I’m calling it. The Walking Dead series kind of sucks. I don’t want to call it, but with the new major plot lines not taken from the book and word that Darabont has fired the writing staff things are not looking good.
I was nervous when they introduced brand new characters that seemed to be based entirely on stereo-types (I call them T-Bone and the Racist said in morning radio show voice). Then I became full on worried when five shows in they decided to delve into the source of the zombie outbreak by heading to the CDC, something the comic hasn’t attempted to explain in nearly 80 issues. Because there’s no point. I don’t need to know why it happened. The characters don’t need to know why it happened. The story is about survival and what happens to people when the world goes completely to shit. That is interesting enough and considering it’s an incredibly popular and long running comic book series, I think people agree. I feel like the show is completely underestimating it’s audience. I know that they want more than just fans of the comic to watch and I understand that television is a different medium than print. I was with Darabont when he explained that they were going to expand upon Kirkman’s work with his supervision. I was excited to see them explore things that were glossed over in the book. But at the end of the day, I’m a fan of Walking Dead for a reason and I expected to see a show that stayed true to the story. Now it looks as though “exploring things” has become the main and only focus.
The show looks great and I think the casting of the main characters remains spot on. I certainly hope I’m wrong about the direction it’s going. Hopefully, they’ll find a way to get back to the story and stop adding flat pointless characters. But I don’t think there’s any turning back from the CDC plotline. So until proven otherwise, I kind of think the show sucks.
Personally, I started reading the comic and thought it was boring as fuck. I kind of like the show on the other hand. Started shaky perhaps, but then it took me about 8 episodes to start liking Mad Men (which, yes, translates to 6 hours of faith in my friends opinions). So since I never got into the comic, it doesn’t matter much to me where they veer off. The problem with zombies is that it didn’t take much mainstream exposure before it began to feel like there’s not really much new ground to explore, and that was my biggest concern. Makes the whole thing feel pointless if it’s all the same stuff we’ve seen before. The one thing that the series actually can do that’s never been done is build an immerse, long range zombie world experience. It’s the one advantage that a TV series can have over a film. Having the time to meander, risk a weak story avenue, build more complex relationships, and develop a more organic exploration of the themes and ideas.
So as to the CDC sub-plot, it seems that perhaps they agreed it wasn’t the way to go because it’s clearly not the direction for season 2. For all we know it may have something to do with the change up in the writing staff. Either way, I didn’t feel any part of that damaged the series, just a little meandering bump and now they’re back on the road. I’m looking forward to season 2.
I wrote this before the season finale, so I was glad to see after watching it that they wrapped up the CDC plotline quickly. It’s funny that you thought the book was boring because the thing I loved about it is it moved on from everything so quickly. Main characters get killed off, plot lines are constantly changing. I was really impressed that they didn’t linger on anything too long. So with so many stories to draw on, I’m surprised that they essentially said “fuck it” and made up their own. Why buy a property if you’re not going to make use of it?
Anyway, I’m still looking forward to see what they do with new writers and a longer season.
I am a huge fan of the comic series and this post fully encapsulates how I feel about the AMC series. Episode 1 was quite strong. It followed the book close enough and only walked away from the general plot in a direction that made sense. The pacing of it was strong and visually it looked as I would expect the comic to translate to a show. I started to have my doubts during Episode 2. The introduction of one-note, stereo-typical characters and the editing of existing characters and their traits. A few moments that got to me in this episode were:
1. Rick pulling a gun on one character and pushing it to his forehead. This is completely out of character for Rick toward the beginning of his adventure. The books do a great job at breaking down Rick’s morals, it pushed him and pulls him in different directions to a point where he would threaten a living person eventually. This is definitely something you would see from him after *SPOILERS?* the prison and Lori’s death. To have him act this way in the SECOND EPISODE of the show allows no time for the viewer to watch him grow and really destroyed a great potential character arch.
2. Andrea pulling a handgun and threatening Rick when they first meet. This is not a part of her character at all in the book. She seemed sheepish around guns until it was finally discovered that *SPOILERS?* she is a bad-ass with a sniper rifle. Another great potential character growth moments in one quick flash by absolutely horrible writing. Seeing her tossing around another gun so easily makes her far less interesting, and not like the college-age girl she was suppose to be.
