Walking Dead Season

[jn1780]

The cliff hanger would end up being pretty anticlimactic if the same person in the comics dies in the TV show.

[Geographer]

The cliff hanger would end up being pretty anticlimactic if the same person in the comics dies in the TV show.

Why would it be anticlimactic? The person in question who dies in the comic is still a major character.

[jerrywall]

Why would it be anticlimactic? The person in question who dies in the comic is still a major character.

For a couple of reason, IMO. 1 - the early season fakeout. 2 - the show runners have flat out said that events take a hard left turn from the comics. 3 - they're making a big deal about who dies being a mystery.

[jn1780]

Why would it be anticlimactic? The person in question who dies in the comic is still a major character.

I would say half the viewer base knows who died in the comics. If it turns out to be that character, all they accomplished is to ruin one of the biggest scenes from the comic by adding a months long break in the middle of it.

[dankrutka]

If you choose to read the comic series prior to watching the show then a lot of things are going to be "ruined." That's just a choice you make (Just don't ruin it for those of us who didn't make that choice). Having said that, even if you've read the comics, you still don't know for sure. I just don't think it changes that much in the overall trajectory of the show if they showed who was killed. That issue will likely be resolved in episode 1 of season 7 and then they'll move forward as they would have anyway...

Personally, I think the episode and direction of the show are interesting. Negan seems well cast and the next season should be fascinating.

[gopokes88]

It was an insanely stupid move to put that cliffhanger in there. It's not going to grow the show. Someone who isn't watching isn't going to tune to see which character, in a show they know nothing about, died. It doesn't grow the tent. It does piss off fans who now feel duped, and they run the risk of viewer fatigue.

Conversely if they show who got Lucille'd, that changes the primary conversation from who got killed, to wow this Negan guy is a charming mad man. That could grow the audience. That could make the first time viewer tune in October to see Negan. That creates another Walter White for AMC. Nope, now we're left to wonder, who is it? I expect this from CBS, not from AMC.

It was a breath takingly stupid decision, it will be the downfall of the show.

[Roger S]

It was a breath takingly stupid decision, it will be the downfall of the show.

Riiiiiiiiiiight.... The downfall....

Until I see a zombie ski jump over a shark... I'm not worried about the future of the show.

[jerrywall]

[dankrutka]

It was an insanely stupid move to put that cliffhanger in there. It's not going to grow the show. Someone who isn't watching isn't going to tune to see which character, in a show they know nothing about, died. It doesn't grow the tent. It does piss off fans who now feel duped, and they run the risk of viewer fatigue.

Conversely if they show who got Lucille'd, that changes the primary conversation from who got killed, to wow this Negan guy is a charming mad man. That could grow the audience. That could make the first time viewer tune in October to see Negan. That creates another Walter White for AMC. Nope, now we're left to wonder, who is it? I expect this from CBS, not from AMC.

It was a breath takingly stupid decision, it will be the downfall of the show.

Wait, so you're saying that you -- and others -- are unable to have a discussion about Negan because you don't know who he killed yet? I'd think that fans of the show could have more than one conversation and seeing who Negan killed doesn't really change anything much about his character (unless maybe it was a pregnant Maggie, which seems unlikely). Also, if people haven't started watching by the last episode of season 6 then they're going to have a lot to learn anyway.

I get what you're saying and I respect your opinion, but I don't think it's the only legitimate way to look at it. I just don't see the cliffhanger as that big of a deal.

[gopokes88]

Wait, so you're saying that you -- and others -- are unable to have a discussion about Negan because you don't know who he killed yet? I'd think that fans of the show could have more than one conversation and seeing who Negan killed doesn't really change anything much about his character (unless maybe it was a pregnant Maggie, which seems unlikely). Also, if people haven't started watching by the last episode of season 6 then they're going to have a lot to learn anyway.

I get what you're saying and I respect your opinion, but I don't think it's the only legitimate way to look at it. I just don't see the cliffhanger as that big of a deal.

