…what if the general plot and all the characters were already written down, perhaps in some other medium? Might that make it easier for the writers?
The writing on this show is really, truly weak. I feel like they are trying to do clever and innovative things, but it just fall flat with a thud.
Heh. Hey, spin-off! 
Good points. All the interesting zombie books I’ve read (or post-apocalyptic novels in general) were interesting because of the characters and their interactions, and the way I became invested in them and was with them every step of the way as they learned and fought and were in danger. “The Walking Dead” has been successful because we all became so invested in the characters. I am not sure if the show runners know that.
Yep, that’s exactly the way I feel. As soon as they starting splitting people up again this season, I knew it was going to go downhill. The best shows are when they’re all interacting with each other. The Walkers are just background.
The comics are a couple of years ahead of the TV series. While the TV show diverges in many ways, it is following the general story arc and always has. There are interesting developments on the way and I’m looking forward to seeing how the TV series interprets the current storyline.
It’s also worth mentioning that the creator/writer of the comics, Robert Kirkman, is a producer of the TV show. They definitely know where they’re going with the story.
As negative as I have been about this season, I’m still in and still optimistic that things will turn around. Not ready to give up yet-- this used to be the best show on TV at one time, and I hope it will be again!!
Well, without giving anything away, I can say that the big bad in the current comics is pretty interesting and fairly different to the previous baddies. And that there’s more of the post-post-apocalyptic rebuilding coming, which I also find pretty interesting.
My thoughts on Negan leaving guns with the women of Oceanside:
It didn’t happen that way. The elder lady (Natania?) explained that they built their community after the skirmish with the Saviors. They ran. They built a well hidden community in the woods. So my thinking is the guns they have, they got from supply runs long after they hid from the Saviors.
Speaking of running…watching Tara run was my favorite part of the episode…:dubious:
If they’ve developed ocean-fishing skills, how about getting some boats and sailing the entire community down the coast, settling in the Keys or on any number of defensible islands?
Heck, maybe Cuba. Gitmo’s got lots of fences. Weapons too, probably. It’d be worth a look-see.
Stealing this 
I can’t even remember when Tara and bloke seperated from the main crew, I was surprised when she thought she had a girlfriend to return to. Guess I must go read some recaps…
As a similarly large bosomed lady, I sympathised - it’s tricky enough finding supportive garments in the age of the internet, imagine having to hunt down a 34HH in the middle of the zombie apocalypse!
Was the actress pregnant IRL last series, or am I getting mixed up?
You aren’t far off. Over the years, after watching The Sopranos, Oz, 24, Battlestar Galactica, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead (season 1), and just hearing about Breaking Bad, The Wire, Sons of Anarchy and a couple of others I am honestly burned out on bleak, violent TV series that try to shock you each week by doing something horrific to some beloved character.
Wait a sec, the black guy isn’t confirmed dead and it looks like he took off in the RV…
So is the next episode about him?
Oh, hell.
Probably. On *Talking Dead *she said she had a newborn on set.
He wasn’t confirmed dead. She saw a Zombie that looked like him from the back but it was actually a woman. At least that was what it looked like to me.
Yes, it looked like that to me, too, which is why I said he wasn’t confirmed dead.
I thought it was he, Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) thought it was a woman. She is apparently correct, since he drove away.
And the next episode will be boringly about him. Perhaps he will get a haircut.
The black zombie with his haircut had boobs and was wearing a dress, so yeah, definitely a woman.
Can we please learn that Tara’s co-scavenger has a name - Heath - and stop referring to him by his skin colour? Because that’s kind of insensitive.
I mean, Tara yelled his name about 20 times during the episode, so you had plenty of chances to learn it.