Exactly. The suspense, the ominous portents, and the growing chaos is what it's all about. And the problem is that it really can't last that long-- we know from the parent show that it only took a few weeks for everything to fall apart.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 1 discussion and spoilers.
- Thread starter sojourner
- Start date
To be honest, I am a little surprised that it started so far into the crisis. I think I was expecting something dealing more with isolated incidents for much longer than we've seen in two episodes. We know for example from the Ebola event last year that what makes a contagion dangerous is its exponential growth--it starts out small and doesn't seem to really be getting out of control until it's too late.
All we got was another group of "survivors" who are designed to be as irritating as possible (seen that), dealing with the outbreak (seen that), people working out that you need a head shot (seen that), people turning from weaklings into bad asses (seen that). TWD wasn't set ten years after the outbreak, you know. It was set a few months after.
Nothing in this show is different. They've taken a successful formula and thrown more of it at the screen. Anybody who thinks we're getting something new is an idiot. If they wanted to be different from TWD then why have a zombie in the first ten minutes? Why not show us the illness developing, the scientists exploring it, the army, the government etc? A slow build where we don't even see a zombie until the final episode? A different perspective on the outbreak.
This is just TWD but a few months earlier.
It is TWD:LA. That's the problem. That's fine but don't pretend you're something different. If you're about zombies then crack on and stop showing me people coughing and looking worried.
Nothing in this show is different. They've taken a successful formula and thrown more of it at the screen. Anybody who thinks we're getting something new is an idiot. If they wanted to be different from TWD then why have a zombie in the first ten minutes? Why not show us the illness developing, the scientists exploring it, the army, the government etc? A slow build where we don't even see a zombie until the final episode? A different perspective on the outbreak.
This is just TWD but a few months earlier.
It is TWD:LA. That's the problem. That's fine but don't pretend you're something different. If you're about zombies then crack on and stop showing me people coughing and looking worried.
The little I saw of Z-Nation was just goofy and silly. It almost seemed to be taking the piss on the "zombie apocalypse" notion and not to a fun level like in "Zombeland."
TWD and by extension FTWD are both more about the characters and how society is changing and adapting more than it is about out characters fighting the undead and everything we were told by the show runners behind FTWD it would take that notion to an even further degree since all of our characters are starting off in normal society, presumably under the belief that things will return to normal soon; as opposed to TWD where by the time Rick wakes from his coma a massive percentage of the population is gone and people are somewhat already having to embrace a "survive or die" attitude.
I'd quibble and agree the first episode was soft, but I think the second episode here shows potential in where this series can go. The thing I wonder is what's going to happen in another season? Another 2 seasons? Society collapsed within maybe a couple of months, after that point the FTWD characters are starting off more-or-less where TWD cast did and it's just going to be another show of our characters wandering around the west-coast from place to place looking to survive, avoid walkers, and avoid dangerous groups of humans.
Now, on the one hand this could still work, when you boil all of the Star Trek series down you pretty much are left with "a group of characters in a space setting dealing with alien life and moral issues" but each series is different due to approach and the personalities of the characters. Same for the CSI series, they're all procedural crime dramas but having different characters and different settings changes enough aspects to make each series unique and interesting.
Since TWD characters were in the deep-South in a much more rural landscape it could make some sense running into civilized people is less common than running into world-hardened, rough, people willing to do whatever to survive.
Maybe on the West-Coast the types of groups they run into will be different with different types of threats, and then our different characters will deal with it in different ways.
Yet to be seen, sure, but be interesting how the series plays out. But right now, it's interesting for me to see the fall of civilization.
TWD and by extension FTWD are both more about the characters and how society is changing and adapting more than it is about out characters fighting the undead and everything we were told by the show runners behind FTWD it would take that notion to an even further degree since all of our characters are starting off in normal society, presumably under the belief that things will return to normal soon; as opposed to TWD where by the time Rick wakes from his coma a massive percentage of the population is gone and people are somewhat already having to embrace a "survive or die" attitude.
I'd quibble and agree the first episode was soft, but I think the second episode here shows potential in where this series can go. The thing I wonder is what's going to happen in another season? Another 2 seasons? Society collapsed within maybe a couple of months, after that point the FTWD characters are starting off more-or-less where TWD cast did and it's just going to be another show of our characters wandering around the west-coast from place to place looking to survive, avoid walkers, and avoid dangerous groups of humans.
