The Walking Dead (Season 7)

[Dukefrukem]

I went from disappointed. That it was Abraham who died.

To Content. When I realized he had to punish a 2nd person after Daryl's outburst.

To shocked When I saw how they acted out THE event. From the pages of the comics!

To mortified. When I thought they were going to go further by making Rick cut off Carl's arm.

To relieved. When he stopped him in mid-act.

[Henry Gale]

I'm not saying this is you, Duke, but I'm realizing a trend with people who aren't writing full reviews of the episode (which seem particularly harsh) that the crux of their reactions seem to stem more just how moments played out instead of actually digging into whether or not from a storytelling or televisual standpoint doing those things were particularly good or intelligent beyond just being shocking.

Obviously killing major characters is a surprising thing, obviously Greg Nicotero (who also directed the ep) and Howard Berger are going to make the proceedings look as horrific as possible since that's what they do better than anyone, and obviously the cast is going to give their most emotionally charged and physically distraught performances as a result (blood, sweat, tears, and snot!), but does it actually signify anything beyond that surface of its visceral nature? For a show that's unequivocally the highest rated series on all of TV, I'd be stunned if its viewership didn't begin to wane even a little bit after such an anticipated but relentlessly dour and emotionally draining hour. I don't see what possible feeling of hope or catharsis any destination the series can have to make its audience feel like this kind of stuff is worth going through without an end in sight.

I'm speaking in detached terms because I haven't watched the show properly since around the beginning of Season 4, but enough people in my life talk about it and watch it around me that I've kept up with the basics of what's going with the series for me to decide to watch this episode instead of just hearing about it all after the fact. But in watching it with that knowing lack of impact, I'm just not sure what else I got out of it other than being thrown and intrigued by the structure of it, admiring it for still looking so unique for modern TV (does any other show still shoot on 16mm?!), and, even for someone who's hard to gross out, being pushed a little further than normal by the gore -- especially in how it tastelessly felt it reveled in at times. (Note: I'm particularly bad with stuff involving eye mutilation in movies and TV, so that extra cherry on top of everything going on there was what mainly pushed me well out of my comfort zone.)

My biggest takeaway, though, is Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Despite playing a character who in theory should be so easy to hate, Morgan / Negan is easily the most entertaining and interesting person on screen. There's an energy and life to him here that I'm not sure I've seen since Michael Rooker was in series. It almost made me wish the series had followed him all along, and disappointed the fact that he'll likely be gone by the end of the season, as that's how these characters go. It's a narrowly drawn character that he gives so much range to despite what dialogue and actions he's given. And his compelling presence more than anything demonstrates the writers' inability to create dynamic elsewhere other than that requisite shock value.

[Irish]

I'm realizing a trend with people who aren't writing full reviews of the episode (which seem particularly harsh) that the crux of their reactions seem to stem more just how moments played out instead of actually digging into whether or not from a storytelling or televisual standpoint doing those things were particularly good or intelligent beyond just being shocking.

Because those moments are scripted for social media and social media doesn't allow anyone to "dig into" anything.

[Ezee E]

Negan still hasn't died in the comics, right?

[Skitch]

Because those moments are scripted for social media and social media doesn't allow anyone to "dig into" anything.

Also because they haven't written complete episodes since maybe season 3 imo. Episodes end in cliffhanger, mid scene, which is why it still draws audience, I'd guess. Gotta see how that scene ends, then the next ends same way. Its starting to really irritate me. I would've quit a long time ago if I had to wait week to week. Thank god for netflix. Wife and I usually watch opening scene to midway point of an ep, then next time finish that ep and see how the cliffhanger turned out then stop again.

[Dukefrukem]

Negan still hasn't died in the comics, right?

Correct.

[Dukefrukem]

I can see where this is going.

[Dukefrukem]

Anyone else still watching? I was actually surprised at the number of death's this season.

[Peng]

Still watching, and this is their worst first half of any season ever. A combination of too many fractured groups and grotesquely overlong episode runtime (seriously, what happens to their 40-minute format???).

[Dukefrukem]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjC19lswPHo