AMC's The Walking Dead Season 1 Discussion & Spoilers

[Obiwanshinobi]

It's most likely built up a considerable fanbase in addition to the hype beforehand. Take True Blood for example, before it premiered their was a decent amount of buzz for it and look a it now it's become one of the biggest cable shows around, sure Vamps are the in thing now or at least was few years back. As long as the quality of the show stays strong the fans will come back next year.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Paul Michael Glaser was the actor who played the role of Dave Starsky in Starsky & Hutch. Where were you during the 80s? (and I know it's a 70s TV show).

I was there right at the beginning. And his partner had the same nickname as me, which gave a boost to my ratings.

The zombies probably didn't leave until after he did, since they would've been drawn to his blood.

They likely only gave up and left because Merle did (the door was still padlocked so he must have found another way out of there).

Yeah, this is true.

it's unknown whether the AMC audience will go for an outlandish sci fi premise. Sure it's well made, but well made shows don't always do this well.

Sci fi?

 

[Snaploud]

it's unknown whether the AMC audience will go for an outlandish sci fi premise. Sure it's well made, but well made shows don't always do this well.

Sci fi?

It's a post-apocalyptic world brought about via a virus...Yeah, I'd say it qualifies.

 

[Zachary Smith]

And that guy was pretty stupid to cut off his own hand when the Zombies couldn't even get through (and obviously gave up and left).

The zombies were probably still trying to get through the door when Merle cut his hand off, and that probably only increased their frenzy to get onto the roof. He wouldn't have had a way of knowing if the chains would hold, after all, so cutting his hand off likely seemed to be his only option at the time. The zombies probably didn't leave until after he did, since they would've been drawn to his blood.

Actually, if you think about it, Merle had no way to know the door had even been chained. He really didn't have a good view from where he was and likely for all he could tell, the only reason the Dead hadn't already come barreling out onto the roof after him was because they were piled up three-stooges style at the door. He may have thought he had literally seconds until they were all over him and panicked. It would be easy to do under those circumstances.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The Hollywood Reporter cites sources that say season two of The Walking Dead will likely premiere in October 2011 to again capitalize on increased viewership and promotion during AMC's Fearfest.

OCTOBER???? Wow! Good luck keeping the audience they've built.

I think they'll get most of the audience back. This isn't a Caprica situation where the show is sorta boring and not really finding its focus before the break. There are so few decent shows to watch (The Walking Dead is the only show of the fall season I'm sticking with) that people should be all that more motivated to remember it.

it's unknown whether the AMC audience will go for an outlandish sci fi premise. Sure it's well made, but well made shows don't always do this well.

Sci fi?

It's a post-apocalyptic world brought about via a virus...Yeah, I'd say it qualifies.

It's as sci fi as anything on TV. I hope nobody is expecting "hard" sci fi on TV, ever.

 

[Tom]

This show has now opened the door to other networks to put out a 'zombie' series of their own. You watch, it happened with vampires now zombies.

 

[Snaploud]

This show has now opened the door to other networks to put out a 'zombie' series of their own. You watch, it happened with vampires now zombies.

I can see it now...zombies that sparkle...in human blood...

 

[melancholymecha]

wasnt NBC doing a zombie show with a vampire as a cop?

 

[Aragorn]

This show has now opened the door to other networks to put out a 'zombie' series of their own. You watch, it happened with vampires now zombies.

CSI: Zombieland

Law & Order: Zombie Unit

And the still untitled CW show about the problems of being young, rich, white zombies living in Central Park West.

 

[FluffyUnbound]

I thought the wife was pretty high and mighty for someone who fucked Shane pretty enthusiastically 20 minutes after her husband died.

In the graphic novel, how long does the love triangle go on?

Because to me, I thought the point of the very first conversation Rick and Shane have before Rick gets shot was to telegraph that Shane is actually more what the wife is looking for anyway.

 

[PsychoPere]

In the graphic novel, how long does the love triangle go on?

It sort of depends on how one defines the love triangle.

If you're curious about the actual "relationship" between Lori & Shane, Rick's return, and Shane's resulting jealousy, all of it was resolved in the comics by the end of issue #6.

Spoiler: Issue #6

At the end of this issue, Carl shot and killed Shane, who had pulled a gun on Rick.

