The Walking Dead "The Walking Dead" General Stuff & Thaaaangs Thread - - - Part 12

[Hunter Rider]

I think Negan is just a dumb character. Lines like "Pee pee pants city" just don't work when spoken out loud. Past villains worked partly because they felt like they could exist in the real world. Negan, on the other hand, is like a living cartoon character. Like someone wondered what would happen if Andrew Dice Clay was dropped into a zombie apocalypse. It starts to wear thin. Plus, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan not being very big, you have to wonder why anyone would put up with him. At least if we was a big as he is in the comics, you could see why other, equally dangerous men would not want to mess with him.

I think his goofy jokes are just part of his outer persona, it's like he's knowingly being obnoxiously juvenile as it disarms people, but that switch is easy to see and can flip in the blink of an eye, it makes him erratic and dangerous, it's why the size isn't such a big issue, a man that puts no value on human life and will bludgeon someone at the drop of a hat and enjoy it is more frightening than a tall guy with big muscles, history is littered with small or even feeble looking men that rose to power and led countries as a dictator.

 

[BestGirl]

The consensus seems to be mixed on JDM's portrayal of Negan. I guess some viewers can only take the character in small doses.

"Mixed" is generous. A lot of fans can't stand him. That's going to be a problem going forward if the writers intend for him to be a multi-season villain like I expect they do.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I didn't realize the ratings had nosedived so drastically, this season has lost roughly a 3rd of it's viewers since the premiere. It has been even slower than usual with each ep being focused on singular events, and when you have what happened to Glenn and Abraham I think most viewers want to see some receipts but we've went 5 weeks without any hint of push back.

 

[Filmfan93]

Just finished the Tara episode.

God, that was painful to watch. This was one of the worst fillers I've ever seen on the show. It was just boring start to end with NOTHING happening. I really couldn't care less about Tara.

And to think that I expected so much greatness from S7 after the S6 season finale... Half of the episodes (from this season so far) have been fillers and the other half - Negan just talking without doing anything. The season needs to change direction very soon or the show will lose more viewers.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Just finished the Tara episode.

God, that was painful to watch. This was one of the worst fillers I've ever seen on the show. It was just boring start to end with NOTHING happening. I really couldn't care less about Tara.

And to think that I expected so much greatness from S7 after the S6 season finale... Half of the episodes (from this season so far) have been fillers and the other half - Negan just talking without doing anything. The season needs to change direction very soon or the show will lose more viewers.

Even if you don't like Tara, that episode was hardly "nothing happening". We were not only introduced to a possible ally for Alexandria, we got to hear more of the Saviors back story. They killed all the men in a community as well as the boys over age 10. They're not only post-Apocalyptic terrorists, now we learn that they've been at it for a long time and their willing to go beyond a couple of example killings to carry out the worst case scenario. I'd say that's a massive story advancement.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Come on, that's hardly a massive story advancement.

 

[marcvader]

I need to see Neegan do some damage soon to back up his talk and demonstrate why the saviors follow him or some kind of push back by our guys or they're losing me and my girlfriend as regular viewers. This season is becoming a chore.

 

[WereCoyote]

Well the preview for next week reminds me of a scene out of the comic where a Savior gets Dwight'd.

 

[Man in the Suit]

Ratings and viewership dropped again. "Swear" is the least watched episode since early season 3. I don't blame people for bailing. This is season is pretty terrible and I say that as a big fan of the last six. AMC is showing their cheapness by not showing Rick, Carol, or Daryl (any of the main characters, really) for multiple episodes at a time. I'm tired of it. A disaster of a season so far.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Even if you don't like Tara, that episode was hardly "nothing happening". We were not only introduced to a possible ally for Alexandria, we got to hear more of the Saviors back story. They killed all the men in a community as well as the boys over age 10. They're not only post-Apocalyptic terrorists, now we learn that they've been at it for a long time and their willing to go beyond a couple of example killings to carry out the worst case scenario. I'd say that's a massive story advancement.

Yes that is true, they did expand on how powerful and ruthless the Saviours are and it introduced a new settlement who will no doubt join with the others when the time comes. I think if you look at the structure it's like putting chess pieces into place, as someone that didn't care that we didn't see who Negan killed in the finale of last season I'm not that bothered about the slower than ever pace, but that might also come from how I watch the show.

However I can see the frustration that is coming from the wider fandom which is reflected in the ratings crash, they could have combined the last 5 eps into 2.

 

[BestGirl]

^I'm hoping this very long setup means that it'll be balls to the wall action for the second half of the season.

