Walking Dead Season 5 - Spoilers will be cannibalised

[richtea78]

I have a theory that all tv shows need an arc. Well it isn't my theory but it's a good one. You have a beginning, a middle and an end. This show clearly lacks an ending so we wander around in the middle.

Even if the ending is unsatisfying (Battlestar Galactica, fk you!) it's still an ending.

[P-Jay]

Still enjoying it, but this weeks was almost pure filler to me.

I note above that other posters are starting to get fed up with the lack of storyline and I'm the same, whilst the comic series can run and run for years, for me a good TV series should know where it's going and should have an ending. You could argue there isn't an end to something like WD, 'surviving' till tomorrow is the best they can hope for - but to my mind they done all they can do with killing zoms, being killed by zoms and avoiding it - they've also pretty well covered the post-apocalyptic nasty humans although cannibals was a shocking twist - the danger if they don't decide how it ends is that it's plod on for a few more years until viewing figures drop to a point where it's no longer possible to make it pay and they either tag on a single episode ending or worse it'll just end.

IMO the best TV series have episode long stories which build into, series wide stories which build into a great story - the very best ones have a final episode that completes a story that started in the first - sometimes WD seems like it doesn't some great story arcs are done inside an hour (minus ads) where as some boring ones seem to drag on for entire episodes - remember than missing girl? I'm sure she walked into the woods in episode 1 of series 2 and 6 episodes later the story had moved on about 3 hours.

[Centurion07]

Well I don't care what y'all say! Sure, it would be nice to have some sort of direction for them but, for me, the lack of direction or story as such just adds to the "realism".

If any of you have watched Survivors (the original BBC version) then you should get what I mean i.e. in the event of a real zombie outbreak, existence would be exactly what's being shown: day-to-day survival, not some great, wonderful journey to some far-off place where they'll magically find a cure and re-start the human race. It would be zombie-killing, day after day after day, with the odd bit of human-killing in there too.

[MiniMan64]

I must admit I was very surprised when the pulled out the Eugene was lying story so soon, I really thought that was going to be the big reveal nearer the end of the series as they reach DC and final the lie has to come out.

[Sheets Tabuer]

MiniMan64 said:

I must admit I was very surprised when the pulled out the Eugene was lying story so soon, I really thought that was going to be the big reveal nearer the end of the series as they reach DC and final the lie has to come out.

Really? You didn't think they'd have said hang on a second, this slack jawed yokel is obviously a bit slow, I wonder if he's really our saviour?

[Centurion07]

Sheets Tabuer said:

MiniMan64 said:

I must admit I was very surprised when the pulled out the Eugene was lying story so soon, I really thought that was going to be the big reveal nearer the end of the series as they reach DC and final the lie has to come out.

Really? You didn't think they'd have said hang on a second, this slack jawed yokel is obviously a bit slow, I wonder if he's really our saviour?

He talks the talk though, despite doing so in that annoying voice, so why would they suspect?

[MiniMan64]

Sheets Tabuer said:

MiniMan64 said:

I must admit I was very surprised when the pulled out the Eugene was lying story so soon, I really thought that was going to be the big reveal nearer the end of the series as they reach DC and final the lie has to come out.

Really? You didn't think they'd have said hang on a second, this slack jawed yokel is obviously a bit slow, I wonder if he's really our saviour?

I've read the comics so I knew it was coming, I just didn't think the TV show would bring it out so soon, it's a good way to advance the story and move them on a bt finally!

[BossHogg]

Eugene is still living the lie in the latest comics.

[Jimmy No Hands]

I'm getting similar feelings to when I gave up on it previous times. I'll watch it out of some misguided sense of loyalty but it isn't half a dull season so far. I'm praying it picks up..

[SimNugget]

I am tempted to ditch it now, it's the worst it has ever been.

[captain jack]

I have a little chuckle every week as soon as the credits start - the second credit is to a series producer called Caleb Womble! Great name reviving memories of Orinoco, Great Uncle Bulgaria, etc, etc!

[Halb]

stedale said:

Have you read the synopses on wikipedia for all the published volumes of the comic? If they are anything to go by there's more and more of the same to come...

The comic books are really good. I think the latest one if out!

[BossHogg]

I think issue 134 is the latest, I have every single issue digitally.

[Matt_N]

Centurion07 said:

Well I don't care what y'all say! Sure, it would be nice to have some sort of direction for them but, for me, the lack of direction or story as such just adds to the "realism".

If any of you have watched Survivors (the original BBC version) then you should get what I mean i.e. in the event of a real zombie outbreak, existence would be exactly what's being shown: day-to-day survival, not some great, wonderful journey to some far-off place where they'll magically find a cure and re-start the human race. It would be zombie-killing, day after day after day, with the odd bit of human-killing in there too.

I agree that that would be the reality of the situation, it just doesn't make a very compelling tv series when you watch a slight variation of the same thing week after week.

[Halb]

BossHogg said:

I think issue 134 is the latest, I have every single issue digitally.

I buy the hardback compendiums. On 9 now I think.

[smithyithy]

Matt_N said:

I agree that that would be the reality of the situation, it just doesn't make a very compelling tv series when you watch a slight variation of the same thing week after week.

Yep, it's becoming like Corrie with zombies.

I really want it to stay good but like a few others here I feel like I'm forcing myself to watch it at times. The season opened strongly but when you look at how it's moved along, it's very much the same old.

I do wonder how it'll pan out in the end.. Can they keep following the comic books? How many series would that require?

[BossHogg]

It would be nice if they worked towards a cure, so that when you die, you don't turn. Then systematically eradicate all zombies and aim towards a natural conclusion. I hope they don't take the coward's way out and Rick comes round from his coma and it'a all been a dream ala Sam Tyler in Life on Mars

[stedale]

P-Jay said:

Still enjoying it, but this weeks was almost pure filler to me.

I note above that other posters are starting to get fed up with the lack of storyline and I'm the same, whilst the comic series can run and run for years, for me a good TV series should know where it's going and should have an ending. You could argue there isn't an end to something like WD, 'surviving' till tomorrow is the best they can hope for - but to my mind they done all they can do with killing zoms, being killed by zoms and avoiding it - they've also pretty well covered the post-apocalyptic nasty humans although cannibals was a shocking twist - the danger if they don't decide how it ends is that it's plod on for a few more years until viewing figures drop to a point where it's no longer possible to make it pay and they either tag on a single episode ending or worse it'll just end.

IMO the best TV series have episode long stories which build into, series wide stories which build into a great story - the very best ones have a final episode that completes a story that started in the first - sometimes WD seems like it doesn't some great story arcs are done inside an hour (minus ads) where as some boring ones seem to drag on for entire episodes - remember than missing girl? I'm sure she walked into the woods in episode 1 of series 2 and 6 episodes later the story had moved on about 3 hours.

I reckon your spot on here, it is clear that Rick and co. are on a 'journey' in terms of how they are affected by the situation they are in and how they respond. However, I have a theory that this process needs to be reflected by a physical journey, especially in the fickle world of TV where they could haemorrhage viewing figures at any moment.


Another problem I have with the tv series now, is my total lack of empathy for the characters and I struggle to see any chemistry between the characters on screen, this is not necessarily the actors fault but it may be to do with writing and direction.

[stedale]

Halb said:

stedale said:

Have you read the synopses on wikipedia for all the published volumes of the comic? If they are anything to go by there's more and more of the same to come...

The comic books are really good. I think the latest one if out!

I am really tempted to give them a go.

[FourWheelDrift]

I read a few, didn't like them. Just seemed to alternate between random bursts of angry dialogue and navel gazing.