Walking Dead Season 7 Discussion - Spoilers possible!

[Mr. Adventure]

^ I didn't mean taking the katana because it was a threat. I meant taking it just to break the Alexandrians and to just generally be an ass. Obviously the sword is special to Michonne so I could see him/them taking it just like the deer, beds and Daryl's bike.

 

[Morpheus 02]

^ I didn't mean taking the katana because it was a threat. I meant taking it just to break the Alexandrians and to just generally be an ass. Obviously the sword is special to Michonne so I could see him/them taking it just like the deer, beds and Daryl's bike.

Well, maybe he thought the deer and gun were enough..for now.. The Katana might help Michonne do her job. If she fails, then that might be a punishment. Like Negan said, killing without a serious point is just a waste.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I am sure when Maggie takes control of Hilltop, and the discovery of the Kingdom, Tara will recruit the last piece of resistence, knowing they have a chance (or if she sees someone from Oceanside get killed).

Possibly, but I hope its not something as predicable as the trigger happy little girl getting killed trying to save Tara--the woman she wanted to kill in this episode.

When did Negan's men know of Alexdandria? I forget -- did Darryl spill the beans to D?

I think the initial chase/shootout (when Sasha, Abraham & Darly were on walker round-up) strongly implied the ASZ had been watched (why else would the Saviors instantly attack?) and beyond the Daryl explosion scene, the Saviors who tried to capture Carol said:

"Miles, what's that place called? The gated one 12...75 clicks down?"
"Alexandria."
"Yeah, Alexandria."
"You know, they got some cars out front, spikes through them, just like the one you're driving. A woman like you, no weapons, no protection, no clue, you really shouldn't be out here alone."
"You know, we were just on our way to your place."

So, it seems ASZ was on the Saviors' radar for some time, even going so far as going up to the gates to see what kind of cars they used.

 

[Scout101]

This season just feels like it's plodding along. Not S2 farm-bad, but close. In S2, problem was that they had just the one group to focus on, so when they weren't doing much, it was very obvious. in S7, problem is that there are way too MANY groups to try and service, so we don't spend enough time on any of them for them to move along much.

In 6 episodes so far, we've had:

-Finishing the finale from last season
-Kingdom intro, Carol/Morgan, no other groups
-Daryl/Saviors only
-Finally touch base with the main group in ASZ
-Hilltop check-in, Maggie/Sasha/Jesus with a touch of Carl/Enid
-Oceanside intro, Tara only

1/3rd of the season burned already, doesn't feel like we've done anything or gone anywhere. Again, so many things to focus on that we're not focusing anywhere at all. I liked when there were less groups out in other places, let you focus on the journey of the group. Maybe you got a one-off where they showed you the bad guys' POV, but then back to our guys. This feels like the post-Prison season where we just get isolated episodes from each cast member with snippets of story, but treading water until they want to put the band back together so things can happen. Can tell where this season seems to be going, but we're just waiting for it to happen instead of giving enough interesting things along the way...

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I'm enjoying this season overall (I was done with the show at the end of season six, and just stayed on to try out Negan and the Saviors). Last night's episode was odd. I didn't mind the Oceanside community and thought the reveal about the Saviors killing all males over 10 was brutal, but the character of Tara was portrayed oddly. It seemed like, all of a sudden, she's funny and quipping left and right. It just felt out of place. I could be misremembering, but I don't remember her ever doing that before.

My only other complaint. On Game of Thrones, there's multiple storylines going on at the same time. Just off the top of my head, in any given episode, we may see Cersei in King's Landing, Jaime off doing something, Bran up north, Jon Snow on the Wall, Tyrion fucking around somewhere, Aria training, Sansa, Dany and her dragons, and countless other goings on. Why in the world is it so difficult for The Walking Dead to do more than one storyline per one episode? I about shit last week when they went from a Hilltop-centric episode and gave us a flash of Rick talking. Even if they cut between, say, two or three different characters having different story arcs per episode, it wouldn't seem like you would have these filler episodes just showing us what one random character has been up to after five weeks.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, the show really should do more than one story line per episode. On the one hand, I get it. Keeping the focus narrow probably makes the stories resonate more and keeps them focused but it also can sort of plod along. Though, really, I'm not sure how this episode could have been mixed in with any of the others given how "disconnected" this episode is from everything else going on and given the "fluid" timeline we're in right now. Seriously, I've no idea when everyone is compared to one another.

Here, Tara and Heath say they've been out for a couple of weeks.
Last week we see Enid and Carl together on the road enroute to The Hilltop but in the middle of their journey we get the courtyard scene with Ninja Jesus and Tractor Maggie, Er, did Enid and Carl camp-out overnight on their way up to The Hilltop?

