TWD TV SHOW--Offical Discussion Thread 4 4

[awakeintheashes]

Can we start a new thread with the names of all you ladies that will no longer watch the show?

 

you don't have to be a fan of every episode to keep watching a show

 

Yep. I thought the episode was pretty good, but the ending was really weak. A total hack move by the writers/producers.

 

That said, I will be watching Season 7 when it returns. And I will voice my displeasure (again) when it turns out to be Aaron or Eugene that gets the baby seal treatment.

I will be right there with you if that is who is killed off. By opting to kill Denise instead of Abe and having Carol and Morgan find safe haven at the Kingdom, the show really needs to say goodbye to a major character to maintain some balance and credibility.

 

Eugene or Aaron will not do it.

[comix4fun]

From Paul Tassi's on point Forbes Article.

 

Speaking to which character will ultimately be revealed to have been killed:

 

 

And again, given that Norman Reedus and AMC are like BFFs at this point (he stars in Walking Dead video games, he has his own motorcycle reality show), it’s pretty clear to me they’re not going to kill Daryl, and certainly not in a way that requires a six month cliffhanger. Honestly at this point I genuinely believe it’s down to Abraham, Eugene and Aaron, and I’m leaning toward Aaron of all people, just because of how stupid AMC has made this process, and how afraid they’ve been to kill major characters for a long time now.

 

This was a poor, poor creative decision, and one they can never get back. No matter what happens in the season seven premiere, this moment will have lost almost all of its impact. Stories have specific arcs and narrative climaxes for a reason. You do not make your biggest reveal/death of the series into something that’s pure rising action, and then fracture the climax into something incomprehensible for the sake of…what, blackmailing viewers into tuning in next season premiere? They were going to show up anyway!

 

This is just a frustrating end to a frustrating season, which had many good moments, but its desire to trick and toy with the audience has mangled most of the storylines this year, and ruining Negan’s debut like this for the sake of yet another cliffhanger is simply unforgivable.

 

[Doc McCoy]

I saw this quote in an article that sums up where the show is after this season. I was not a fan of Mazzara, and I liked was Gimple was doing when he took over as showrunner. However, I have to agree with the writer's opinion on this.

 

The ratings of season 7’s premiere are definitely guaranteed, but I find myself looking back at the bigger picture of how this show has changed over the years. The first season, under the leadership of showrunner Frank Darabont, was exceptional in that it actually proved the comic could work as a show. The subsequent two seasons under Glen Mazzara had their high points and low points, but we’ve now seen three full seasons under Scott Gimple, and it’s safe to say there are some real problematic patterns, including a reliance on tricks and gimmicks to give the impression of escalation and growth when people are really just running (or should I say driving?) in circles.

 

The Verge

 

From Paul Tassi's on point Forbes Article.

 

Speaking to which character will ultimately be revealed to have been killed:

 

 

And again, given that Norman Reedus and AMC are like BFFs at this point (he stars in Walking Dead video games, he has his own motorcycle reality show), it’s pretty clear to me they’re not going to kill Daryl, and certainly not in a way that requires a six month cliffhanger. Honestly at this point I genuinely believe it’s down to Abraham, Eugene and Aaron, and I’m leaning toward Aaron of all people, just because of how stupid AMC has made this process, and how afraid they’ve been to kill major characters for a long time now.

 

This was a poor, poor creative decision, and one they can never get back. No matter what happens in the season seven premiere, this moment will have lost almost all of its impact. Stories have specific arcs and narrative climaxes for a reason. You do not make your biggest reveal/death of the series into something that’s pure rising action, and then fracture the climax into something incomprehensible for the sake of…what, blackmailing viewers into tuning in next season premiere? They were going to show up anyway!

 

This is just a frustrating end to a frustrating season, which had many good moments, but its desire to trick and toy with the audience has mangled most of the storylines this year, and ruining Negan’s debut like this for the sake of yet another cliffhanger is simply unforgivable.

 

 

Same sentiments from Jonathon Dornbush at EW http://www.ew.com/recap/the-walking-dead-season-6-finale . I think initially everyone was concerned that the show runners kept changing, but the new perspective every few seasons was keeping the show fresh. I think Gimple needs to go.