Issue #7 has a flashback showing Lori & Shane's only sexual encounter while traveling to Atlanta.

If, however, you're curious about the "fallout" of that "relationship" (BIG spoilers!):

Spoiler: In the comics

It is later learned that Lori is pregnant. Rick specifically did not want to know if he or Shane was the father, believing that the information would kill him. The father was, in fact, Shane.

Even BIGGER spoilers as a complement to previous tag:

Spoiler: In the comics

Lori & infant Judith both later die following an attack by an opposing group of survivors.

 

[Cutter John]

*facepalms* I usually don't follow names in Hollywood, so I only just realized that the director Frank Darabont also directed one of my favorite horror movies, The Mist. No wonder I love this show so much.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Good movie. Probably the best King adaptation ever (which isn't saying much, I know)

it's unknown whether the AMC audience will go for an outlandish sci fi premise. Sure it's well made, but well made shows don't always do this well.

Sci fi?

It's a post-apocalyptic world brought about via a virus...Yeah, I'd say it qualifies.

That may possibly be technically true, but people aren't tuning in to Walking Dead for Sci Fi, and it's not going to open the door for Sci Fi; it will open the door for more Horror.

It's as sci fi as anything on TV. I hope nobody is expecting "hard" sci fi on TV, ever.

Oh, there is definitely stuff that is more Sci Fi than Walking Dead-- even Bones is more Sci Fi than Walking Dead. In terms of real "hard" SF, not so much; not since the original Outer Limits, probably.

 

[MPH]

Watched the first 3 episodes in quick succesion, the first 2 where good the 3rd was lame and boring. Too much time was spent on the characters and less on the Zombies I wouldn't have a problem with this but most the characters are annoying and I wouldn't mind seeing them get eaten by the zombies.
Oh and why does noone call them zombies?

 

[PsychoPere]

Too much time was spent on the characters and less on the Zombies.

You should give up now, then, if you want a show focused on zombies because this isn't going to be what you want. The Walking Dead is all about characters.

 

[Canadave]

Too much time was spent on the characters and less on the Zombies.

You should give up now, then, if you want a show focused on zombies because this isn't going to be what you want. The Walking Dead is all about characters.

And that's why I'm so interested in this show. If it was just "Whelp! We must escape this gaggle of zombies!" every week, it would get dull fast.

 

[Starbreaker]

I watched the first three episodes today. I'm hooked.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

That may possibly be technically true, but people aren't tuning in to Walking Dead for Sci Fi, and it's not going to open the door for Sci Fi; it will open the door for more Horror.

It's both sci fi and horror, and might help out both genres. I don't think AMC's audience are tuning in for sci fi or for horror - they're tuning in for a well-made series. AMC isn't big on genre shows so why would their audience expect it?

But I hope this doesn't start a rush to more zombie shows. This show works because of the terrific execution. I can just imagine what CBS or NBC would produce - ugh.

Oh, there is definitely stuff that is more Sci Fi than Walking Dead-- even Bones is more Sci Fi than Walking Dead.

I've never seen Bones but I can't think of anything on TV that qualifies as "real" sci fi and I never expect to. Caprica was the closest attempt - at least it was a story centered around sci fi ideas, instead of being some other genre, such as a cop show or action show, with some sci fi window dressing.

It's just the nature of TV - you try to build a show around sci fi ideas, and your audience gets impatient and bails. Which might have been part of what doomed Caprica (along with a very unfocused approach and unlikable characters, which probably would have done it in anyway).

Oh and why does noone call them zombies?

It's tacky. I think they should start calling them Zack.

 

[Snaploud]

Sci fi?

It's a post-apocalyptic world brought about via a virus...Yeah, I'd say it qualifies.

That may possibly be technically true, but people aren't tuning in to Walking Dead for Sci Fi, and it's not going to open the door for Sci Fi; it will open the door for more Horror.

I'm sure it will open the door for more post-apocalyptic fiction (which is basically the larger genre trend of which zombies is benefiting from right now), and that's sci-fi...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think you're right about the coming boom in post-apocalyptic scenarios and alien invasions such as Fallen Skies.

I just wish that space opera would benefit somehow. Maybe it's the next boom over?