3. There was a moment in this episode where Glenn mentions that he ‘prefers going into the city alone’, which in the comic, is how it is done. This was a brilliant way to ease Rick into the potential of an outside colony. A group of survivors outside Atlanta. Have him meet one character. Many of the scenes felt to crowded. New character (ones not featured in the comics) had little room to shine, making them feel like they were one note, simple stereotypes.
4. Lori and Shane’s sexual romp was suppose to be a one time thing, which comes from emotions due to the loss of Rick. This episode made it feel like it was just your regular Saturday Woodland Sex Romp. In the book Lori seems likable because her sexual slip up with Shane feels almost accidental, forgivable. In the show I just want to see her gone. Watching her struggle over the love-triangle B.S. is less gripping. Though I could understand that this may make it more interesting for some and I am sure that is the reason that they kept Shane around.
5. My last main point on this episode. Glenn driving off didn’t feel “the Walking Dead” at all to me. It felt like someone who wanted to write an action movie didn’t get the job they wanted so they threw in some sports cars so people could drive them fast while honking.
That is where things went wrong. I’ll leave it there. My sign-off will be that the ‘Gangtas with a Heart o’ Gold’ in the 4th(?) episode was horrible side plot and I was really ashamed to hear that this was the episode that Kirkman wrote. That and the CDC building stuff was not 5th-6th episode material and should have been saved for a much later season. The comic has so much great source material and great character moments they are avoiding. I am just happy to see that this horrible writing of the AMC series has not effected the brilliant product it comes from.
Thank you for writing (and reading!). Very glad to see such a well thought out, awesome comment come through here. Good work!
Are you looking forward to the new season, seeing as how almost all the writers were fired?
I was excited at the idea of a reoccurring, well financed zombie show. In college I had a friend who was getting into the TV industry and we used to actually discuss the idea in length (he was a zombie buff and I just kind of came along for the ride). While I am a fan of the “Zombie Genre” I dont really read comics or graphic novels so other than knowing that the show was to be based on an original comic book I have no knowledge as to which is better (show vs book). But I have to say that I really wanted it to be good and after watching the whole first season I have been really disappointed all the way through. I really wanted to see a show that made me feel the urgency and reality of what it would be like to be in that situation. I wanted to see people react in a believable way to the situation at hand but I found many of the same unrealistic crap that has taken down so many other zombie movies.
Here are a few issues that I have with almost all Zombie movies that were distractingly pronounced in this show.
1- Why are people so frightened about being infected through a bite yet have no problem with copious amounts of blood spraying all over them when they shoot or bash a zombie’s head open? (btw- props to 28 days latter for actually being consistent with infection, that was awesome and made it extremely scary)
2-Why wouldn’t every man woman and child have some sort of a blunt instrument with them at all times… ALL Times!!!? Its crazy that people just walk around depending on the 3 guys with guns and then scramble for something to fend the zombies off with at the last minute.
3-Why on earth wouldn’t everyone be wearing leather jackets, work gloves, safety glasses, and dust masks? About halfway through any movie and very early on in a series the characters figure out that if they get bit they are basically on borrowed time with their colleagues. Why do they continue to run around in t-shirts and wifebeaters?
4-There needs to be more nervous breakdowns from the ordeal in general. For every zombie movie there is usually about a 1:1 ratio of characters falling in love and someone seriously having a nervous breakdown. In all honesty there’s no love at this point. Only terror. More people should be freaking out and no one should be falling in love. And the people who are freaking out should be freaking out because of the situation as a whole and not merely because the rest of the group wants to finish off their zombiefied wife or child.
Maybe with new writers it will get better. I’ll give it another shot. Maybe
It always makes e crazy when thy take a great story and ruin the shit out of it in an attempt to reach a wider audience. The people that made something popular are spit upon and something that can be great is ruined. The comics did explore the relationships but did it quickly enough that you are always guessing. Season 2 seems to be a drag were they spend most of their time on the farm.
ireally wish someone in TV land was smart enough to take a popular comic, stay true to the content and watch when new fans are drawn in becuase of the great story.
