The Walking Dead

[LadyCrimson]

Rick could use a new chr. arc, because everything out of his mouth is becoming too much of a broken record at this point, kinda like how I felt about Dale. As to the show finale rumination: based on the teaser trailers and comic knowledge

 

 

There's the bit in the comics about Carl being almost raped in front of Rick ....I have this feeling the show may be leaning towards something like that, even if not specifically the same. Hard to picture the show killing Carl off, but I think if he was, or even if they only go for the child-rape threat, that might also prompt a Talking Dead appearance by Andrew Lincoln (as opposed to the 14yr. old actor doing it). 

 

My personal thoughts are if they plan on killing some chrs outside of (the maybe red herring) Beth, the most likely candidates are Glenn or Carol.

 

But I've been wrong before!

 

[Serrano]

 

I think Glenn is probably one of the safer characters at the moment. I know in the comics he either died or was about to die at this point but he's one of the most popular and is still getting a lot of great plots and scenes. I'm tempted to bet on either Rick or Michonne biting the bullet soon because it seems like neither character is working very well lately, but maybe that's just personal preference talking.

 

[LadyCrimson]

*putters around uselessly all day* .... dangit, is it 6pm yet?

 

...normally I don't get antsy about The Walking Dead (truthfully, half the time I forget it's on until hubby reminds me), but their season finale nights I get impatient because I want to know what irritatingly frustrating cliffhanger ending they have for us.

[LadyCrimson]

Rick could use a new chr. arc

Yesssssssss ..... it's Rickanator!

Well, it wasn't an "omg what happens next/wanna know now!" major cliffhanger type of show, but I enjoyed it quite a lot and don't mind the lack of immediate suspense. I guess some didn't like the flashback parts, but I liked them, if only to see Scott Wilson again (the flashback scenes were new-shot, not actually taken from previous episodes). My only two minor complaints were:

 

 

I wanted to see more Denise Crosby hamming it up, but alas she was nowhere to be seen. I hope she'll be back and that wasn't just a one-off guest cameo.

 

I find it a little curious Rick KNEW that was "the" watch just from the chain hanging out of the pocket, but in the end I don't care very much about his omniscience because it was awesomely fun to watch him go ballistic after. Not to mention when he went ballistic early in the episode.

 

I suppose Carol/Tyresse will come in next season at a magical moment to help save the day...which I can live with.

 

 

Andrew Lincoln on The Talking Dead was awesome. First time I've ever watched more than 5-10 minutes of that after-show.

[Valsuelm]

 

I wanted to see more Denise Crosby hamming it up, but alas she was nowhere to be seen. I hope she'll be back and that wasn't just a one-off guest cameo.

 

I find it a little curious Rick KNEW that was "the" watch just from the chain hanging out of the pocket, but in the end I don't care very much about his omniscience because it was awesomely fun to watch him go ballistic after. Not to mention when he went ballistic early in the episode.

 

I suppose Carol/Tyresse will come in next season at a magical moment to help save the day...which I can live with.

 

 

Denise was in the episode, albeit only for a moment.

 

I don't find it curious that Rick knew it was the same watch at all. Watches like that are rare these days, no doubt even more rare in a zombie apocalypse. But it wasn't only the watch. Rick noticed other possessions of his friends on other people there. So, 'watch, looks damn familiar, I'm almost certain that's Hershel's watch, and that chick is wearing what looks exactly like my other friend's shirt. Ok, these folks did something with my friends' << all in the space of a millisecond in his head.

 

I liked the fact that finally, somebody actually approached Terminus in an at least semi-intelligent manner, rather than just waltzed right in. Thank you Rick.

 

I was surprised no one died myself.

 

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, I was wrong, zombies can kill someone. Sure, 25 vs. unarmed target.

If only Carl's magically appearing (and then dissapearing) uzi was back there instead of at the tracks, they could have saved random-in-the-woods-redshirt.

 

Overall found it rather mediocre, and that for a season finale.

 

EDIT:

Apparenly Rick had the uzi, then they switched in one shot (completely what?) before the weapon just vanished completely, and they started using guns instead. What?

Edited March 31, 2014 by Hassat Hunter

[Valsuelm]

Preservation of ammo (though that often doesn't seem to be a concern).

 

The random guy in the field was dead whether they had an uzi or not.

[LadyCrimson]

I'll sometimes notice stuff like that, just like I'll notice how everyone in movies can survive falls from great height onto cars and parking lots with barely a scratch, let alone a broken ankle, but most of the time, as long as it's fun to watch, I just don't care.

