Walking Dead Season 4

[Dogdeacon]

I think my point still stands, banishing Carol was less interesting plot than bringing her back. Only 1 episode in but for now that stands because in that one episode they had Rick explain it and rather than 'go over like a lead balloon' everyone to whom he explained it bought it 100% and moved on immediately. They accepted it not only based on the logic of it, but also the fact that debating it would have been bad TV.

And incidentally they addressed & dismissed the stupid council thing via Herschell's spaghetti joke. In prior seasons the show would have punted or ignored a failed initiative like that. The Spaghetti Dinner is the council's final act

 

[Fishy]

You should never be allowed to own a television.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I don't read them for this show but you know there's an industry now of writing recaps even for 30 minute sitcoms. You can't throw everyone's tv out the window

 

[UConn990411]

You should never be allowed to own a television.

Yeah, it's absurd how much these two analyze this show.

This isn't Breaking Bad - there isn't a whole lot of depth to The Walking Dead. It's about a group of people trying to avoid getting eaten by the millions of zombies around them. That's it.

The Walking Dead is purely meant to entertain you. Stop thinking so hard.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Yeah, it's absurd how much these two analyze this show.

This isn't Breaking Bad - there isn't a whole lot of depth to The Walking Dead. It's about a group of people trying to avoid getting eaten by the millions of zombies around them. That's it.

The Walking Dead is purely meant to entertain you. Stop thinking so hard.

We've got a back and forth that entertains us. I enjoy nitpicking and meyers enjoys being a loyal follower. We aren't making you read it are we?


http://www.walkingdeadforums.com/forum/
Please go read all of the forums in this link and send similar complaints to the admins and posters on each board. Then come bitch at me or meyers when you've drove a stake thru all of their heads.

 

[meyers7]

Yeah, it's absurd how much these two analyze this show.

Ya doesn't hast to read it.

This isn't Breaking Bad - there isn't a whole lot of depth to The Walking Dead. It's about a group of people trying to avoid getting eaten by the millions of zombies around them. That's it.

The Walking Dead is about twice as deep as Breaking Bad.

The Walking Dead is purely meant to entertain you. Stop thinking so hard.

Then you are missing about half the show.

 

[meyers7]

Excellent job of bringing the Gov back. Didn't think I would like it, but it looks like this is going to be an interesting arc.

This is kind of going along the graphic novel arc of the Governor. Interesting.

 

[UConn Dan]

Excellent job of bringing the Gov back. Didn't think I would like it, but it looks like this is going to be an interesting arc.

This is kind of going along the graphic novel arc of the Governor. Interesting.

Agree... haven't read the GN yet, but I like that they spent the time to show what he's been up to all these months... and showing his other side. You don't know whether to root for him now or against him.

I have a feeling he wasn't the one baiting the walkers with rats at the fence... I think he's at the prison looking for a coalition of sorts. I guess we won't find out until episode 8 at the earliest, assuming they continue the Gov. running into Martinez story for a full episode.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Excellent job of bringing the Gov back. Didn't think I would like it, but it looks like this is going to be an interesting arc.

This is kind of going along the graphic novel arc of the Governor. Interesting.

I agree. The guy running the show this year is VASTLY superior to the prior show runners. He's methodically correcting almost every problem, better music & art and getting more out of the actors. Problem with the Governor before was that we were given no reason to care or understand why he went psycho (and kept his zombie daughter & killed the Nat'l guardsmen). That's in the past and in this new 3rd iteration we were shown how he's lost everything twice and reboots. Previously I strongly disagreed about the depth of the show (it was left to viewer) but now they are tapping into that.

When the Gov was getting the Oxygen tanks I had to ask myself why I wasn't rooting for him to get bit so that we'd be guaranteed a 2-3 episode arc so as to be done with him. Somehow they made me root for him which is good TV. Alas, if only I didn't have to go to someone's else's house to watch TV after Fishy repossessed mine.

