I would also add that if you're wanting in-depth character development and excellent writing, the last place you should look for it is in a zombie show. Excuse the language, but the show is mostly about "badass'ery". It's badass for Rick to stab Shane in the heart with a knife. It's badass for the show to end with some hooded freak chopping a zombie's head off with a sword. It's badass for a 70 year old man to unload shotgun shell after shotgun shell into a never ending hoard of mindless cannibals.
It would be like criticizing Dawn of the Dead for not being more like Dead Man Walking.
I would also add that if you're wanting in-depth character development and excellent writing, the last place you should look for it is in a zombie show. Excuse the language, but the show is mostly about "badass'ery". It's badass for Rick to stab Shane in the heart with a knife. It's badass for the show to end with some hooded freak chopping a zombie's head off with a sword. It's badass for a 70 year old man to unload shotgun shell after shotgun shell into a never ending hoard of mindless cannibals.
It would be like criticizing Dawn of the Dead for not being more like Dead Man Walking.
If the show is about Badass'ery why was 80% of season 2 them milling around the farm doing nothing? And why are the action sequences lame?
The hooded figure with the armless zombies chained up was badass, I'll give you that.
vinsanity wrote:I haven't watched since the first few episodes cause I found it boring and didn't really find anyone engaging - but that's me. It could be one of those things that people watch cause a lot of other people are saying it's so great and they wanna be cool. Bandwagons can be powerful things.
this is the only show (other than Mad Men) I can remember being somewhat interested in discussing with other people. i might be an anomaly, but i have zero interest in watching a television show because lots of other people are watching it.
I wouldn't say you're an anomaly, just that there are plenty of people who will watch something everyone else says is good to 'fit in'.
They'll also ignore critics - Sports Night, Arrested Development, Community come to mind. I wasn't trying to suggest everyone who likes it just listens to what other people say is good - just that ratings can be influenced by people watching shows they are mildly interested in or not at all because their friends/critics say it's awesome.
I don't think Walking Dead is a bandwagon thing. It had one of the highest cable premieres ever, maybe the highest.
The cast isn't great, but the showrunners seem to be doing some pruning. I think Rick is fine, and Lori and Carl just have gotten some bad writing thrown their way. The kid isn't a great actor, but that's forgiveable.
I found Dale and Shane equally annoying, so I'm pretty happy with recent developments. I hope with this new Michonne character they can ditch the weird "womenfolk do the chores" thing. Andrea actually being accused of slacking because she wasn't doing laundry was pretty weird.'
I'm not so sure about the upcoming prison thing, and this Governor character. I haven't read the comics but I'm getting flashbacks of Season 3 of Lost when they were in those cages and forced to do ridiculous things by the Others for no apparent reason. That seemed to just go on forever, and completely stalled the show. I didn't feel that way about the farm on Walking Dead this season. Second half of the season was fine by me.
Weird as it is, even though I think Justified is a much better and better executed show (nearly perfect this season), I still go to TWD first if I've got both shows waiting. The subject matter goes a long way to making up for the deficiencies.