Even if you don't like Tara, that episode was hardly "nothing happening". We were not only introduced to a possible ally for Alexandria, we got to hear more of the Saviors back story. They killed all the men in a community as well as the boys over age 10. They're not only post-Apocalyptic terrorists, now we learn that they've been at it for a long time and their willing to go beyond a couple of example killings to carry out the worst case scenario. I'd say that's a massive story advancement.

I rolled my eyes at the Savior story. How many times do we need to be warned they're bad dudes? It's tedious.

 

[Hunter Rider]

^I'm hoping this very long setup means that it'll be balls to the wall action for the second half of the season.

I think the second half of the season will be called 'War' if it follows the comic.

 

[Sawyer]

Ratings and viewership dropped again. "Swear" is the least watched episode since early season 3. I don't blame people for bailing. This is season is pretty terrible and I say that as a big fan of the last six. AMC is showing their cheapness by not showing Rick, Carol, or Daryl (any of the main characters, really) for multiple episodes at a time. I'm tired of it. A disaster of a season so far.

While I haven't been a fan of the season thus far, I have to roll my eyes at people harping on the ratings. They're not at the highs that they have been in recent years, but they're still 4-5 times anything else AMC airs.

I also don't know whether we should be blaming AMC or blaming Gimple. The whole thing of taking focus off 80% of the cast and giving us just a few of the characters any certain week has been a trademark of Gimple's run since he started. Sometimes it works well (The Grove), sometimes its weeks and weeks of navel-gazing with the story moving at a snail's pace. I'm starting to think ditching Gimple isn't something I'd be very opposed to anymore. Last season was riddled with troll storytelling and now we're nearly halfway through a season and it feels like little to nothing has happened. You wanna have episodes focused on character progression? Fine. But guess what? The episodes haven't been great on that front either. The back half of season 3 where it felt like nothing happened for episodes on end, the stretch of episodes that got Mazzara fired, it feels like we're there again.

 

[Man in the Suit]

While I haven't been a fan of the season thus far, I have to roll my eyes at people harping on the ratings. They're not at the highs that they have been in recent years, but they're still 4-5 times anything else AMC airs.

I also don't know whether we should be blaming AMC or blaming Gimple. The whole thing of taking focus off 80% of the cast and giving us just a few of the characters any certain week has been a trademark of Gimple's run since he started. Sometimes it works well (The Grove), sometimes its weeks and weeks of navel-gazing with the story moving at a snail's pace. I'm starting to think ditching Gimple isn't something I'd be very opposed to anymore. Last season was riddled with troll storytelling and now we're nearly halfway through a season and it feels like little to nothing has happened. You wanna have episodes focused on character progression? Fine. But guess what? The episodes haven't been great on that front either. The back half of season 3 where it felt like nothing happened for episodes on end, the stretch of episodes that got Mazzara fired, it feels like we're there again.

Hate to say it because Gimple wrote most of my favorite episodes, but I agree. Something isn't working.

 

[Art Vandelay]

It's several factors

1. Characters are spread way too thin. Exploring different plotlines isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we're getting very little interaction between our favourite characters. I mean, they're pairing Rick with Aaron for the next episode. How could anyone be excited for that?

2. We're also meeting too many new characters at the expense of spending time with the old ones. Carol has been in just one episode so far. Rick, two (I'm not counting the Hilltop episode since he doesn't factor into the storyline).

3. We're seeing our favourite characters at a particular low. If you're a Daryl fan, you're seeing an already reticent character become even more reticent, and beaten down. You're seeing Rick be completely owned by Negan. While this is all necessary to the story, it can still be a bit rough seeing these characters in such a position.

4. A lot of people don't like Negan. Obviously this isn't true for everyone, but a lot of the audience finds the character to be annoying, which I think undercuts his menace. It also doesn't help that Dwight was also miscast. Right now, I can't say I want Negan and Dwight taken down the way I did with the Governor, or Joe, or the Terminus crowd.

5. There's been very little forward momentum, so far. While I don't doubt that these separate threads will eventually tie together, we've had no plan set in motion yet to take care of Negan. I fear we might have another Governor situation, where the antagonist out stays his welcome.

 

[Hunter Rider]

While I haven't been a fan of the season thus far, I have to roll my eyes at people harping on the ratings. They're not at the highs that they have been in recent years, but they're still 4-5 times anything else AMC airs.

I only brought the ratings up as a topic of discussion as when you lose a 3rd of your audience I do think it shows there's someting not quite working right now, it's not just a dip when you lose that much. Personally I am liking the overall storyline even if it is a bit slow.

