Snore: The Walking Dead

I expect (and enjoy!) a slow meaty buildup as we are introduced to the characters and the world, but they missed the mark here. This show needed an introduction akin the original V mini-series where the normal world transitions to the set-piece world though a series of individual character vignettes that convey information.

This episode played like a standalone Twilight Zone-esque show. Honestly, the show could end right here and nothing would be lost or gained. We only focused on one "character" (by character I'm referring to the family as a whole as they had an arc but the individuals did not). The storyline had a beginning (junior is a drug addict and has been missing), a build to a climax (the investigation), and a conclusion (oh my god, he did see something!). There was absolutely no long-term emotional investment made into the world or any of its characters.

Honestly, the character I was most interested in was the fat kid who tried bringing a knife to school. What was up with his face? I assumed it was supposed to be acne, but it looked to me like he had been in a scuffle. By the way, Chekov's knife, I'm calling it now! Prediction:

The show is already struggling with finding its message, pacing, and "rules." The main show struggles with this from time to time as does The Strain. Where are we at (big picture)? This seems to fluctuate depending on the needs of the story-of-the-week. The epidemic is just a bunch of internet rumors in other states, yet significant numbers of parents are keeping kids home from school in LA? We jumped immediately into "we're all infected" with the drug dealer, yet this didn't happen in the hospital where numerous people die every day, including the guy in the next bed!

All in all, I suppose I am in for 6. I know a second season has been ordered, but can this show find its voice in its initial 6 episodes?

On a less important note, what was the purpose behind the decision to make the kid stumble around like a zombie? Will he be shot later on ala Night of the Living Dead?

I think they look at it as an appetizer to the Walking Dead, and even though it wont draw the same ratings, it will be better then throwing an original show on that might not catch on.

The next season is 13 episodes, so I assume that we will see Fear #1 in Aug/Sept, while Walking Dead #1 in Oct/November, then Fear #2 in January/February, while Walking Dead #2 March/April?

That gives them 29 of the 52 weeks of Walking Dead programming.

I gotta say, I thought this was just fine. This is the beginning of the apocalypse and society is still intact. It's not supposed to be a thrill ride starting out. I thought the acting was good, especially from the older leads Dickens and Curtis, both of whom I know and love from previous roles. Young Mr. Dillane was excellent IMO. I'm all in until I'm not.

I didn't hate it like many seemed to. It had the expected stupid decisions (investigating the church, at night, by yourself... not notifying the police when you find all the blood, etc), just like the original series.

Also, are we supposed to believe the hospitals are already aware of what is happening and keeping quiet about it? This is regarding the old man dying and the ensuing rush to 'get him downstairs?'

In for Joanie Stubbs, anyway.

God damn 90 minutes! Thank God for DVR's! Thankfully I was able to fast forward through the 30 minutes of commercials.

Uhhhg. I was hoping for that kids elderly neighbor in the hospital room to attack and kill him in his sleep. Terrible Johnny Depp wannabe acting on that kid.

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the Pulp Fiction diner (it's not) it's actually the Denny's in Downtown L.A. near the LAPD Helicopter station off of the 101 freeway. Pulp Fiction diner is in West L.A. near LAX called Pann's http://www.panns.com they have the most amazing chicken and waffles, yes, better than Rosco's by a fucking mile!

Fear the Walking Dead better end the soap opera bullshit quick... I want to see L.A. on fire, now!

And yes, lil' chubby kid with the knife, I want to know his story, he's already 1000 times more interesting a character than this stupid cliché family. Must be nice to be Kirkman, cashing checks off of horse shit shows.

Was looking forward to this and it earned 9 Z's on my Z scale..

ZZZZzzzzz

I shall call him Gilligan from now on.

I'd say so, considering what the chubby kid said.

He'll probably pull the same stupid stunts that abominable kid on The Strain did, though his quick thinking with the truck was a good sign.

Slow start, but that's kind of what I was hoping for.

The daughter looked really familiar but I couldn't place her. Looked her up and she was on The 100 last season, as the leader of the Grounders.

Gah, thank you. It was bugging the shit out of me.

I guess this technically should be a period piece and be set in 2010. What were gas prices like in LA then?

Didn't hate it, but was on the boring side. I'm still in for the whole season though, I just hope it doesn't take 6 episodes for anything interesting to happen. Slow revelation of zombies spreading is fine, they just need to make sure it actually goes somewhere. The only character I really disliked was the son.

I hope the show kills off one of the family members sometime before the season ends though. Maybe I already have the main series syndrome where I want to see a main character die.

Sure, this could easily have been a one hour episode but I can give the pacing a pass (it is the pilot and a lot needs to get established). But if this is going to be "Petulant Teenagers vs. the Walking Dead" then six episodes might be too many. Hopefully they quickly drop the angsty pandering and stick to the subject matter.

I hope it turns out good, otherwise I'm calling it The Walking Dead: Voyager.

So is Cliff Curtis playing a Mexican in this series? He was badass in Training Day.

Yes, it was slow, but it wasn't bad. After all, as said a few times already, they aren't jumping right in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. They are setting things up on how the outbreak began.

I did like seeing how these early walkers are still freshly infected (especially the girl in the opening sequence) and not the walking rotting corpses like in the mother show.

Cliff Curtis and Kim Dickens are fine as the lead actors/center of the show. I don't think they were miscast at all.

I love how this forum loves to rip/hate on any show/movie that features young adult/children actors.

His ex-wife is Mexican, but his last name is Manawa. If I had to guess, he is playing an American Indian character.

I love that he's from New Zealand, but he's played Middle East, Mexican, Indian and even American characters in the past.

Next season is actually 15 episodes.

I have no doubt that this show will air in 2 cycles like The Walking Dead. They want to milk both shows to cover most of the calendar year.

Did anyone see Talking Dead before this aired?

I don't know why Jorge Garcia was on it. He added absolutely nothing to the discussion. Scott Gimple was on it and I've never seen him before. He's kind of a kook. Very odd man. I haven't seen Talking Dead in awhile, but it was pretty boring last night. Nothing really important was said and the footage they showed from the new season was insignificant.

Only because the sole purpose of the child character in these shows is to manufacture drama by them putting others in harms way through deliberate and conscious actions a 5 year old shouldn't be dumb or malicious enough to try.

I thought he was black! Never mind, he survived the episode.

Kid? He looked 35! Oldest kid I've ever seen...

I bet the mother will be hitting him up for information now that they know (or should realize if the writers aren't making them 70-IQ dunces) that leaked video isn't fake.

Fat Pussy from True Detective could take him out.

Agree totally. The lead actor should be replaced by some sort of tree. And the knife kid is the most interesting. Too much teen angst that no one cares about. We want to see the start of the virus. Why do they feel the need of all that soap opera crap? We will still watch but there are no hubba bubba characters yet either.