Fear the Walking Dead Season 1 discussion and spoilers.

[Ryan8bit]

Salazar predictably letting the stadium zombies out--poses more of threat to him (and the rest of his West Coast Avengers) than the military.

Yep, this was absolutely another one of those moments where the only way for them to drive the plot was by really stupid character decision #32478. I mean, it was a pretty good show once the action started moving things, but it's tiresome to see so many incredibly dumb decisions to make that happen.

Wow. The military. Aside from the Evil Aggressive Rape-y Military stereotype, they had such a hard time with head shots of near-stationary targets...at point blank range. Looks like they were trained by Palpatine's Stormtrooper unit, 'cause we know how accurate that group was with weapons.

Yeah, there's really no way all those guys with all those guns would be overwhelmed that easily. The worst was those guys just wandering in with the riot shields and then getting their asses handed to them.

In reality, there would've been a pile of bodies up front that most of the zombies would've tripped over, making them easy targets. That mound of dead bodies by the fence would probably actually support it rather than knock it down.

The addict: Soooo...being a junkie is like fighting to survive in the zombie apocalypse where mass cannibalism is THE human civilization game changer?!? ...and now with everyone "catching up" to him, I imagine that will make him most capable of navigating through the dual threats of zombies and humans.

I was kinda hoping that he really would die behind those locked doors, but I knew that wasn't likely at this point. I don't know why Strand trusts him in any capacity or what his deal is.

Will this push Meredith to take Camera Lad as her own--or will he just end up with Alicia in his grief, while blaming Travis?

All I could imagine after that ending is him being super emo about it. I mean, yeah, his mom died and that's horrible, but blaming his dad for it in a very whiny way seems inevitable unfortunately.

Would you risk going on a boat when you will need to go to the mainland for supplies, and the California coastline being...the California coastline, it should be overrun with zombies and violent scavengers soon enough, so how do you stock up? Who runs maintenance on the ship? Where are the extra gas, oil and supplies for that?

I thought it was kind of refreshing to see someone decide to actually go to the coast because it seems the strategic choice, so I like that. Season 2 will likely focus on conflict with other groups on the coast though. And I'm sure they'll find an unending supply of gas that doesn't expire.

 

[kitik]

So for the past 4 years, we've been hearing people suggest "why don't they just go to the coast and get on a boat?" I hope they're happy. They're finally getting what they wanted.

 

[DarthTom]

So for the past 4 years, we've been hearing people suggest "why don't they just go to the coast and get on a boat?" I hope they're happy. They're finally getting what they wanted.

It will be interesting to see how they can make the plot work with a boat. As others have noted in the regular TWD threads, a diesel powered boat I'd think would become problematic to find fuel during a ZA,

I suppose part of the plot will be the challenges related to finding fuel. Won't a boat based plot line however take the group out of Los Angeles?

 

[dansigal]

Salazar predictably letting the stadium zombies out--poses more of threat to him (and the rest of his West Coast Avengers) than the military.

Yep, this was absolutely another one of those moments where the only way for them to drive the plot was by really stupid character decision #32478. I mean, it was a pretty good show once the action started moving things, but it's tiresome to see so many incredibly dumb decisions to make that happen.

Meh. I think you're confusing a stupid character decision with a selfish and short cited character decision. This isn't a "why would any one do this, it doesn't make any sense" character decision. It was completely realistic for Salazar's character. The guy cares only about him and his. He doesn't care about the damage he does, so long as he achieves his goal. Goal achieved. We've seen people use zombies as weapons in the past, it made sense for his purposes.

 

[Ryan8bit]

Salazar predictably letting the stadium zombies out--poses more of threat to him (and the rest of his West Coast Avengers) than the military.

Yep, this was absolutely another one of those moments where the only way for them to drive the plot was by really stupid character decision #32478. I mean, it was a pretty good show once the action started moving things, but it's tiresome to see so many incredibly dumb decisions to make that happen.

Meh. I think you're confusing a stupid character decision with a selfish and short cited character decision. This isn't a "why would any one do this, it doesn't make any sense" character decision. It was completely realistic for Salazar's character. The guy cares only about him and his. He doesn't care about the damage he does, so long as he achieves his goal. Goal achieved. We've seen people use zombies as weapons in the past, it made sense for his purposes.

