Warning: there are spoilers for the season 4 finale of Walking Dead, which aired Sunday night, below. There are also mild speculative spoilers for the future direction of the show.
Sunday night’s season four finale of The Walking Dead scored huge in the ratings with 15.7 million viewers, a series high. The show is of course returning this October. As for the plot, it was a bit of a let-down for me. The most memorable scene was in the middle, when Rick, Micchone and Carl reunited with Darryl and killed the entire band of outlaw bandits. That was devastating and hard to watch. When the group reached Terminus and were too willing to set down their guns, I was disappointed. That whole scenario was unlike them, they were careful to sneak up on the compound, but they didn’t spend much time observing and just kind of came in and took everyone at their word. Then they somehow managed to avoid a single gunshot wound among four people despite being fired on for several minutes by automatic rifles. (Yes the group wanted to “spare” them for other purposes and allegedly fired at their feet, but I wasn’t buying it.)
At the end of the episode, Rick and his group were reunited with Maggie, Glenn, Sasha and Bob and their new group. They did so inside a storage container where they were all being held hostage. This begs the question: is this entire next season going to be a repeat of the season two snoozefest on Hershel’s farm? Instead of the farm, is the group going to be stuck at Terminus? Showrunner Robert Kirkman has sort-of said that’s not going to happen, and he’s also promised that we’ll soon know the fate of Carole, Tyrese and kidnapped Beth. Here’s what Kirkman told TVLine:
TVLINE | Are the citizens of Terminus cannibals?
[Laughs] There are a great many number of possibilities for that storyline and who those characters are and what they’re doing, and that is certainly one of them. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility, but I can neither confirm nor deny anything at this time. Who the people of Terminus are and what their deal is will be dealt with fairly quickly when we come back for Season 5.TVLINE | Do you want us to be thinking that Carol and Tyreese could be in the Sloppy Joes that Mary served Rick & Co.?
[Laughs] It’s entirely possible. I’m stopping myself from making very horrible jokes. We’ll just have to see. It’s certainly fine for people to speculate.TVLINE | Why not give us a clue about their fate, especially coming off of last week’s harrowing episode?
Seeing that group in the train car and knowing that all of those people are together and that Rick is very capable and very prepared… We kind of felt like we needed more unknowns to keep people guessing. And leaving the fate of Beth and Carol and Tyreese and Judith completely ambiguous kind of gives us that. We’ll deal with [their whereabouts] fairly quickly when we come back for Season 5. They could be in another train car. They could be in part of the barbecue, as you say. Or, maybe, they found a Denny’s and they’re just having a good time.
There’s much more at TVLine if you’re interested, including the planning behind that awful scene in the middle, and more on the way that Rick’s character developed into the man we saw on the finale. Rick will do whatever it takes to protect his son, and we saw that in a dramatic way.
I’m just relieved that Terminus “will be dealt with fairly quickly,” and I hope that means our band of good guys will blaze the place up and get the hell out of there. I’m convinced that the Terminus people are cannibals, that seemed fairly obvious. There was a roaming band of cannibals in the comic series, but I barely remember them. If it takes more than three episodes for Rick and co to escape Terminus, I will be pissed. You know that I’ll keep watching though.
Honestly TWD is having a Terminal case of Pussying out in their source material, The Comics are still raw unnerving awesome, full of CAPABLE non hysterical chicks doing for themselves and Carl is not a baby asshole psycho and they still kill whomever character theyve got to kill, the show is a wealth of special effects but flat out cheapening in plot, locales and the character development itself, If they wanna save costs cut out 3 episodes out of the season and MAKE Stuff happen! But that last episode? Really we advanced absolutely nothing and half the episode was wasted on an unnecessary flashback
I concur with everything you said QQ!
Well said QQ. I’ve been hate-watching TWD for the second half of this season and I was relieved it was over after watching that mess. Thank you for pointing out the flashbacks – SO UNNECESSARY. Carl is SUCH a baby. So over it – they better win me back with next season or I’m done.
Me and my friends have discussed this, Invain! That if it doesn’t shape up by next season we are off, like this season True Detective was SO well made and satisfying that basically it took my first priority watching, And after any of those eps. Coming back to TWD and their botched situations was torturous
So I guess that means I need to read the comics/graphic novels then? I’ve never read that sort of media before but perhaps it’s time to start.
That and Y, the Last Man, watchmen and Kingdom Come are some of the best most creative things evvvver!
And Deadpool. You must read all the Deadpool. He’s a great character that Ryan Reynold’s shit-tastic characterization of simply ruined him in the Marvel movie-dom.
Because who doesn’t love a lunatic in a red and black bodysuit wielding two katana like a boss?
They are just stellar! You will love them.
Would any of these graphic novels be good for a 10 year old boy? My son really wants to watch Walking Dead and I’ve said no. But maybe he could read it… or some of those others?
thanks
But I don’t want all of the characters I’m invested in die just for the sake of killing someone.
Also people should remember that the TV show and comics are two different mediums, I don’t think the TV show set out to completely copy everything in the comics. They put some stuff in and leave some stuff out and take other things and twist it around. I think that’s awesome. keeps everyone guessing.
I agree. I’m not yet recovered for Hershel, and was not prepared for another major character death. They’ve shown they’re willing to kill major characters.
As a comic reader it took me a while to let go of my expectations for the TV show. The one thing I do agree on with Q Q is the way the women were made weaker and Carl as well. In the comic, Carl is pretty bad ass. Give the kid a break in this last episode, he was almost raped!!!
So once I let go of my comic world I am usually okay. With the exception of a few episodes (2) I found most of them really good. As far as the flashbacks in the season finale. I see them as completely appropriate. You see in the present how Rick is quite vicious. The cannibals if they stick with the book somewhat will get theirs…
The flashbacks were to show how much Hershel fought to keep Rick sane. Remember when his wife died he went off the deep end and Carl was killing people who were willing to surrender. This greatly disturbed Hershel. By helping Rick become a farmer, he kept him from the everyday grind of offing walkers and possibly humans. He also got some much needed one on one time with his son.
But as the present events unfold one has to wonder if Hershel’s efforts were to no avail. Or is this a temporary thing and once the present danger is over Rick will be okay. If they keep to the comic those of us who read it know the answer.
