The Walking Dead (AMC)

[Cheesebeef]

And that last shot of the governor aiming the gun at Michone is the biggest piece of schmuck-bait, I've seen on TV in a reaaaaaallllyyyyy long time. If that gun doesn't go off and blow her head off immediately, that's just incredibly pisspoor lazy writing. That's the best they can do leading up to a midseason finale?

 

[NJCardFan]

So, the big midseason finale is the Governor attacks the prison...AGAIN?! there's got to be something else that happens to spin that story in a completely new direction, right? Right?

The writers made the mistake of having last season end the way it should have. This does point to lazy writing. There is enough in the story arc from the comic to move the story forward. That said, I poked in on a site that gives spoilers but base it on the comics and if what they're saying turns out to be true:

Spoiler

The battle should end badly for Herschel, Beth, baby Judith, and the Governor.

 

[PDXChris]

The writers made the mistake of having last season end the way it should have. This does point to lazy writing. There is enough in the story arc from the comic to move the story forward. That said, I poked in on a site that gives spoilers but base it on the comics and if what they're saying turns out to be true:

Spoiler

The battle should end badly for Herschel, Beth, baby Judith, and the Governor.

Yup, I figured all but the first.

Spoiler

I had a feeling they would mimic the death of Judith and the Governor to match the comic and Beth would be holding her when they died instead of Lori. It makes too much sence. My guess is that one of the two lesbians will be the one to pull the trigger and then take out the Governor when they realized they killed a child.

 

[Covert Rain]

Ugh....I really enjoyed the last few episodes until this one. Way to go out on a THUD!

 

[PDXChris]

Holly @$%!, that is how you end that story arc!!!

 

[Stout]

Holly @$%!, that is how you end that story arc!!!

No, you end the story arc last season. This episode, while satisfying in some ways, ended up grossly underwhelming. The good news? The 2nd half of the season should be pretty effing cool. It's cleared the way for some major shakeup and a new direction.

As far as this ep, I'll go to the spoilers:

Spoiler

Ooh, look, we found a tank...somewhere...off-screen...um, yeah, we just need you to suspend disbelief...I know it's stupid...erm, sorry--signed, lazy writers. Let alone the fact that a tank like that takes something along the lines of 30 gallons of fuel just to start, and gets like a mile a gallon, and the track would likely be several thousand miles past broken. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

As for the story? About 1/2 an episode of simply wasted time, some really cool firefight stuff and ingenuity shown, and some terribly predictable stuff. Killing off Herschel? Cool, it took some stones to do that. How it was done? Jesus, I knew how it would be done and exactly when it would be done for five minutes or so. Way to create suspension and surprise there, writers...NOT. As soon as Michone was captured, it was painfully obvious she would kill him and it would be with her sword. Okay, so he was still breathing when the chick shot him in the head, but still.

You want an actual surprise? Don't do the long, threatening 'I'm-going-to-cut-his-head-off' routine. Whisper it one moment, let Rick have his rant, and just frickin' DO it. You want a great end? Have Carl put one in his head after he kills Hershel instead of hitting him in the arm. Sheesh.

Oh, and the black hat suddenly, in an episode and a half, finds and integrates several people into a mini-band, finds his old subordinates who completely trust him, he kills them, then murders off half the true fighters of the group, convinces everyone he's a good guy and the one to lead them...goes on to the next episode to convince them to attack innocents and hit the jail. Um, how godawfully stupid can you get? Baaaad writing.

The firefight? Awesome. My favorite bit was Darrell using a zombie body shield (as unrealistic as it would be) and taking guys out. The kids stepping up to cap a few attackers was pretty cool too.

Well, as underwhelming as the episode was, at least the absolute waste of three episodes is over and done with. The Gov is most definitely not coming back now. The prison's ruined and the occupants scattered to the wind. Fun times ahead!

All that said, bring on the second half of the season!

 

[Heucrazy]

The very end was just freaking brutal.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The very end was just freaking brutal.

Spoiler

that baby better be dead, otherwise that's just ridiculously manipulative story-telling to provide an emotional punch.

glad the governor/prison arc is over.

