The Walking Dead Why do you think this show gets so much hate?

[GremlinZilla89]

Elsewhere on the interwebs, TWD gets nothing but slammed by people for being a horrible show. It's kind of become the go-to show to insult peoples intelligence over kinda like Michael Bay and Transformers is for movies. You don't like a certain show? Pffft, go watch TWD then. It's more your speed. You like TWD? Pffft, you must be an idiot.

Why do you think this is? It's not a perfect show, but it is a damn good one. It is a wonderfully intense portrayal of survival. These people aren't perfect and they make mistakes. That's the whole point. All the haters do is sit around say "They should have done this. Not that" Like they know exactly what they would do in this EXTREME situation. The haters throw the ever so lovely blanket statement around "Badly written" like it's some kind of catch-all criticism that is unchallenged. They don't even try to understand the psychology of the characters.

I honestly think a lot of the backlash this show gets is because of it's extreme popularity. I usually hate this argument, but I think it's a very valid one. It happens with almost everything these days. Especially big tent pole films. TDK/TDKR, Avatar, The Avengers, Abrams Trek...the bigger and more successful they are (all of these films were successful critically and commercially) the more internet hate they receive. I honestly think if TWD got middling ratings and was less known, it wouldn't get NEAR the amount of backlash.

I'm not saying people can't genuinely dislike the show-I'm saying the hollow, meaningless trolling of it is uncalled for.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

To be honest, I don't think it keeps the pace of other shows. For example, Breaking Bad has slow episodes but almost every episode is good. TWD has some that just feel tedious and boring.
Another thing, comic fans sometimes tend to hate on the changes, and sometimes with good reason, others not so much.
And there's some people who genuinely don't like it. Some can't get into it, others have to make it known how awful they think it is. Its the internet, and everyone wants their opinion heard.

 

[GremlinZilla89]

To be honest, I don't think it keeps the pace of other shows. For example, Breaking Bad has slow episodes but almost every episode is good. TWD has some that just feel tedious and boring.
Another thing, comic fans sometimes tend to hate on the changes, and sometimes with good reason, others not so much.
And there's some people who genuinely don't like it. Some can't get into it, others have to make it known how awful they think it is. Its the internet, and everyone wants their opinion heard.

Like I said, genuinely not liking it is one thing. Constantly posting on message boards with blanket statements like "This show sux. You're an idiot for liking it!" and crap like that is another all together. I personally, dislike Game of Thrones but I never lurk around it''s boards and post negative stuff for the sake of it. I watched some of it, didn't like it and stopped.

I guess I don't get troll mentality. Trolling a movie is one thing (still idiotic) because at least it's a time viewing. They see it and hate it and troll. But trolling a TV show? Why continually watch a show you hate week to week just to be an ******* on the internet? Does it really give people THAT much pathetic joy to riles some feathers? It literally makes zero freakin' sense to me.

 

[Soapy]

Difference of opinion isn't trolling.

 

[GremlinZilla89]

Difference of opinion isn't trolling.

No durr. Did you not read my two posts?

 

[Zatanna]

Where is the show getting hate? I must not be looking at the same places on the "interwebs".

 

[The Joker]

Probably some hell hole like IMDB.

 

[Zatanna]

I never ever visit IMDB for that very reason. So many trolls.

 

[Piper Maru]

The Walking Dead has it's flaws, but it's a damn fine show. Looking forward to it's return!

 

[Brother Jack]

The show can be frustrating for me because it can be much better than it is. It has the potential for greatness, to be true peers with shows like Breaking Bad, and it taps into that from time to time but unfortunately that makes everything seem worse by comparison.

 

[Evelisse]

the show is what it is, some humans trying to survive in a walker filled world. It's a hard concept to picture going 7 seasons. They obviously are doing their own thing while trying not to leap to far from the comics, and any further changes seem to bring more hate. Eventually everything just becomes rinse and repeat, walkers, bad humans, walkers, bad humans...etc. Unless somehow they decide to start talking a cure and a search for it, not much is going to change, no real end game. But so far the hate hasn't effected it's ratings much, seems to have new records every season, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

 

[danoyse]

Where is the show getting hate? I must not be looking at the same places on the "interwebs".

Me neither. The Walking Dead fans on another forum I read still love it, and people at work today were all talking about how they couldn't wait for it to come back next month.

 

[Mr. Dent]

Because it's popular.