As far as not a single shot hitting them, even Michone commented, “They aren’t trying to hurt us”. Are the candles in that room for their lost friends or for those that are their victims? Is this some kind of cult angle. Candle room is creepy. Nothing like that has existed in the books.
CB! They weren’t shooting at them to kill- they were being herded into the area they wanted.
Exactly. There is a word for what they were doing (military word) that my husband used, but I can’t remember it. They want to keep them alive and. . . fresh lol.
But why wasting that much ammo? Not very smart.
I don’t understand why they had to make these huge episodes about just one group. Why not mix it up and cut from group to group? That would have been much more interesting.
Besides I totally hate it when people in series or especially horror films do what you never would do if you were in your right mind. Seriously, after all they been through at the farm and the prison, Maggie and Co just walk into Terminus like that? Dumb, dumb, dumb! Rick and his group at least tried to spy on them, but instead just walked around in the woods talking. That’s so stupidly written! Why not let them spy it out for days or better just send one person to Terminus and if it’s fine, the person can come back and get the others. Same goes for the fight when they left the prison – they knew the Govenor or someone like him could get at them, why didn’t they had an emergency plan and place where they would meet each other? Nope, not them. Seems like they learned nothing so far.
Also why didn’t they even hug when they finally met again? They were like they just said goodbye to go to the supermarket.
It was said by the front runner that they didn’t cut from group to group to keep the audience feeling the same as all the characters, basically in pain from being torn from one another. And I think it worked. All I’ve heard/read is how upset everyone (member of the audience) is not knowing what is going on in different groups. It made the reunion that much sweeter.
Totally agree with you, Liv! One of my biggest questions is why Maggie isn’t asking ANYONE where Beth is? You’d think she’d be asking if her sister were somewhere safe, since she wasn’t with the group.
One theory is that Beth was the meal. Another is that Beth was taken by Morgan. I haven’t read the comics, but want to, due to the people who read them being so knowledgeable about what’s happening. lol
Your so full of $hit! You don’t like it don’t watch so sorry they didn’t consult you
Agree QQ. The second half of season four was excruciating with all the one-on-one soul-searching blah blah blah that went on. Every single event, bar the finale, was ridiculously predictable like the lesbian chick spraining her ankle. OH no, lesbian chick gets her leg stuck in the tunnel. “Leave me, save yourself” she says to Glenn. No, of course, he WON’T leave her. Yecchhhh! The writing for this series is atrocious. The one thing they really excel at, though, is gratuitous disgustingness, like the zombie in the finale episode that scrapes his face against the barbed wire. Just a little creative touch.
Are we all agreed that we can chat freely about it in this treat as it has “SPOILER” in the title?
It wasn’t bad as a finale as some are saying for the most part (although those flashbacks were utterly pointless, we’d established 10 times over that Farmer Rick was a waste of time, and I thought they dealt with his killing the idea of FR when he killed the piglets (RIP piggies)) , it just seems worse because we had a lot of crap to get to here with a few exceptions. They dragged out entire episodes in the name of character development, *cough Daryl/Beth* when they could have dealt with them in half the time. It took 8 episodes to walk a day or two to Terminus.
And wtf is with no Carol, Tyreese and even a hint of where Beth is!? That kind of sucked. Kirkman is a knob who loves to troll and give misdirection, so I don’t hold any weight with anything he says.
(I did love the quick flash of the skeletons as they were being herded towards the train car)
Maybe it’s because I watch talking dead after and it explains the scenes better, or maybe ot’s because I enjoy the character development, but I enjoyed those rick free episodes. Especially seeing Hershel again and the other characters that were there for a moment like the boy who started the flu outbreak.
The skeletons! yuck.
PLUS they made a point of talking about the watch in the flashback, which would be brought up in the current time frame.
I think that’s a major problem I have, the producers/writers etc. take an awful lot for granted. I live outside the US so can’t watch Talking Dead. You shouldnt *need* to watch it to get the scenes better. They’re not doing something right in that’s the case (and I’m not one of these need to have everything explained to me people, honest!)
In interviews they tend to say stuff like “*character name* is feeling this, or thinking that”
…Well you kind of need to express that in the show, not rely on people watching the after show or reading interviews with the cast and crew.
The watch wasn’t even 100% needed. Rick also recognised the poncho, rucksack and riot gear from Glen. It didn’t need 5-6 flashbacks all basically saying what the first half of the season said.
(I did get sad seeing Hershel again though 🙁 )
Lindy79
You don’t need to watch talking dead to get the jist, but things don’t always translate well in lots of shows. Like when the bodies were hung at the country club. Common thought was it was a joint suicide. In talking dead it was revealed the staff turned on the members an hung them.
With Carol it’s nice to have that inside info. Carol is a complex character and any insight goes a long ways imo. Especially when she put down Lizzie. She touched on parts I missed in the episode.
And ponchos and riot gear is pretty generic, but that watch held sentimental meaning. It was 1 of a kind.
The flashbacks were new scenes. At a different time, but new to the viewers.
Talking dead offers an inside look and it’s enjoyable. There’s just too much going on with the characters, scenes, and overall chaos to know it all in detail.
It’s not needed, but it’s welcome imo.
I think my point is that, yes all shows have an element of that, but I think, and this is just my opinion, that the writers etc. of WD all rely on it and almost use it as an extension of the show, which it is to a point but when not everyone has access to it, it doesn’t always work.
Little bits like the country club, don’t bother me as it’s open to the viewer as to what happened but when they start talking about a characters psyche, or the reason they do/say something it can mean viewers like me, can miss out and not have that insight.
It just feels a little like they think “oh we’ll explain that on TD” sometimes.
Lindy79, sometimes they talk about scenes edited out on The Talking Dead. They always over film and then edit down. Some of the actors give opinions about their characters which aren’t necessarily facts, but help get an understanding. For instance, Melissa McBride said Carol gave Tyreese the gun when confessing about killing David/Karen because she was letting him make the call of whether she should be killed. The actress also smiled and added – but if he reached for it, I can’t promise she wouldn’t have gone over the table.
I totally agree. So frustrating.
@Lindy
I completely agree with your assessment of this season (including the Daryl/Beth snooze fest).
This is my opinion on the flashbacks. I think the fans were given a little gift in seeing Hershel again – I know I appreciated it. Also, since they were not reuniting Rick, Carl, and Judith, I appreciated seeing the three together in flashback. I think that was purposeful of the writers.
