argh923

It just amuses me that this show has featured some absolutely depraved moments - but this one is what crosses the line for some. Nevermind the fact that we've witnessed attempted child rape, NUMEROUS human-on-human murder, gore, etc, in the past.

90% of the people complaining will be watching this Sunday, regardless.

argh923

I think you may find that the cycle isn't so simple this time. (basing this comment on the comics - which this show is definitely lining up with more and more these days)

bunkaroo

I am also baffled that this episode crossed a line for so many. Aren't horror shows supposed to horrify you?

It reminds me of that scene in Game of Thrones with Cersei and Jaime in the sept. I didn't find that to be anymore shocking than many scenes which had come before it on GoT.

clckworang

I think Eugene will play a critical role this season. He was one of the few characters I knew would be safe because he's going to be the one to get the munitions factory up and going.

hdnmickey

Beyond those women I can see Morgan, Aaron, and Jesus stepping up. I expect there will be new characters that fit the bill as well.

Astrofan

So glad I called it quits after last season's finale.

DVD Josh

Yet, here you are.

argh923

My thoughts exactly.

windom

My theory is that Rick's crew will eventually team up with the Fear The Walking Dead crew to take down Negan. They'll need someone like Nick to outsmart Negan.

BTW, is Negan his first or last name? Is he actually Joe Negan or something?

DJariya

I never understand that. I don't mind someone posting who actually watched Sunday night and makes an attempt to add something to the discussion.

However, those who claim they don't watch or bailed years ago and chime in just because this thread has 200+ posts and say don't watch anymore or think the show is terrible add absolutely nothing. What does that even add to this thread? Your tastes in TV are better and smarter because you bailed?

Pizza

I can understand that. I really hated the way they ended it last season. I wasn't wild about this episode either. I'll still watch but I feel a disconnect with the show. It's like Negan batted me around and knocked out all my emotions like Rick. At this point, I don't really care what happens, which is sort of how I feel about most zombie movies anymore.

Giantrobo

Decent ep. Sorry to see the ones that went go. But even better are the people claiming to quit the show after this ep aired.

fumanstan

Yeah, it's pretty odd to see people chime in saying they quit watching years ago too.

VinVega

I just want you all to know that I hate this show and it's so bad that I wanted to make a special trip in here and tell you all that.

I support people being able to voice their mind about a show. I don't think this thread should be a TWD love fest, but I agree that it's odd to tell everyone you don't watch the show. If you don't watch it, you probably don't care about it and if you don't care about it, why would you bother to talk about it?

I respect the ones who said they hate watch it. At least you're honest with yourselves and us.

hdnmickey

I would be great if all the hate watching comments (and not just TWD) went in their own thread. It's basically thread crapping.

I also just don't hate watching. Seems like my life would have to become pretty pathetic before I took the time to hate watch even a movie, more less a weekly TV series.

PhantomStranger

The violence has never bothered me, I imagine the zombie apocalypse would be a violent time.

I keep watching for one reason, Daryl. The rest of the show frankly bores me by this point. Glen was my second favorite character but like many would have rather seen him die last season in his "first" death scene. Having heard the comic spoilers, I knew he dies at some point.

Giantrobo

Yeah but at a certain point it just becomes noise and encourages fatigue when the same thing is posted every day or week...... "I hate this show/film", "I have ZERO interest in this show/film", "I stopped watching this years ago...", "i'm not looking forward to this", "I have little faith in this".

The DC film threads have the same issue with the usual suspects always posting their negative honesty and not much else...

Astrofan

Being on a website is not the same as watching a TV show. I also have not read anything written in the previous pages and if there isn't a response I expect to not be on this thread again.

fumanstan

I recall you doing the same thing when you quit watching this show (or was it another) a season or two ago, yet you kept coming back to comment too with replies about how you were glad you stopped watching. So apparently you keep feeling the need to make that point known.

EddieMoney

I stopped watching this show a season and a half ago.




But now I have time to catch up! Watched some of the season premiere and it got me interested again, so I will be starting way back at the beginning of season 5 and binging.

Astrofan

How dare I make a point in a forum. I will stop immediately (at least in this thread.)

fumanstan

Except as discussed in the last few posts, you're not really making a point. You're basically just thread crapping.

rw2516

I believe that's what they were shooting for. To demoralize the audience. Rick and the group are heroes to the audience. They are badass and everybody roots for them.

Dan

Agreed, but then you have...

Which is absurd.
If people are watching it, hoping/waiting for it to "get good again" or hell, for whatever reason they want, then their opinion is just as valid as those who are loving every minute of it.

Just like the Ghostbusters 2016 thread
As far as I can tell, Astrofan is the only one doing that here, though.

Personally, I sort of like the show, but I don't love it. I wouldn't say I'm hate-watching it right now, although it kind of felt like that about a season ago. It's one of the few shows my wife and I watch together, so I 'put up' with the shittier episodes to get to the good stuff. When the show is bad, it's really bad, but I've seen how phenomenally good it can be. After this episode, my wife questioned why we watch it, but then yesterday asked when I was going to buy the whole season on Vudu, so... I guess we're still in (BTW, I never said I was out... and skimming through the thread, I think only 2 or 3 people said they were, if that...)


Back on topic of the actual episode... this episode told us three things:
- Abe & Glenn are dog meat
- Negan's fucking crazy as shit
- Rick is broken
I think all of the above would have been better served in last season's finale. For me, personally, it would have made the wait more compelling. Instead of wondering "who's going to get their face(s) smashed in?" (and the leaks about who is and isn't on set) the focus would have been on the utter hopelessness of our protagonists. Their situation felt hopeless at the end of S6, sure, but the weight of it could have been bigger. The extra length in that episode (which was mostly filler) could have been used to cover everything in this episode in the extra 25-30 minutes. It would have been just as shocking, just as depraved, and just as hopeless as it feels today.
Instead, we get to feel that now. Which is fine, but I think it'd have been better that way, probably with a drop in ratings this week, though. Gotta sell those commercials!

caligulathegod

I've been reading reactions all over the web. I'm amazed that people, including professional columnists, seem to have no sense on how storytelling works. Not to defend every storytelling decision they've made in the past, but literally every film has this structure/formula. You have the characters fail or otherwise brought to their lowest point after a supposed victory so they can ultimately rise. The enemy has defeated them. Best friends are estranged. All looks lost. This is long form story telling. Usually this is 5-10 minutes at the end of the second act but this isn't a 1 1/2 -2 hour movie, so it gets a whole episode. This is a show where formerly living people get graphically bashed in every episode. For this to have any impact, it had to be emotionally brutal or it is just another special effect. Rick and his gang had gotten arrogant. They proactively attacked and murdered Negan's team and demanded tribute for it. Dramatically, they needed to be brought down a few pegs so they can be the underdog/heroes again. This is right out of Syd Field. It's called the Main Culmination. You are SUPPOSED to feel shitty right now. This is Frodo sending Sam home. This is Buzz Lightyear realizing he's just a toy Mrs. Nesbitt who's going to be blasted by Syd. This is Delta House failing and Dean Wormer informing the draft board they are now eligible for the draft.

WHY would you bail NOW? You will miss the inevitable rise of Rick and crew. Did we bail when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?