 

[meyers7]

Agree... haven't read the GN yet, but I like that they spent the time to show what he's been up to all these months... and showing his other side. You don't know whether to root for him now or against him.

I haven't read it either. I just run across stuff (on that internet thingy). I agree, they are kind of giving him a redemption arc, (Merleish). Pretty sure someone, something is gonna kill him this season though.

I have a feeling he wasn't the one baiting the walkers with rats at the fence... I think he's at the prison looking for a coalition of sorts. I guess we won't find out until episode 8 at the earliest, assuming they continue the Gov. running into Martinez story for a full episode.

Quite possibly. I could see him having a run in with Martinez, trying to protect his "family" and turning to the only place he knows that could stand up against or protect his "family" from, Martinez. Could be interesting.

 

[meyers7]

I agree. The guy running the show this year is VASTLY superior to the prior show runners.

Yea, Scott Gimple has done a great job this season. I thought he might be pretty good as he wrote many of the better episodes in the past.
Clear - the road trip where they find Morgan
Pretty Much Dead Already - where Sophie comes out of the barn
18 Miles Out - the road trip where Rick and Shane fight trying to get rid of Randall
This Sorrowful Life - where Merle dies.

He is/was supposedly a big fan of the comics, having been reading them prior to working on the show.

When the Gov was getting the Oxygen tanks I had to ask myself why I wasn't rooting for him to get bit so that we'd be guaranteed a 2-3 episode arc so as to be done with him. Somehow they made me root for him which is good TV. Alas, if only I didn't have to go to someone's else's house to watch TV after Fishy repossessed mine.

Yea, they may try to make us root for him against Martinez or someone else. Or maybe his "bad" side will come out again??

Just make sure Fishy doesn't know where you live.

 

[UConn Dan]

I haven't read it either. I just run across stuff (on that internet thingy). I agree, they are kind of giving him a redemption arc, (Merleish). Pretty sure someone, something is gonna kill him this season though.


Quite possibly. I could see him having a run in with Martinez, trying to protect his "family" and turning to the only place he knows that could stand up against or protect his "family" from, Martinez. Could be interesting.

Yup -- i think he's dead this season...

My guess is he redeems himself to the prison group by offering his life (for Michonne to take) in order to save his new "family". And Michonne, since she has evolved, ends up not killing him, yet he dies by other means...

 

[meyers7]

Yup -- i think he's dead this season...

My guess is he redeems himself to the prison group by offering his life (for Michonne to take) in order to save his new "family". And Michonne, since she has evolved, ends up not killing him, yet he dies by other means...

hmmm, that would be an interesting take.


In the comics (Spoiler, so don't read if you don't want), a woman named Lily is responsible for his death.

 

[Fishy]

This season is far better than last season - way, way, way better.

This week's episode with the governor was flat-out terrific.

 

[Joobie]

This season is far better than last season - way, way, way better.

This week's episode with the governor was flat-out terrific.

I LOVED it. Kept remembering that scene with Milton in the torture chamber in Woodbury when Milton asks him "What would your daughter think?" The Gov replies "If I was like I am now, she would still be alive". His relationship with Megan is another shot at that...at decency, maybe. I'm not completely convinced, after he blew away all those people after the fight at the prison, that there is still a "good guy" under there somewhere, but I am certainly enjoying the journey! GREAT writing!

 

[Fishy]

What makes that episode even more impressive is that it was a completely different story entirely - it was basically a new show.

If that episode was the pilot for a new series or a spinoff, I'd have been hooked.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I LOVED it. Kept remembering that scene with Milton in the torture chamber in Woodbury when Milton asks him "What would your daughter think?" The Gov replies "If I was like I am now, she would still be alive". His relationship with Megan is another shot at that...at decency, maybe. I'm not completely convinced, after he blew away all those people after the fight at the prison, that there is still a "good guy" under there somewhere, but I am certainly enjoying the journey! GREAT writing!