I'd argue a few weeks would have had to pass at The Kingdom in order for Carol to recover from her injuries enough to be able to function on her own without needing assistance or the wheelchair (she was shot in each of her limbs.)

No idea on the timeline with Daryl, which I guess of any episode to splice with this one that'd be one since both are disconnected from any of the "main group(s)" and dealt with a single character forging it out on their own within a hostile group.

 

[Dark Gilligan]

I just want to commend Alanna Masterson. First episode after her maternity leave and still carrying some baby weight, she handled her stunt work like a champ. And in 105 degree heat, no less.

 

[Trekker4747]

From "The Talking Dead" a tweet by a fan, "Oceansiders have the aim of Storm Troopers."

I just want to commend Alanna Masterson. First episode after her maternity leave and still carrying some baby weight, she handled her stunt work like a champ. And in 105 degree heat, no less.

Yeah, she was talking about that on TDD and I was seriously impressed with it, pretty wild.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Is Oceanside in the comics? If not...maybe they will be the last part of the alliance that will fight against Negan.

Oceanside has been mentioned in the comics, some of our characters have even visited the place, but's never been seen in the comic. It has also been introduced much earlier than in the comic.

 

[Evil Twin]

From "The Talking Dead" a tweet by a fan, "Oceansiders have the aim of Storm Troopers."

Not only that, but those were some super incompetent bridge zombies. When Tara's hanging over the side of the bridge with two of them on her I'm thinking BITE HER ALREADY! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Not only that, but those were some super incompetent bridge zombies. When Tara's hanging over the side of the bridge with two of them on her I'm thinking BITE HER ALREADY! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Especially since "bite" is about the only thing they think.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I'm enjoying this season overall (I was done with the show at the end of season six, and just stayed on to try out Negan and the Saviors). Last night's episode was odd. I didn't mind the Oceanside community and thought the reveal about the Saviors killing all males over 10 was brutal

That single line of dialogue was powerful, and let the audience realize The Saviors are not going to be a here today, gone tomorrow group like Terminus or the Wolves.

, but the character of Tara was portrayed oddly. It seemed like, all of a sudden, she's funny and quipping left and right. It just felt out of place. I could be misremembering, but I don't remember her ever doing that before.

Tara was sort of a one-liner girl since season 5. I'm guessing that was an in-series outgrowth of her being nervous around the group she played a part in displacing.

Why in the world is it so difficult for The Walking Dead to do more than one storyline per one episode?

The series has successfully handled more than one storyline at a time season after season. For example, in S3's "Arrow on the Doorpost," there was the big Rick/Governor meeting, while Merle was causing problems at the prison. In S2's "Triggerfinger," the conflict at the bar was one plot (along with Glenn dealing with feelings of being a coward), while Shane finally let it all out about the baby / what he imagined Lori felt for him. Each plot was vital, and had far reaching influence on how the core characters grew, or the course of the season. In this case, the Tara story did not need jumping around to other characters since it answered the question of Tara's whereabouts, and built on the evil of the Saviors. Seems like a win/win plot.

 

[Borgminister]

Extra long filler episode and I have to say, reluctantly, added nothing to the ethos in terms of story line, especially in an extra-long ep.

Unless this backstory rears its Amazonian head in episodes to come.

 

[Starkers]

I don't know why that needed to be extra long, what was it five minutes longer than usual? You could have easily snipped five minutes out of there. Was an odd one, on the one side I like Tara, and she's a very believable action heroine and I love how she twigged what the Oceansiders had planned for her, but giving her an extended episode pretty much alone felt like a bit of a waste (much like the Morgan origin story or the episde when the Governor turned 'good') and for saying the Oceansiders were the remnants of another group they seemed very well supplied/organised, and . The sand pile full of Walkers were excellent, even after so many years I find it impressive that they can still come up with something new like that.

I think the only thing that let down any emotional impact was the fact that we hadn't seen Tara and Heath in so long and Denise's death might as well be years ago given what we've been through since then!

This season is starting to feel somewhat contrived. We have Hilltop, a community that can forge bladed weapons, we have the Kingdom, a place with warriors on horseback, Oceanside, which appears to have a well stocked armoury, and in Alexandria a man who can make bullets and, in Rick (for better or worse) a man who, if he pulls himself out of his funk, can lead an army to fight Negan.

I'm just waiting for the moment Rick goes all Flash Gordon. "I'm not your enemy, Negan is. Let's team up and fight him!"

I'm trying to remember, was it Tara who was a rookie cop before the apocalypse or was that her sister?

 

[Trekker4747]

Tara was a "rookie cop", but I don't even think she had gone through any training or anything yet and was just in the early stages of that career transition.

And, for what it is worth, all of the episodes this season have been "extended" episodes by at least a few minutes, the exception being the Negan-at-Alexandria episode which was extended by half an hour.