Beth can stay gone forever unless she returns to glorified extra status. She has almost ruined the character of Daryl for me. Thank God he resumed his awesomeness the moment he reconnected with Rick.
Agree on all counts. Was glad to see Hershel again and get some continuity with what had gone before.
I really liked the episodes where everyone was split up and we focused on different groups, but I need the show to stop trying to make me care about Beth. I don’t care about Beth and I definitely don’t want to care about some cliched storyline with ingenue Beth and bad boy Daryl. Spare me, Walking Dead, you should be better than that.
Then again, I haven’t read the comics, so I have no idea if that happens in them. I kind of hope Beth is just dead, or gone and we don’t know where/how. I tune in for Michonne, Carol, and Daryl.
ITA. Beth is about as dull as Andrea. I was actually glad when she finally died. Not the effect that the producers wanted, I’m sure. tomandlorenzo.com do GREAT screen caps and reviews too, btw.
I don’t usually watch this show. Fiance MADE me watch the last few episodes with him. I got so upset with the attempted rape scene that our puppy climbed up me, trying to settle me down.
” When the group reached Terminus and were too willing to set down their guns, I was disappointed. That whole scenario was unlike them, they were careful to sneak up on the compound, but they didn’t spend much time observing and just kind of came in and took everyone at their word. Then they somehow managed to avoid a single gunshot wound among four people despite being fired on for several minutes by automatic rifles.”
See, I can’t see how you came to this conclusion. They had kept hearing this was a safe place (though I already have my suspicions) and knew that these people wouldn’t take kindly to them coming in guns a blazing. They’d be vastly outnumbered, and they were hoping for a place to rest. They hid some weapons before going in, which is just like them. It was freaking obvious right from the start that they were herding them from the roof tops – not a single bullet was close. They were treating them like animals, and then enclosing them.
The gunshots, like you said, were definitely herding. The whole setup of the entrance to Terminus, the pathway to the shipping containers and rail cars, the gunshots…it ties in to the foreshadowing we had, where Rick explains to Carl how to trap rabbits.
Oh now I feel stupid I missed like a minute or something when Rick et al got attacked – I thought the fat guy was just going to kill Carl? Is that not right? Damned interrupting people!
You can’t see it but you can hear the guy undoing his buckle. There’s a rape scene in the comics. I haven’t read the comics but I read the TWD sub on Reddit where that scene has been talked about. Honestly, if I hadn’t seen everyone talking about it, I don’t know if that metal clinking sound would have registered to me as undoing a belt buckle. The whole scene was so scary! I will say that!
I agree about the way they all gave up the weapons when they came in.
Rick did the same thing in the first episode of the season with the woman in the woods. He took her knife away, patted her down and then gave her the knife back. It would have been the same thing that was done when new people were brought into to prison, I’m sure. I think it would be an issue if you have people that refused show their weapons.
I like that they differ from the comics. I’ve read them all and have little hints, but I like to be surprised. I think terminus story line is going to be fun. Much rather them in a location. I was tired of the wandering.
These people are clearly cannibals. There was a pile of bones on the ground as they were running and people yelling for help from one of the train cars. It was so obvious that the Terminus people were shooting at their feet, trying to guide them somewhere.
I thought atleast 1 bullet would ricochet!
1 of these terminus folks better not be named Egen.
Well, we’ve all the experience they’ve had herding human beings, i’m sure they know where to shoot so that the bullets won’t hit their victims. I always get so sad when someone takes away Michonne’s sword from her. And my boy Hershel :'(
That’s what I thought too about the bullets. I don’t know much about guns, but with all those automatic weapons firing at them I assumed that someone would get hit.
Yes! I knew what they were doing but they should have been hit with a ricochet.
Also, how much ammo do they have that they can shoot that much for the sole purpose of herding!? I get that they don’t use it to kill folks (eww) but the noise would surely attract walkers and the Terminus folks seemed to take a leaf out of the Prisons book of “how not to secure a building against walkers” with their piddly little unlocked fence.
@lindy79 The walkers bit is so true. Maybe that’s how Rick & Gang will escape?! Thanks to walkers storming Terminus?!
Lindy79
It’s getting interesting! We saw a good size heard of walkers follow Rick, carl and michonne to the tracks. Their simple instincts encouraged them to walk paths in heard form like streets and (railroad) tracks.
Although, there were lots and lots of Terminus folks that popped up out of nowhere. And they were so wasteful with bullets. The bullet supply goes into the box of issues I have with this episode. Unlimited candle supply in huge gymnasium is also in that box.
These Terminus folks seem just awful so it’s likely a herd of walkers will move in swiftly. That’s a great way to deal with Terminus quickly and keep the storyline moving.
Celebitchy
I’ve fired my share of semi automatic weapons and with controlled bursts and a firm grip you can shoot accurately. With how close the bullet impact points were at the groups feet seemed like a pure miracle or these guys are all highly skilled snipers.
I don’t know, they’ve said they’ve been there since the beginning. Surely they’ve dealt with plenty of walkers coming to the camp many times. I’m not sure why this one particular group of walkers would be expected to be their downfall.
I didn’t find the herding bit so unrealistic . I mean, if someone had died because they were hit by a stray bullet, that would be disappointing.
What I thought was unrealistic was that Daryl was able to do anything. He had been beaten for several minutes by two men trying to kill him. He should have had much more serious injuries than a black eye. But I let that go, because it is a tv show.
Claire
With Rick and the others creating a huge battle within the walls they might be less likely to watch and guard outside the walls. Or Tyrese and Carol manage to take down their walls? Walkers in huge numbers could take any fortress down in time. And Terminus doesn’t seem terribly secure.
@FLORC: good point about being distracted and not guarding perimeters. And no, it didn’t seem secure – I mean, when Glenn, Maggie, et al, showed up, all the gates were unlocked. They just walked right in!
I’m glad you mentioned bullets. MY husband is getting really sick of me always saying “Don’t worry guys, just keep on shooting mindlessly. After all, bullets apparently grow on trees”. Do these people have ENDLESS supplies of ammo? Why are they always blasting away at Walkers when it’s so damn easy to kill them with a baseball bat or a golf club. Nobody ever seems to worry about wasting bullets. Sorry for the rant but this drives me crazy!!!
Spoilers were calling them cannibals for a while. I’ve been reading them to prepare myself. The finale wasn’t nearly as bad as predicted. Many spoilers called for a major character’s (probably Glenn) head to be found by Rick’s group.