 

No matter how great Jeffrey Dean Morgan may be in his first scene as Negan, the show robs fans a chance of something deeper in this moment, of properly ending the narrative being laid out all season. And the rest of the finale is devoid of enough meaningful material or character developments to justify the ultimate lack of resolution. The ending is meant to be a shock to fans, an unexpected twist on what is expected .Yet in a season so full of toying cliffhangers, this final one isn’t a shock. It’s a disappointment.

[ebtorres]

Variety's review of the finale...

 

Excerpt:

 

...the show’s writers have at times sold out their characters, indulging in “Scandal”-like “OMG” moments. Perhaps foremost, the program has engaged in stunts intended to tease out plot threads that a show this popular, frankly, needn’t (and shouldn’t) employ.

 

There were multiple examples of that this season, from the too-cute spin that surrounded the uncertainty over whether the character of Glenn (Steven Yeun) was dead to the finish of the penultimate episode, where a bullet and a spray of blood provided a big twist to an otherwise so-so hour. And damned if the producers didn’t do that again in the finale (and SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t watched), by opting not to disclose who was on the other end of Negan’s bloodthirsty bat.

[comix4fun]

I saw this quote in an article that sums up where the show is after this season. I was not a fan of Mazzara, and I liked was Gimple was doing when he took over as showrunner. However, I have to agree with the writer's opinion on this.

 

The ratings of season 7’s premiere are definitely guaranteed, but I find myself looking back at the bigger picture of how this show has changed over the years. The first season, under the leadership of showrunner Frank Darabont, was exceptional in that it actually proved the comic could work as a show. The subsequent two seasons under Glen Mazzara had their high points and low points, but we’ve now seen three full seasons under Scott Gimple, and it’s safe to say there are some real problematic patterns, including a reliance on tricks and gimmicks to give the impression of escalation and growth when people are really just running (or should I say driving?) in circles.

 

The Verge

 

From Paul Tassi's on point Forbes Article.

 

Speaking to which character will ultimately be revealed to have been killed:

 

 

And again, given that Norman Reedus and AMC are like BFFs at this point (he stars in Walking Dead video games, he has his own motorcycle reality show), it’s pretty clear to me they’re not going to kill Daryl, and certainly not in a way that requires a six month cliffhanger. Honestly at this point I genuinely believe it’s down to Abraham, Eugene and Aaron, and I’m leaning toward Aaron of all people, just because of how stupid AMC has made this process, and how afraid they’ve been to kill major characters for a long time now.

 

This was a poor, poor creative decision, and one they can never get back. No matter what happens in the season seven premiere, this moment will have lost almost all of its impact. Stories have specific arcs and narrative climaxes for a reason. You do not make your biggest reveal/death of the series into something that’s pure rising action, and then fracture the climax into something incomprehensible for the sake of…what, blackmailing viewers into tuning in next season premiere? They were going to show up anyway!

 

This is just a frustrating end to a frustrating season, which had many good moments, but its desire to trick and toy with the audience has mangled most of the storylines this year, and ruining Negan’s debut like this for the sake of yet another cliffhanger is simply unforgivable.

 

 

Same sentiments from Jonathon Dornbush at EW http://www.ew.com/recap/the-walking-dead-season-6-finale . I think initially everyone was concerned that the show runners kept changing, but the new perspective every few seasons was keeping the show fresh. I think Gimple needs to go.

 

No matter how great Jeffrey Dean Morgan may be in his first scene as Negan, the show robs fans a chance of something deeper in this moment, of properly ending the narrative being laid out all season. And the rest of the finale is devoid of enough meaningful material or character developments to justify the ultimate lack of resolution. The ending is meant to be a shock to fans, an unexpected twist on what is expected .Yet in a season so full of toying cliffhangers, this final one isn’t a shock. It’s a disappointment.

 

 

This was one of the more balanced and thought out critiques I've read.

 

Gives credit where it's due, blame where it belongs, and hits the reasons why.

 

Foul Language Ahead but worth a read.

 

 

Specifically.....

 

Negan is… awesome. The character actually lives up to the hype, and when Jeffrey Dean Morgan strides out of the RV (where he was waiting for everything to come together exactly as he wanted it), he’s one of the most charmingly evil people I’ve ever seen on TV. He made me laugh, and he actually made me like him, even though I knew he would be murdering one of the heroes almost immediately. He says Rick’s group are entering “Pee Pee Pants City.” He tells Rick that “You killed a lot of my people. More than I’m comfortable with.” He’s amazing.

