. Lot’s of angst to talk about there.
Yeah, that was part of my point above. I think the drama in this season isn’t going to be another bad guy. I think the drama is going to be driven by our regular cast of characters now being so broken they cannot fit into a safe environment which they’ve previously dreamed of.
Then they need to fade to black and let us wonder whatever happened - because hitting us over the head with the same thing week after week is, well, not going to make it any more obvious.
You either let them start making a successful run @ it (aka the Farm and Prison) to be undone by something they couldn’t forsee - or you have them on teh road with a goal in mind (aka ‘Washington’ or the ‘CDC’) - but if all you’re going to do is let them wander - well, its done.
There’s lots of places tehy can take this show - it started out so wonderfully with the wake up, realization and coming to terms with it - that now they need to start the rebuilding - we get it that ‘everyones turned to shit’ - but if thats all they have left from a story perspective, well -
At this point, I’d strategically find an island, not impossibly far from the coast, but not too close, set up a base on the coast, and over some period of time, send teams there to systematically reduce the walker population down to zero. Then, build a more permanent base there and bunker down.
But I get that that doesn’t make for gripping TV. But I want someone to at least bring it up!
Did anyone else notice the sabre toothed Doberman pinschers. They kind of reminded me of musk deer. Pretty silly looking, must have been well trained to tolerate the prosthetic canines.
As far as I’m concerned they could leave Negan out of the show. After the Governor and Terminus and all the other baddies they’ve faced, that aspect is getting old.
And why would Rick’s group not drink the water Aaron left them? If water is so scarce why would someone waste so much by poisoning it in an attempt to kill some people they don’t know? There are easier ways. I like the show but damn they hardly ever THINK.
Aaron is entirely too clean, both self and clothing. Looks like he just stepped out of an REI ad. Also, he talks like a born-again asshole. Shoot him now.
The point was that, after so much violence and trauma, Team Grimes has become so paranoid that the see betrayal and villainy around every corner. They can’t believe anyone is good. The serendipitous rainfall obviated the issue, which in fact was a bad thing. Eugene was right to volunteer to try it (though Gabriel would be a better candidate). He drinks a bit, they wait an hour, and not only would they know, but their distrust would be lessened.
But that couldn’t happen, and for a good reason. This season is about the group’s moral coarsening.
The Walking Dead gets huge ratings. Huge. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
That said, these past two episodes have been “misses” for me. Deep character development is great when it’s done well. When it’s attempted on this show it just feels amateurish. Hopefully something will actually happen next week.
Agreed; it was like hearing Zephram Cockrane using the phrase “star trek” in Star Trek: First Contact, though at least that was meant to be funny.
Agreed. We’ve already seen the group encounter 3 potential sanctuaries (CDC, the Governor’s town, & Terminus) that turned out to have horrible (& progressively worse) secrets. Time to flip things around have Rick & co encounter a legitimate sanctuary and destroy it.
That was too much must “divine providence” for me. It reminded me of the ridiculous stories the pastors would try to feed us at Bible camp, only with zombies instead of heathens.