@ FLORC Agree about wasting the bullets but as for the candles – cannibals/cult nutjobs, could easily have an unlimited supply since human fat can be easily transformed into candle. I’ve read about black magic worship groups from the 17th-19th century who believed that candles made from humans contain the life energy. I know how gross it sounds but it would be consistent with things Terminus members were saying.
I think the people of Terminus have plenty of bullets to waste. They have been around since the beginning leading people to their trap. I’m sure they’ve gained a ton of guns and ammo. As for there not being a bunch of zombies around, I heard a theory that they also eat the walkers when there are no humans to eat.
Ewww that sounds gross!
But they get infected then, don’t they?
Im hoping the writers touch on human candles. that would be kind of cool
ScrewStewrat99
Love the theories! Although if you’re swapping spit or blood with the infected you too will be killed by the infection. We don’t know the nitty gritty of the science in the walker virus, but I doubt well cooked meat is a-ok. Interesting though. I’ve learned enough that the novels and show are seperate so we can’t draw any hints from there.
And bullets are a rarity. Homemade weapons are more common. And unless you’re swimming in bullets like Scrooge McDuck in coins it’s not wise to waste them. I think they had to on the group because they could have escaped and told others Terminus was awful.
Norman Bates’ Mother!
I forgot about that! Although I watched that scene again. Lots of the candles had colors. Less likely for me to buy they’re getting fancy with their candle making.
Still, crazy cults are not to be under estimated.
I thought about infection, but everyone is already infected which is why they turn when they die. I don’t know if the meat would be like poison though. Maybe it’s ok to eat once cooked? I don’t know. Just some theory I read online somewhere.
I started watching this show last Jan when I had to sit at home with my foot elevated for 3 weeks on the suggestion of a friend it’s fantastic/great. Well the first 2 were ok I just don’t love it I have watched on/off this season but probably missed 4-5 episodes. Last night for the UK was a disappontment and Rick is probably happy he didn’t have the food that was offered 🙂 Carol and the scene with the girl was great and unexpected, I think the writers have lost the plot they need to get back on track but what I don’t like most is the splat noise of all the zombies…
i like watching it but if you think some stuff through it will make it less pleasant. they should have had a place where to meet in case the prison gets attacked (by zombies or people) and then have met there and not be all those little groups. i like the focus on characters we havent seen much in the last seasons but still it seemed dumb.
this place seemed to good to be true so why go there in like that?
so i’ll keep watching but analyzing this show unfortunately takes away quite some fun of it.
Oh yeah o Took issue with that: The Prison wasnt even mAde halfway as safe and comfy as it was in the comics, as such HOW IN THE HELL Siblings and spouses (to say nothing of the whole joint) had NO Plan B?! No meet up place? What?
And also Theyve all become avid trackers and reasonably good shots etc No One heard their fellow people BEING ALL OF 5 MINUTES AWAY?!?
+1 to all of this.
That and Daryl basically losing all his tracking abilities and common sense. They weren’t *that* scattered! He should have found themin about an hour once he’d stopped sulking!
Was anyone else snorting at Maggie not mentioning Beth once? I could buy that she was hoping she was with Glen (as they were both meant to be on the bus) but when she met him…still nothing about her only living family member.
Norman Reedus covered this in talking dead when a viewer asked the question. He said roughly the council had a plan b. It was the bus. There was no plan c though. And when hell breaks loose like that plans are hard to stick by.
The Terminus signs everywhere was to show they were all emerging on the same path.
And Maggie not mentioning Beth was addressed. Maggie needed Glenn first. Then she’d be strong enough to find her sister.
I agree though it should have been mentioned. This is just another exammple of needing to fit too much info into the episodes without feeling like you’re drowning in details. As opposed to getting lost in the characters.
I thought the bus might have been the plan B alright.
You can’t really plan for someone attacking you with a tank to be fair to them.
The Maggie thing could have been easily done in two seconds as they approached Terminus, just a “maybe Beth is here?” to Glen would have done.
I’m being picky I know, it just bugged me, as someone who is close to her sister, haha.
FLORC, I agree with you. If they had cut that Beth/Daryl BS down by 90%, they would have time to do a lot more. I’ve had enough of damaged Daryl regressing to a five year old every time he’s traumatized again. We’ve been there and done it over and over again. And Pollyanna can go find another baby to watch and disappear into glorified extra again.
Also, TWD does what many other shows do unfortunately. They sacrifice the integrity of their characters for lazy storyline. They completely destroyed Andrea. There are quick and simple ways to show the group had specific emergency plans but fell apart (ex. rendezvous point over run by walkers).
True Lindy and Mayamae
A lot could have been avoided, but as long as they’re giving depth to a character and not wandering around looking for Sophia i’m happy. Counting my blessings they’re off the farm! And Andreas character was butchered on the show. Such a waste.
OT, but Mayamae. Your name gives me temporary dislexia. I see the order of the letters, but always type it wrong again and again!
FLORC, I type it wrong sometimes myself!
What I thought! They even had a place to meet up at the farm, why not at the prison when you basically know the governor is coming at you? So stupid. I know the writers wanted to focus on smaller groups, but then write better stuff, dammit!
I have only watched the first several episodes of TWD and have been meaning to watch more of this show. My interest in TWD franchise started with the Telltale video game. I absolutely love the main characters in the video game (Lee, Clementine, Kenny) and the new characters being introduced in season 2. Many reviewers have said that the game is better than the television show, so if you are a fan of TWD show, I highly recommend playing the video game as well.
The game was too hard for me to take, I got through about 3 chapters and had to put it down, it scared me more than the show because it was interactive. I know it’s cartoony but it creeped me out too much.
The game made me suppppeer anxious and i stopped playing pretty much right away cause im not a gamer so i got killed right away so then I made the bf play it and I was still just screaming KILLITKILLITKILLITTTT
Big video game fan here, but that game was too much. Dead Island too. Took forever for me to leave the 1st closet in the hallway. I was too scared! Aliens, monsters, animals, and other humans though. Totally fine.
My best friend made my husband and I play that game for her – she absolutely loved it, but was too scared to actually play! Worked out well for us, cause we loved it too (and I play more xbox than her, so I’m pretty used to all the creepy stuff)… Anyways, that game series is phenomenal. I have only cried during two games before – Mass Effect, and now Walking Dead. Sooo good!
