Calling All Walkers... Dinner Is Served

SecondCircle

Sin Cara
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Posts
1,410
So... any Walking Dead fans out there? Thoughts on the premiere of the new season? Anyone wanna bite?

I thought it was a good start. The pieces are set, the drama is still in place, and I must say that makeup and effects are at their best. Our favorite characters have returned and the villains still lurk on the horizon (and others still claw at the fences).

*note* if you don't like what you see, read, or hear, like... please leave... or whatever. Only flesh eaters are allowed.
 
About to premiere here on the West Coast! Watching the season 3 finale, ready for the new season! :nana:
 
Every time I see how successful this show and the comics before it have been I always go back to when I first opened my store which is the year WD came out.

Diamond comics sent me 6 free copies of #3 because it wasn't selling and they were trying to push it.

I smelled hit and ordered two dozen copies of #1 and 2 and just unloaded the last of them for big money.

I used to push the shit out of it and a customer I sold some issues to wrote into Kirkman and I got the name of my store posted in issue #10. Unfortunately that did nothing to increase the value of that issue.

I gave up on the series when it seemed to me Kirkman began getting even more over the top in his violence and sickness and it seemed contrived rather than fitting the story.

I've heard the show is more tame, but I watch little to no tv other than sports and have no desire to watch it.

I've heard sales are down on the comic, but not sure if that's true, I only deal in older comics these days.
 
So... any Walking Dead fans out there? Thoughts on the premiere of the new season? Anyone wanna bite?

I thought it was a good start. The pieces are set, the drama is still in place, and I must say that makeup and effects are at their best. Our favorite characters have returned and the villains still lurk on the horizon (and others still claw at the fences).

*note* if you don't like what you see, read, or hear, like... please leave... or whatever. Only flesh eaters are allowed.

Me! Me! I'm a fan! :) Of the show, not the comic, but that's about only because I haven't had a chance to read much of the comic.

I thought the premiere was pretty cool. As most premieres do, it has to pick up from before yet set up for what's coming, and they did a pretty good job, I thought. It's nice to see Rick mostly back from Crazytown, and generally to see some new faces.

The "raining zombies" scene in the big store was neatly done. I know some people are questioning why the roof was soft in spots, but I think that's pretty easily explained, between the helicopter and just weather in general with no one to do spot maintenance. Anyway, it worked for me and I liked the reveal of the zombies and helicopter up top -- it's fun when you know something will happen but the other characters don't.

One thing I haven't seen any comment on -- and I watched Talking Dead and read the AV Club recap -- is the eyes. Mostly the zombies have eyes that look like they have cataracts, but there were one or two along the fence that had clearer eyes. And after Patrick (the kid with the glasses) died in the shower and then "woke up," his eyes looked like that zombie.

Yet I haven't seen anything about it and I think it's there for a reason. I think they're going to find out that there's something in the food, perhaps. On Talking Dead, Nathan Fillion suggested there was a new airborne virus, but if that was true, I think more people would have it; I think we might have seen more people complaining of being sick. So I think it is a new virus, but not spread quite so easily. Also, if it is a new virus and it does something different to the zombies, maybe the zombies will be different? Quicker? Able to "think" somehow?
 
I think for the subject matter, we'll call them walkers since the "Z" word seems to attract sniveling noses, an episodic series fits better.

Movies with walkers in them can only do so much with the time given without spinning out tiresome sequels. Two hours of "outbreak begins, pandemonium, on group of survivor perspective, grisly ending" gets old. The movies became so saturated with walkers that we rolled our eyes every time a new one came out.

I like the Walking Dead because it keeps going, following great characters and events in the apocalypse. It's like you've been in the ordeal with them. Lost some friends. Made new ones, seen the ups and downs of trying to build a life in the new world. And we get to see the disease in each of its stages as they progress.
 
I think for the subject matter, we'll call them walkers since the "Z" word seems to attract sniveling noses, an episodic series fits better.

Movies with walkers in them can only do so much with the time given without spinning out tiresome sequels. Two hours of "outbreak begins, pandemonium, on group of survivor perspective, grisly ending" gets old. The movies became so saturated with walkers that we rolled our eyes every time a new one came out.