 

[JerkFace]

Spoiler

that baby better be dead, otherwise that's just ridiculously manipulative story-telling to provide an emotional punch.

Here is a quote from the show runner that paints a hazy picture:

Spoiler

"There are a lot of walkers around there as well. It did not look good and I don't want to say one way or another but what you see tells a story."

 

[MadCardDisease]

Spoiler

that baby better be dead, otherwise that's just ridiculously manipulative story-telling to provide an emotional punch.

glad the governor/prison arc is over.

Spoiler

Agreed. So glad the governor/prison story is over!

As for the baby. I garentee that she is alive. A walker wouldn't take her out of the car seat. They would just munch her in the seat and there would be little baby parts every where.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Holly @$%!, that is how you end that story arc!!!

Indeed. Very intense!

Going to hate waiting for Feburary to come around!

 

[carrrnuttt]

Spoiler

that baby better be dead, otherwise that's just ridiculously manipulative story-telling to provide an emotional punch.

glad the governor/prison arc is over.

Here is a quote from the show runner that paints a hazy picture:

Spoiler

"There are a lot of walkers around there as well. It did not look good and I don't want to say one way or another but what you see tells a story."

Spoiler

Agreed. So glad the governor/prison story is over!

As for the baby. I garentee that she is alive. A walker wouldn't take her out of the car seat. They would just munch her in the seat and there would be little baby parts every where.

Spoiler

There were interviews before the season where the showrunners were quoted as saying that a "zombie baby" will be seen this season.

 

[MadCardDisease]

No, you end the story arc last season. This episode, while satisfying in some ways, ended up grossly underwhelming. The good news? The 2nd half of the season should be pretty effing cool. It's cleared the way for some major shakeup and a new direction.

As far as this ep, I'll go to the spoilers:

Spoiler

Ooh, look, we found a tank...somewhere...off-screen...um, yeah, we just need you to suspend disbelief...I know it's stupid...erm, sorry--signed, lazy writers. Let alone the fact that a tank like that takes something along the lines of 30 gallons of fuel just to start, and gets like a mile a gallon, and the track would likely be several thousand miles past broken. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

As for the story? About 1/2 an episode of simply wasted time, some really cool firefight stuff and ingenuity shown, and some terribly predictable stuff. Killing off Herschel? Cool, it took some stones to do that. How it was done? Jesus, I knew how it would be done and exactly when it would be done for five minutes or so. Way to create suspension and surprise there, writers...NOT. As soon as Michone was captured, it was painfully obvious she would kill him and it would be with her sword. Okay, so he was still breathing when the chick shot him in the head, but still.

You want an actual surprise? Don't do the long, threatening 'I'm-going-to-cut-his-head-off' routine. Whisper it one moment, let Rick have his rant, and just frickin' DO it. You want a great end? Have Carl put one in his head after he kills Hershel instead of hitting him in the arm. Sheesh.

Oh, and the black hat suddenly, in an episode and a half, finds and integrates several people into a mini-band, finds his old subordinates who completely trust him, he kills them, then murders off half the true fighters of the group, convinces everyone he's a good guy and the one to lead them...goes on to the next episode to convince them to attack innocents and hit the jail. Um, how godawfully stupid can you get? Baaaad writing.

The firefight? Awesome. My favorite bit was Darrell using a zombie body shield (as unrealistic as it would be) and taking guys out. The kids stepping up to cap a few attackers was pretty cool too.

Well, as underwhelming as the episode was, at least the absolute waste of three episodes is over and done with. The Gov is most definitely not coming back now. The prison's ruined and the occupants scattered to the wind. Fun times ahead!

All that said, bring on the second half of the season!

Of all people I thought you would understand this episode the most.

Spoiler

The religious and mythological layers and parallels in this episode were stunning. The prison, a type of Greek heaven separate from the other world of the afterlife, Hades, represents just that kind of heaven we find in this episode--where life is easiest for people behind the prison walls. The govenors "clan" was relegated to a hellish life on the run at best. This fits completely with Greek mythology and ancient Greek beliefs. The tank itself could be seen as a modern day trojan horse that allows the govenors clan access to the prison, or Troy if you will.

