I wonder if the lack of any real cliffhangers was done because of the change in showrunner for next season? Obviously Glen Mazzara wanted to take the show in a direction the rest of the staff and studio didn't agree with. Perhaps his ideas for the finale were curbed so that the new writers didn't have to work themselves out of a corner next season.


even still, it sucked.

4/1/2013 7:39:37 PM

Finally saw the final episode, liked it. If anything I think this show suffers from being so popular. It seems like they have to stretch the writing to appeal to a much broader demographic, when instead the storytelling would appeal to a much more niche crowd. They're in this game of trying to please everyone, and in the end leaving most everyone dissatisfied.

I am glad Andrea is dead, she was a nuisance. I'm also really happy with the way the governor storyline ended. I didn't expect them to bring out zombieland genocide.

Also for those that don't like the cliff hanger-less ending. Season 1 ended with them driving off into the sunset in an RV. Season 2's only cliffhanger was the shot of the prison. They haven't carried any conflict over from season to season, and tend to whitewash a lot of the groups problems through elapsed time.

I'm interested to see how kirkman will move the story into a settled prison group with (supposedly) no outside conflict.

4/1/2013 10:29:09 PM

Quote :

"I'm also really happy with the way the governor storyline ended"

you really think we've seen the last of him? i don't

4/1/2013 10:40:43 PM

No great artists try to please everyone.

They should just be writing a good show and people either love it or hate it.

There's plenty of organically derivable conflict in the situation of zombie survival that they don't need to mix in soap opera esque personality conflicts.

There's still time for them to bring the show back to the intrigue of season 1.

Ditch the imaginary Lori, deal with vindictive governor, focus on things like raising a child in this environment, is Carl's personality the default? Do kids adapt differently? Should they give up on finding a cure? How do you adapt to meeting new people particularly infirm that need help? Why not try and adapt more technologies?

I agree with whoever said they need to take cues from the tell tale games.

4/1/2013 11:03:22 PM

That's why I said "the storyline" and not "the character." The storyline of the governor, woodbury versus the prison, ended with mass murder. At this point it's Philip, Martinez and evil T-Dogg loose in the world.

I have my doubts we'll see him in the next season, much like Merle. I think the writers have just created a super-villain that they can pull into the script later down the line whenever they need.

Season 1 was an understanding of the new world. Season 2 was internal group conflict. Season 3 was all external group conflict. i think season 4 will be a new problem, not just more me vs. you stuff. My guess is it'll focus more on internal personal conflicts, people losing their mind (they are all going to be locked up in the prison) as well as interpersonal issues like Rick and Carl. I don't think there will be a vacuum of external enemies, but I hope it's more of a 1 episode deal - thugs show up, group fights them off, someone dies, thugs are gone, episode ends.


Just read a great nit pick of the finale on io9:

Quote :

"No one likes a tattletale, Herschel"

[Edited on April 1, 2013 at 11:15 PM. Reason : ]

4/1/2013 11:03:52 PM

I agree with the more episodic style.

I've been a broken record for that...

4/1/2013 11:30:29 PM

4/2/2013 7:58:37 AM

Quote :

"Why didn't Rick and Co. migrate to Woodbury instead of bringing all the children and women to the prison."

Quote :

"cause the governor is gonna go back there?"

The governor has himself and 2 other guys with him (who are probably more scared than loyal). He could easily be ambushed on his return to Woodbury and done away with.

4/2/2013 8:14:31 AM

^^lololol I'm so glad I didn't have coffee in my mouth. Shit would have been everywhere.

Oh and glad Anrdrea is dead. Spent way too much time with her staring at Milton. And how many times did we have to hear her say "I just didn't won't anyone to die". lol, how'd that work out for you. Carl needs to be the new sheriff in town.

4/2/2013 8:59:27 AM

Season 4 should focus on how they continue to have enough gas in their vehicles. and finding toilet paper.

4/2/2013 9:17:17 AM

Quote :

"No great artists try to please everyone. They should just be writing a good show and people either love it or hate it. There's plenty of organically derivable conflict in the situation of zombie survival that they don't need to mix in soap opera esque personality conflicts. There's still time for them to bring the show back to the intrigue of season 1. "

Do you know how TV works? It's based on ratings. If they don't have viewers, then they don't have a show. I agree with your premise, but they have to add the soap opera personality conflicts if they want the show to continue.

4/2/2013 9:49:37 AM

I read an interview with Dallas Roberts (Milton) last night and he talked about an alternate scene with Milton and Andrea that they scrapped. The governor doesn't beat the shit out of Milton, but takes him to the room with Andrea and shoots him in the stomach so he can bleed out. He can't get Andrea out of the handcuffs, he then tries to strangle her with chains but is too weak and isn't able to. Basically more of an effort to get her free before he turns. Sounded a lot better than the bullshit they aired. I'm looking for the interview now.