 

followed by:

 

Then the episode turns to . This is not my opinion as a critic, it’s a completely objective assessment of what happens when the show teases the arrival of one character for the entirety of a 16-episode TV show season, and the show goes out of its way to promote his arrival by unequivocally proclaiming he would kill a major cast member as part of his debut (just as the character did in the comics). This has literally been all we’ve been thinking about since at least the second-half of the season started, and all the show has wanted us to think about it. TWD executive producer David Alpert didn’t mince words when he told IGN, “I cannot wait to see the reaction to when we do the things we’re going to do at the end of this season. I think we will melt people’s minds.”

 

[Doc McCoy]

That is a great article, Chris. I think this was the highlight for me:

 

Both Rick and the show not only are 100% confident they know what they’re doing, but 100% certain they can do no wrong. Rick thought he could take on the Saviors without a single consequence. The show thought it could stretch the one moment we’ve been waiting for all this damn time to a season finale and a premiere. Both were dead wrong.

[comix4fun]

That is a great article, Chris. I think this was the highlight for me:

 

Both Rick and the show not only are 100% confident they know what they’re doing, but 100% certain they can do no wrong. Rick thought he could take on the Saviors without a single consequence. The show thought it could stretch the one moment we’ve been waiting for all this damn time to a season finale and a premiere. Both were dead wrong.

 

 

I agree. It touched upon why this ending was so insulting to loyal fans and to fans of properly written, paced and delivered drama.

[Kyle R.]

Just watched the finale. A cliffhanger was NOT necessary. We know who dies.

 

And yeah, the episode was stretched out very thin.

[ygogolak]

I think people are forgetting that, I would guess, a majority of viewers have never read the comic.

[Revival_Hoarder]

 

Does the shadow look familiar?

 

Leaving it here for discussion...

 

R_H

Edited April 4, 2016 by Revival_Hoarder

[Sam I am]

Vader?

[chrisco37]

Does the shadow look familiar?

 

Leaving it here for discussion...

 

R_H

 

I will forgive all their transgressions if that is the case. But there's just no chance of that.

[Revival_Hoarder]

Sam,

 

You are dead on!

 

Chrisco,

 

True, True! Highly doubtful!

[Kyle R.]

Jonah Hex ?

[Sam I am]

Sam,

 

You are dead on!

 

Chrisco,

 

True, True! Highly doubtful!

 

Pic for proof?

[ThoseBackPages]

I think people are forgetting that, I would guess, a majority of viewers have never read the comic.

 

THIS!

 

I would say about 40K people read the book on a monthly basis

 

MILLIONS watch the show

[ThoseBackPages]

And i get it, a lot of people did not care for the ending.

 

But the thing to keep in mind that we, as comic readers, are already addicted, we know all this poop.

 

The majority of viewers will not read the comic, as much as they should, they wont.

 

a lot of GET OFF MY LAWN-ers here

[MR SigS]

The show ended just about exactly as I expected in that we'd have the first-person perspective of whoever was "it" staring at the business end of Lucille. I wasn't expecting we'd actually see Lucille coming down, but that makes sense to me now. Otherwise non comic book reading viewers would wonder if anyone was in any actual danger.

 

I agree it should be a major character, but not sure if they'll go that way.

 

"Rosita" was on Talking Dead recently and seemed kinda down. Twice she said, "It's going to happen to us all" in reference to Denise's fate, so I'm thinking it may be her, if they're going to off a B-list character.

 

I like not knowing who it is. I don't think there'd be as much to talk about during the off season if we did.

 

The only reason I can see them going with who the "shadow" suggests is because the next time we see him, he'll pretty much be a man. But if that's the case, then Rick not freaking out when Negan chose who is "it" makes that scenario seem doubtful to me.

 

 

[awakeintheashes]

Does the shadow look familiar?

 

Leaving it here for discussion...

 

R_H

Well, all Negan said was "take the kid's other eye." Assuming, the eye is salvageable, it's possible it's him. I still think it is one of the four taken hostage in the previous episode.

[HarveySwick]

But if you look at the shadow, the light is being cast over from Negan's right (right side of his face is illuminated)...meaning the light source is coming from behind where Carl was sitting. It's not head on from behind the victim. Doesn't this suggest that it's NOT Carl? It's someone that is sitting to the right of Carl.