I like the Walking Dead because it keeps going, following great characters and events in the apocalypse. It's like you've been in the ordeal with them. Lost some friends. Made new ones, seen the ups and downs of trying to build a life in the new world. And we get to see the disease in each of its stages as they progress.

Yeah, I know I should call them "walkers," but it's habit from other sources to call them "zombies." I'll work on it. It also seems odd that no one in this universe calls them zombies, but I guess there was no George Romero, etc.

Movies and TV are different mediums, and perhaps television is better suited to some stories. I like how in TWD, as you said, you get to follow more people for longer periods and see how the act, react, try to rebuild, etc. I like a good zombie movie, but to me they're mostly good for really setting the stage of the larger story -- you get the breakdown, and maybe you get to the edge of where things can "settle down" and the survivors can start thinking of rebuilding as opposed to just surviving.

And I think most zombie stories have always been far less about the zombies than about how the people who aren't zombies behave in the aftermath.
 
Not really a fan. To me Zombie movies, TV shows rank right up there with Vampires. Stupid and uninteresting. About the only vampire series I liked was Buffy and I liked it for it's campiness and incredibly stupid premise.

I even watched the complete World War Z movie, hoping it might redeem itself, but alas I was temped to turn it off...because everyone know zombies don't move fast. Well not in the real world at least. Right? :D
 
Yet I haven't seen anything about it and I think it's there for a reason. I think they're going to find out that there's something in the food, perhaps. On Talking Dead, Nathan Fillion suggested there was a new airborne virus, but if that was true, I think more people would have it; I think we might have seen more people complaining of being sick. So I think it is a new virus, but not spread quite so easily. Also, if it is a new virus and it does something different to the zombies, maybe the zombies will be different? Quicker? Able to "think" somehow?

I actually watched the marathon that AMC was running this past week and weekend leading up to the premier. I know - I know - get a life! LOL But once I got hooked I couldn't stop. Anyway, a couple of thoughts on the show. I think they have way too many characters on the show now and it seems to me they are just looking for more "victims" without having to kill any main characters. Although it doesn't seem they have had any problem in doing that in the past shows so I could be wrong there. But again, I think it is going to be harder to write episodes and concentrate on their main character story lines with some many "extras" now on the show.

As far as the new virus, I think that is exactly what is going on. I think most people forgot that "Violet" the pig died in the show and I think whatever killed the pig is the same thing that killed the kid in the shower. So to me that was a key part in figuring out what is going to start turning people now.
 
Not really a fan. To me Zombie movies, TV shows rank right up there with Vampires. Stupid and uninteresting. About the only vampire series I liked was Buffy and I liked it for it's campiness and incredibly stupid premise.

I think that just about any premise can be legit, so long as the writers take it seriously and set out rules that they follow, and of course give you well-developed characters that you get vested in and want to follow. This doesn't mean you have to like the characters; after all, JR Ewing was one of the most hated, but most famous and beloved, characters in TV.

And most stories about any kind of monster are less about the monster - and zombies are pretty dull monsters, mostly - than about the people and their reaction to the situation. That's where you find out who you like, who you don't, and who is worth watching even if you don't like them.

I even watched the complete World War Z movie, hoping it might redeem itself, but alas I was temped to turn it off...because everyone know zombies don't move fast. Well not in the real world at least. Right? :D

Depends on your zombies. ;) In 28 Days Later, the zombies were superfast, although they weren't necessarily "true" zombies. They were people infected with a rage virus. I read an e-book by William Gibson where the zombies learned. There's also a website called Living With the Dead (dot com), where a guy chronicles the daily life as zombies take over. It's pretty neat; every so often he puts the entries into a book, and I've gotten four of those for free. I should check for the fifth. In those stories, at least when I left off, there were "smart" zombies that could learn and plan attacks.

I want to watch WWZ, just because. I've read the book and know the movie will be nothing like that. Man I wish someone like AMC or HBO or even Starz would turn that book into a series, using the stuff in the book.
 
I actually watched the marathon that AMC was running this past week and weekend leading up to the premier. I know - I know - get a life! LOL But once I got hooked I couldn't stop. Anyway, a couple of thoughts on the show. I think they have way too many characters on the show now and it seems to me they are just looking for more "victims" without having to kill any main characters. Although it doesn't seem they have had any problem in doing that in the past shows so I could be wrong there. But again, I think it is going to be harder to write episodes and concentrate on their main character story lines with some many "extras" now on the show.

