Fear The Walking Dead

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Mon May 09, 2016 8:40 am

"A good show struggling to get out" is an excellent summary of what I feel about it right now, Kraken.

Really the only thing keeping this show alive for me is the circumstances in which we find the characters, rather than the characters themselves. If I actually cared about these people, then I'd be totally on board.

One thing I noticed last night was that Kim Dickens (Mom) is being completely wasted on this show. She's a fantastic actress, but as it stands this role could have been played by any generic mom from central casting. It reminds me of Dean Norris - phenomenal actor in Breaking Bad, terrible actor in Under the Dome. He was just brought down to the level of the material. That too bad. They're really squandering their best star power in favor of focusing on the kids nobody likes.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Mon May 09, 2016 10:34 am

I wish somebody would take the WWZ approach to a series. An anthology of how different people world-wide are dealing with the ZA. Not only does that have the potential to be awesome, but you would never have to suffer unlikeable characters for more than one episode.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sun May 15, 2016 11:29 pm

I would like to meet the genius who thought white subtitles superimposed over a white dress was a good idea. Fucking show can't even get that right.

That said, I liked the opening scene at the church. That's what I was talking about in my previous post. How will North Korea react to a ZA? Or the Vatican? How many Walkers will Putin kill single-handed? It could make for a fascinating series.

Instead we get Herschel's Hacienda. Pfui.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Sun May 15, 2016 11:44 pm

tgb wrote:I would like to meet the genius who thought white subtitles superimposed over a white dress was a good idea. Fucking show can't even get that right.

Yeah, super-annoying.

tgb wrote:Instead we get Herschel's Hacienda. Pfui.

Agreed - the lack of originality is staggering. Of all the ways people could respond to the zombie apocalypse, BOTH shows have to immediately encounter the same one?? Come on.

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Mon May 16, 2016 1:58 am

Yep, my thoughts exactly. They have the guy's son going psycho like that young girl Carol had to kill, and the hacienda is reminiscent of Herschel's farm. There's no reason for this show to exist if it's just going to copy its much superior parent.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Mon May 16, 2016 6:18 am

cheeba wrote:They have the guy's son going psycho like that young girl Carol had to kill.

I was thinking Shane, but either way yes, it's a rip-off of what's already been done.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Mon May 16, 2016 7:23 am

"Look at the waves, Chris."

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Mon May 16, 2016 10:30 am

I had the same thought about Hershel's farm and the cellar. I liked the episode alright, it had its good moments, but agree it did not feel fresh. Just too much similarity, farm vs plantation, barn vs cellar.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon May 16, 2016 11:15 am

I'd more or less resigned myself to watching this show, but knowing that next week is the MID SEASON FINALE (that trend needs to die, btw), I'm not feeling really motivated to continue.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Mon May 16, 2016 11:29 am

Smoove_B wrote:I'd more or less resigned myself to watching this show, but knowing that next week is the MID SEASON FINALE (that trend needs to die, btw), I'm not feeling really motivated to continue.

Yeah, agreed on both counts. Having two half-seasons every year is obnoxious, and this show is not drawing me in. I don't really even hate most of the characters, I'm just indifferent to them.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon May 16, 2016 10:31 pm

Odin wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:I'd more or less resigned myself to watching this show, but knowing that next week is the MID SEASON FINALE (that trend needs to die, btw), I'm not feeling really motivated to continue.
Yeah, agreed on both counts. Having two half-seasons every year is obnoxious, and this show is not drawing me in. I don't really even hate most of the characters, I'm just indifferent to them.

Agreed on all counts. I'm watching mainly because my DVR isn't doing anything better lately. Seems like all my other stories are either finished or on hiatus.

The one twist is that Mamacita Muerte is actively killing people to advance them to the next level, whereas Hershel was warehousing them against finding an eventual cure. I can tolerate the superficial repetition because their motives are opposite. Now, if someone busts open that cell door to let the herd out....

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Mon May 16, 2016 11:04 pm

Haven't watched the last two episodes. Really tempted to just delete them and be done with this show.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue May 17, 2016 9:13 am

Chrisoc13 wrote:Haven't watched the last two episodes. Really tempted to just delete them and be done with this show.

The last two have been two of the better episodes of the show. Better than nothing if nothing is your other option and you are a little bit less critical than the gang here.

Caveat: I like the show.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue May 17, 2016 9:44 am

I would like to meet the genius who thought white subtitles superimposed over a white dress was a good idea. Fucking show can't even get that right.

And what was that dumbass font they were using? I could barely read it and I've got 20/20 vision.

I liked that they showed zombie kids, something I've been wanting for a long time. Other than that, more meh. I'll still keep watching it, but damn they need a character overhaul. Can they just do like American Horror Story and next season just start over with a new cast/new storyline?