There we go: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/01/the-walking-dead-dallas-roberts-milton-andrea/

[Edited on April 2, 2013 at 10:07 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2013 10:06:13 AM

I'm glad carl shot that kid. I expected him to raise his shotty and take out either carl or hershel so he did the right thing. Idiot should have just put DOWN the gun. Can't trust no one in this crazy world.

[Edited on April 2, 2013 at 10:12 AM. Reason : .]

4/2/2013 10:11:43 AM

4/2/2013 11:36:47 AM

she looks different

4/2/2013 12:17:38 PM

she been in dat taffy-pulling machine

4/2/2013 12:30:54 PM

Quote :

"Lame battle scene, lame governor resolution"

resolution? what resolution? He could have easily gone back to Woodbury and made a stand, told the Cutty and the chick that the prison killed those people and are coming at them. 5 on 5 and they would have the fortified position, i assumed that was in store but then we just never see him again.

4/2/2013 9:37:46 PM

4/2/2013 11:42:34 PM

http://thechive.com/2013/04/03/a-few-things-that-make-no-sense-about-the-walking-dead-33-photos/

[Edited on April 3, 2013 at 11:09 AM. Reason : link.]

4/3/2013 11:09:24 AM

lol brilliant.

4/3/2013 11:19:32 AM

i honestly kept expecting them to mess up which eye the governor lost.

4/3/2013 11:21:06 AM

Quote :

"i honestly kept expecting them to mess up which eye the governor lost."

lol

4/3/2013 12:32:40 PM

http://bobbystompy.tumblr.com/post/46851262391/10-things-i-hated-about-the-walking-dead-season-3#_=_

pretty spot on for the most part.

4/3/2013 7:46:32 PM

It's almost like the writers are simply trying to prove that you can get nerds to watch anything as long as it's got zombies.

4/3/2013 8:29:51 PM

Quote :

"9. Rick, you joke of a leader who should not be on the show, you spend this entire season talking about how jaded you are and how much your crew needs to stay close knit and not take *anyone* in (including that poor hitchhiker). Then, you immediately go back on everything you’ve said your philosophy was by taking in dozens and dozens of useless old people and children into your already depleted living space."

Lol forgot about that one

4/3/2013 8:40:58 PM

Season 2 ended with Rick starting to lose his shit after Shane tries to kill him, the farm is attacked, a bunch a people are killed, and they wait out on the highway for a while not knowing if his wife and the others are alive. Then he flips out after Lori gets pissed at him for killing Shane, and the "Ricktatorship" began.

Season 3 was all about rick getting darker and colder and crazier. He loses his mind for a while and stops giving a fuck. But then he finds Morgan and sees how crazy and cold he is, other things show him the "good" in people, and he starts giving a fuck again and gives his "this is a democrazy again" speech and takes in the Woodbury people. He starts to regain some "humanity". While Carl is now becoming a mini crazy rick/governor.

Or at least, that's what I think the writers were going for. I agree with a lot of those flaws, but not the part of #9 about going back on his "philosophy".

4/3/2013 9:08:30 PM

i think they were also trying to show Andrea's i-didn't-want-anyone-to-die approach vs. Carl's kill-em-all-and-let-god-sort-em-out approach. Andrea's dead and Carl lives to fight another day.

4/3/2013 9:14:19 PM

I dunno, it's one thing to lower your guard and declare a democracy, but it's another to accept dozens of strangers into your camp when you've made a huge point to not take anyone in. He went from trusting people too much at the end of last season, to seemingly learning his lesson about taking in outsiders while they were on the road between seasons, to trusting people again without a good reason.

This all happened just days after he left the hitchhiker on the side of the road to die, and then take his supplies. Pretty drastic flip flop

4/3/2013 9:15:40 PM

i was glad at the end when Rick looked up on the bridge and didn't see Lori

hopefully that bitch will never appear in another episode

4/3/2013 9:15:53 PM

Quote :

"This all happened just days after he left the hitchhiker on the side of the road to die, and then take his supplies. Pretty drastic flip flop"

True, but he passed the hitchhiker on the way to his old hometown to find guns. Before he meets crazy Morgan who tells Carl "Never be sorry", and before he and Michonne have a heart-to-heart and she tells him "I used to see things too". And Carl tells him "I think she's one of us". That was Rick's turning point.

Or again, I think that's what the writers were going for. And yeah, to show that Andrea was stupid. And I also hope Lori never shows up again except in the picture that Carl is carrying.

4/3/2013 9:23:20 PM

I think that's a good point, showing that Rick went and got his humanity back.

4/3/2013 9:55:00 PM

Lame the writers have created an environment where you almost have to be a complete invalid to be killed by a zombie.

4/3/2013 10:10:45 PM

4/3/2013 10:19:10 PM

This show is terrible. Finale was terrible. Season 3 was terrible.

4/4/2013 7:23:32 AM

Thanks. You've now totally changed my view on all things Walking Dead.

4/4/2013 7:36:21 AM

I don't think this crosses the line of discussing the comics, so hopefully no one cries.

