AMC's The Walking Dead Season 1 Discussion & Spoilers

[scnj]

Sigh. The first issue of the comic was written before 28 Days Later was released into cinemas. It took inspiration from the opening of Day Of The Triffids.

 

[Xavier_Storma]

Well this would explain it all, then.

 

[PsychoPere]

Speaking of the comics, here is an interview with Robert Kirkman regarding "Vatos."

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I know it is a little too early to judge, I saw the first episode last night and it simply felt like a 28 days later ripoff. An americanised version of the British production (IMHO the best Zombie film to date). The story was pretty much copy and paste up to the point where in 28 days later the survivors meet the military people.
I know... making films (or in that matter shows) about zombies means to rely to certain aspects (running, screaming, tension etc.) but that was a little too obvious for my taste. Anyway... I will watch episode 2 tonight and hope they don't just continue copy pasting.

Wow, you loved X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but hated the pilot for this show??!?!!? (I know 2 totally different things) I am seriously judging you right now.

All kidding aside, just keep watching, it's actually really good. Best new show of the Fall season.

 

[Xavier_Storma]

No, no, no! I did not hate it... it simply felt familiar... Nothing wrong about it though. And scnj already mentioned the comics were there first... so it was actually '28 days' which borrowed elements from TWD.

And loved is a little strong. I enjoyed it, yes even liked it... but there are only few movies I would say I love.

 

[PsychoPere]

[...] so it was actually '28 days' which borrowed elements from TWD.

I think it was likely more one of those serendipitous moments where two products in parallel development shared similarities. The first issue of The Walking Dead was on retail shelves in October 2003, while the U.S. release of 28 Days Later was in November 2003. It certainly wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that such a situation would arise.

 

[Xavier_Storma]

That's really interesting, since both teams followed the same path: Create a character the audience/reader can relate to, who himself has to be introduced to the situation... well, it worked in both cases.

 

[Zachary Smith]

Also, I haven't read the comics, but I understand that winter does affect these Zombies. It certainly affects them in WWZ.

Anyway, in the first episode Rick finds half a zombie or what's left of one still crawling around. Who know how it got that way, but it was pretty rotten - and it had been roughly a month since Rick had been in a coma, right? That particular zombie's rate of decomposition suggests they do in fact rot away slowly. But do these zombies actually get anything out of eating people? From what do they metabolize energy? The demi-zombie probably doesn't ahve a stomach or intestines to speak of, but it was obviously still active.

Obviously the mechanics of rotting undead flesh is hardly an exact science, and I'm more than willing to gloss over it for the sake of how good this drama is. Like certain shows about wizards or vampires, we're generally expected to just accept it as reality. But like certain shows, it's easy to pick away at the details of the situation.

Mark

Please keep asking these kinds of questions. I'm presently writing a short book on "Undead" Physiology and I'm don't want to leave out anything that someone might be wondering about. I've developed a brand new and somewhat plausible Real World explanation for the origins of zombies which I want to share (and, NO, it does NOT involve any virus). So make a list and ask away. PM me with it if you want. I'd hate to miss answering something someone is wondering about.

 

[Silvercrest]

They should've been fine since they'd strung empty cans on strings all around the encampment. I'm thinking something, or someone with a grudge disarmed the alarm.

I suppose we can guess who that was. Gotta hand it to him.

Yes, congratulations are in order. Let's give him a hand.

I never heard of the comic until this show came on now I am going to buy it. Love this series!!! Last night was a shocker. I wonder what happened to the racist guy who cut off his hand? I figured he was going to show up and cause trouble.

What makes you think he didn't? He did, apparently, steal a truck for some mysterious reason (as opposed to any other number of vehicles he could have found).

Actually, why would they suspect him specifically? It's not like he'd know where they left the truck, and we know there are other people around.

 

[Cutter John]

Actually, why would they suspect him specifically? It's not like he'd know where they left the truck, and we know there are other people around.

Well he is kinda the obvious choice. I mean, it would be an awful waste of a plot thread if he'd just taken the truck and decided to drive to Key West.

I'm guessing where they parked is the main safe route in and out of the city that they used when they first arrived. It did look pretty much zombie free.

 

[Tom]

Nitpicks:

- One thing that bothered me was it looked like Rick and the guys jogged back to camp after the truck was gone?? Why? they have hundreds of cars around them that may have the keys or they can hotwire like the mustang. It makes absolutly no sense they they would be forced to walk/run back. Also why do they assume Merle took the truck? Could be anyone, they are parked quite a bit off from the building Merle was In. Merle could have easily taken one of the hundreds of cars lying around also.

- No guard on the RV?

- That many Zombies made it to the camp at the same exact time, with out being noticed?

- Rick the others seem to have no problem traverseing the city to get to the gang's place then back to the building, then back to the Gang's place again, then back to where the truck was suppose to be. Too convient it seems. (not to mention the walk/jog back to camp on foot)

 

[Nicholna]

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.

THANK YOU Can you repost the link to the comic. I can't seem to find it.

 

[the G-man]

[...] so it was actually '28 days' which borrowed elements from TWD.

I think it was likely more one of those serendipitous moments where two products in parallel development shared similarities. The first issue of The Walking Dead was on retail shelves in October 2003, while the U.S. release of 28 Days Later was in November 2003. It certainly wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that such a situation would arise.

And, arguably, both independently borrowed from the original Day of the Triffids. (In fact, Boyle has acknowledged Triffids as an influence).

 

[PsychoPere]

Can you repost the link to the comic. I can't seem to find it.