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Tue May 17, 2016 10:06 am

YellowKing wrote:Can they just do like American Horror Story and next season just start over with a new cast/new storyline?

I think that would be BRILLIANT! One season with a survivor community on the verge of being overrun. Another season with a military unit torn between their oath of service and the question of whether there's even still a country left to serve. A season with some really bad people. And potentially cross-overs between them. I would be a bazillion times more excited for that than I am for this sucktastic suck-fest.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Tue May 17, 2016 11:40 am

Odin wrote:
YellowKing wrote:Can they just do like American Horror Story and next season just start over with a new cast/new storyline?
I think that would be BRILLIANT! One season with a survivor community on the verge of being overrun. Another season with a military unit torn between their oath of service and the question of whether there's even still a country left to serve. A season with some really bad people. And potentially cross-overs between them. I would be a bazillion times more excited for that than I am for this sucktastic suck-fest.

at this point I like that idea also. How do we get that idea to A&E and Kirkman....

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 23, 2016 12:10 pm

so... where are all the complaints about the mid-season finale?

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Mon May 23, 2016 12:17 pm

coopasonic wrote:so... where are all the complaints about the mid-season finale?

Frankly, I can't be bothered. This episode wasn't terrible, but the the show as a whole just doesn't do much for me.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon May 23, 2016 12:25 pm

I deleted the season pass last week and I'm done with the show. Based on what I read this morning, it seems like it was a good idea. That link contains spoilers so if your entire day will be ruined finding out what happened on the show last night, skip it.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Mon May 23, 2016 12:47 pm

My biggest problem with the show (aside from the characters) is the pacing. I feel like in a couple of weeks, these characters have gone the same level of apeshit that it took Rick and Co. several seasons to attain. I just don't find it believable that these people went from 0 to 60 so quick.

And I still have major issues with the meat poncho concept (or maybe at this point we just call it zombie camouflage since no ponchos are required). Nick's walking around like Superman now. Why aren't Rick and company just slathering themselves in blood 24/7 if it works that damn well? And I'm not even going to get into how he somehow managed to get bloodstains out of a white wife-beater simply by rinsing it off under a low-pressure outdoors shower.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon May 23, 2016 1:01 pm

Smoove_B wrote:I deleted the season pass last week and I'm done with the show. Based on what I read this morning, it seems like it was a good idea. That link contains spoilers so if your entire day will be ruined finding out what happened on the show last night, skip it.

Amen.

This show consistently left me apathetic about the plight of its mostly boring and stupid characters, and combining that with a plodding pace prompted me to eject. It just feels like a pale imitation of TWD. There are so many better shows available to watch nowadays, the zombie-gimmick alone was insufficient to maintain any further interest for me.

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Mon May 23, 2016 2:27 pm

You know, I think I'm going to delete my season pass as well. I gave this show every opportunity to pull me in and it just couldn't do it. I don't see any reason to believe that it's going to shape up anytime soon. When's Z Nation back on? At least that show is SUPPOSED to be stupid.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 23, 2016 2:35 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote:There are so many better shows available to watch nowadays, the zombie-gimmick alone was insufficient to maintain any further interest for me.

This is the only thing I can really disagree with, but that may be because I don't really give new shows a chance any more. We have next to nothing to watch and even less that both of us enjoy. Better Call Saul may be the only thing in the latter category... and that has ratings significantly worse than Fear.

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Mon May 23, 2016 2:45 pm

Well I'm pulling the plug too. I already haven't had any interest in watching the last few episodes so I might as well stop it from recording them.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Mon May 23, 2016 2:48 pm

This is going to be one of the shows I have to hate-watch because tlr still enjoys it. But my God, can Travis get any more stupid?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon May 23, 2016 11:15 pm

This week did a nice job of culling the herd, if only temporarily. Maybe a cast shakeup is in the offing.

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue May 24, 2016 12:20 am

Looks like it won't return until August 21. I have no idea if I'll be in the mood to watch it when it comes back or not. I'm sure I won't be excited at all about its return. It will be interesting to see if its numbers remain strong.

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Tue May 24, 2016 6:55 am

tgb wrote:This is going to be one of the shows I have to hate-watch because tlr still enjoys it. But my God, can Travis get any more stupid?

same boat as you

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Tue May 24, 2016 8:59 am

I'll probably watch it when it returns to finish out the season but not sure after that. Maybe one of those shows where I wait for it to be free on Amazon Prime or Netflix and watch it then instead of committing myself to every Sunday night.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue May 24, 2016 9:06 am

Odin wrote:When's Z Nation back on? At least that show is SUPPOSED to be stupid.