Not to go back in time, on your comment but that's what I do. Problem with that statement (If I was like I am now) and the Governor then was you also had his inexplicable fishtank of heads and murder of national guardsmen. Not sure how his daughter would have benefitted from those things.

But water under the bridge. I would have liked for him to have said "He lost his way and lost them" as opposed to "he lost them" regarding what happened. So we are still not sure if he's self aware and trying to change or just trying to forget and start new while still broken at the core. But that's almost my only quibble with an excellent episode and a fantastic reboot of a previously botched character.

 

[meyers7]

But water under the bridge. I would have liked for him to have said "He lost his way and lost them" as opposed to "he lost them" regarding what happened. So we are still not sure if he's self aware and trying to change or just trying to forget and start new while still broken at the core. But that's almost my only quibble with an excellent episode and a fantastic reboot of a previously botched character.

I think that's they way they want him to be. On the Talking Dead, Morrissey talked about the Gov fighting both sides of himself. Jekyll and Hyde. And not knowing when that switch (where he killed all his own people), might go off again. I think we'll get to see both sides in the next few episodes. We know the Gov gets to the prison, but it will be interesting to see which Gov.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I think that's they way they want him to be. On the Talking Dead, Morrissey talked about the Gov fighting both sides of himself. Jekyll and Hyde. And not knowing when that switch (where he killed all his own people), might go off again. I think we'll get to see both sides in the next few episodes. We know the Gov gets to the prison, but it will be interesting to see which Gov.

Yeah I think they've done a good job of setting that internal conflict up. Problem is we don't know if the Hyde side is purposely suppressed and hidden or if he's just nuts and trying to keep that part of himself down. I think the latter, but again 'Brian' saying the "Governor" went crazy instead of 'he lost them' would be better evidence of that. But I will give benefit of the doubt, and now being in the fold with Martinez allows Brian's new crew to uncover the past by themselves and presumably he can explain to them and us what happened.

Previously the character was 100% Hyde. Martinez & henchmen knew of his murderous rage on Nat'l guardsmen, at least Milton knew of his daughter and probably the heads as did others (presumably he didn't build the fishtank himself and someone would have had to observe him collecting his trophies). So he play acted in front of the townspeople and Andrea, but yet held the fights and stupid Zombie experimentation/collection so the pretense was not believable for "Andrea types" or henchmen to buy into it and more importantly for the audience there was no nuance he was simply a motiveless murderer. They took a big step to cure this right at the start of last Sunday's episode by having the henchmen drive off.

 

[meyers7]

Previously the character was 100% Hyde. Martinez & henchmen knew of his murderous rage on Nat'l guardsmen, at least Milton knew of his daughter and probably the heads as did others (presumably he didn't build the fishtank himself and someone would have had to observe him collecting his trophies).

Yea, if you remember when Merle came back to say he'd taken care of Michonne, the Gov asked Merle for her head. So yea, the henchmen were the ones bringing him the heads. They knew how whacked he was (is, will be in the future?).

 

[UConn Dan]

hmmm, that would be an interesting take. In the comics (Spoiler, so don't read if you don't want), a woman named Lily is responsible for his death.

Well. SPOILER. I was waaaay wrong about the governor. Haha

 

[Joobie]

Me too, Dan~! HOLY COW! I almost fell off the couch when Martinez met his unfortunate end!

 

[meyers7]

Yea, didn't see that coming. At least not at that point. Looks like the Hyde part is in full bloom again. Instead of a fish tank, he's got a fish lake.

 

[Fishy]

Well, I think they chose the less-interesting path with this - while the season has been great, we're essentially right back to the middle of last season.

 

[meyers7]

Well, I think they chose the less-interesting path with this - while the season has been great, we're essentially right back to the middle of last season.

Although I like how we got here (I've like the Governor centric episodes), yea, it does feel a little deja vu all over again. Maybe they can throw in some unexpected twists. e.g. there's another group (other than the Gov and Prison groups) out there that seems to have no problem slaughtering people for supplies, maybe the two groups will have to combine?

