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The Walking Dead

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 5:53 pm
by pinback
Just watched the two latest episodes, the first of which I was not looking forward to, and the second of which I was.

If your immediate reaction is to tell me why TWD sucks anymore, or you never watched it, or you don't care, skip it. We still watch it -- I was never a HUGE fan, but like Game of Thrones, it was something my wife and I could watch together and both enjoy. And maybe it was better in the past, and maybe after Rick left it turned into The Office after Steve Carell left, whatever. But we still watch, cuz what the fuck. And Mina likes zombies.

The second-to-last episode, called "Diverged", I was not looking forward to, because it was a Carol/Daryl episode. Now, one of the great failures of the show in its later years was highlighted perfectly by this episode. They were the two best, most interesting characters, and by the time this episode aired, nobody wanted to watch it, because they have turned them into the two least interesting characters on the show. This was a well-made episode, and everyone did their parts, and the dog was great, but it was just terminal, because they really are the least interesting characters, and the show is still trying to pretend we care. We don't. They've written these characters into the ground, and have nothing else to do with them except make them feign emotions. Again with the Office parallel, I liken it to Pam & Jim in the ninth season. They were the stars of the show, the heart of the series, but by Season 9, they had become a strain, a black hole of comedy... the two worst characters on the show. And so it is with TWD and Carol and Daryl.

The last episode is Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) origin story, and it is the best episode of the show I have ever seen. It seemed clear to me for years that JDM was the main reason to watch the show, but after a while, it seemed the act was wearing thin, but this episode was electric from start to finish, and mainly because, Jesus Christ is he good. It was a good origin story to begin with, and rounds the character out wonderfully, but as an actor, that dude elevates it to such heights you can hardly believe. Every frame he is on-screen (which is most of them) is just a clinic in beautiful, powerful, perfect acting.

Yeah, the show ain't what it was, and I'm not convinced it ever was what people say it was, but that was one of the best hours of television I've ever seen, and it is because of Jeffrey Goddamn Dean Morgan.

It's amazing that he's not a bigger star, and that basically most of what he's done is nerd shit (comic book movie adaptations, comic book TV adaptations, Supernatural...) But hey, he makes a living and gets to hang out on his farm raising donkeys.

Good for him.

Re: The Walking Dead

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:08 pm
by pinback
(I just checked IMDB and apparently everyone agrees I'm right. The second-to-last episode is the lowest-rated one I could find through the whole series, and the last one was the highest.)

Re: The Walking Dead

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:47 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
Wait, last episode ever or last one they aired?

It pains me that you lumped Watchmen into "nerd shit." And JDM is great in that.

Re: The Walking Dead

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:47 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
I see you said latest. I have my answer. I will watch the JDM episode.

Re: The Walking Dead

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:39 pm
by Jizaboz
Got Negans episode recorded but still need to watch. He's always been my favorite character. Maybe because we have the same NC accent. I bet a lot of people cried when he brained Glen. I LOL'd hahaha

Re: The Walking Dead

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:24 am
by Jizaboz
Alright, I watched it. Again, can we please get away from playing awful songs during this show? I understand this was one of Negans favorite songs but ffs I have complained about this since season 1 where I mistakenly called this a “montage” but yeah.

Otherwise, it tied things together well. The bald comment to alpha makes much more sense. I thought it was just a joke heh