AMC Premiere: The Walking Dead

[Tommy Alpha]

Christ, Darabont is a horrible director.

For what it's worth, Darabont only directed the first episode.

Good point. He's an even worse executive producer.

This series will only work if the audience is allowed to appreciate the many aspects of the humanity of the characters- loving, brutal, terrified. At the moment, I don't give a fuck about any of them. They are just caricatures. Having said that, the Shane/Carl dynamic is played out well. Also, they need to stop patronising the audience with the sub-28 days later score.

Yeah, I'm probably asking too much from a TV show, but if this was on HBO there's a chance it might have a little more finesse to it. Might have better gore too.

[numberthirty]

Other thoughts- I cannot wait for Michonne to be introduced. That is something they better not fuck up.

I was wondering if they'll have the nerve to stick to the comic when it comes to her.

[jimmy two hands]

They've been remarkably disciplined with regard to jump scares. Anyone else think a zombie was going to shamble out of that quarry?

I totally expected that. "Put down that frog net!" I shouted to myself.

[onpinsandneedles]

Last night, I re-watched the last episode with a friend of mine that hadn't seen it. Overall, it's okay and less stupid than the second. The writing is just not strong and, with all the characters they've introduced, I can't see a scenario where that doesn't ruin the show for me at some point. Granted, I'm still intrigued, so the story is interesting enough by itself.

As far as the final scene, I know a bunch of you pointed out how ridiculous it was that he didn't just cut the handcuffs off, as opposed to his own hand, which I initially completely agreed with. However, at the beginning of the episode, in Merle's display of insanity, they seem to make a point of constantly showing the hand, which appears to be severely affected by the lack of circulation and bordering on gangrene (whether that can actually happen in a 24-hour time period, I have no idea). Maybe that's their explanation for him cutting off his hand later? I'm not saying it's a good explanation, just pointing it out.

Also, I'm already tired of the older blonde sister's face and want to punch her every time I see her making that "I'm totally confounded at what you just said" face. Jesus christ, lighten up.

[motorbike guy]

Also have to add a waffle on handcuffed redneck cutting off his hand instead of the handcuff chain. With a hacksaw. I would understand if he hand an implement that could cut flesh but not metal. But no one is dumb enough to cut off their hand with a tool that is primarily designed for cutting metal, especially when it would be much, much faster and less painful to cut through metal.

this bugged me too. i would think the either the handcuff chain, or the goddam steel bracket the other handcuff was attached to would have been easier and cleaner to cut through with a hacksaw.

Oh, and Mad Max did it first, and better.

But it still love this show. Now that Baseball, Motorcycle Racing and Mad Men are off the air, it's all I have left.

[the letter o]

Has something of the "Jericho" about it, if you ask me. Entertaining enough, but tainted by some less-than-top-drawer scriptwriting...a bit of a soapy feel to it, maybe? Never read the comics, so can't comment on whether or not it's doing a good job in the adaptation stakes.

Whatever, though, I'm enjoying it so far.

[iembalm]

I'm enjoying it, and I would be willing to give it quite a bit of benefit of the doubt for two reasons. The creators of the show are obviously respectful of the source material, and the source material has unfolded over almost a decade, so if the characters are a little imprecise yet, I trust they will evolve in the future. They also didn't know if AMC was going to order more episodes, so the original six-episode arc is going to be different in pace, if nothing else, than the rest of the run. Lots of good stuff to look forward to. The comics really are about the characters.

[joelb]

First: I am awestruck that the previous page of posts is a debate about whether or not zombies breathe. Read those last five words again.

Second: 2nd episode was a letdown - good for itself but felt like a different show. I thought the 3rd was back on point with the awkwardness, space around the dialogue and scenes, and minimal jump/scare factor, which is not really why I am watching this show. Not quite up to 1st ep standards but still watching.

[SecondEdition]

[edit: woops wrong thread!]

[mazacultura]

It isn't bad enough I've been reading this comic for five years, still not convinced if I actually like it? Now there's a TV adaptation I have to wring my hands over, too? Goddamn zombies anyway.