The game was BRILLIANT. Made me cry so much.
Haha QQ that sounds like me whenever my husband plays a violent game. “Kill it! Shoot it! Kick it while it’s on the ground for good measure! Aaaaaah!!!! “
I loved the game, I think it’s much better than the show. And that’s why I’m here…is Season 4 of Walking Dead any good? I watched the first season and I loved it. The second season started off strong-ish but then became a bit of a drag. I thought the first half of the third season was outstanding but then it took a break for the mid-season finale and was a drag again. I watched the Season 4 premiere with my cousin and his girlfriend and enjoyed it but the show’s too inconsistent for me.
My problem is, I don’t care about the characters. Daryl and Carol were the only likeable characters…everyone else either annoyed me because of stupid story developments and frustrating character moments or because the characters are poorly drawn and developed (hello Beth and whatever black character you’ve created before getting rid off a few episodes later). Maybe the show has fixed these problems this season but for the first three seasons, the characters constantly frustrated me or I just didn’t care for them There’s been odd moments where I’ve cared. Lori’s death episode was effective but I’m mostly meh on the characters and only get excited by the zombie action sequences. The game’s characters were way better developed in my opinion.
If you like the game but can’t play it, there are some good players who record their games for youtube. If you find the right ones, it’s like watching a movie. (Some do too much commentary, but some just let the story flow.)
Probably an unpopular opinion but I love this show! I was on the edge of my seat the whole episode. I do confess to running out of the room during Carl’s attack.
I agree Lucky, I love this show and I relish it. Maybe because I never read the comics, I’m going in with no expectations and I have a great time watching it. Every episode manages to scare me, and my husband and I end up yelling and laughing and screaming “that’s right, bitches!” at the zombies. I’m a little rankled that people are so hard on this show!
I love it too! It’s amazing to me how much people love to gripe and complain about every little detail (same with Game of Thrones, Mad Men, True Detective, etc). There are so many awful/mediocre shows on television that it makes me appreciate how hard it must be to make a good one. I thought this entire season was great, and while I was a little impatient while watching second part of season 4 (like, just get to Terminus already), in retrospect I appreciate the time they took to invest in character development
A Walking Dead Thread! I love it!
(Spoilers)
There’s only so much of novel story liine so far. I think the Farm of season 2 was dragged out for both the writers dispute and the slowing down of plots to stay as true as possible to the graphic novels without it getting predictable.
How Terminus has that huge rooom with a million candels going was a bridge too far for me. Where are they getting these candles?
Egen is a scary character. If Terminus is dealt with quickly and Egen is there i’ll be so frustrated. It’s about the same if they glossed over the govenor. And DC or another DC set up needs to happen. It could easily stretch for 2 seasons.
And is Eugene trying to be made into just a D&D/RPG fan instead of a science teacher? I feel like that’s where this is going.
Florc- do you mean Negan? I don’t think they would skip that far ahead to a present character in the comics. Kirkman loves to drag out his story arcs. I’m leaning towards cannibals and they are out of Terminus in 3 episodes, start actively following the Eugene plot or the Beth tangent, then that’s shattered and it’ll be time for another community/rest/hope end of next season.
Sorry! Ugh I wrote that name wrong throughout this thread. And Yes.
If they make it to the colonies by the end of next season i’ll be impressed.
And I hope it’s 3 episodes or less. There isn’t much else you can do with Terminus. It’s not Woodbury. It’s cut and dry.
Negan and Lucille…I’m sure they will show up eventually! And I kind of miss The Governor.
Janeite, please don’t tell me you miss the Governor! They dragged him around forever! 😉
Funny joke from someone on Talking dead…
Someone wrote in and said roughtly… I get why the Govenor changed his name from Philip to Brian. Philip has 2 “i”s and Brian only has 1! I laughed,
@Liv,
Sorry! I thought he made a compelling villain! 🙂 They humanized him quite a bit from the character in the comics; wonder if they will try to do the same with Negan whenever he comes into the show.
@FLORC,
LOL, that is hilarious!
If you wonder where they got those candles, you should google making candles. Fits right in with the rest of the story.
OMG! I thought the rucksack looked like it was made of skin, but the candles? Ugh, so freaky!
Ok CB, I’ve always loved this website but now I know you love TWD I am completely sold. I disagree with you about the finale- I was panicking I was so scared and thought it was awesome. But I do agree about needing Terminus wrapped up quickly.
You know I’m kind of surprised it took them so long to do a scene like that, because the comics are soooo dark. But I’m glad they did, I think it showed why they were so willing to put down their weapons at Terminus, they were desperate for food and shelter.
I will wish they’d cut down the episode order. While I think there were good scenes in every
episode, there was also way too much filler.
So I guess I’m the only one who loved the finale?
Oh yeah and get in me Rick. Put it all in me. Thank you.
From what I’d seen (which is scattered episodes) I didn’t like Rick much until this finale. Absolutely freaking brutal in the name of protecting his son. Terrifying but hot.
I wasn’t a huge fan of it either. It’s moving along and that’s nice. The gang is partially back together.
There’s a bag of weapons in the woods and there are still members out there.
And now Rick is back. No more passive Farmer. Full on survivalist fearless leader!
Yea!
I liked the finale – especially the first half. I think people are forgetting that typically the mid-season finales are great, but the finales can be anti-climactic. First season ended after CDC explosion and all was well (but a major secret we didn’t find out until the end of the next season). Second season ended with the farm falling and all major characters alive. Third season ended with the failed attack on the prison, and all the major characters alive. This finale actually had a cliff-hanger – we don’t know about our gang’s safety, and we were told nothing about the other four characters’ safety. Therefore, much more exciting than the usual, in my opinion.
I loved it too. Crazy, intense scenes mixed with the flashbacks to renew the sense of community. Rick finally letting go of his apprehension about being brutal and becoming the kind of leader this world needs for survival. I even liked that they ended on a cliffhanger. This show doesn’t really do that, and it’s going to make me that much more anxious for the next season.
I didn’t start watching this show until the middle of this past season. I’m almost done with watching season 3 now and I’ve watched the past few episodes. My husband started watching it years ago and I was never into it because it just seemed cheap, like horrible things happening to people for no real reason. But this past season caught my eye because it became more than that, there was a history and a story to all of these people. They focused more on making interesting and nondirect statements via the storyline. I was hooked. So I do see why some people found this season a bore since the show was a lot different in previous seasons… but I dont think I would keep watching if it werent for the effor they put into the script this season. Otherwise it would have been nothing but a couple seasons of people running and getting eaten. Call me crazy but I dont care about people if that’s all that’s going to happen to them. I needed more and I think this season really delivered.