It's not that I'm unable too, it's that the primary narrative is, who is it? It's an unnecessary one, and distracts from a bigger better picture. We're going to be talking about something that will be resolved in 10 secs at the start of 7. It was a dumb choice by TWD to make that the overall narrative. Talking about the charming yet psychotic Negan would have been a far better story-line going into 7, this feels like a cheap cop out to try and grab even more ratings. Pushing Negan as potentially a new Walter White type could actually grow the show. There would be a curiosity factor to tune in to see what this Negan guy is all about. That is now substantially diminished, the main story line is who did Negan Lucille? And for what? To tease a bunch of viewers that who were tuning in anyway?

The risk of it backfiring is high, viewers eventually get tired of being jerked around like this. I'm done watching it I'm tired of being teased by the show. They teased all season, and then teased some more. It's old and it's insulting. I wasted an entire season only to be told, tune in next season to finish up this season.

[Roger S]

Wait, so you're saying that you -- and others -- are unable to have a discussion about Negan because you don't know who he killed yet?

But... but... but... The entire point of Season 6 was who did Negan kill! All the rest of those crap story arcs were just there to distract us from who he was going to kill..... All that mattered was who died! Nothing else mattered!!!

Because I knew Negan killed someone at the end of the season.... It was quite possibly the least interesting part of the story to me. How well Jeffery Dean Morgan played the character was more interesting to me, and I loved it, but I'm also a big fan of him as the Comedian in Watchmen so I was pretty certain I would enjoy it.

I've not read the comics but I'm familiar with the characters and the happenings enough to know what's supposed to have happened.... So I find the non-comic stories to be more entertaining personally... Carol, Morgan, Daryl, and the handful of others that are still alive, but shouldn't be, are what keep me entertained.

[Roger S]

The risk of it backfiring is high, viewers eventually get tired of being jerked around like this.

If this were true we would all be outside playing and television would no longer exist.... Name one show that doesn't follow this same formula/?

[gopokes88]

But... but... but... The entire point of Season 6 was who did Negan kill! All the rest of those crap story arcs were just there to distract us from who he was going to kill..... All that mattered was who died! Nothing else mattered!!!

Because I knew Negan killed someone at the end of the season.... It was quite possibly the least interesting part of the story to me. How well Jeffery Dean Morgan played the character was more interesting to me, and I loved it, but I'm also a big fan of him as the Comedian in Watchmen so I was pretty certain I would enjoy it.

I've not read the comics but I'm familiar with the characters and the happenings enough to know what's supposed to have happened.... So I find the non-comic stories to be more entertaining personally... Carol, Morgan, Daryl, and the handful of others that are still alive, but shouldn't be, are what keep me entertained.

a 99% complete project is, 100% incomplete

[Roger S]

a 99% complete project is, 100% incomplete

Project was completed from my point of view. And you do realize I wrote that italicized part as a parody of the disgruntled fanboy point of view? Right?

[gopokes88]

Project was completed from my point of view. And you do realize I wrote that italicized part as a parody of the disgruntled fanboy point of view? Right?

yes, I was retorting it that the show wasn't complete, they teased an event for basically a year and then mad us wait even more.

[Roger S]

yes, I was retorting it that the show wasn't complete, they teased an event for basically a year and then mad us wait even more.

Teased how? Negan didn't even exist to them until they went to the Hilltop Colony.... That wasn't even close to a year ago and I don't remember ever hearing there would be any guarantee we would know who was killed this year.

Just relax and enjoy the story as they are telling it and try not getting bent out of shape when it doesn't go the way you thought it should have. It's much more entertaining that way and it is after all supposed to be entertainment.

[jerrywall]

Teased how? Negan didn't even exist to them until they went to the Hilltop Colony.... That wasn't even close to a year ago and I don't remember ever hearing there would be any guarantee we would know who was killed this year.

Weeeeelllll, in the show, maybe. But they've been Hyping Negans appearance pretty much non stop for the past year. And all the quotes from the various actors kept talking about how dark and devastating the finale was, and how they couldn't sleep after reading the script, and such. It was built up pretty large.

All that being said, this finale was the second highest view episode of TWD ever, and considering that TWD is the highest rated show on TV right now, I don't think they're going anywhere. The best thing that will happen is when they hopefully pass the comic books timeline-wise, and move on to fully original stories.