But that's just the Greek angle. Then you have Rick, explaining to the govenor how he believes everyone can forgive each other and live together in peace. Remember, Jesus forgave those who persecuted him before the end. The parallel is clear, and his mental journey is also clear throughout the episode. It isn't just one moment of cheap payoff in the end.

I could type more on the subject, but I suspect my sarcasm has run out.

 

[Bert]

Spoiler

The governer is dead! That's all I cared about. So yay. I thought this episode was pretty great after the crapfest that was last week. I still hate the character of the governor, he's just a stupid character and a bad actor playing him. The whole; "Nobody has to die, I've turned over a leaf, I'm not going to kill Michon or Herchel just leave the prison, devolved pretty quickly into "KILL EVERYONE!"

As did his pep talk to his new people. "I need to ask you to do something, it's gonna be ok, nobody is going to die I promise!" And so his new people followed him, reluctantly for the most part into this peacful takeover of the prison, but then when he chopped a hostages head off and declared war they all jumped on board pretty quickly didn't they!?!?!

but that's not important. I dont care because atleast it's over. It was a means to an end. The group needed to get out of the prison, it was stagnant already and too much had happened, there was no going back. This show is about the group surviving going from one place to another, it's not about a group living in a prison so I'm glad they are out again. Just as it was TIME to leave Herchel's ranch in the past, it was time to leave the prison.

I agree with Stout in that it would have been the FREAKING BOMB if, after the Gov. killed Herchel, if Carl had just put one right between his eyes, man that would have been sweet.

But overall, I liked the way they wrapped it all up, it was an exciting conclusion to this half of season and I'm excited about where it's going again. The baby scene was horribly tragic and Carl and Ricks acting was pretty great so props to those guys. I'm excited about where it's going again.

 

[Covert Rain]

I am in the minority that I liked the Governor character. My problem was they milked it for too long and went on these Governor heavy episodes that irked me (although the one just recently around him wondering a couple episodes back was good). The last one fell into...the Governor centric stuff again which was blah!

Having said that the Governor and the Prison had to go. It's boring and feels like hey we found our place.......now we will live unhappily ever after.

That last episode was much better versus some of the other cliff hangers. So much bad crap happened in that episode. Sucks Hershel had to go but if you are leaving the prison how long could you realistically tow the old guy around or the baby for that matter.

Although, my guess is someone grabbed the baby on the way out. I find it hard to believe they are going to just kill her off. I think a very cool outcome would be one one of the people from the Governors camp snatched and grabbed her. It would be a cool plot point to find out someone else is raising his little girl at some point in the story.

 

[Stout]

Well played, sir. Well played

Of all people I thought you would understand this episode the most.

Spoiler

The religious and mythological layers and parallels in this episode were stunning. The prison, a type of Greek heaven separate from the other world of the afterlife, Hades, represents just that kind of heaven we find in this episode--where life is easiest for people behind the prison walls. The govenors "clan" was relegated to a hellish life on the run at best. This fits completely with Greek mythology and ancient Greek beliefs. The tank itself could be seen as a modern day trojan horse that allows the govenors clan access to the prison, or Troy if you will.

But that's just the Greek angle. Then you have Rick, explaining to the govenor how he believes everyone can forgive each other and live together in peace. Remember, Jesus forgave those who persecuted him before the end. The parallel is clear, and his mental journey is also clear throughout the episode. It isn't just one moment of cheap payoff in the end.

I could type more on the subject, but I suspect my sarcasm has run out.

 

[NJCardFan]

Spoiler

Agreed. So glad the governor/prison story is over!

As for the baby. I garentee that she is alive. A walker wouldn't take her out of the car seat. They would just munch her in the seat and there would be little baby parts every where.

Spoiler

Agreed. So glad the governor/prison story is over!