I think this show walks the fine line of appealing to those who simply want to see constant zombies eating people, and those who want the character development. Starting in season 2, the show has consistently shown that it’s not the zombies you must fear, it’s your fellow human beings. It’s really a story about how people deal in a post-apocalyptic environment. What people do when there’s no law and order, and social structure falls apart. It makes a monster out of some, and some people on the fringe before the disaster (Daryl), actually become better. I still love it.
I watch the Walking Dead and enjoy it enough to continue watching each season, but I must say that the writing on the show has always been very inconsistent. You can tell in the first two seasons that the writers were going in a different direction then the writing in the 3rd & 4th seasons. I also feel like there has always been a major case of writers block throughout, which is why there is a whole lot of nothing that happens throughout and lack of character development. I’ve noticed a lot of plot holes too when I go back and watch older episodes, story lines that never have a place or never tie up in the end. This finale just kind of solidified all the issues I have with the writing in this show, not to mention when Rick has that closing line at the very end, it was so cheesy!
I like the Walking Dead, but it aint no GOT or Breaking Bad.
The last line was quite funny in context. You’ve no weapons, are out gunned and out numbered and locked in a train carriage but ok Rick, you show ’em!! Use your words!
Maybe he’s going to go full on Macguyver and build a pipe bomb out of Carls hat, his beard fluff, and some of those powdered milk cartons outside the carriage.
I don’t need constant zombie kills or gore, I like that it’s got the character development and it’s needed in order to make us care about them. I just felt that a) they dragged much of it out and b) they seemed to write characters as if they had done emotional 180’s all over the place. The writers also promise/tease a lot in interviews and never deliver.
That closing line really was cheeeeeeeese but i like the whole feel of this season. Not just blood and guts but actual people doing the best they can to survive in a lawless world. I don’t know how i’d do it!
Also can we talk about how stupid it was that Joe was all high about his “code of conduct” but had a freaking pedophile in his gang? Like, i know they’re bandits but come on. Even hardcore prisoners hate pedophiles!
The Grove would have to have been my favourite episode, that and Internment.
I agree about Joe, he even hinted they would all have a part in an assault on both Michonne and Carl, can’t remember the exact line but it was heavily implied.
EDIT: I really hope he does go at them like an animal. I wonder do the buried guns factor in at some point.
Part of me is hoping Carol and Tyreese were near enough to hear the gunshots and see what happened from a distance.
Lindy – I had to explain to the fiance that they were about to rape Michonne and Carl because he would prefer not to think it. “We’ll beat Daryl to death, have the girl, then the kid, and kill you” very much implied given there was grown man crawling all over the sobbing kid. That scene had me so freaking worked up. Well done, but more emotion than I can handle.
And the last line (as I said above, I’m not an avid water) was cheesy, but at the same time kind of moving in a way. Rick’s in full on berserk mode. He’s going to take down anyone threatening his family and pseudo family, even if it’s going to go down like a caged animal I guess.
I thought Rick was going to pull out a grenade or something out of his boot when he said that line, but nooooooo. I mean I get it, their tough and their family, but after everything they’ve been through, that’s the closing scene for a finale? Did they learn nothing from the Governor, that living people are actually more of a threat at this point than a zombie?
I agree that it was a pretty cheesy line. But I get the point of it; to let everyone know that Rick is back, confident as ever and make everyone in the train car know that they were going to fight til the end.
@Lindy: It’s funny how GOT has become the gold standard. As my husband and I were watching the second half of season 4 of TWD, after each episode he insisted we rewatch some GOT in preparation for its new season and also so that we can remember what good TV is.
Oh good, a TWD post. I need to vent.
I keep watching ’cause I care and want to see it through, but they are all over the place and way too often getting lost in their own material.
They have an established world, a beloved group of characters, by now it should be smooth sailing. Instead, in their 4th season, their new writers waste half a season rehashing season 3 material (the repetitive, useless and dumb Governor episodes, they should have figured out by now that character didn’t translate as well as they hoped it would and left it alone).
Then they keep “developing” characters we don’t care about and “overdeveloping” the ones we know too well by now. But they seem to think the point needs to be spelled out in 10 different ways and are jerking themselves off with metaphors and symbolism.
The prison storyline could’ve been wrapped up in 5 episodes, 3 episodes on the road, and an entire second half in Terminus. That would’ve been a well rounded season that would give the viewers their money’s worth. Instead it’s amateur troll hour over at AMC.
Also, for a Daryl love interest at least cast an actress who can act so we don’t cringe through the whole thing. The girl playing Beth, while I’m sure she’s lovely, is just terrible.
Ernie You and I are having a “Come To Jesus, Writers” Council I too loved the show, the graphic novel and I too cringe at how Poorly they are developing some stuff namely ANY women (effectively making it a hatewatch) Carl? is almost like Why would Rick want to save this awful disrespectful unable to follow any commands brat when in the book all you want is for Rick and Carl to come through and he is rather an awesome kid Just a Kid
Let’s Not even Talk About that Beth Thing … After that I need to drink bullshit episode I sincerely hope she was that BBQ they were offering at Terminus TBH
also This thing where they are trying to Force together people with no chemistry and trying to make em all coupley out of nowhere is also pissing me off (i.e with Maggie and Glenn it was instant chemistry and we saw it coming! This Sasha and The Drunk Bob, Daryl and princess Sing Song over there?! What? NO!)
Yeah, it says a lot when the only time I ever felt any sympathy for the kid was when he was about to get raped. There were plenty of times before when I was rooting for him to be killed or bitten.
Also, seems like they were very proud of their little odd group pairings. They were totally forcing it.
YESSS! Ernie That was THE Only Time Ive sympathy cringed for Carl and that is saying something Indeed!, like he is THAT terrible
We’re on the same page here. THANK YOU – I’ve talked to people about all of this and no one seems to agree. Carl sucks. Period. Ernie and QQ you are both spot on – that’s the only time I had any sympathy for that bratty tween. And SEVERAL of these actresses are a JOKE including the woman (yes she’s 28) who plays Beth and the other AWFUL one that plays Tara – is it just me or she vomtastic too? I just can’t get on board with some of the forced relationships either Ernie…very uncomfortable. Some of it frustrates me to the point of screaming because I know how good the show was/should be/can be.