Anyone else extremely surprised they killed off a character that's still alive in the comics? I know the show has taken a lot of liberties with the story but this seems like a MAJOR departure from the original source material.

Actually makes the show more exciting for me. I can no longer say "X is still alive, so there's no way he/she will die in this situation".

4/4/2013 9:45:30 AM

Quote :

"True, but he passed the hitchhiker on the way to his old hometown to find guns. Before he meets crazy Morgan who tells Carl "Never be sorry", and before he and Michonne have a heart-to-heart and she tells him "I used to see things too". And Carl tells him "I think she's one of us". That was Rick's turning point. Or again, I think that's what the writers were going for. And yeah, to show that Andrea was stupid. And I also hope Lori never shows up again except in the picture that Carl is carrying."

I like the point you're making, I just wish the writers would've eased him back into "having humanity" instead of just going full steam ahead into bringing all the Woodbury people to the prison.

I also wish Rick would've just taken over Woodbury. They have electricity and plumbing for gods sake

4/4/2013 9:45:56 AM

Quote :

"This show is terrible. Finale was terrible. Season 3 was terrible."

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind but I completely agree with this.

4/4/2013 9:48:15 AM

Why watch it then? It's pretty much the only show i regularly watch. I've always been a fan of Romero and the genre. Sure, this show has plenty of flaws, but i still enjoy it.

4/4/2013 9:50:58 AM

Wife likes it. It's not a complete loss; it is the best zombie show on television.

4/4/2013 9:55:58 AM

Regarding why Rick didn't just take Woodbury: I was asking the same thing while watching, but my impression was this:

A) In keeping in line with the restoration of his humanity, he never wanted this war and isn't out to take anything from anyone else, regardless of how horrible their leader is.
B) Do we know that they took EVERYONE from Woodbury? Maybe he went in, gave a speech, and offered asylum to anyone who wanted to come. If a few people had not wanted to follow him, than he's taking Woodbury from those people too, not just from the General
C) Not that there isn't another fight with the General coming no matter what, since he's clearly a lunatic and out for blood, but taking over Woodbury would only make that scenario more likely

So I'm not saying that he shouldn't have taken Woodbury, I'm just saying I can see a reasonable explanation for why he didn't

4/4/2013 9:57:14 AM

yeah, the General is a son of a bitch.

4/4/2013 10:13:02 AM

yeah the whole thing where he gave rick lame auto insurance was stupid

4/4/2013 10:26:36 AM

god damnit...edited reason: I'm a moron

4/4/2013 10:33:36 AM

Quote :

"Why watch it then? It's pretty much the only show i regularly watch. I've always been a fan of Romero and the genre. Sure, this show has plenty of flaws, but i still enjoy it."

+1

We cut cable a long time ago, this has been the only content we pay for so that we can watch it as it comes out.

And regarding why they stayed in the prison, it's their home, they know it in and out, have fought to keep it walker-free and if another armed group comes along, its about as fortified a place as you can have. I would imagine they'd loot the shit out of Woodbury though. Reclaim any military equipment the governor didn't run off with, the solar panels laying around, medical supplies, food, ammunition and of course, Milton's tea set.

And I was rewatching the episode where Merle dies the other day. After he talks to Daryl in the shop/generator room, he packs up to kidnap Michonne. Did anyone else notice he took the phone with him? I got to thinking there's a lot of shit like this in the show, little symbols that tell a lot more than what goes on in the dialogue. Rick's discussion on the phone and subsequent visions of Lori seemed like his conscious trying to haunt him into the right direction. I wonder if it carries the same for Merle, he chose to sacrifice himself not just for what Michonne said, but also because he had his own ghosts haunting him.

4/4/2013 10:36:37 AM

I didn't feel like Rick Suddenly got his "humanity" back. The phone calls, Lori visions, then seeing how his son is becoming a stone cold killer, I think snapped him back to reality. That the group shouldn't go down the path that Shayne would have led them down had he been leading the group.

4/4/2013 11:54:56 AM

I thought he just wanted the phone cord

4/4/2013 11:56:34 AM

Quote :

"And I was rewatching the episode where Merle dies the other day. After he talks to Daryl in the shop/generator room, he packs up to kidnap Michonne. Did anyone else notice he took the phone with him? I got to thinking there's a lot of shit like this in the show, little symbols that tell a lot more than what goes on in the dialogue. Rick's discussion on the phone and subsequent visions of Lori seemed like his conscious trying to haunt him into the right direction. I wonder if it carries the same for Merle, he chose to sacrifice himself not just for what Michonne said, but also because he had his own ghosts haunting him."

he took the phone so he could use the telephone wire to tie up Michonne. the scene before he told Rick that they would need wire that she couldnt chew through.

4/4/2013 11:58:13 AM

So because there is a logical reason for doing something means there is no symbolism that can be associated with it?

4/4/2013 12:09:58 PM

I think you might be giving the writers more credit than they deserve

4/4/2013 12:14:05 PM