Wednesday 1 November 2017

#TWD100 Thoughts on the first two episodes: S8 #TheWalkingDead #TWD


A friend of mine said she thought episode one was too cheesy, and whereas I can see what she means, I kind of didn't care.... I loved Rick's Braveheart-style, motivational speech!  



Also loved the reflection of the very first episode - after the titles, the silence when Carl drove up to the overturned vehicles and got out, petrol can in hand ... he even looked under the car, just like his dad did, all those years ago.  

Blast from the past - Rick in the first ever episode, Days Gone Bye


So... where will Gregory go?  Who will have him now?  Will he head back for his Hilltop mansion, and skulk under the faded space where his painting used to be?  Justice for leaving the born-again priest to face the dead all on his own ~ not to mention facing Negan, who also found 'sanctuary' (!) in the trailer.  But why didn't Gabriel just turn round and shoot him?  Okay, I know... we're saving Negan's death for later.  Not today, not tomorrow, but some time soon, and at Rick's hand.




Really sad to see Francine die - a minor character who I've liked since she slapped Tobin in the mush in Season 5, when he left her for dead on the construction site.  And Craig and Freddie, but I'm betting that newbie gunslinger Eric will be miraculously saved.  How could they make the lovely Aaron suffer?



Evil Benjamin-shooting Jared
Not sure why Morgan didn't just kill evil Benjamin-shooting Jared straight off, as he doesn't seem to have a problem unloading his piece into everyone else in his path, but Jesus seems to have taken on the philosophies of his namesake; has he become the new Glenn, giving it "It's still who we are" in every episode?  And another observation, about Jesus, and Daryl ~ how come the chicks (Tara and Diane, and that nasty piece of work who got her neck eaten) get to tie their hair back for battle, but the guys don't?  Doesn't Daryl ever wonder why all he can see in front of him is hair?

 
And then we come to the big one: Morales!  What a brilliant surprise - until Rick said his name I was thinking, dammit, I know that face, who is it?  And that's me, who has watched the whole show an embarrassing amount of times.  Yes, he was the guy on the rooftop, when Merle was handcuffed to a pipe, who said, "Okay, Rick from down the road a ways, welcome to the big city", or words to that effect.  And to think Rick gave him a gun as a going away present!  He's a long way from Alabama, though; weren't his family going to Birmingham?


As for the rest, I'm loving Carol being back to normal, wondering if Saviour Gavin may end up being a good guy (he always seemed almost okay when he was at the Kingdom), hoping Dwighty-Boy sticks to the plan and maybe even gets forgiven by Daryl and Tara, wondering why Judith looks nothing like Lori, Rick or Shane (though she is SO gorgeous!), and if Maggie is ever going to look pregnant ... and no, I didn't think Rick was in a coma and it had all been a dream, in Bobby Ewing*-stylee ~ the flowers were different, and it was a different clock!



*for the under 45s ~ Bobby Ewing was a character in 1980s super-soap Dallas, who famously woke up at the beginning of one season, revealing that the whole of the previous one had been his wife's dream.  Yep, and we lapped it up.  Our TV expectations were much less sophisticated thirty-odd years ago.
Yes, Pam, you just dreamt the whole of the last season...




9 comments:

  1. OMG I love this! Totally agree that Morgan should have finished off Benjamin and I shouted it at the telly loud enough for him to hear me!! Was annoyed at Jesus for being all goody-goody. Blimey, I'd be a maniac in a zombie apocalypse! NOOO you can't tie Daryl's locks back ;) Have to admit I googled Morales as couldn't remember the link straight away *hands head in shame* :) I read that the ratings for this season are down by a couple of million so perhaps a few fans aren't enjoying the cheesy opening either - I'm enjoying it because I love TWD and am invested in the characters, but I've preferred other seasons over this one. It is early days so we shall see. Great post, Terry.

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    1. Yeah, I couldn't understand WHY Jesus suddenly went all holier than though when, previously, he had been shooting away. But never mind - and didn't he look lush?! Yeah, yeah, okay, I agree about Daryl's hair, really!

      As for the ratings, I never read anything about them. You're right, it's far too early to say how the season is going to go, and the way I look at it is that it's a bit like a book series; you will always get people dropping off along the way, and those who moan when the old is replaced by the new. What do they want, Rick and co still at the prison, fighting the Governor???? And it's still the most watch show on Cable ever.

      I think they should tone down Ezekiel, he's too silly and pantomime. Just less of him would do, I think. My favourite seasons are 3, 4 and 6, with 6 my all-time favourite, but what I find is that you don't see how good they are until the second watching. I love the action over the human stuff, so this opening totally rocked for me.

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  2. Hahaha, yes, Jesus looked rather fantabulous - those eyes!!!! Totally agree with you about Ezekiel, and I think Carol's face said it all. I really like him but even I'm a bit sick of his positivity - and I write self-help! ;)

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  3. I've been having a think about it and I think the reason I don't like this season as much is I used to find the zombies really terrifying which gave me a thrill. It was really unique because you invest in the characters more than in a film. Watching men shoot each other just doesn't do it for me.

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    1. I do know what you mean, and that it was the fight against the zombies that the initial seasons were all about... but, alas, it is realistic in that in a lawless world, the real threat becomes other people (as Rick told Deanna!). They know how to deal with the zombies now... other people have said that they like the later seasons more because it isn't just fight zombies-rinse-repeat. Guess you can never please everyone, really, can you?! We all have our favourite series :)

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  4. At the risk of becoming unpopular, I've found this season so far to be utterly underwhelming. I hate the hopping around between 'real life' and 'unreal life' and I want to slap them all and tell them to grow some balls because they would never have been shown mercy. However, I shall be glued to my TV as always for the next episode...

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    1. Hey, come on, we're only two episodes in - it hasn't really taken shape yet!!! I've loved it because I like the action episodes. Agree about the showing mercy thing - and glad to hear you will still be glued to the TV for the next episode!!! I'm betting it's going to be all action at first, and then a slowing down, as the post-Negan world develops - but we're a long way from that yet :)

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    2. Ha! I know. I'm just impatient for Negan to get his come uppance (even though he's still Sam and Dean's dad to me and it's hard getting my head round him being a 'baddie'.

      Watching as we speak and hoping it will improve...I need retribution!

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    3. I think you're going to have to wait at least until the season break for that!!! (I do love the new name, btw - very good!)

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