The Walking Dead: The Television Series

[The Germanator]

Completely agree about the acting being pretty poor. I think it's actively distracted me from enjoying the show a few times. It's pretty disappointing considering Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Rubicon all had stellar acting. As Teuth said, I've come to expect better from AMC.

Again, I don't know the source material, so I don't have much to say about that part of it, but I hope this gets better. I'm just not totally sold that it will be a great show yet. I'll definitely make it through the first season, but we'll see if it gets better.

[KillerGremlin]

Thoughts:

I agree that the acting and the dialog has been less than average. The scene where they were hacking up the dead guy was so cheesy it felt like I was watching some B-movie zombie flick. In defense of the guys writing the show for AMC, Kirkman's dialog is less-than-stellar. I loved me the Walking Dead comic, but its forte was not dialog. It's been a while since I last read the comic, and I read it all within the period of a few days so I need to dust it off and reread it for the sake of just remembering what is going on.

The smart zombie thing is simply a way to drive the narrative (my thoughts, anyway). I agree it is lame, but what is not lame is a zombie show on basic cable that has tons of gore. Smart zombies that run adds to the tension. It's a cop-out to supplement bad writing and an average comic-to-TV story (thus far, anyway).

My concerns, and I have 2 main ones:

The Walking Dead rapidly deteriorates into a dark story of humanity's evils. We are talking X-rated stuff when we start tallying up all the fucking and murdering that goes down in the comic. I question how the show is going to handle this stuff, especially since they already botched the scene where Rick hacks up the dead guy.

My second concern is that Carl has been horribly cast. I just can't see the kid they cast going on to essentially be the main protagonist that he eventually becomes in the comics. The good news is the show will most likely be canceled before they reach that point in the story.

I've noticed the writers have really gone way out of their way in making Shane out to be a total slime-bag. They accomplished that within the first few minutes of the pilot. This is where I had hoped AMC would expand upon the comic. Again, as I recall, the weakest part of the comic for me was the writing. I feel like the show could have really amped up the drama regarding Rick, Shane and Lori. I guess the writers have time restraints and they want to keep the show exciting to keep the viewer rating high.

At the end of the day I ask myself this: who am I to complain? This show is a beacon of light in the wasteland known as modern television.

It is entertaining. It has zombies. The set pieces are gorgeous. Zombies rock. You take the good with the bad, right?

[Typhoid]

Personally, I think the show is pretty great.
I like the fact it makes constant suspenseful moments, with no shock-screaming after a long silent pause. The tense moment just transitions into a completely mundane thing. Like in the first episode when he was walking down the dark stairway.

I think the main actor is a great actor, to be honest. With the other actors, when I see someone do something that 'stands out', I force myself to think "It's a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, who am I to judge how someone would react in this situation", and it seems to ease my mind.

I really have no major complaints against the show. I like the fact the zombies aren't soulless, brainless, plodding lumps of meat. That's not scary anymore. If the zombies can't break a window or open a door, and when they do they walk into walls at a seemingly painfully slow pace - well, you can practically live forever, fear-free. And that wouldn't make for a very suspenseful or 'scary' TV experience. "Oh, the zombies are in the park again. Be sure to eat your filet mignon a little faster than normal so we can pack up the picnic and head home at a brisk, yet not taxing pace."

[Vampyr]

Yeah the main character is my favorite, he's the only one I really care about so far.

The father and son in the first episode were also good characters, but I'm not sure if we see them again.

[BreakABone]

Talking about the Walking Dead, good to see the KG is still kicking about.

I enjoy the show, I really have no problems with it, aside from the end of the last episode with the stupid key falling down the hole and the slow mo. ARGH

[manasecret]

Woah KG does exist. To repeat BaB, walking dead indeed. Where did you saunter off to?

[KillerGremlin]

hai guyz. I haven't really left in the sense that I lurk every now and then. I needed a break from GT, if that makes any sense, although it mostly makes me sound really self-important.

I'm glad to see Nerds on the Rocks doing well. I have checked out the blog. Someday I'd like to come back and contribute, right now I'm too busy.

I have school, research, an internship, and I've been seriously evaluating what I want to do with my life. Mostly I'm realizing just how poor I will end up if when I go into social services. Even a counselor with a PhD gets paid incredibly average given the amount of work you put into the degree.

I just don't have much to chat about, my life is boring. I watch Chuck, The Walking Dead, and Modern Family. I still see movies I guess. And I think I gave up 99% of new gaming. It was NOLF's 10th year anniversary I believe. Best game EVER. Go play it now.

[Fox 6]

Really enjoyed that one, especially the ending. So great.

[Typhoid]

I'm liking each episode more and more; and the choice of actors.

I also never thought about how great of a weapon a bow and arrow would be for this type of situation. I mean, they're fast, they're really quiet, and you can reuse the arrows. It's nearly the perfect anti-zombie weapon.

When he first gets reunited with his family was a great moment.

[Teuthida]

Enjoyed this one. Looked at the clock hoping there was more before it ended. Always a good sign.

Felt very Lostish.

[Professor S]

Much better this week. I'm glad they opened with a delirious Merl (Michael Rooker) on the rooftop. His monologue added a lot of depth to his character (if you paid close attention to his rambling you'll find a good deal of his history). I stink the dialogue is still a little stiff, but with a new show it often takes several episodes for writers to find the heart of the characters.

I am optimistic, and as Teuth pointed out, I wanted to see more.

[Vampyr]

There was not enough zombie in this episode!

It was still good though.

I'm a little confused by the ending: did the guy manage to get the hack saw? If so, why did he cut his hand off rather than the chain?

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

There was not enough zombie in this episode!

It was still good though.

I'm a little confused by the ending: did the guy manage to get the hack saw? If so, why did he cut his hand off rather than the chain?

It is a lot easier to cut off a limb.. as Saw apparently taught us.

And in the comics, the zombies are really backseat characters, its a human drama first and foremost. Doesn't always need zombies for that.

[Angrist]

I liked it but also thought it didn't have enough zombies.

[Acebot44]

Shane was so easy to hate in the second episode, but now after seeing him bludgeon the wife beater something fierce and how hard he's trying to connect with Carl, I'm pretty torn on the character.

I haven't read the comic, but hopefully the "chain of command" the women referenced at the quarry isn't typically as such, because then the show will be really hard to watch for me. I strongly dislike lazies.

Also, I felt very uncomfortable during the tent scene with Rick and his Wife, expecting that she was gonna fess up and everything would go to hell...but I'm glad that didn't happen.

All in all, this show is really having an impact on my emotions while I watch it, so I'm greatly enjoying it. Didn't want the episode to end. That's probably my dreams last night consisted of kicking some zombie ass in my old apartment building.