No, it's definitely stupid, and that's cemented by when he says that it would be a lot harder to get out than to get in. His own life, his daughter, and his presumed alive wife, are all in danger from that stupid action. If he really cared about them, he wouldn't do that.

And it's not just him, the rest of the group is going along with his plan. No one thinks to say, "Hey, isn't this maybe a little dangerous?" They're all a bit too complacent with his methods this far into the apocalypse.

 

[Admiral2]

Where to start...

There is no control over zombies (and this early on, no one really knows how they "think" or operate), so Salazar predictably letting the stadium zombies out--poses more of threat to him (and the rest of his West Coast Avengers) than the military.

Oh, look, The Evil, Aggressive, Rape-y Military paws Alicia and sends glass-jawed Camera Lad to slumberland. I did not see that coming. No, really....that's very original.

Wow. The military. Aside from the Evil Aggressive Rape-y Military stereotype, they had such a hard time with head shots of near-stationary targets...at point blank range. Looks like they were trained by Palpatine's Stormtrooper unit, 'cause we know how accurate that group was with weapons.

Incredibly convenient infiltration of the compound. Equally convenient keycard rescue of The Addict Who Will Be The Hero.

Convenient "badass / hero-making" moment for Travis to man up by beating the soldier, when he was damn near a coward up to the point of leaving the neighborhood.

Rick Grimes...watch out!

The addict: Soooo...being a junkie is like fighting to survive in the zombie apocalypse where mass cannibalism is THE human civilization game changer?!? ...and now with everyone "catching up" to him, I imagine that will make him most capable of navigating through the dual threats of zombies and humans.

...and Liza was Redshirted.

Will this push Meredith to take Camera Lad as her own--or will he just end up with Alicia in his grief, while blaming Travis?

Will Travis see Liza's ghost all throughout season two, tormenting him (or trying to send a message) like that other guy's dead wife?

Would you risk going on a boat when you will need to go to the mainland for supplies, and the California coastline being...the California coastline, it should be overrun with zombies and violent scavengers soon enough, so how do you stock up? Who runs maintenance on the ship? Where are the extra gas, oil and supplies for that?


Alright, which series ended on a better note: TWD season 1 or FTWD season 1?

I'm gonna go with the first one.

As for the fuel thing, they're probably hoping to meet up with the Nathan James and share some reserves.

 

[davejames]

Guess I'm the only one who generally liked the rest of the season, but found the finale pretty underwhelming. Not sure if it was the uninspired writing or flat direction, but watching our characters wander around a nearly empty compound for most of the episode as they try to avoid the occasional zombie just didn't strike me as all that interesting or gripping at all (and felt a bit too "generic zombie movie" compared to some of the more interesting territory covered in earlier episodes).

And as mentioned above, it does stretch credibility quite a bit to see the military overwhelmed the way they were (especially when they got freakin helicopters that could also help with the battle and take out a lot of the threat from above). Which just makes it even MORE clear that the military is something we should have just never seen to begin with. Because it just raises too damn many questions like this.

I gotta say though, it looks like our characters have found a pretty safe place to stay for awhile if they really wanted to. That swanky seaside home looks like it's pretty isolated, and as long as they stayed quiet enough they probably wouldn't attract much attention from anybody, living or dead. At least for a few months.

 

[Beagleman]

I feel pretty strange reading thsi thread because my opinion of this show seems so radically different from the apparent consensus. I like this show so much better than TWD and I find every single character so much more likeable than any of it's parent show, that said great finale! I can't wait to find out where they are going with the boat angle...

 

[Corran Horn]

I caught the last minute or so and I haven't watched any of the show yet.

Was that yellow coloration in the tide at the end supposed to be something story-relevant?

 

[Garak]

I love the concept of the show, but I just absolutely hate the characters.

 

[DarthTom]

I gotta say though, it looks like our characters have found a pretty safe place to stay for awhile if they really wanted to. That swanky seaside home looks like it's pretty isolated, and as long as they stayed quiet enough they probably wouldn't attract much attention from anybody, living or dead. At least for a few months.

True. But living on what appeared to be a huge yacht is even safer.

Regarding Strand, it's really unclear what his motivation is to help this group.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

I love the concept of the show, but I just absolutely hate the characters.

Same here.