I think you're right, most of the newcomers won't last long. That will be another interesting thing to watch, who stays and who dies. According to the Exec. Producer, who was on Talking Dead last night, there will be a few more characters from the comics who played big roles coming on, but they aren't here yet. I think they need their core group -- Rick, Carl, Carol, Daryl, Herschel, Glenn, Maggie and Beth to some extent -- but I wouldn't count any of them totally safe except Rick, Daryl and probably Carl.

They do seem to have this planned out, though, so hopefully they've got the arcs and everything ready to go.

As far as the new virus, I think that is exactly what is going on. I think most people forgot that "Violet" the pig died in the show and I think whatever killed the pig is the same thing that killed the kid in the shower. So to me that was a key part in figuring out what is going to start turning people now.

I'm not sure if people forgot Violet died, but surely everyone noticed there was something not right with the pig, if only because Carl said so early on. We recorded it and watched after it started, and something got a little messed up -- we had missed the first 15-20 mins after the intro and so a few things didn't make sense. Anyway, once we went back to watch what we missed, the whole thing with the eyes fell into place for me (although in reverse, since I saw Patrick first).

Nathan Fillion noted on Talking Dead as well that before Patrick died, he probably infected that shower water supply. Does that mean more of the water is infected? And Patrick thanked Daryl for bringing back a deer -- that's when I wondered, along with Violet, if the food was now "infected."

Or, since everyone is infected, as we know from season one, maybe now there's something that triggers it earlier? But I'm mostly curious to see if this results in a difference in walker behavior.

Talking Dead also showed an extended scene from next week, which is apparently the opening scene, of someone with a flash light at the fence feeding a hamster (or mouse or whatever) to the walkers. No indication of who it was, although of course you have to wonder if it's the Governor.
 
I think that just about any premise can be legit, so long as the writers take it seriously and set out rules that they follow, and of course give you well-developed characters that you get vested in and want to follow. This doesn't mean you have to like the characters; after all, JR Ewing was one of the most hated, but most famous and beloved, characters in TV.

And most stories about any kind of monster are less about the monster - and zombies are pretty dull monsters, mostly - than about the people and their reaction to the situation. That's where you find out who you like, who you don't, and who is worth watching even if you don't like them.



Depends on your zombies. ;) In 28 Days Later, the zombies were superfast, although they weren't necessarily "true" zombies. They were people infected with a rage virus. I read an e-book by William Gibson where the zombies learned. There's also a website called Living With the Dead (dot com), where a guy chronicles the daily life as zombies take over. It's pretty neat; every so often he puts the entries into a book, and I've gotten four of those for free. I should check for the fifth. In those stories, at least when I left off, there were "smart" zombies that could learn and plan attacks.

I want to watch WWZ, just because. I've read the book and know the movie will be nothing like that. Man I wish someone like AMC or HBO or even Starz would turn that book into a series, using the stuff in the book.

Never was a fan of soap operas, which is what Dallas was. A Prime Time soap opera.

List of things I'm not a real fan of: Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, that about does it.
My favorite werewolf movie was: Abbott and Costello Meet the Werewolf.
My favorite vampire movie: Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula.

Then there was Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy, that was a funny movie.

That is where Zombies should be relegated, comedy.

As for being about the people involved in the story.

I watched the first three episodes of Under the Dome, kind of a zombie story without the zombies. I quit watching after that. Everything was so predictable.

The same with zombie, vampire, werewolf movies. They are all so predictable.
 
As for being about the people involved in the story.

I watched the first three episodes of Under the Dome, kind of a zombie story without the zombies. I quit watching after that. Everything was so predictable.

The same with zombie, vampire, werewolf movies. They are all so predictable.

But what you're complaining about says a lot more about the writing of those movies/shows than about the topic or genre itself. Now if you simply don't like those things, and no show will be well-written enough for you, then no problem.

And some things are predictable, but if it's done well, then it doesn't matter so much to me. Plus, when you finally get something that's not predictable, it makes it all the more fun. And I think Walking Dead has done a lot of this well.
 
Werewolves, vamps, and zombies (oops) have all been done to death. I think this, more than any reason, has a lot to do with why some people just don't like them. They are sort of our own "myths" of horror. Lord knows that zombies have been run into the dirt so deep it's like they should be buried again. Over saturated, I think, best describes it.