 

Oh but that random-glasses guy being eaten by zombies does illustrate why I find zombies unto themselves pretty boring. I mean, he wasn't totally surrounded when you first see him .... the guy couldn't run away? He's just standing there crying and waving his stick or whatever ... run, guy, run?

[Zoraptor]

I was a bit disappointed by the finale- mainly by the flashback bits. I actually thought before the episode that they'd pretty much entirely avoided the (post Lost) cliche of having flashbacks as they seem to have in every second program on at the moment. I half expect them to have newsreader flashbacks on the nightly news nowadays, as it's all too often a cheap and easy way to pad out on episode. Don't think we needed to be told that Farmer Rick ended up failing whatever the intentions, we'd seen what happened half a dozen episodes ago. And the rabbit snare was a bit obvious as foreshadowing, as it had basically no purpose otherwise. But it certainly had atmosphere and a feeling of dread about it that no other program can match at the moment.

 

 

Nevertheless, nice to see Herschel. And Beth, I guess, even if the circumstances suggest she's pushing up daisies, and at least Rick actually asked about her even if Maggie didn't, again. I take back everything I said about Joe's group being competent as they pointlessly lost a fight where they outnumbered and had the drop on their enemies even if it was due to a huge does of plot induced stupidity. Still, as often on this show there's a lot of that if you want to find it; Rick et al had a fair amount when they walked into a trap and were obviously being herded in a specific direction. Though there is a possibility they ran into Tyrese and Carol and had them stay out of Terminus as back up, especially since Rick buried the guns, presumably for someone.

 

[Bryy]

That was a fantastic finale.

[LadyCrimson]

Don't think we needed to be told that Farmer Rick ended up failing whatever the intentions, we'd seen what happened half a dozen episodes ago.

But that wasn't what the flashbacks were about/wasn't their purpose ....

[Woldan]

Oh man, one weak series finale if I ever saw one. Rick and the crew got themselves into another mess that could have easily been avoided with logical thinking and common sense. How unexpected....

Also one thing that annoys me to no end - why doesn't anyone carry a BUG (Back up gun) or backup knife or shiv? Small weapons concealed in boots or on inside side of belts. 

Edited April 1, 2014 by Woldan

[Valsuelm]

Also one thing that annoys me to no end - why doesn't anyone carry a BUG (Back up gun) or backup knife or shiv? Small weapons concealed in boots or on inside side of belts.

Yep. A no-brainer that, especially at this point in their travels. The writers just aren't that smart, I think they'd all die in their own world within a few weeks except by accident. Judging by the show runners I've seen on Talking Dead, half of them would probably be like that guy in the field in the last episode.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Finale was meh. Next season. I'll just gather up all the episodes and watch it in one hit.

 

They already had met a town of people before in Woodbury with the Governor and know that looks can be deceiving. So why not stake out this place for a day or two? Search the perimeter? Reconnoitre and reconnaissance. See if their friends are there from a distance? Can see people but no friends? Hmm, sounds dodgy. Did they lock them up? Nope, they just waltz in the back entrance as if that's going to surprise them.

 

 

 

 

[Zoraptor]

For all we know at this point they do have back ups. And while there were some pretty stupid elements in how they went in it also has to be said that it was infinitely more sensible than the other group just wandering in the front door. And they cannot know that the others are already there before entering- that's knowledge only a viewer can have. Sending in one person to check it out would have been better than what they actually did, of course...

 

But that wasn't what the flashbacks were about/wasn't their purpose ....

 

I don't see what else the purpose could be. In most programmes when they are used they are meant to illustrate why a character is doing what they doing currently, by showing what has happened to them historically. That isn't really the case here since we've already seen how the prison set up worked and went wrong, and we know exactly why Rick does what he does post flashback. So in that sense the flashbacks are pointless and I'm left with is the thought that this is meant to illustrate the difference between the idealist Rick and the more pragmatist Rick, or 'Farmer Rick' and the 'Ricktator' if you prefer. It's about Carl as well but only so far as idealist Rick hopes Carl can return to be a 'normal' kid while pragmatist Rick knows he cannot. Indeed, the three 'normal' kids in the flashbacks end up dead from haemorrhagic fever, bundled into a random car boot trunk and (so far as Rick knows) zombie food, while Herschel himself ends up dead.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Zoraptor

[Hiro Protagonist]

 

Yep. A no-brainer that, especially at this point in their travels. The writers just aren't that smart, I think they'd all die in their own world within a few weeks except by accident. Judging by the show runners I've seen on Talking Dead, half of them would probably be like that guy in the field in the last episode.

 

 

I don't think the writers care about people pointing out inconsistencies. All they see is Finale is a ratings winner!!! So we must be great writers.

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, the ending would be good enough if the season was interesting... but with the snooze-fest it was... it leaves one cold to what happens to the team.