 

[Morpheus 02]

Extra long filler episode and I have to say, reluctantly, added nothing to the ethos in terms of story line, especially in an extra-long ep.

Unless this backstory rears its Amazonian head in episodes to come.

I am pretty sure the wel armed Oceanside will come into play -- later. First , Tara needs to believe they have a chance (which they don't just yet... Hilltop with a wimpy leader, and no knowledge of the Kingdom, as well as the complete subjugation of Alexandria).

This season is starting to feel somewhat contrived. We have Hilltop, a community that can forge bladed weapons, we have the Kingdom, a place with warriors on horseback, Oceanside, which appears to have a well stocked armoury, and in Alexandria a man who can make bullets and, in Rick (for better or worse) a man who, if he pulls himself out of his funk, can lead an army to fight Negan.


I'm just waiting for the moment Rick goes all Flash Gordon. "I'm not your enemy, Negan is. Let's team up and fight him!"
?

I don't see it as contrived....they have to build the pieces.. it would seem far more contrived if they all formed a rebellion on the outset.

For me, each of these episodes helps establish what makes each area unique, and what inidivual challenges they have, and need to overcome internally.

I actually expect another episode for each community, which shows how Negan and the Saviors finally pushes community to be willing to rebel.

I don't see "All Out War" until next season, though I am not sure how they can make it last an entire season

I'm trying to remember, was it Tara who was a rookie cop before the apocalypse or was that her sister?

Made me do some research on the Walking Dead Wikia. Tara indeed went to the academy... she also had fought Walkers the whole time they were holed up, so her growth as Walker fighter is way more established than I thought. I totally missed those facts from my first watch. Guess I will have to find it during the next marathon

 

[Starscream2112]

Looks like the ratings are not doing to good.

http://jezebel.com/the-walking-deads-ratings-are-the-lowest-ever-this-seas-1789318705

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I don't know why that needed to be extra long, what was it five minutes longer than usual? You could have easily snipped five minutes out of there. Was an odd one, on the one side I like Tara, and she's a very believable action heroine and I love how she twigged what the Oceansiders had planned for her, but giving her an extended episode pretty much alone felt like a bit of a waste (much like the Morgan origin story or the episde when the Governor turned 'good') and for saying the Oceansiders were the remnants of another group they seemed very well supplied/organised, and . The sand pile full of Walkers were excellent, even after so many years I find it impressive that they can still come up with something new like that.

I think the only thing that let down any emotional impact was the fact that we hadn't seen Tara and Heath in so long and Denise's death might as well be years ago given what we've been through since then!

Some fans in social media often play up the "how is Tara going to react to Denise's death" angle, but truth be told, she should be more devastated by Glenn's death. After her participation in the Governor's 2nd attack, he took mercy on her, saving her life--and making a "last stand" to do it again in the tunnel. He initially gave her a new background when introducing her to Maggie, Bob & Sasha, so he was the most supportive person she's ever encountered. The reason she's alive. There's no question about the death that should hurt her more than others.

This season is starting to feel somewhat contrived. We have Hilltop, a community that can forge bladed weapons, we have the Kingdom, a place with warriors on horseback, Oceanside, which appears to have a well stocked armoury, and in Alexandria a man who can make bullets and, in Rick (for better or worse) a man who, if he pulls himself out of his funk, can lead an army to fight Negan.

I do not think it will be that easy. Every episode has built up the Negan threat so its not just the S7 premiere deaths, or Nagan implying that more might come. I have the suspicion that in one way or another, Negan is going to cut down the heroes' numbers again before the season is over. With the series' biggest villains, their significant body count and life changing actions are not limited to a shoot out, someone drops and its time to celebrate. Think of the Governor--he's personally responsible for the deaths of Andrea, Merle and Hershel, but in the bigger picture of cause and effect, his second attack forced the heroes out of the prison, ultimately leading to their exposure to every threat and death seen since S5.

That's serious villainy. Negan is supposed to be a darker nightmare, but to drive that home, Rick cannot just quickly decide to join forces and fight back. That, and JDM is (currently) signed for two whole seasons, so he will be around for some time--and not as a defeated enemy.

I'm trying to remember, was it Tara who was a rookie cop before the apocalypse or was that her sister?

In S4's "Live Bait", Tara revealed the following to the Governor:

"I'm not really a cop. I mean, it's not a total lie.I was in the academy."

 

[Borgminister]

Looks like the ratings are not doing to good.

http://jezebel.com/the-walking-deads-ratings-are-the-lowest-ever-this-seas-1789318705

It's still 11 million viewers; just hope a carotid hasn't been nicked and the bleeding stops.

 

[Velocity]

Shouldn't have killed off Glenn.