As PennLady said, if someone just doesn't like them, then nothing will change that. Its just a matter of preference and taste.

I was skeptical about the show when it was first announced. Great, more zombies, right? But this show harnessed the theme into something that is very entertaining. The acting is top notch, the story is interesting, the characters are believable and easy to relate to, the drama is there and not just because of the walkers.

And in my opinion, these are some of the best zombies I've ever seen on screen. As I said, the makeup and effects are phenomenal. Even if you ain't a fan of zombies, its hard to watch some of the scenes on this show and not think its either cool as hell, gruesomely marvelous, or thrilling. There were a lot of "Awwww!" 's coming from my couch last night during the "raining zombies" scene. This stuff looks so frighteningly real its hard not to watch.

Just when you think you've seen every trick they can pull with the walkers, they dig deeper and show you something crazier. Like the deranged woman that couldn't let go of her husband last night, even if he was a wriggling piece of a walker in a sack. Or that walker that lifted up from the floor in that store and half his flesh peeled away, stuck to the floor.
 
There are a lot of people that think zombie stuff is a pure gore porn fest, and if one read my last post they would nod and think such a point is proven.

Watch the show, is all I can say. Yes the gruesome stuff is there. The crawling torsos and lipless faces are there. The headshots and blood is there. But that's the surface. Some take one look at the "zombie" stuff and think that's all it is. And of course, zombie stuff has been produced in which that is exactly the case, but those shouldn't be used as sweeping generalizations.

There is a wealth of story in TWD. A story of human struggle in the times of extreme crisis. Its a roller coaster ride of emotions and relationships, and doing what one must to survive. TWD is great because it's an ongoing story of this struggle. Like any other great show, you laugh and cry and hug your legs close. You despair and cheer and stare in awe. It's the people's story more than the walkers yes. But of course, the walkers are the reason for it all.

We can't judge something at face value. After all, that would mean our stories here are just "people fucking" and that's all, right?
 
I think you're right, most of the newcomers won't last long. That will be another interesting thing to watch, who stays and who dies. According to the Exec. Producer, who was on Talking Dead last night, there will be a few more characters from the comics who played big roles coming on, but they aren't here yet. I think they need their core group -- Rick, Carl, Carol, Daryl, Herschel, Glenn, Maggie and Beth to some extent -- but I wouldn't count any of them totally safe except Rick, Daryl and probably Carl.

They do seem to have this planned out, though, so hopefully they've got the arcs and everything ready to go.



I'm not sure if people forgot Violet died, but surely everyone noticed there was something not right with the pig, if only because Carl said so early on. We recorded it and watched after it started, and something got a little messed up -- we had missed the first 15-20 mins after the intro and so a few things didn't make sense. Anyway, once we went back to watch what we missed, the whole thing with the eyes fell into place for me (although in reverse, since I saw Patrick first).

Nathan Fillion noted on Talking Dead as well that before Patrick died, he probably infected that shower water supply. Does that mean more of the water is infected? And Patrick thanked Daryl for bringing back a deer -- that's when I wondered, along with Violet, if the food was now "infected."

Or, since everyone is infected, as we know from season one, maybe now there's something that triggers it earlier? But I'm mostly curious to see if this results in a difference in walker behavior.

Talking Dead also showed an extended scene from next week, which is apparently the opening scene, of someone with a flash light at the fence feeding a hamster (or mouse or whatever) to the walkers. No indication of who it was, although of course you have to wonder if it's the Governor.

Things certainly point to the new virus theory. If this is so, then it'll be exciting as hell. It makes sense that when things seem to be going well, all hell breaks loose.

The eyes are a thing that has me wondering as well. That Patrick kid's affliction doesn't seem like the usual infection, but more than that, his eyes looked different than any walker I've seen on the show. New strain of virus? Will it make walkers that act completely different than their cousins?

And the first thing I thought last night was that the water was contaminated. Didn't even think of the food, but that's a good point.

I do think that it's a good think they bring on new characters, even if their story is minor. They have this whole settlement now (for now) and it's nice to see how the people interact and how their stories entangle with the overall web. And we must realize, if we stick simply to the originals, soon there will be no one left. And it'd grow tiresome fast if it was the same few every single week, especially when the story has dictated otherwise.
 