Really I imagine this is the way they are going to get Rick's gang out of the prison and back on the road. A season and a half at the prison is probably enough.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Although I like how we got here (I've like the Governor centric episodes), yea, it does feel a little deja vu all over again. Maybe they can throw in some unexpected twists. e.g. there's another group (other than the Gov and Prison groups) out there that seems to have no problem slaughtering people for supplies, maybe the two groups will have to combine?

Really I imagine this is the way they are going to get Rick's gang out of the prison and back on the road. A season and a half at the prison is probably enough.

Agree with Fishy, less interesting path and further that was a boring, dumb poorly written and acted episode. Filled with holes, can't help myself...

• Kill Martinez on top of Winnebago where no one will see! (sarcasm)
• No one sees Gov drag body, did he clean up golf club, body dragging area & top of Winnebago?
• Why is the walker pit in the middle of their compound, seems a tad unsafe?
• Audience left to guess why he killed Martinez, I think it was so M wouldn't tell of his past but leaving it open was the less thoughtful road
• Also loved the way Gov shot the biter/walker that pinned his new daughter and then walked away, He's too stiff to act and show emotion so rather than highlight that by comforting his scared daughter let's have him traumatize her by acting like an assassin

Group ambush

• They have a car, why are their supply runs foraging in the woods?
• Sitting in the woods they are able to immediately assess groups #s, supply quantity, quality and ability to be overrun. We are to assume they can walk in and shoot them all with no risk, yet at same time this group is alive 18 months into the apocalypse. We are sure there is no Darryl there?

That's where the whole episode broke down for me. The Governor's survival guide is to kill all threats yet he just lost his WHOLE FREAKIN' town because he operated under that dumba$$ assumption.

• Oops I guess they were right cuz after surviving 18 months the group is dead within hours

Governor takeover

• No one sees them pack, get in car drive out of camp and then come back?
• Why make the two guys brothers? No one forgives his brother's murderer that quickly.
• Surviving brother might have also realized the Gov killed Martinez
• Oh you gave me a cigarette and lit it? Now I forgive you for killing my brother you le$$ fun-hating stiff acting dip$hit, can't wait until you turn your wooden head and I put a bullet in it.
• Great idea to lie about the brother's death but then bury him in plain sight

Conclusion: Chalk board said Gov at prison gates with a tank in midseason finale, they burned their interesting story in Gov epi one and ran out of time and ideas to get him there.

 

[UConn Dan]

Yes, they are going to encounter another group (based on the slaughtered people in the woods). And there's someone feeding the rats to walkers at the fence -- it's not the governor's group.

What about Bob?

The governor stand-off will last for this episode only, and then a bigger threat will be coming.

 

[UConn Dan]

• [ ]Oh you gave me a cigarette and lit it? Now I forgive you for killing my brother you le$$ stiff acting dip$hit, can't wait until you turn your wooden head and I put a bullet in it.

• I think that's symbolic of him being in charge. I believe he did the same thing to Andrea? -- can't remember exactly though...

 

[Joobie]

I am all all goved out at this point. I wanna get back to the prison. What happened when Rick told Darryl that he banished Carol from the group? Last time we spent time with Hershel, he was a wreck. At this point, Brian Herriot deserves whatever fate has in store for him. Hopefully he dies as gruesome a death as Martinez. I am ready to move on...

 

[UConn Dan]

I am all all goved out at this point. I wanna get back to the prison. What happened when Rick told Darryl that he banished Carol from the group? Last time we spent time with Hershel, he was a wreck. At this point, Brian Herriot deserves whatever fate has in store for him. Hopefully he dies as gruesome a death as Martinez. I am ready to move on...

Still a lot of unresolved things to keep it interesting... besides finding out the rat feeder, who killed that group in the woods, how will Daryl react, where did Carol go, and maybe the biggest question who/where did that radio broadcast come from?