[japmn]

I just watched the 3rd episode again. It is 100% bad. Not a good show at all if you have to judge it by that episode.

[Sock OR Muffin?]

Much better this week. About time they started killing a few extraneous characters.

[RSMurphy]

With the exception of the faux-gangsta posturing by the vatos running the nursing home (Guillermo's dialogue was unconvincing as well as cringe-inducing) this week's episode was pure quality. Superb misdirection as the episode played-on because I honestly thought Merle was on his way to fuck-up some shit.

[iembalm]

I really liked this episode. I like how it began with the sisters in the boat - just about the most serene setting the show has presented so far - and ended with them together in about the most opposite of settings. The attack at the end was just savage and terrifying. How the fuck could you ever go to sleep after living through something like ghouls tearing Jim's family from his very arms and eating them alive before his eyes?

The "vatos" were supposed to be speaking the speak like it was something they didn't really know, weren't they?

Ernest Dickerson directed next week's ep. Should be gritty.

[RSMurphy]

The "vatos" were supposed to be speaking the speak like it was something they didn't really know, weren't they?

Beats the fuck outta me, I just figured something wasn't quite right, or the script writers were fucking terrible. I could have sworn I saw the actor who played Guillermo try to hold back from laughing while saying his lines.

[Kate Rev]

Yeah, I'm not into it.


Me, to a friend earlier: imagine a combination of nazis and morlocks. see this is the shit that is scary, not zombies.


i am officially burned out on zombies for now. fuck 'em.

[krs]

Not having cable, I'm about a week behind. I watched the third episode last weekend. I don't think this is a very good television show. It's looking to me like the writers feeling they can make up for a lack of interesting story or engaging characters with blood, guts and emaciated zombie face makeup. I would like to like this show, I just don't.

We will probably continue to watch, though. I said the same sorts of things about The wire, until about four episodes in. Prove me wrong, The Walking Dead!

[motorbike guy]

Not having cable, I'm about a week behind. I watched the third episode last weekend. I don't think this is a very good television show. It's looking to me like the writers feeling they can make up for a lack of interesting story or engaging characters with blood, guts and emaciated zombie face makeup. I would like to like this show, I just don't.

We will probably continue to watch, though. I said the same sorts of things about The wire, until about four episodes in. Prove me wrong, The Walking Dead!

i would be very surprised if this series ever approached The Wire. That is setting the bar a little too high. It is a dumb romp, that is all. I still like it. The main character is sympathetic, some of the other characters are interesting. I liked the Faulkner quote, just before the zombie attack. C'mon, you ain't gonna see shit like that on 3 and a half men, or dancing with the stars. Compared to the vast ocean of dreck out there, Walking Dead is worth an hour a week of your time.

[krs]

Not having cable, I'm about a week behind. I watched the third episode last weekend. I don't think this is a very good television show. It's looking to me like the writers feeling they can make up for a lack of interesting story or engaging characters with blood, guts and emaciated zombie face makeup. I would like to like this show, I just don't.

We will probably continue to watch, though. I said the same sorts of things about The wire, until about four episodes in. Prove me wrong, The Walking Dead!

i would be very surprised if this series ever approached The Wire. That is setting the bar a little too high. It is a dumb romp, that is all. I still like it. The main character is sympathetic, some of the other characters are interesting. I liked the Faulkner quote, just before the zombie attack. C'mon, you ain't gonna see shit like that on 3 and a half men, or dancing with the stars. Compared to the vast ocean of dreck out there, Walking Dead is worth an hour a week of your time.

And this is setting the bar extremely low.

It's better than the two worst shows on television!

[Tommy Alpha]

JHC, the writing on this is just awful. I might have been mistaken, but it looked like Kirkman wrote this one, making me wonder how much of my enjoyment of the comic is based on Adlard's art.

Maybe mediocre dialogue delivered by well drawn characters > delivered by bad actors

Last 10 minutes of ep 4 was fucking awesome though.