As for the baby. I garentee that she is alive. A walker wouldn't take her out of the car seat. They would just munch her in the seat and there would be little baby parts every where.

They touched on this at the beginning of season 2 when they found the abandoned car with the bloody carseat.

 

[JS22]

Spoiler

As did his pep talk to his new people. "I need to ask you to do something, it's gonna be ok, nobody is going to die I promise!" And so his new people followed him, reluctantly for the most part into this peacful takeover of the prison, but then when he chopped a hostages head off and declared war they all jumped on board pretty quickly didn't they!?!?!

Spoiler

That bothered me a lot. Dude chops off the head of an innocent old man and NOBODY turns on him? Not one person? Instead they just march forward and start firing at Rick and his people?

Sure, the Governor "told" them that the people in the prison were "evil." But you'd think that someone would, at the very least, accept Ricks offer, then turn a gun on the Gov.

They wouldn't have even had to fire it to make the situation somewhat believable. Just go against him. And maybe have a few others follow suit.

 

[Gaddabout]

Spoiler

I felt there was catharsis. Also happy the prison days are over. Most disappointed how easily Daryl let the banishment of Carol slide off his back. I guess they decided they didn't have time to deal with it, but it just made Daryl go down a notch in my book.

 

[Covert Rain]

Frank Darabont suing AMC for shady accounting practices and screwing his production company out of millions. They are claiming they have not received a dime and the reason he was let go after season 2 was simply so they didn't have to pay him and AMC could pay themselves excessive licensing fees. According to AMC's own accounting the show is running in a deficit which on paper justifies paying zero.

If this is true, this is beyond dirty of AMC. Not that this is the first time a network or movie studio has pulled something similar.

"After two years, the accounting claimed a $55 million deficit in the pool, the lawsuit said. AMC paid itself nearly $49 million in license fees, but production costs totaled $104.5 million, the suit said. The deficit grows with each season, it said."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/18/showbiz/walking-dead-lawsuit/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[Bert]

If this show is not making money then it is one of the greatest blunders in television history.

Just on the merchandise alone, which is everywhere. DVD Sales are high, and ratings are super high.

I call BS or they need to fire whoever is doing their books.

 

[Chaplin]

So, I liked the intensity of the finale, and it leaves a lot of questions out there--and a bunch of smaller groups...

Spoiler

1) Rick and Carl
2) Michonne - This is weird, one minute, Michonne is helping Rick up after killing The Guv, the next minute she's gone when Rick finds Carl. Where did she go and why did she leave Rick?
2) Daryl and Beth
3) Tyreese and the kids (my theory is that Judith is with this group--but that's just a guess)
4) Glenn in the bus with all the red shirts
5) Maggie, Sasha and the alkie
6) The scared #*(@-less lesbian
7) The Guv's killer/girlfriend

Did I miss anything?

RIP Herschel - liked him, but Rick needed to face his own conscience for a change--Herschel couldn't keep making decisions for him if the character is to grow.

 

[PDXChris]

So, I liked the intensity of the finale, and it leaves a lot of questions out there--and a bunch of smaller groups...

Spoiler

1) Rick and Carl
2) Michonne - This is weird, one minute, Michonne is helping Rick up after killing The Guv, the next minute she's gone when Rick finds Carl. Where did she go and why did she leave Rick?
2) Daryl and Beth
3) Tyreese and the kids (my theory is that Judith is with this group--but that's just a guess)
4) Glenn in the bus with all the red shirts
5) Maggie, Sasha and the alkie
6) The scared #*(@-less lesbian
7) The Guv's killer/girlfriend

Did I miss anything?

RIP Herschel - liked him, but Rick needed to face his own conscience for a change--Herschel couldn't keep making decisions for him if the character is to grow.

Spoiler

Based on what I read, the next episode should be straight from this issue, along with the next two issues.

http://walkingdead.wikia.com/wiki/Issue_49

 

[carrrnuttt]

New spot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCNFEmUK5PY

 

[PDXChris]

T-Minus 8 hours

Spoiler

I will be interested I everyone's opinion of the episode since it will be a very slow episode.