[Roger S]

Weeeeelllll, in the show, maybe. But they've been Hyping Negans appearance pretty much non stop for the past year. And all the quotes from the various actors kept talking about how dark and devastating the finale was, and how they couldn't sleep after reading the script, and such. It was built up pretty large.

The keyword there being appearance.... And maybe they couldn't sleep because they don't know who he killed either..... Not knowing if I had a job next season might cause me to lose some sleep too.

The best thing that will happen is when they hopefully pass the comic books timeline-wise, and move on to fully original stories.

In ways they already have.... Carol, Morgan, Judith, Abraham are all dead at this point in the comic world but still exist in the show. Daryl doesn't even exist in the comic. I'd say at least 4 of those 5 names are major characters in the story line at this point and you have to figure that Judith will come into her own as a major character soon enough....... So I suppose that's what puzzles me so much about the uproar about something we all knew was going to happen rather than being entertained by the things we don't know are going to happen.

I'm more intrigued about what's going to happen with Carol and Morgan at The Kingdom colony at this point than I am in who was killed by Negan, whose outcome in the comics I am also aware of, just based on the fact that they didn't survive in the comic long enough to be involved with any of the new found colonies.

[jerrywall]

I think they brought the uproar on themselves, both with the horrible dumpster fake out, and the extremely slow pacing of the first half of the season.

[dankrutka]

I'll just say that I watch every week, and I don't tend to do anything (e.g., read blogs, the comics, theories) beyond watching the show, but I was not aware that everything was building and teasing towards who Negan killed. I didn't know he was killing anyone. I understand those who don't like the 7 month delay to find out, but if your expectations rest on the build up from blogs and the comics then that was a choice. You've sought out more information on the show that causes you to experience it differently. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but I was totally unaware of these arcs and narratives that others are frustrated by.

[jerrywall]

That may be all well and good, but folks seem to be getting equally offended and worked up that everyone doesn't share their opinion of the finale. Folks have a right to be frustrated on the pacing, or that it didn't live up to the hype in their opinion. But like everything else on OKCtalk, just having a different opinion and your worthy of derision, and if you're not 100% happy with it, you're evidently a "disgruntled fanboy".

[jerrywall]

I will say this, I 100% expected the episode to end the way it did. So did quite a few folks. It was the "you know what would really piss people off" scenario. Which is probably why it was so disappointing.

[Roger S]

I think they brought the uproar on themselves, both with the horrible dumpster fake out, and the extremely slow pacing of the first half of the season.

Not sure how those things factor into people being upset about not knowing who was chosen to die..... If that were the case I would have expected a lot lower ratings for the finale opposed to it being the 2nd highest rated episode ever...... People came to watch that episode because they wanted to know/see which major character died and they will come back in 7 months to find out for sure after reading all about it all summer long because they have to know.

Everyone that says it was stupid is just hacked off because they wanted to know now. I say it was brilliant because the hacked off people that say they are finished with the show will be back in 7 months to find out for sure who it was.... Neither side will know for sure until we see the ratings for the premiere of season 7 though.

[Roger S]

That may be all well and good, but folks seem to be getting equally offended and worked up that everyone doesn't share their opinion of the finale. Folks have a right to be frustrated on the pacing, or that it didn't live up to the hype in their opinion. But like everything else on OKCtalk, just having a different opinion and your worthy of derision, and if you're not 100% happy with it, you're evidently a "disgruntled fanboy".

And if you have a differing opinion from the disgruntled fanboys you are equally offended and worked up and I'll go ahead and add clueless in there too as I feel it may being implied.... See how that argument works both ways?

My last word on the subject.... If you are that hacked off over the ending. You're missing the bigger picture. There were a lot of interesting things that happened in the finale if you can look beyond the obvious.... I've covered a lot of them in my previous posts but no one has bothered to comment on any of that stuff. So no need for me to rehash any further.

[jerrywall]

And there we are...


There are plenty of reasons not to like this episode, or even much of this season beyond folks "just wanting to know now". There was some lazy decision making, the plotting through the finale was terrible IMO. They packed in as many commercials as they could (can't blame them with the ratings they were expecting, but still). Negan to me, and how he was portrayed, was the one high point. The infinitely running winnebago was the low point. The inconsistency is probably one of the things that make folks the most frustrated. When it's good, it's damn good, but when it's bad...