Now, on the one hand this could still work, when you boil all of the Star Trek series down you pretty much are left with "a group of characters in a space setting dealing with alien life and moral issues" but each series is different due to approach and the personalities of the characters. Same for the CSI series, they're all procedural crime dramas but having different characters and different settings changes enough aspects to make each series unique and interesting.
Since TWD characters were in the deep-South in a much more rural landscape it could make some sense running into civilized people is less common than running into world-hardened, rough, people willing to do whatever to survive.
Maybe on the West-Coast the types of groups they run into will be different with different types of threats, and then our different characters will deal with it in different ways.
Yet to be seen, sure, but be interesting how the series plays out. But right now, it's interesting for me to see the fall of civilization.
My biggest problem with FTWD is stupid teenagers, because that's my biggest problem with every movie and TV show that has them. Kill off Drug Boy and High School Girl and Protest kid, and somehow bring Knife Kid back I could be more tolerant of the stupid adults and the series in general.
ZNation, remember, is Asylum's Walking Dead clone. It's worse than a spoof. It's Syfy's cheap knockoff of a hit show. Last night I found myself watching a couple of the characters go through ZNation Groundhog Day. Pass, thanks.
ZNation, remember, is Asylum's Walking Dead clone. It's worse than a spoof. It's Syfy's cheap knockoff of a hit show. Last night I found myself watching a couple of the characters go through ZNation Groundhog Day. Pass, thanks.
I caught Z Nation and it looked cheap as fuck. Like a badly made spoof.
I like the production values of TWD and think the quality of the show is generally excellent. My complaint is essentially that they took the foot off the gas when they saw how popular it was and started churning out the same repetitive stuff each week and now that lack of respect for the audience seems noticeable in the spin-off. Just more of the same. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it.
I like the production values of TWD and think the quality of the show is generally excellent. My complaint is essentially that they took the foot off the gas when they saw how popular it was and started churning out the same repetitive stuff each week and now that lack of respect for the audience seems noticeable in the spin-off. Just more of the same. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it.
To be fair, someone not finding merit in FTWD does not mean he is better suited to the mindless dreck that is Z Nation.
Z Nation is actually pretty good, just completely different from the Walking Deads. It's the Pulp, B-Movie, EC Comics version of the Zombie Apocalypse.
If you stayed long enough, Z-Nation got really Talky-talky as well.
I suppose you can watch Madmen all day long, but peeks and valleys people!
Oh.
Valleys.
If you want the real Three Stooges of Zombie media, then Death Valley is the show for you.
I suppose you can watch Madmen all day long, but peeks and valleys people!
Oh.
Valleys.
If you want the real Three Stooges of Zombie media, then Death Valley is the show for you.
Oh, yeah, I remember that. Tania Raymonde was in it.
Kids do not have to be stupid, and I wonder why this terrible plot contrivance is used in an entertainment culture that has been there, done that for over 100 years of film.
I've said it before, but even Carl Grimes started and finished his irresponsible / clueless period all in season 2. After that, he--still younger than the "teen" characters of FTWD--dealt with other issues, but none which compromised his own safety, or that of his companions. I know some will say the FTWD teens are all new to this, but being older, their basic decision making should not be redlining on the moron meter.
Episode three has to explore their buying a clue, otherwise, the only realistic management for characters like that is to kill them off. That would add early shock value to the WD franchise not seen since semi-semi regulars Amy, Ed and Jacqui died in TWD S1.
Knowing their reactions are realistic doesn't help me like them more, or give me any more faith in the future of real life teenagers.
Because all you're saying is that they'll just end up learning the hard way, like real teens, when the stupid thing they do bites them on the ass. The problem is in this situation that bite will be literal...and fatal, and if I'm supposed to be caring about their welfare, it would be nice if they'd not wait until then to figure things out.
And if they stay dumb till then, let em die and let Michonne chop off their heads in the reg'lar show.
Well, through pilot episode Rick, we see how someone with no knowledge deals with the ZA in two stages:
1. Seeing seemingly dead people walking around.
2. After meeting Morgan, learning what the ZA really means.
We even see how some isolated people--well into the ZA--did not know how to kill zombies, as seen with Tara's family. They were aware enough to hide, but the Governor had to tell them that zombies have to suffer brain damage to die.
So, drug-head says, "I don't need you" to his mother--who risked her life to help him? No matter what he's feeling, there's no "honorable" act he can commit to erase the sheer dickheaded nature of that character.
So many stupid decisions on the part of the so called heroes.
So many stupid decisions on the part of the so called heroes.