I want to watch WWZ, just because. I've read the book and know the movie will be nothing like that. Man I wish someone like AMC or HBO or even Starz would turn that book into a series, using the stuff in the book.

That won't be happening any time soon. The studio that owns the rights to WWZ has already commissioned a sequel, so that property is going to be tied up for a while.

AMC is spinning off a second show in the WD universe, so they've probably met their quota of zombie themed shows. HBO is going to need something campy to replace True Blood and Showtime has Dexter's spot to fill, so there are possibilities.
 
WWZ wasn't so bad. The movie, I mean. It wasn't like the books, and it was kinda crammed, but it was so horrible like I heard. It's worth at least a look.
 
Things certainly point to the new virus theory. If this is so, then it'll be exciting as hell. It makes sense that when things seem to be going well, all hell breaks loose.

Well, yes, that's usually how TWD goes. :)

The eyes are a thing that has me wondering as well. That Patrick kid's affliction doesn't seem like the usual infection, but more than that, his eyes looked different than any walker I've seen on the show. New strain of virus? Will it make walkers that act completely different than their cousins?

What I noticed last night is that one of the fence walkers had different eyes from the others. He had the same red/yellow tinge (or so I saw it described) that Patrick had later. To me the question is then, did this happen before or after the fence walker died? Is there a virus that can affect the walkers, or does it have to take hold in the living body before that person dies? Because the eyes are very definitely different from the gray cataracts that we've seen on walkers so far.

I just found it odd that in the commentary I read/heard, little or nothing was said about the eyes.

And the first thing I thought last night was that the water was contaminated. Didn't even think of the food, but that's a good point.

I suppose we have to wait and see who else might be affected. Some people might be immune, after all. I figure this new sickness will take on more urgency in the next couple of episodes; they only have eight to work with per half season.

I do think that it's a good think they bring on new characters, even if their story is minor. They have this whole settlement now (for now) and it's nice to see how the people interact and how their stories entangle with the overall web. And we must realize, if we stick simply to the originals, soon there will be no one left. And it'd grow tiresome fast if it was the same few every single week, especially when the story has dictated otherwise.

I do like the changes as well. I'm hoping that the new characters, however long they last, will give the writers new and more opportunities to develop the main characters we've had for three seasons now.
 
But what you're complaining about says a lot more about the writing of those movies/shows than about the topic or genre itself. Now if you simply don't like those things, and no show will be well-written enough for you, then no problem.

And some things are predictable, but if it's done well, then it doesn't matter so much to me. Plus, when you finally get something that's not predictable, it makes it all the more fun. And I think Walking Dead has done a lot of this well.

Of course, NCIS is pretty predictable, but I don't miss and episode. The character are engaging and well written. The story lines are along those in the real world, but with twists and turns that are enjoyable. Now NCIS: Los Angeles on the other hand, lacks just a little of what NCIS has, therefore I have lost interest in it.

As for movies, the marvel comic series, you know the list, are all predictable, but are entertaining enough to hold my interest until they are over. The same with a lot of the movies and TV shows that don't have Zombies in them.

As for Walking Dead, I thought the first episode was done very well, but I think it would have done better as maybe a four part mini-series or a two hour movie instead of a multi-year series.

ETA: Maybe I just get tired of watching the same people run from the same thing over and over again.
 
Now that I think of it, PL, I did notice they chose to focus on that one particular fence walker, though I completely overlooked the eyes. It has my wheels turning about the potential "new" virus. I know in the "scenes from the next" it looked like the prison had been breached by walkers from the inside. We'll have to see if it's walkers of a "new strain" of virus so to speak.

I'm sorta excited to see how they handle the council in the coming season. How they convene and how they are perceived by the rest of the settlement. Of course, right now, everyone seems to love them, but when the chaos ensues, we'll see how things run.

And of course if they kill off Daryl, we'll riot.
 
Of course, NCIS is pretty predictable, but I don't miss and episode. The character are engaging and well written. The story lines are along those in the real world, but with twists and turns that are enjoyable. Now NCIS: Los Angeles on the other hand, lacks just a little of what NCIS has, therefore I have lost interest in it.