The writers of these comics are such talented storytellers and are sadly thrown to the wayside. I think 300 and sin city have been the closest i have ever seen and i still rewatch the movies as well as reread the books.
Makes me sad.
This seems to be dragging along slowly. Side characters are getting too much time to develop as part of an uninteresting plot. The show seems stagnant at this point.
The reason why the show is not that great is because of the casting. The casting for the main characters are awful. Especially for Rick. Cannot relate to the actor the network chose. Thats the problem now a days with Hollywood. They dont hire actors that the majority of the audience can relate to. Shame really. Because the comic book is the best comic series out there. The writing is second to none.Stopped watching the show but continue buy a new TWD comic every month.
Well season 2 sucks for sure. Only 3 or 4 episodes appeared worthwhile. I’m tired of the sexist writing to dumb women down to doing laundry, cooking and having sex. I’m tired of the minority men (T-Bone, and the original people in the first season, Hispanic and African-American people) being written off with little or no dialog. Even Merle, after he was lost, came back in a dream sequence and got more lines than T-Dog. And of course, the Asian guy IS the smartest one in the group, but has NO leadership skills. The dialog for season 2 was dumb, Dumb, DUMB.
Most women and men know where their young children are at any given time, so what the heck is wrong with these people?!
The farm should have been burned down mid-season, not at the end. What stupid people would not secure the perimeter of where you live under such circumstances?! The writers SUCK! They create awful dialog. These stupid people spent season 2 having long discussions over nonsense when they should have been watching their children and planning a survival strategy. Living in tents on the farm?! I mean really people — REALLY!!!!
What would have happened if I wrote season 2:
1) Rick would call Lori a dumb b1tch for not knowing where her son was.
Carl would have been told the facts of zombie life so as not to get himself or others killed. “If you see a zombie son, run and tell or shoot the SOB in the head.
2) Rick would have called Carol a dumb b1tch for knowing where her daughter was.
3) Rick would have the job of watching his own son — Carl.
4) Shane would be doing his own laundry and cooking.
5) The perimeter of the farm would have secured as best possible.
6) No sex in drug stores without checking for zombies first.
7) Carol would have been sent out to find her own daughter instead of others risking their lives. “You lost her, you find her!”
9) Instead of a pregnancy test, go into town and get BODY GEAR so a bite won’t penetrate your arms, legs, etc.
10) Lori gets a lecture about birth control. (They talked enough about other boring stuff.)
11) Dale would have been eaten right in the middle of one his diatribes lecturing Lori on how she should thing and feel.
12) Carl would have whacked on the butt at least once.
13) Andrea and Shane would have hooked up, and that’s when Shane dies, when a zombie breaks open the tent they are in and bites Shane. But not before Shane beats the crap out of the old guy for harboring zombies in the barn.
14) Rick would have strategically plan escape scenarios, weapons inventory and training, and other important stuff as Carl showed the PowerPoint presentation of the plans.
The list of interesting things that could have occurred are endless, but instead got “Days of our Dumb Stupid Zombie Lives.”
I came here with the Google query “Walking dead sucks” only to say to you that you are PROVEN wrong with the end of Season 2.
For all the hardcore fans who expect the TV series to be the same with the comic book, SHUT THE FUCK UP. It’s two different stuff, call it an adaptation. Stop complaining, back to your comics if you want.
This show is one of the worst shows to have ever been created.
Now, I know that sounds a bit rough and maybe I am over exaggerating……..just a bit, but let me just say the following:
The way this series has been shot is far to clean, there is not enough ‘gritty-ness’ which makes the series seem un-realistic in my opinion. The actors, and their pathetic attempts at acting, are so over the top, this lend’s their performances to be, for the most part, pretentious and melodramatic. I think the casting choice is okay, but is it just me or do you feel that the main character was a terrible choice for a lead??
The biggest thing that I hate about this series is that they start building these relationship between characters which are completely artificial. The tv show quickly falls into the cliche category of ‘what will work best for the tv audience’.
I think that the camera work should have been more dirty and un-clean. resembling movies like saving private ryan, hurt locker and the wrestler. Hand-held could have been used to maximise the realism of the situation.
I think that the writing for the series is terrible, less is more guys!!
Let me know your thoughts.