 

[Brother Jack]

Because it's popular.

Not everything that's this popular is criticized so much. A lot of things are but there are exceptions.

 

[Hyde]

I think it's because there's so much missed potential and it pales in comparison to AMC's other hits, aka Breaking Bad and Mad Men

 

[Lord]

Thank Season 2, before that there were some lame aspects in the writting, like the graves digger who had a dream about the group receiving a big attack and most dieing, but Season 2 pushed it to another level, and some of the characters just started to get worse and worse.

Season 3 was mostly good though, except for Andrea's stupidity which lead to her death, and the Governor suddenly flipping and killing his followers, yet the most useful ones luckilly staying with him.

I'm with them trying to change the plot from the comics, the problem is that what they change is usually for the worst. As stated before the main problem with the show is that it has potencial to be extraordinary, but it decides to just be "ok".

 

[GremlinZilla89]

The thing is, I think it is extraordinary. I don't think it's flawless, but I do believe it's one of the best genre shows ever made.

And I personally think season 2 is the best so far. I don't get the hate for that one at all. I loved the slow burn aspect of that season and the last few episodes were more powerful because of it.

I think it's a mostly successful portrait of people just trying to survive. You can sit their and nitpick their decisions, but the point is trying to understand way these people do what they do and feel how they feel. It's too easy to sit there on your nice couch and point a finger and say "Well I wouldn't have done that." The only character I agree was just totally mishandled was Andrea. Everybody else I understand and emphasis with. I mean, can we really sit here and say we could do any better than these people? Lets put you in the same situation and see how you deal.

on top of the interesting character drama it is just a damn well made show. It's well shot, with movie level effects and suspense. Its one of the best produced shows on TV.

 

[Tanin]

It stays too close to the comics for my taste. Either go another route entirely or tell the story correctly. Don't halfass it like they have been. Then that is most likely due to all the budget cuts and how liberal AMC is with just firing anyone at anytime. Why try and be creative when you are going to be fired over it.

 

[Teelie]

I see a few people hate on it or at least strongly dislike it but not in a large amount. Mostly it's just people who genuinely hate it for their various reasons (not close enough/too close to the comics) or they dislike the premise (yet seemingly still watch it. ) then you have people who just troll fans for fun (they have nothing better to do with their lives).

 

[gkokujin]

where is the show getting hate? I must not be looking at the same places on the "interwebs".

+1...

 

[smallville fan]

Walking Dead is hated? Although I do not read the comic, but I know of it and the events that happen. I know it makes deviations especially Sophia and Andrea,but it feels like its own thing and it's pretty good and liked by critics.

 

[Man in the Suit]

The haters throw the ever so lovely blanket statement around "Badly written" like it's some kind of catch-all criticism that is unchallenged. They don't even try to understand the psychology of the characters.

I'm a huge fan of the show, but I'll admit some of the writing can be very weak. The writing staff isn't consistent. Character motivations are sometimes all over the place.

 

[Zatanna]

My step-mother and aunt rave about the writing. Lol. They are just a couple examples of the general audience that doesn't post online though.

 

[Lantern Venom]

There are always people who want to seem cool by disliking the hot show/book/movie. I have no problem in stating that TWD is one of the best, if not THE best, show on TV. The show is innovative in an age of brain-dead, repetitive reality shows, and it's produced some truly memorable characters.

 

[Baramos]

I know everyone on the AV Club is mildly annoyed that Breaking Bad only really became a ratings hit in these last two seasons, whereas The Walking Dead has been a ratings hit from day one.

I'm not saying the Walking Dead is a bad show, it's definitely better than most of what is on TV right now (especially broadcast network television, where I think there is only one genuinely good show in the form of Hannibal. I enjoy Arrow, too, but it's not necessarily "great" television) , but there are these higher tier legendary shows like the Wire and Breaking Bad which are basically commercial failures and that grates on people who feel that television has the capability of being "high art". Breaking Bad is a bit of a difference in that people discovered it while it was still on, but the Wire never really hit big until it came out on DVD after it was cancelled.

On the other hand shows like the Sopranos were big hits and also critical successes, so...luck of the draw, I guess.

Walking Dead had a really bad second season but it has certainly fixed a lot of its problems in this past season. I hope it continues in that vein. I think it's a very entertaining show, nice and pulpy, but that makes it get flack from people who like artsy fartsy stuff like Mad Men.