Walking Dead Season 7

[Sideshow Spock]

I agree with much in this article..

http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/24/13378876/the-walking-dead-season-7-premiere-recap-review-end-of-quitters-club

This wasn’t quality television, and it wasn’t suspenseful drama. It was torture-porn masquerading as storytelling, and AMC should be ashamed for airing it.

The article also details deeper issues with the show. I'm not quite in the "quitter's club" yet, but I've definitely moved in the "meh" direction with the show over the last couple seasons.

[rykerw1701]

I think the only way to keep people coming back is by occasionally killing off favorite characters. There's nobody safe, there never has been on this show. That's not unique to Walking Dead, of course, but it's essential for the longevity of the show.

So I'm ok with the loss of Glenn and Abraham, though I liked both characters. But I thought Glenn's death in particular, with the whole eye thing, was more than what was needed. Most viewers don't care about the comic book it's based on anymore than they care about picking up the latest issue of Thor before an Avengers movie.

I'll be back next week, but won't stick around if the level gruesome stays this high. The show is hardly a Fred Astaire movie, but this last one took it too a new low. I suspect they'll ease back on the brutality throttle a bit, but we'll see.

Also, I have no problem with Negan's weapon of choice being the bat. There's plenty of guns in the show already, and killing by bludgeoning is more personal than just shooting his victims.

[wise guy]

I have followed every episode since season 1 and after the Glen and Abe deaths( killed in such a stupid way) I'm done. I don't care about the comic (and don't read it ) but liked the show. Negan and his bat would get blown away by gang members here in central California so there is nothing scary about an old scrawny actor with a bat. Because he is
a wimpy actor they had to over do the head beatings to try to make it gory. Some comic book stories don't adapt well to television.

[CrimsonGhost]

I don't know. That whole "get my axe" part was really long and unnessary... And didn't even make logical sense. Rick was already broken before they got in the camper. It was annoying to sit thru.

You know what could have been amazing? If at the end of the season 6 finale, Negan bashes in Abrahams head, and then we're all relaxed going into season 7 thinking he's picked his target already, only to have him teach Glenn a lesson halfway thru the episode! It would have even been more shocking.

I found myself rooting for Negan. Is that bad?

[Hector]

But that's the entire point of the show, since the very beginning. Brutal gruesome deaths in both comics and show.

Nothing shocking or new here...

Don't you wanna stick around to see Rick get Negan? Payback is going to rule.

[Gorn Captain]

Yeah, it was intense. Yeah, edge-of-your-seat.
But do I want to watch favorite characters being brutalized time and time again? Is this "exciting entertainment"?
I'm not a fan of torture porn, and to see two good men savaged in this way is too much for me. The whole mood of the show is now "you're all going to die horribly. When the apocalypse happens, you might as well put a gun to your own head on day 1 and be done with it".
Where's the glimmer of hope?
Do we really want to see our heroes on their knees, season after season?
No thanks, I'm done.

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

I loved this video of co-workers saying good-bye to Steven..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87hq8LR5S58

[Goblin19]

The show mostly lost me last season. I feel the writing and characters have become too obvious, they too often have to have characters explain what they are feeling rather than let the actors emote it. Season 6 was the first one that I didn't watch every episode. Not to mention, some pretty stupid actions by otherwise smart characters that seem to occur just to make things exciting. This season has potential but I have no faith in these writers.

[Iron Mego]

It was good, but not deserving of the Top Secret clearance. I found it pretty obvious the entire hush-hush was, once again, Gimple trying to out-think the audience.

After I read Henry Rollins was the basis for Negan, Morgan had little chance with me. He's over the top in everything I've seen him in, and what's scary is he's said Negan has to be played subdued. Think about that; this is JDM idea of a subtle character portrayal! He's like a villain from 48 Hours or The Rock.

IMO, the Wolves and Terminus really hurt the Saviors. The Carl/Hatchet threat had some weight, but honestly...think of all the crap they've witnessed. Watching two close friends get their heads bashed in wouldn't be hard to accept after you were trapped and almost eaten by living humans!

Couldn't, and didn't, say it better myself. You nailed exactly why I don't like Negan.