It's several factors

1. Characters are spread way too thin. Exploring different plotlines isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we're getting very little interaction between our favourite characters. I mean, they're pairing Rick with Aaron for the next episode. How could anyone be excited for that?

I think they could have intercut and condensed a lot of the stuff we have seen and it would have had the same effect as they have gotten without losing anything, and keeping things moving and keeping the main characters in focus at the same time.

3. We're seeing our favourite characters at a particular low. If you're a Daryl fan, you're seeing an already reticent character become even more reticent, and beaten down. You're seeing Rick be completely owned by Negan. While this is all necessary to the story, it can still be a bit rough seeing these characters in such a position.

This is tough but the pay-off will hopefully be worth it and will make it seem needed when that pay-off comes, it will earn the feelings fans get when the tables turn.

5. There's been very little forward momentum, so far. While I don't doubt that these separate threads will eventually tie together, we've had no plan set in motion yet to take care of Negan. I fear we might have another Governor situation, where the antagonist out stays his welcome.

This is the make or break thing IMO. I know how it's gone in the comics but I think they need to go their own way on the show, overextending villains is never a good idea. Negan needs to be offed decisively at the end of this big storyline, most probably by Maggie.

 

[Sawyer]

I don't know that I see Dwight as a miscast, as much as a miswrite. Any attempts to humanize him have been Ehh, and they portrayed him as a bigger a**hole in the Alexandria episode than he ever was in the comic. I think the actor is fine.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I don't know that I see Dwight as a miscast, as much as a miswrite. Any attempts to humanize him have been Ehh, and they portrayed him as a bigger a**hole in the Alexandria episode than he ever was in the comic. I think the actor is fine.

I was wondering about that point, I've not read the comics so I don't know anything about Dwight, but I did think it was jarring the way he was showing at least some doubt in the Daryl ep before suddenly giving him the pic of Glenn and then acting like a totoal piece of **** with Rosita.

 

[Xrated48]

I think Negan has been awesome but the rest of the show has not be good at all with poor writing, storytelling being boring, and terrible character development.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Yes that is true, they did expand on how powerful and ruthless the Saviours are and it introduced a new settlement who will no doubt join with the others when the time comes. I think if you look at the structure it's like putting chess pieces into place, as someone that didn't care that we didn't see who Negan killed in the finale of last season I'm not that bothered about the slower than ever pace, but that might also come from how I watch the show.
.

That's a good way to phrase the creative direction of this season. Most of the first 5 seasons focused solely on Rick's group or Rick's group in conflict with another group. Now the show is slowly expanding the scope to reveal a world firmly entrenched in its post-Apocalyptic circumstances. We're seeing the different modus operandi of various communities, and hearing the backstories of many new individuals. It has given this season a very authentic feel.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I don't know that I see Dwight as a miscast, as much as a miswrite. Any attempts to humanize him have been Ehh, and they portrayed him as a bigger a**hole in the Alexandria episode than he ever was in the comic. I think the actor is fine.

While I would agree he's also poorly written, I do think he's miscast. As a reviewer of the show said recently:

Amelio’s performance as Dwight is just so anemic. He’s not compelling enough to be a likable antihero, and he’s not scary enough to be a good villain. He’s just sort of a wet noodle, a character that exists because he has to, but the actor is not doing anything with the role.

And that's made tougher since he spends a lot of his scene acting opposite Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is giving a very animated performance, or against Norman Reedus, who is much more restrained. Either way, he feels like an odd fit to me.

 

[Elevator Man]

I took Dwight bullying on Rosita was just him putting on an act in front Negan and the Saviors. The episode prior to that one ("The Cell") Dwight didn't seem happy being a Savior or living under Negan's thumb.

 

[BestGirl]

I took Dwight bullying on Rosita was just him putting on an act in front Negan and the Saviors. The episode prior to that one ("The Cell") Dwight didn't seem happy being a Savior or living under Negan's thumb.

I think there's really no other way to read Dwight's behavior in that scene.

 

[MurkeNyou]

While I would agree he's also poorly written, I do think he's miscast. As a reviewer of the show said recently:



And that's made tougher since he spends a lot of his scene acting opposite Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is giving a very animated performance, or against Norman Reedus, who is much more restrained. Either way, he feels like an odd fit to me.

Maybe Daryl takes comic book Dwights place, story wise? I agree, the guy should be a Michael Beihn, and we get Matthew McConaugheys weird non-acting cousin.

 

[Art Vandelay]

They should have got Dillahunt. I know he auditioned to play Negan.