If it follows the same pattern as the first two seasons, season 3 will start in September. It's schlocky but it's entertaining. This show...to quote the great Peter Griffin - insists upon itself.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed May 25, 2016 9:00 am

Just a thought I had last night while watching the latest episode, but for readers of the comic book, I wonder if we...

Spoiler:

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Wed May 25, 2016 12:27 pm

hepcat wrote:Just a thought I had last night while watching the latest episode, but for readers of the comic book, I wonder if we...

Spoiler:
are seeing the birth of the Whisperers in Depp 2.0's final proclamation and departure?

Spoiler:

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed May 25, 2016 12:31 pm

True, there is the matter of physical distance between where they are now, and where they show up later. But I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that they moved around a bit before settling down.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed May 25, 2016 1:01 pm

hepcat wrote:But I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that they moved around a bit before settling down.

From the left coast of mexico to the east coast of the US may go beyond "moved around a bit."

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed May 25, 2016 1:17 pm

We're talking a matter of years though between the last episode of Fear the Walking Dead and what I'm referring to in the comics. I believe almost 5 years, to be more precise. It's not entirely outside the realm of possibility that Depp 2.0 could've wandered that far and gathered a group of followers (and/or dragging Cecilia's survivors) to him during that time. Plus, the show and the comic do have divergent ways of treating major characters/groups at times. So it could be that if the show decides to include them, they will be located in a different place.

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Fri May 27, 2016 6:45 pm

YellowKing wrote:My biggest problem with the show (aside from the characters) is the pacing. I feel like in a couple of weeks, these characters have gone the same level of apeshit that it took Rick and Co. several seasons to attain. I just don't find it believable that these people went from 0 to 60 so quick.

And I still have major issues with the meat poncho concept (or maybe at this point we just call it zombie camouflage since no ponchos are required). Nick's walking around like Superman now. Why aren't Rick and company just slathering themselves in blood 24/7 if it works that damn well? And I'm not even going to get into how he somehow managed to get bloodstains out of a white wife-beater simply by rinsing it off under a low-pressure outdoors shower.

One of the things I like about this show this season is that they have wised up relatively fast. It drove me crazy on Walking Dead to see them season after season acting as if things could be put back to normal. It's a no brainer to not pick up assorted survivors if all you have is that boat. They did argue about it, but that's realistic because it's really not an argument over right and wrong, it's a last grasp at the concept of civilized behavior before they accept that such concerns are over and done with. If Rick had been in charge they'd be picking up everyone, without considering the consequences.

This show is using the camo idea bettter. Walking Dead brings up ideas like that, uses them a time or two, then abandons them for no reason. Why aren't they still using defanged walkers like Michonne did early on? No reason.

At least on Fear Nick isn't stupid enough to forget that camo works. He's using it every chance he gets, which I applaud. As to why the others on the show aren't doing it, I think it's because Nick was a scuzzy hype, zombie body fluid is probably three steps up from the worst thing he's ever had smeared all over his face. Who wants to follow Nick's lead? No one.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Fri May 27, 2016 9:45 pm

That's an interesting way to look at it, and I definitely don't begrudge that point of view.

For me The Walking Dead established the "rules" no matter whether I agree with them or not. In that world, it takes a hell of a long time to figure stuff out, zombie camo doesn't work nearly as well as it does on Fear, etc. I don't want Fear to be a correction of the logical inconsistencies of TWD - I want it to play by the same rules that were originally set up, given that we're supposed to buy the idea that it exists in the same universe.

Though again it all eventually comes back to the fact that I'd be more than willing to overlook Fear's inconsistencies (just as I do TWD's) if I really cared about the characters.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Fri May 27, 2016 10:47 pm

What pisses me off about the show is that we were sold a bill of goods to the effect that it would be about the early days of the ZA and the breakdown of society. Instead we got that for about half of the first season and then it turned into the Z-company roadshow version of the original.

What's utterly ridiculous is Coleman Domingo (Strand) was on Talking Dead and mentioned that this season is taking place about 3 weeks into the ZA. No way would everything turn to shit that quickly.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri May 27, 2016 10:51 pm

tgb wrote: What's utterly ridiculous is Coleman Domingo (Strand) was on Talking Dead and mentioned that this season is taking place about 3 weeks into the ZA. No way would everything turn to shit that quickly.

I would have guessed about 6 months. Three weeks in, has Rick even come out of his coma yet?

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Fri May 27, 2016 10:55 pm

Kraken wrote:
tgb wrote: What's utterly ridiculous is Coleman Domingo (Strand) was on Talking Dead and mentioned that this season is taking place about 3 weeks into the ZA. No way would everything turn to shit that quickly.
I would have guessed about 6 months. Three weeks in, has Rick even come out of his coma yet?

In a rational timeline, probably not. As presented here, he's already halfway to Terminus.