As for movies, the marvel comic series, you know the list, are all predictable, but are entertaining enough to hold my interest until they are over. The same with a lot of the movies and TV shows that don't have Zombies in them.

As for Walking Dead, I thought the first episode was done very well, but I think it would have done better as maybe a four part mini-series or a two hour movie instead of a multi-year series.

ETA: Maybe I just get tired of watching the same people run from the same thing over and over again.

I guess when you are talking about episodic shows, they can always be a bit predictable. Jack Bauer would always have to save the day from some terrorist plot in 24 hours, time and again. Dexter always struggled to coexist with his several lifestyles while hunting a new serial killer for his table and taking on new partners that knew his secret all the time. Game of Thrones pitted several personalities against one another in one kingdom, overcoming plot after cloak and dagger plot in the climb for power. TWD is no different. A band of survivors overcomes obstacles time and again while trying to build a life and survive in a dying world. Oh and kill lots of walkers.

But of course things are predictable when you look at them from a distance. Its when you dig into the inner workings of the actual plot that you discover the real stuff. Yes, every week I can expect the formula to be in place with the walking dead. But I never saw Carl shooting his own mother after she died giving birth to his little sister and turned into a walker. Like, part of you could call that "the usual" but really it's not. Every story has different characters and circumstances that make each experience unique.

This "new virus" thing is a completely different and surprising turn. Just when we thought we were figuring things out, it gets hazier. The Governor and Woodbury battling the survivors of Rick's group was something not often done or expected in a "zombie apocalypse scenario. Especially not with such a sinister human being like the Governor.

At face value, I could call a lot of things or "tropes" predictable. But wrap yourself up in the twists and turns of a show, allow it to guide your attention for a second toward one thing, and it will always smack you from behind with something you never saw coming.
 
Of course, NCIS is pretty predictable, but I don't miss and episode. The character are engaging and well written. The story lines are along those in the real world, but with twists and turns that are enjoyable. Now NCIS: Los Angeles on the other hand, lacks just a little of what NCIS has, therefore I have lost interest in it.

Certainly that predictability is what made Law & Order so popular. You knew what you were going to get, and that kept it going for 20 years, through various character changes. Perhaps like NCIS, the other L&O spin offs weren't quite as successful, in part because they played with the formula. Well, at least it seemed like Criminal Intent did.

As for Walking Dead, I thought the first episode was done very well, but I think it would have done better as maybe a four part mini-series or a two hour movie instead of a multi-year series.

I suppose that all depends on what you think the end of it is. So far, there's no specific end that I can see. Which will make the series finale interesting.

ETA: Maybe I just get tired of watching the same people run from the same thing over and over again.

Perhaps, but on this show they aren't always running from it. Sometimes they're running from other people. Or fighting them.

Now that I think of it, PL, I did notice they chose to focus on that one particular fence walker, though I completely overlooked the eyes. It has my wheels turning about the potential "new" virus. I know in the "scenes from the next" it looked like the prison had been breached by walkers from the inside. We'll have to see if it's walkers of a "new strain" of virus so to speak.

I think I mostly noticed this because I saw the walker after I saw Patrick. For some reason Mr Penn and I missed those 15-20 mins of the start of the show, and let me tell you, that makes a difference in viewing the episode. :p Still, I can't help but think that's an indicator of something big. And it would add something to the show if the zombies became a more proactive threat.

I'm sorta excited to see how they handle the council in the coming season. How they convene and how they are perceived by the rest of the settlement. Of course, right now, everyone seems to love them, but when the chaos ensues, we'll see how things run.

Yes, I think that has some great conflict potential.

And of course if they kill off Daryl, we'll riot.

LOL You and everyone else.
 
Certainly that predictability is what made Law & Order so popular. You knew what you were going to get, and that kept it going for 20 years, through various character changes. Perhaps like NCIS, the other L&O spin offs weren't quite as successful, in part because they played with the formula. Well, at least it seemed like Criminal Intent did.



I suppose that all depends on what you think the end of it is. So far, there's no specific end that I can see. Which will make the series finale interesting.



Perhaps, but on this show they aren't always running from it. Sometimes they're running from other people. Or fighting them.

You say patato I say potato. Out come on WD? Only three possibilities exist.

1. all humans die
2. all zombies die
4. every wakes up from the bad dream
 
Back
Top