[YoungOnce]

IMO, the Wolves and Terminus really hurt the Saviors. The Carl/Hatchet threat had some weight, but honestly...think of all the crap they've witnessed. Watching two close friends get their heads bashed in wouldn't be hard to accept after you were trapped and almost eaten by living humans!

Your statement here clears up some of my thinking on the whole direction of the show. Since this show has really not been about exploring a larger world and this plague's effects outside this group's circle, all the show has been doing is escalating things by having Rick and gang amble from one bad group to an even badder group, rinse, lather repeat...There is nothing to do but escalate the carnage and threat each time.

Again, this show was ground-breaking. But if it devolves into torture porn with no long term narrative goals, I gotta say, I don't want to hang around just to see how the characters die.

[hedrap]

It was good, but not deserving of the Top Secret clearance. I found it pretty obvious the entire hush-hush was, once again, Gimple trying to out-think the audience.

After I read Henry Rollins was the basis for Negan, Morgan had little chance with me. He's over the top in everything I've seen him in, and what's scary is he's said Negan has to be played subdued. Think about that; this is JDM idea of a subtle character portrayal! He's like a villain from 48 Hours or The Rock.

IMO, the Wolves and Terminus really hurt the Saviors. The Carl/Hatchet threat had some weight, but honestly...think of all the crap they've witnessed. Watching two close friends get their heads bashed in wouldn't be hard to accept after you were trapped and almost eaten by living humans!

[YoungOnce]

The acting was across the board tremendous (yes, with one exception), and I had a pit in my stomach the entire episode... but I think they lost me. I like bleak things, but this may have gone too far.

I don't like that they killed Glenn. He was the glue of the show. He was the only character who could be a bad*ss without sacrificing his humanity. And I know it happened in the comics... but I think it was a mistake for the show.

I kept thinking: "Well, Rick started it. He attacked Negan's camp and killed his men." If these were the Wolves, or the Canibals, or any of the many other gangs that provoked Rick, we'd all be comfortable with a little vengeance on them. Why does Rick's group deserve better?

Of course, after taking us to such a sad and hopeless place, I'm not sure begging for their lives seemed entirely the right reaction, either. Just take the bullets. This show will never let you be happy.

I will undoubtedly give it another episode, to see if it can win me back. But that was some dark and nihilistic stuff right there...

I'm kind of in this camp. The only reason I'm watching it now is because the rest of the family does.

[sprytel]

The acting was across the board tremendous (yes, with one exception), and I had a pit in my stomach the entire episode... but I think they lost me. I like bleak things, but this may have gone too far.

I don't like that they killed Glenn. He was the glue of the show. He was the only character who could be a bad*ss without sacrificing his humanity. And I know it happened in the comics... but I think it was a mistake for the show.

I kept thinking: "Well, Rick started it. He attacked Negan's camp and killed his men." If these were the Wolves, or the Canibals, or any of the many other gangs that provoked Rick, we'd all be comfortable with a little vengeance on them. Why does Rick's group deserve better?

Of course, after taking us to such a sad and hopeless place, I'm not sure begging for their lives seemed entirely the right reaction, either. Just take the bullets. This show will never let you be happy.

I will undoubtedly give it another episode, to see if it can win me back. But that was some dark and nihilistic stuff right there...

[Hector]

I rewatched the death scenes...the second one was way more graphic than the first one...and the first one was no chump change either...holy crap...popped eye aside, body was basically headless...and body still twitching...that was some nasty stuff...I haven't even seen that type of gruesomeness in hardcore R rated flicks, let alone HBO or Showtime...friggin AMC is really going for broke, lol. Funny, they show horrific violent things...yet they are too prune to even use the F-word...Breaking Bad used it, but oh no...not the Walking Dead, too classless for them, lol.

[drquest]

now I look at the Carl thing differently. not only did he kills his own mom, he has been shot twice, once in the eye leaving him horribly disfigured. he has hardened himself to the world. that being said, I do agree with Hec that the actor does not have much range and does tend to be annoying

all I can say is that was the most brutal and intense episode to date. they need to lighten things up a bit for a few episodes. too much grimness and death gets old very fast on a TV show

Granted Carl, as an actor might not have the range others might, but I think he's being portrayed in a way that makes sense.

I think next week's episode will show Morgan and Carol quite a bit, so it just might be a slower episode....