As a father of two sons, I thought the dynamic between Rick and Carl was realistic and uncomfortable to view. Nice to see Carl being portrayed as teenager, and not some petulant, half-a-psycho. Really enjoyed the subtle, decision making story-line of Michonne. Perhaps a little too slow for a midseason restart, but a solid episode.
Blech. Annoying Carl. We get it--he's an annoying teenager that thinks he knows everything. Got way too much of it before, and way too much of it again.
The problem they had here, as writers (who can't seem to write well) is that they threw a bunch of really stupid, unjustified action into the last episode--then slammed on the breaks and pretended it didn't happen. They CAN have a decent show; they just have places they want to take it and don't care if the logic doesn't take the show there. Bipolar writers!
To be fair, I did warn everyone to expect a slow episode. Also, keep in mind, they are catching up the comic pretty quick, so they have to draw it out a bit from time to time. As a fan of the comic, they did a pretty darn good job of allowing that issue to come to life. From here is should start to pick up and if the timing works out, there should be a pretty good cliff hanger for the season.
This episode is why this show is neither TV nor cinema. It's somewhere in between.
They spend a lot of time developing and defining characters, like TV, but they don't do it all through dialogue. Sometimes it's just an actor walking around chewing the scenery. It can be irritating for the average viewer, but the cathartic payoff at the end of the season is potentially that much greater.
They hit action beats every few pages of dialogue, just like film, but it doesn't typically have some greater arching theme. The zombie apocalypse isn't looming, it's already happened. The question isn't what will the zombies do. They're just the scenery, the setting, a force of nature. Humanity is always both the hero and the villain, sometimes in the same person. The characters are constantly being forced to answer the question why he/she/they are even bothering to stay alive. Michaun's element in tonight's story encapsulates the whole series, IMO. The heroes choose to stay alive, even when they don't know why they do it.
Felt this whole episode accomplished two things: Reset the timbre and establish the Rick/Carl battle that must rest at the center of second half of Season 2.
I can't decide if the moments painting Carl's youth were heavy-handed or brilliant. The kid gets excited about video games he can't play, then remembers he LIVES in a video game. He eats a tub of pudding on the roof beneath a summer sun, legs kicking beneath the awning, while a zombie pants in the background and his father is (we are led to believe) probably dying or dead back at the base home. He says (and writes) playful teenage boy messages after doing battle with forces that could have taken his life. The constant contrast ... I get that as a writer, but as a viewer I kinda sorta wonder if they needed to go to those great lengths to remind us of a character we more or less already understood. I guess they felt they had an episode to establish a baseline for where he was at so he could become a feature character. I'm game for that. Every man I know can relate to that, even if they probably find it annoying -- seeing our past insecurity, selfishness, petulance, naiveté and immaturity is painful and not idyllic. I suppose it works against the backdrop of Michaun, who has no real physical challenges in this world but is only coming to grips with her acceptance of human relationship as a basic need. They're two characters coming from opposite spectrums headed towards each other (and likely to pass each other).
This episode is why this show is neither TV nor cinema. It's somewhere in between.
They spend a lot of time developing and defining characters, like TV, but they don't do it all through dialogue. Sometimes it's just an actor walking around chewing the scenery. It can be irritating for the average viewer, but the cathartic payoff at the end of the season is potentially that much greater.
They hit action beats every few pages of dialogue, just like film, but it doesn't typically have some greater arching theme. The zombie apocalypse isn't looming, it's already happened. The question isn't what will the zombies do. They're just the scenery, the setting, a force of nature. Humanity is always both the hero and the villain, sometimes in the same person. The characters are constantly being forced to answer the question why he/she/they are even bothering to stay alive. Michaun's element in tonight's story encapsulates the whole series, IMO. The heroes choose to stay alive, even when they don't know why they do it.
Felt this whole episode accomplished two things: Reset the timbre and establish the Rick/Carl battle that must rest at the center of second half of Season 2.
I can't decide if the moments painting Carl's youth were heavy-handed or brilliant. The kid gets excited about video games he can't play, then remembers he LIVES in a video game. He eats a tub of pudding on the roof beneath a summer sun, legs kicking beneath the awning, while a zombie pants in the background and his father is (we are led to believe) probably dying or dead back at the base home. He says (and writes) playful teenage boy messages after doing battle with forces that could have taken his life. The constant contrast ... I get that as a writer, but as a viewer I kinda sorta wonder if they needed to go to those great lengths to remind us of a character we more or less already understood. I guess they felt they had an episode to establish a baseline for where he was at so he could become a feature character. I'm game for that. Every man I know can relate to that, even if they probably find it annoying -- seeing our past insecurity, selfishness, petulance, naiveté and immaturity is painful and not idyllic. I suppose it works against the backdrop of Michaun, who has no real physical challenges in this world but is only coming to grips with her acceptance of human relationship as a basic need. They're two characters coming from opposite spectrums headed towards each other (and likely to pass each other).
This episode is why this show is neither TV nor cinema. It's somewhere in between.
They spend a lot of time developing and defining characters, like TV, but they don't do it all through dialogue. Sometimes it's just an actor walking around chewing the scenery. It can be irritating for the average viewer, but the cathartic payoff at the end of the season is potentially that much greater.