[Valsuelm]

Well, the ending would be good enough if the season was interesting... but with the snooze-fest it was... it leaves one cold to what happens to the team.

If it's that much of a snooze fest for you, why watch it?

[Woldan]

If it's that much of a snooze fest for you, why watch it?

TWD is like a car accident. Its awful, horrible and I don't like it (anymore), yet I can't stop looking.

[Hassat Hunter]

Also, my girlfriend forces me...

[Blarghagh]

Lucky dogs. I wish my girlfriend forced me to watch TWD. Instead, she insists on watching The Vampire Diaries with me.

[Hassat Hunter]

Ouch... I feel for you!

[LadyCrimson]

I don't see what else the purpose could be. In most programmes when they are used they are meant to illustrate why a character is doing what they doing currently, by showing what has happened to them historically. That isn't really the case here since we've already seen how the prison set up worked and went wrong, and we know exactly why Rick does what he does post flashback. So in that sense the flashbacks are pointless and I'm left with is the thought that this is meant to illustrate the difference between the idealist Rick and the more pragmatist Rick, or 'Farmer Rick' and the 'Ricktator' if you prefer. It's about Carl as well but only so far as idealist Rick hopes Carl can return to be a 'normal' kid while pragmatist Rick knows he cannot. Indeed, the three 'normal' kids in the flashbacks end up dead from haemorrhagic fever, bundled into a random car boot trunk and (so far as Rick knows) zombie food, while Herschel himself ends up dead.

I just meant it wasn't about Rick being a failure.

 

It was, like you said, to juxtapose farmer Rick (and his struggling morality) vs. the emerging Rickanator. Rick has never been a real Rickantor before, imo. Acceptance of what he's always thought of as the monster inside himself - that he's capable of these awful things and a loss of his civilized humanity in order to protect family - wasn't really there. Unlike the Governor, Rick always felt guilty, or conflicted, even as he was aware he had to do stuff sometimes (cop-mode). Like how guilty/horrified he was re: Shane. So in the finale, I think the flashbacks are to show how he tried to be like Herschel (Farm Rick was all Herschel's fault, apparently ), for the sake of his son (who if you recall was on verge of being an unfeeling killer), but in the end, now, he finally accepts that loss of (civilized) humanity/doesn't feel the guilt anymore. He's comfortable with himself and what he has to do in post-apoc. reality, instead of moralistically agonizing over it/hating that he has to, but also hasn't lost ability to bond with humans. Realizing it isn't either/or (monster or humanity). You can embrace the savage (instead of fear it) while still maintaining a level of your humanity. eg, he's not the Governor, or Herschel/Dale, or even Shane/Merle or "Joey's simple code" group, and Rick can finally move forward without being afraid of himself or letting self-doubt cloud his personal judgement. Hence his total angry (over?) confidence at finale end.

 

In the finale, when Carl is asked if "he deserved it" and said yes, and Rick gives him that glance, I saw that as Rick realizing that Carl understood (vs. Rick being afraid that Carl is frightened of dad, now). eg, they're starting to be on the same page.

[Blarghagh]

 

Ouch... I feel for you!

 

To be completely fair, it's not as awful as I thought it would be and I've kindof warmed up to it. I mean, that's damning it with faint praise because it's still sexy vampires soap opera, but it's no Twilight. The actors seem to be having fun, it's fairly action oriented and sometimes it can be pretty clever, which it should be, being written by the guy who wrote all Scream movies. It's about on the same level as the same creator's other awful TV show, the Kevin Bacon starring serial killer cliché The Following. So, awful, but not actually as awful as it looks because it's post-Twilight vampire fiction. It's got more in common with Interview with a Vampire than it does Twilight.

 

Plus, I get to enjoy the adorable Candice Accola being adorable and then I get to enjoy whatever hormones Ian Somerhalder manages to elicit from my ladyfriend by playing world's most bloodthirsty lovesick puppy. It's not a total loss. :D

[Zoraptor]

I just meant it wasn't about Rick being a failure.

 

I'd be pretty surprised if he didn't see it that way- he had a lot of people relying on him and most of them ended up dead- including his wife and so far as he knows his daughter. It was probably inevitable given the circumstances, but...

 

I guess the real problem I have with the whole thing is due to it all feeling rather like a retread. Rick veers from being ruthless to being 'soft' roughly once a season, and has usually decided later on in that same season that it was a mistake and changed back. That may partly be due to all the changes in show runners they've had and the current trend towards moving closer to the comics, but it feels rather off. We've also been hit over the head somewhat with how the two extremes fail- utilitarians like Shane and Carol fail, idealists like Andrea and Herschel fail.