Are you referring to the free online copy of issue #1? If so, you can read it here.

[...] so it was actually '28 days' which borrowed elements from TWD.

I think it was likely more one of those serendipitous moments where two products in parallel development shared similarities. The first issue of The Walking Dead was on retail shelves in October 2003, while the U.S. release of 28 Days Later was in November 2003. It certainly wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that such a situation would arise.

And, arguably, both independently borrowed from the original Day of the Triffids. (In fact, Boyle has acknowledged Triffids as an influence).

I've never seen it myself, but I believe Kirkman has acknowledged it as an influence as well. I was more referring to the fact that two stories using that same idea came out so close together.

 

[Nicholna]

I read the first three issues and I think it's pretty faithful.

Hell yes it was.

I wonder how much time had transpired.

One month in the comics.

Spoiler: In the comics

the affair started after they left for Atlanta.

I hope Lennie James shows up again--he was great in tonight's episode.

(This is a very minor spoiler.)

Spoiler: In the comics

Morgan and Duane reappeared in an issue entirely dedicated to just them.

I'm not caught up entirely on the comics at this point, but apparently (this is a major spoiler)

Spoiler: In the comics

Morgan joins a group of survivors with Rick after the group passes through Cynthiana but, sometime after the previous appearance, Duane became a zombie and had to be put down.

I did roll my eyes with the whole love triangle angle.. Do we need such agnst so early? I haven't read the graphic series, but I'm assuming it's also an element there?

It is. If you think that was bad, just wait

Spoiler: In the comics

until Laurie's pregnancy is revealed with a "is it Rick's or is it Shane's? question. Not to mention Shane feeling jealous that Rick is back...

All in all, as a big fan of the comics (as you might be able to tell from all of my "in the comics" spoiler tags...), I loved this premiere. It was very faithful and very well-done. The tank bit was a nice addition that wasn't in the comics. The best addition was certainly the extended time Rick spent with Morgan and Duane, especially Morgan's inability to shoot his zombie wife. Andrew Lincoln is a perfect Rick Grimes.

If anyone's interested, you can read the first full issue #1 of Robert Kirkman's series here.

never mind...i found it!!

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Why do they expect there to be fish and frogs in a quarry lake?

I wondered that, too.

Sigh. The first issue of the comic was written before 28 Days Later was released into cinemas. It took inspiration from the opening of Day Of The Triffids.

Zombie fiction has been around for longer than most people in this thread have been alive. You'd have to be a zombie scholar to know for sure where various tropes had first been introduced. Like most of sci fi (HAH! ), people routinely underestimate how old the tropes really are.

That's really interesting, since both teams followed the same path: Create a character the audience/reader can relate to, who himself has to be introduced to the situation... well, it worked in both cases.

That's an original scenario? A lot of fiction, sci fi or otherwise, follows that template. It would be easier to point to stories that lack a character the audience can relate to. I can't think of a single one, offhand. Having a relatable point of view character is usually considered vital to a story that will succeed or fail depending on its ability to hold an audience's attention. The audience enters the story, and sticks with it, through the eyes of the POV character. I guess there are other ways to accomplish this, but it would be more difficult.

As for having the character be introduced to the situation, there are only two types of stories: "Someone goes on a journey" and "A stranger comes to town." TWD is an example of the former type, which requires the point of view character be introduced to the new situation. Assuming both story types are roughly equally popular, that template describes half of all stories in existence, or if not half, certainly a large proportion.

There's nothing at all unusual about the format. The other way to handle this is that the audience jumps into the story after the character has been embroiled in the situation for a while and then we learn about the situation in flashback.

Edit: fun article from EW interviewing actors playing zombies!

I’m a newbie to this whole thing. The Walking Dead is the first thing I ever did. A good friend of mine said, “You look like a zombie without any makeup. You really ought to put in for it.” I went, “Well, gee, thanks.”

The biggest memory? We all had the same thing. I live here, but it was incredibly hot that month. We had an index temperature during the tank scene that was 105. And I believe in that particular scene, I was wearing a sweater. It was like, “Okay, when they go “Cut!” we start stripping as best we can. Because it was hot. But it gave us all that dead look, I’m telling you. So it worked out good.

Apparently the secret of zombie-hood is individuality. I would not have guessed that.

Well, what Frank kept telling us was: “Quit trying to be everybody you see. Do it your way. If I see a horde coming down a street, I don’t want to see two people together. Because if everybody looks the same, I’ve got to cut and do it all over again.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Like most of sci fi (HAH! )

This is exactly why the Sci Fi Channel rebranded to SyFy: "Science Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Wrestling-- like, whatever, dude."

 

[Brikar99]

Why do they expect there to be fish and frogs in a quarry lake?

I wondered that, too.

Perhaps it was stocked before the zombocalypse. -shrug-

 

[Snaploud]

Why do they expect there to be fish and frogs in a quarry lake?

I wondered that, too.

Perhaps it was stocked before the zombocalypse. -shrug-

It could be an indication that these people just aren't very knowledgeable about surviving in nature...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Like most of sci fi (HAH! )

This is exactly why the Sci Fi Channel rebranded to SyFy: "Science Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Wrestling-- like, whatever, dude."

No, it was because they couldn't trademark a generic term like Sci Fi. Do you honestly think skiffy cares about safeguarding the precise definition of sci fi? They had all that non-sci-fi crap long before they changed their name.

I wondered that, too.

Perhaps it was stocked before the zombocalypse. -shrug-

It could be an indication that these people just aren't very knowledgeable about surviving in nature...

Where did all the fish come from, then?