QQ, I agree with you about the women – until season 3. Season 2 had the WORST female characterization. We had Carol wringing her hands while others searched for her missing daughter. Lori couldn’t keep watch over her own kid, and argued with Andrea about doing her fair share of “women’s work”. Andrea hated women’s work and wanted to do some men’s work, and the men patted her on the head to patronize her. Dale took away Andrea’s gun like she was a child who couldn’t make her own decisions. Maggie was cool – introduced by riding in on a horse and taking out a walker with a baseball bat, but quickly devolved into a crush on Glenn and conspiring to hide walkers in the barn.
I’m so much happier now. We have warrior women – Michonne and Maggie. Women who are very strong and sensible – Sasha and Carol. Even Beth (whom I only tolerate in the glorified extra role), took charge when Daryl was sitting around having another traumatized regression.
Carl. I’ve had my problems with Carl. His acting has grown this last season. I think this show IS Rick and by extension, Carl. Many predict the show will end with Rick’s death and Carl taking the torch. I was very unhappy with Carl’s little trip down psychopathy, which is how last season ended. I think Rick worked very hard at reining in Carl (taking his gun, focusing on the nurturing of farming, treating Carl like a child instead of a man, building their father/son bond) and this season he has shown great compassion and better decision making. And he completely won me over when he thought Rick had turned and was unable to kill him to save his own life. That scene when he just turns his head aside while tears were falling – waiting for zombie Rick to kill him was great. Also, that same episode Carl realized that he’s not a man, just a boy still. He was humbled and he needed it. He’s also slipped a little back into child mode by allowing Michonne to hold and comfort him – which he still needs.
Does everyone really think that Beth was taken by the Terminus people? I’ve read this theory all over the place and it doesn’t make much sense to me.
The house was obviously a trap. Why would the “termites” go to the trouble of setting up a trap outside of the Terminus location to catch one small person? Why not grab both, or just Daryl because he is bigger? They already have 3 train cars full of people waiting to be BBQ’d, it just seems like a lot to work and waste of resources for such a small payout.
Yup! I kept hoping Beth would get eaten. Then I was really hoping those two annoying sisters would get it. Thankfully they are out and I must admit I was pretty impressed that Carole was able to waste the crazy girl. After their demise, and when walkers were attacking, my husband and I kept shouting “throw them the baby!).
Daryl and Beth aren’t love interests during that. They’re friends. Lots of people thought it was going that way, but because they were continually venting it was a friendship bond.
Uh.. I’m pretty sure they were implying some kind of romantic crush happening there.
FLORC, oh how I wish you’re right. But I think they were taking the show in a Daryl/Beth direction. Frankly, it temporarily killed the character of Daryl for me and I was hoping he’d be on the top of the kill list. Norman Reedus has always played coy about his character hooking up with Carol, but he pushed the Beth idea much harder.
I actually feel for NR in this situation. Emily Kinney (Beth) was a non-entity on this show and had nothing to lose. NR was a fan favorite, if not THE fan favorite, and it stirred up enough controversy that he briefly threatened to quit social media. When they showed the pre-season trailer, it had a scene where Beth is very close to Daryl and gazing up into his eyes. I believe that was a test of the audience, and no one complained, so it was full guns ahead to appeal to the young fan girls who scream in lust about Daryl.
Even if the relationship was platonic, the Beth/Daryl centric episodes were a big fail in my eyes. Beth deciding that she should go find alcohol in the wake of her alcoholic father’s murder was so lame. And then Beth and grown man Daryl stopping to hang out, drink alcohol, and play I Never – OMG I hated it. And then to end this whole plot by having Daryl saved by Pollyanna Beth, sealing their bond by burning down a perfectly good cabin while simultaneously flipping off the fire ………… bad beyond words. And by the way, it was probably that fire that drove off the walkers – straight to Carol, Tyreese, and girls. I marathoned the season prior to the finale and skipped these two episodes – I couldn’t go through the torture again. I even re-watched the governor-centric episodes, so I’m not that hard to please.
Princess Sing Song, HAHAHA!
The only time I’ve related to Beth was the “but you said there was a dog” thing because that’s probably what I would do.
“ooh a dog!!!” *runs after it*
I’ve never been a Beth fan, but I enjoyed the scenes during the flu outbreak when Maggie is on one side of the door, and Beth is holding Judith on the other side of the door. Beth in family mode is tolerable.
Im totally with you everything you said Ernie, especially about Beth. Sorry but that chic cant act at all and she’s more annoying now that they’re showing her more.
I felt the same way about the story/characters this season too. I always think I missed something when these new characters pop up and die so quickly.
The writers absolutely have no clue about writing characters and personalities. they make them so annoying you cant them and hope they get bit in the next episode. I think Maggie and Carol are the only two that havent come off as annoying.
idk, this season just didnt do much for me. Ill still keep watching but it doesnt excite me like it used to.
agree Macey about writing characters so Badly that you are pretty much gunning for them to die (aka how most of my twitter feed is openly and proudly Team Zombie at this point!)
I’m hoping that if they reunite with Carol, Tyreese (and Judith) that Rick, with his new found badassness, is a little more understanding of why Carol did what she did (that whole story and the way it played out, or rather didn’t, still pisses me off) and a little less “you can’t be around my kids”.
It’s television and there are certain economic realities. You can’t develop a huge set like the prison, or Woodbury, and only use it for a couple of episodes. It costs nothing to draw whatever you’d like, if you build it, you have to use it.
I’m aware of that, but you can’t tell me the show isn’t doing well for AMC. It’s their best show after Breaking Bad, breaking all kinds of ratings records and the amount of commercial breaks through the finale alone shows they don’t lack sponsors. I’m pretty sure they can afford it.
Also, if it meant they had to spend the entire 4th season at the prison, there were hundreds of different ways for it to play out instead of a repeat of season 3 with a dash of illness and developing characters nobody cares about.
A set is no excuse for bad, dragged out content. This is supposed to be top quality tv, the viewers are not stupid.
