Thursday, March 29, 2012

5 Ways AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Went Wrong In Season 2


*Disclaimer: read the title-- this is for fans of the 'Walking Dead.' If you don't like zombie flicks then you're probably just a douche bag going to find zero interest in this...

(Oh, and *spoiler alert*)


I have been meaning to write this article since the season finale of 'The Walking Dead' aired two Sundays ago in its typical, dramatic fashion (complete with its little fan-gushing talk show afterwards).

If you're not friends with me on facebook (which is a problem for you in itself if you're not) then you're probably unaware of what a huge fan I am of this show (and should probably consider referencing my previous zombie article). If you are not ON facebook at all, then you are probably unaware HOW MANY people also share my enthusiasm. If you ARE on facebook but are (nonetheless) still unsure of what I mean, then try logging on to facebook on a typical Sunday night between 9:00-11:00, while a season of 'The Walking Dead' is airing. You will likely notice that your news feed is bombarded with status updates pertaining to the show. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a tv show get more social-media attention than this one does. It's like the second-coming of The Beatles, only ten times more awesome (and ok, far less significant or relevant to the grand scheme of pop culture.... whatever). Even if I was one of those flaccid penis, narrow minded folks who haven't given the show a chance previously, because I'm too cool for that shit, I would have probably started watching it by now just out of curiosity about the hype.            

Anyway, as much as we all love this show I (personally) have several issues with the way this Season 2 and Season 2 Finale went down. And the list goes a little something like this (in no particular order):

#1) Five to ten minutes of show time, five to ten minutes of commercials-

This may be a shot at AMC, but shit, AMC is the network that produced the show. If there is one thing I cannot stand it is commercials. They piss me off in the worst way. If there's a second thing I cannot stand it is a commercial break five minutes after the last one.

#2) Mid-Season Finale-    
The show took like what, two months off just when it was getting good? For what? To piss you the fuck off. Mid-season finales are stupid! It's bad enough that there are end of season finales, after which we have to wait months (if not a full year) for the following season to air, but now..... hahaha suckers, we get to look forward to a two-month break in the middle for no good reason. Maybe they were worried we would get bored of the intestinal munching, brain sucking, head exploding free-for-all...

#3) Andrea (character)-

I watched 'Talking Dead,' for one episode after the season finale and they had Laurie Holden (Andrea) on as a guest and let me say this, she seems like a cool chick in real life. Nice enough, pleasant, lively, and well-spoken. None of that shit translates to the show. I've never in my life seen a character (who wasn't a 'bad guy') that I wanted so badly, to die... but didn't. It seems like everyone else in the damn show is fair game, but this idiot just keeps on kicking around for some reason.    

Let me set this straight, I am aware that the show follows the comic and it really can't (or doesn't want to) stray from the story and make up it's own, but couldn't we have made just this one exception? This dumbass has done nothing but walk around like she is the baddest warrior in the freaking tribe (and after trying to commit suicide, blaming Dale for stopping her, crying about it, HATING Dale for stopping her, crying more about it, playing the poor me game, shooting Daryl in the f'ing head because she insisted on playing with guns, taking sides with the biggest psycho in the group, trying to persuade everyone else to let another girl try to commit suicide, outcasting herself, and bitching at just about everyone because she thinks she knows better than all). If you're going to create a character that annoying, make an exception... kill the damn broad.

#4) The (Dramatic) Introduction of Michonne-                       
Who, you ask?? If you have not read the comic or done your research you were probably asking yourself what the hell was up with the hooded, wannabe Robin Hood/wannabe ninja with the 2 zombie love slaves at the very end of the finale??? Well, that was apparently a character named Michonne. Nobody (as far as I can tell) with any sort of relevance to the story, except that she's a black girl who likes to wear hooded capes, slice up zombies with a sword, and walk around with two chained up zombies with no arms for protection. The problem I had with her introduction is that they revolved the end of the finale around it. When you create a movie or tv show based on a comic you cannot presume that your entire audience has read the comic, because there's a good chance most of them haven't. When you leave us with the cliff hanger of some hooded hero (to be revealed later) and we haven't read the story previously, we tend to believe it's at least going to be someone we have met before in the show: someone of significance- Maybe a long lost character returning from no where. What other good reason could there be for the suspense? Well die hard fans... apparently this one was for you. But I'm pretty disappointed.

#5) The Anticlimactic Finale-                                                           
Stop. Before you get all fired up, and start spewing shit about how there was so much action, and the zombies invaded the farm, and a bunch of people died, and the group got separated and ya ya ya, allow me to specify. The second half of the finale was anticlimactic. I looked at the running time for the episode before it started to see if it would be a longer episode than the regular season episodes (as some finales tend to be). I laughed when I saw that indeed it was longer- by TWO MINUTES. They actually had it listed as an hour and two minutes long. The problem is this: like in any good story, the ending (or conclusion) is the most important part. All of the action was at the beginning of the episode and I spent the last twenty minutes or so waiting for something as equally epic to happen. When there ended up being another five minute commercial at 9:50 leaving only the precious seven minutes left in the episode (because of that gracious extra two) I found myself coming to the realization that there was no time for any sort of dramatic ending. I was correct, in a way. Again... unless you are a die hard and follow the comic. Because yes, they do reveal the prison over the trees just as the episode comes to an end. And it's a big deal, I know. Just not to me, or probably you either if you're a fan only of the show. To me, it was nothing more than where they will possibly end up next. I suppose next season it will have far more significance.

.............................................................

Anyway, the show is still badass and obviously you can disagree with me on ANY particular point. After all, I am only one man, as it is all that I claim to be. The characters can be annoying babies, or dickheads, but I love the show regardless of it's flaws. Season 3 is going to be fun, and I for one can't freaking wait. Feel free to leave comments below






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