They hit action beats every few pages of dialogue, just like film, but it doesn't typically have some greater arching theme. The zombie apocalypse isn't looming, it's already happened. The question isn't what will the zombies do. They're just the scenery, the setting, a force of nature. Humanity is always both the hero and the villain, sometimes in the same person. The characters are constantly being forced to answer the question why he/she/they are even bothering to stay alive. Michaun's element in tonight's story encapsulates the whole series, IMO. The heroes choose to stay alive, even when they don't know why they do it.
Felt this whole episode accomplished two things: Reset the timbre and establish the Rick/Carl battle that must rest at the center of second half of Season 2.
I can't decide if the moments painting Carl's youth were heavy-handed or brilliant. The kid gets excited about video games he can't play, then remembers he LIVES in a video game. He eats a tub of pudding on the roof beneath a summer sun, legs kicking beneath the awning, while a zombie pants in the background and his father is (we are led to believe) probably dying or dead back at the base home. He says (and writes) playful teenage boy messages after doing battle with forces that could have taken his life. The constant contrast ... I get that as a writer, but as a viewer I kinda sorta wonder if they needed to go to those great lengths to remind us of a character we more or less already understood. I guess they felt they had an episode to establish a baseline for where he was at so he could become a feature character. I'm game for that. Every man I know can relate to that, even if they probably find it annoying -- seeing our past insecurity, selfishness, petulance, naiveté and immaturity is painful and not idyllic. I suppose it works against the backdrop of Michaun, who has no real physical challenges in this world but is only coming to grips with her acceptance of human relationship as a basic need. They're two characters coming from opposite spectrums headed towards each other (and likely to pass each other).
To be fair, I did warn everyone to expect a slow episode. Also, keep in mind, they are catching up the comic pretty quick, so they have to draw it out a bit from time to time. As a fan of the comic, they did a pretty darn good job of allowing that issue to come to life. From here is should start to pick up and if the timing works out, there should be a pretty good cliff hanger for the season.
So? I could warn you that reality TV is really, really stupid, but it won't soften the blow when you realize it's really, really stupid
The show writers manufactured the really, epically horrific end to the last of the first half. Instead of owning up to it and writing a proper descending action episode, they went snoozefest, brought back annoying Carl, wussed out on what could have been an epic moment (
Did anybody NOT expect Rick to croak 'Carl'?
), and generally exposed the holes in this show. They have a great idea, great characters, and moments of brilliance. They also have long stretches of head-scratching stupidity, boredom and Swiss cheese plots.
The problem is, they string me along until I'm finally at the breaking point, then do the absolute minimum to keep me as a viewer. If the next episode sucks, though, I'm out
I thought it was good first episode. I didn't expect after that catastrophic ending of the cliff hanger for this to be some balls out episode. I do have to say though I am really getting sick of Carl...just like I did his mom. I knew it wasn't going to happen but a part of me wishes that zombie had taken a nibble. I really hope the writers make his character more likeable in the future.
Yep. And for no reason and with no sense of continuity.
So? I could warn you that reality TV is really, really stupid, but it won't soften the blow when you realize it's really, really stupid
The show writers manufactured the really, epically horrific end to the last of the first half. Instead of owning up to it and writing a proper descending action episode, they went snoozefest, brought back annoying Carl, wussed out on what could have been an epic moment (
Did anybody NOT expect Rick to croak 'Carl'?
), and generally exposed the holes in this show. They have a great idea, great characters, and moments of brilliance. They also have long stretches of head-scratching stupidity, boredom and Swiss cheese plots.
The problem is, they string me along until I'm finally at the breaking point, then do the absolute minimum to keep me as a viewer. If the next episode sucks, though, I'm out
It's just a plot device. We all know walking alone draws zombies, and no one complains about that.
It's his second resurrection, a clear call back to the pilot. I think they were signaling the series is starting over. As I understand it, they lifted most of the show directly from the comic.
Sorry to bump into someone else's question. A MacGuffin is typically an unexplained goal. I think the zombies are the thing they're fleeing. Doesn't quite fit, but I get what you're saying.
I think the zombies are just viewed as part of the setting. Setting often becomes a character unto its own (the island on Lost, for example).
Sorry to bump into someone else's question. A MacGuffin is typically an unexplained goal. I think the zombies are the thing they're fleeing. Doesn't quite fit, but I get what you're saying.
I think the zombies are just viewed as part of the setting. Setting often becomes a character unto its own (the island on Lost, for example).
I just thought of this but the one thing that irked me from the episode was Michonne grabbing another couple of walkers like before. I get why she cuts of the arms and the jaw but the Walkers in almost every instance come after people no matter what you whack or shoot off.
We are supposed to believe that they still wouldn't some after her and simply follow her like that? BAH! Arms or no jaw, they would try and take a bite. Just saying.
I just thought of this but the one thing that irked me from the episode was Michonne grabbing another couple of walkers like before. I get why she cuts of the arms and the jaw but the Walkers in almost every instance come after people no matter what you whack or shoot off.
We are supposed to believe that they still wouldn't some after her and simply follow her like that? BAH! Arms or no jaw, they would try and take a bite. Just saying.
In the comic they explained with the first two and they may have on the show. Basically they did gave trying to attack her after weeks of being like that. The first two were the guys from her flashback/dream and she stayed in her house with them for awhile. So, that does not work in this instance.
In the comic they explained with the first two and they may have on the show. Basically they did gave trying to attack her after weeks of being like that. The first two were the guys from her flashback/dream and she stayed in her house with them for awhile. So, that does not work in this instance.