THIS.Fucking.THING Ernie!! You can tell me that the top rated show in the U.S on sundays that YOU have doesn’t deserve better, ditto with all that bs behind the scenes and constant showrunner changes? This Is bringing you money and acclaim and attention why exactly is AMC At the top level not nurturing their baby, instead the same stupidness they did with Mad Men trying to squeeze in product placement ( that horrendous green car that never ran out of gas?) and cut corners and basically give us ALL THE COMMERCIALS and 20 actual minutes of show and what do we call Mad Men Now? Don’s Hatewatch, let it be known that they are STILL having better character and costume development over there than what they are doing with Walking Dead (arguably cause Matthew fought for his show!) … Is like cut it to 9-10 eps, halve the characters and start killing the useless people and develop the characters that really matter into human beings we care about!)
@Ernie, I frequently read that the show is experiencing budget cut downs. If true, it’s completely ridiculous considering this show is consistently in the top ten of ALL shows. The first show runner was reportedly fired for the farm experience. I have no idea why Glen Mazzara was fired. Also, I get the impression that the writers aren’t all on the same page on the characterizations.
I think when shows take off in a way that was not expected, they lose sight of what made them that way. They start messing with a successful formula in fear of losing that huge audience.
@mayamae
By all accounts, it’s a mess over there. I think their biggest mistake was letting go Darabont in the first place. He set the tone. The rest are all just playing with his palette. It started boutique and then went full mall.
It seems 16 episodes is proving to be a huge challenge for them. And the result is a watered down season. I mean, if you watch the 6-7 key episodes and skip the rest, you wouldn’t miss much in terms of plot and you would probably get an all around much more satisfying experience. But it’s so frustrating because the potential is still right there.
This link is similar to a more detailed article I read right after they announced Darabont’s departure. It gives done good insight …and I don’t think it’s the writers … Though I completely agree with you all on the Beth, Carl, dragging it out …
http://screenrant.com/walking-dead-frank-darabont-amc-aco-127783/
I really didn’t think Daryl and Beth were becoming friends or romantic. It seemed the whole point was to contrast his new little sister with his past experience of having a big brother. I liked the episode because the awkwardness seemed authentic, Beth was sucky and he was patient and even got down to her sucky level (giving the burning cabin the finger).
I know it’s crass but I was really hoping Beth might want to jump Darryl’s bones after her big experimentation with alcohol. He would resist at first and then realize that she needs to be “indoctrinated” into an adult world. She would be into it at first and then start fighting him off, then they get interrupted by zombies. This would have introduced some significant tension into their their little duo which needs to stay together to survive.
OMG.. I just had a chilling thought: what if they dedicate 3 episodes to be shot inside that SHIPPING CONTAINER????!
Yes. Work that set to the ground, the AMC motto.
😀 They would totally do that to us! UgH!
This show is beyond awesome. I was watching old episodes this past weekend on Netflix. I can never get enough. Can’t wait till October!
Will they cut Daryl’s hair – this is all I care about.
(and I’m only part-way through season 3 at the moment. God, it’s such a stressful show!!)
Honestly they need to fire all the writers they had this season. There were far too many episodes where I was bored or annoyed at how they kept dragging out flashbacks & extremely odd character developments. And for the love of anything holy, STOP LETTING BETH SING! Or even speak at this point. And the forced love stories this season were ridiculous.
I think the finale was amaze-balls but I took that the flashbacks meant – teach him both. Teach him to farm and put down roots but also teach him to rip the guts from anyone who tries to hurt you and yours, never hesitate. I LOVE Daryl, he is my boyfriend but the Beth episodes, super boring filler. Like Daryl would just pop open a front door with his back turned to it, he was never that comfortable before the dead started walking. I love the show, I think the acting and story is great. I did read around in the comics and spoiled a bit of it for myself, especially if they follow closer next season (my cries!!) All and all, I will watch this show in a box with a fox and where ever else.
Apologize for not reading all the above comments…
I was SO SO underwhelmed by not so bad ass Daryl! Geez, couldn’t they have had him at least take out one of those guys by himself?
I was also very underwhelmed by them all when they finally met up again….Oh, Rick is that you? And that was it?
LOVED when he ripped the guy’s throat out. (If I thought of it, which I probably wouldn’t…) I would absolutely have done that to save my son from getting raped. That guy’s enjoyment made me a hell of a lot sicker than seeing the other guy get his throat ripped out!
He did take out one guy by himself – by stomping on his head.
I love this show. I seriously could not handle the Carl attack scene though. Severe sh-t.
I loved the finale. I’ve been waiting for the series to take a dark turn and it finally did, in the scene with Carl and that perv. Not that I wanted to see more of that, but I do think there needs to be a bit more….realism??? in a few areas. Whatever, though. I’m pumped for October!!!! And no, I don’t think they’ll be at Terminus the entire season – I did like the season at the farm though. I thought the time at the prison got rather monotonous, though, so I’m glad they’re done with it.
I have way over commented on this thread and hope I’m not irritating everyone, but this is my favorite show.
I just wanted to comment on the improved diversity of the cast. For many fans, there was a running joke of OBO (one black man only). Every time a new black guy showed up, the other black guy bites the dust. Currently, we have two black males. There was a brief dip into the angry black man trope with Tyreese, but they otherwise portray him as a kind gentle giant. And he had the heroic task of saving three little girls – oh God I love him now.
They also have two great black females. Michonne is a warrior, and Sasha is clearly superior mentally and physically to her older brother.
They also have an Asian character in the main cast. All these characters are great, and their storylines never revolve around their race. I live in the Atlanta area, and it was ridiculous how white the show was for a while – not an accurate representation of Georgia at all.
Carol had better not end us “sloppy joes”. She’s by far IMO the most interesting and complex character on TWD. Carol is my Daryl, if she dies too early, it would be a big loss to the show.
Her character has grown so much. As the daughter of a strong woman who survived a terrifyingly abusive first marriage during her late teens/early twenties, I have a soft spot for Carol.
I haven’t loved the way they wrote her character this season, right up to The Grove, which was a fantastic episode and showed what they have in Melissa McBride.
I actually agreed with the idea of her killing David and Karen to protect the group, it fits in with her guilt that she didn’t do enough to keep Sophia safe, she’s done a complete 180 and went to the other extreme. What I didn’t agree with was the way they said she did it, stabbing them, dragging the bodies around leaving massive blood trails and burning them. Carol would have known she couldn’t hide it, and I think would have been more respectful of the bodies.