My prediction for season two: Hershel's boat.

 

[davejames]

I love the concept of the show, but I just absolutely hate the characters.

I don't hate the characters, I just find them all kinda bland and uninteresting for some reason. The actors are all doing a good job, but these still feel more like they should be supporting characters on a show instead of leading ones.

The only ones who really stand out at all are the druggie kid and the suave black guy (Madison might have potential down the line, but right now she's too much the generic concerned mother).

Fortunately for me I still find the tone and basic storytelling to be good enough to keep watching. But I do hope they improve the characters somehow next season.

 

[hux]

Episode 6

Something finally happened. Well I guess that's progress... sorta.

I just don't care about any of these characters. You could kill any of them and I honestly wouldn't notice that they weren't there anymore. The guy is all emotional and tormented by having to shoot the woman but I just sat there thinking... who is she again? Good to see the leader guy pulverise the soldier (because nice guys die in the ZA). I wonder if we'll see that soldier turn up again though?

A truly tepid piece of television with poor characters, no originality and very little to redeem it. God knows, people love the zombie genre though so they'll probably get away with all of that. Six episodes purely so that they could put another group together (the cute one, the ginger one, the sporty one) and then send them on food raids whilst they slowly learn that people are the real threat; not the dead. Well, at least this time they'll be doing their raids from a boat. That "might" be interesting.

A extremely forgettable first season though.

 

[sojourner]

I feel pretty strange reading thsi thread because my opinion of this show seems so radically different from the apparent consensus. I like this show so much better than TWD and I find every single character so much more likeable than any of it's parent show, that said great finale! I can't wait to find out where they are going with the boat angle...

I think the majority here actually are liking the show. There's just a very vocal minority that takes up alot of thread space to go on and on about how much they hate the show, though they still keep watching.

 

[Morpheus 02]

My quick take....

The "main" characters are kinda lame... the "minor" characers were far more interesting Tobias, Salazar & Strand

It would have been nice if we had 1 or 2 people who "should" have been the lead but get taken out early...kinda like what was planned for Jack in Lost.

Nearly the whole family survives till the end?? Everyone else we've seen lost people very close very early on.

And man -- releasing all those Walkers....Salazar basically was responsible for killing hundreds more????

The pacing was waaay off. The 9 day time jump really ruined things...and then n the finale, that they all converged at exactly the right moment? I mean..was there even a commercial break between Curtis seeing Druggie Boy and Chris' mom arriving with the key card?

How I would've done it?

The opening scene was good. But then we should have had stronger profiles of each person especially Chris as an advocate for justice...maybe have his Dad agree, but trying to do so "diplomatically"

Druggie boy should've been shot by someone mistaking him for a walker.

1 or 2 more random people should've been added. (Though glad for Strand & the Salazars).

Season 1 should've ended with the military coming, and it seems to be a saving moment, until the neighbor walker gets shot & her husband dragged away

Season 2 could've been the fall of the safe zone, with season 3 looking to the sea. (Also, the soldier boy somehow forgiving Salazar....but of course tension & arguing).


Talking Dead had some interesting previews for next year (which, strangely, was not called #HearTheTalkingDead )... West Coast will have a different name than Walkers or Biters...the producer seemed very open to Fan input..hmm... maybe a contest?

And he said it would be a struggle to get to the seas...and that there are enemies out there. I assume that since the rich guy was stuck in prison, someone else took over...or if there was a crew already on board, they turn the tables on Strand. (And make him Strand-ed). We'll see how it goes....

Made it hopeful that those we did not see die yet we could see them again...clearly Tobias needs to be woven in.

We shall see

 

[davejames]

Yeah the good thing from recent interviews is it sounds like Strand will stick around next season. I was a bit worried he was going to take off in the yacht in the finale and never be seen again.

 

[sojourner]

If someone else has control of the boat I highly doubt it would still be right where Strand left it. I think the producer meant that it will literally be a struggle to reach the boat. They may have trouble finding a small boat they can get access to to get out to the Abigaile.

 

[.:: TSN ::.]

So will the next season be called Fear The Swimming Dead?

Do walkers float or sink to the bottom? Can they walk underwater? Big questions for the next season.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Was that yellow coloration in the tide at the end supposed to be something story-relevant?

No, that was just a kelp forest.