The Walking Dead: Because Season Ate Nine (Comic Spoiler Thread)

[HokieStone]

Ah...yep, Rick taken off in a helicopter.  Didn't expect the time jump, though.  Now...does this set up for bringing in the Fear the Walking Dead and merging the shows?  About that...

Watched the first 10 minutes of so of "Talking Dead" - so, Rick's story isn't done...they're going to make "feature movies" on AMC about him.  I don't read the comics, but I've read some summaries, and like others, I suspect he'll be in..."The Community" (??? I think I've got the wrong name there....but the thing where there's like 50000 people living in Ohio or something)

Even more surprising is that Gimple claims there's going to be even more shows and...other things...that cover periods in the past, the future, and around the world.  Some of them will connect, and some of them will be stand alone. 

For an IP that seemed to be on it's last legs, they appear to be doubling down on coming up with a ton of new content.

[l2 0 5 5]

Solid episode. I think the time jump is necessary at this point. The show needs new angles. My dad, whom often has horrible takes on tv shows, said two weeks ago that he thought the helicopter would take Rick away alive. Odd to think that he's alive but will never be on the show again. Knowing Rick, surely he would try to get back to his old stamping grounds once he regained his strength and a gameplan. Doesn't seem to be the case though.

As for more WD content going forward, not sure how I feel about it. The Rick stuff could be interesting as he's a strong character to center a movie around, and there's plenty of options out there for him, but WD isn't exactly GoT level of fandom right now. With the ratings being so bad year after year, I'm surprised AMC isn't pulling the cord on it. One or two Rick movies on AMC, okay, I'm in and will watch. A two hour movie that pops up once every other year is very tolerable and not so time consuming. It's not 16 hours worth of episodes. As for spinoffs, I'm zombie'd out at this point. I can't even watch Fear so why would I watch another one?

[Lady Olenna]

On 10/28/2018 at 2:14 PM, DMC said:

Yeah, here's an article with quotes from the new showrunner:

  And can I just say trying to search something like "Gabriel an a" is pretty annoying.

Is this like an alpha beta thing? 

 

My husband just told me what happened in this latest episode and what they plan to do in the future with Rick. I have to say that I stopped watching after they killed Carl. I don’t know what happened but I can not even force myself to watch it. I have zero desire and I used to love this show. Reading that Lincoln wrote a goodbye letter and now finding out he will have some movie or whatever infuriates me. Why all this nonsense? Why all the stupid drama? 

Maybe some day I will pick up from where I left off but I’m beginning to resent the show at this point. I tried watching Fear because I love Dillahunt but I couldn’t get into that either  

[Morpheus]

So the rumors were right. TWD is still running on the stunt, fake-out hype. Stay classy, Gimple.

[Free Northman Reborn]

As I said a few weeks/months ago. There is no way they can or will kill Rick off. He is too big an ace in the hole to use a few years down the line to revive ratings again.

Besides. Walking Dead is the story of Rick Grimes. It started with him and would just feel weird if he is not in the universe anymore at the end. Just knowing that he is still around somewhere will make me start watching again.

Well done, for a change, AMC.

[HokieStone]

7 hours ago, l2 0 5 5 said:

Solid episode. I think the time jump is necessary at this point. The show needs new angles. My dad, whom often has horrible takes on tv shows, said two weeks ago that he thought the helicopter would take Rick away alive. Odd to think that he's alive but will never be on the show again. Knowing Rick, surely he would try to get back to his old stamping grounds once he regained his strength and a gameplan. Doesn't seem to be the case though.

Yeah, I was surprised by the time jump, but I think it's a good idea.  We can just skip past 10 episodes of them mourning Rick, and a slow evolution of Negan, and get back into the action.  Also, I'm about 99% certain we'll see Rick on the show again.  My prediction - they'll finish this season, and go through next season without Rick.  We'll get a couple of Rick movies.  And then 2 seasons from now..."THE RETURN OF RICK GRIMES!!!!"  We'll see.

I am confused about the A/B thing.  I thought two episodes ago that Jadis said something to Gabriel like "I knew Rick and Negan were A's"  And now she's saying Rick is a B.  The feeling I had was that A's were more rare, and more prized. 

[red snow]

Lincoln is directing an episode next year. I find it hard to imagine he won't be on screen as Rick in that episode. Unless he's directing one of the "films"

Although I think it unlikely he returns to hang out with the main cast unless he fully commits to returning. More likely we get a "what's happening with Rick" episode.

Have to admit I've found the new series mildly enjoyable so far. Not to the point where I care about spoilers eg haven't seen rick's departure yet but good background TV. I like that the various groups aren't getting along and the pros and cons of leniency and punishment. I'm in Maggie and Daryl's side as the only reason Megan is alive is "good villain plot armour". I'm curious how negan isn't simply executed without rick's protection though.

[The Unborn]

Happy they didn't kill him.

I'm sort of happy about the time jump too (but the time jump we just had between last season and now felt totally unnecessary, like a way to never show Maggie pregnant... and hard to believe people like Oceanside would act on a grudge 1 year later because of Maggie killing Gregory, but anyway...) but it's getting hard to suspend my disbelief when you consider all the zombies that have been killed over the years still being a threat 4-5-6 years after the zombipocalypse... like really if everyone did their part they should see the odd zombie here and there and that's all.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I am a big fan of keeping Rick alive but using him as a vehicle to tell this other (possibly larger) story. I'm also more interested in the actual series now than I have been in several years. The large time jump was a necessity at this point to move the narrative forward.

[Spockydog]

9 hours ago, Free Northman Reborn said:

Besides. Walking Dead is the story of Rick Grimes. It started with him and would just feel weird if he is not in the universe anymore at the end. Just knowing that he is still around somewhere will make me start watching again.

Well, Kirkman always said TWD was the story of Carl Grimes. And it probably was, until they saw how bad an actor Chandler Riggs grew up to be.

[DMC]

So I thought the episode was pretty good up to the bridge explosion - that would've been a good sendoff for Rick.  They slightly overdid it with the visions - there's no reason Sasha would be nearly as significant as plenty of other dead characters to Rick or the viewers - but I really liked the Maggie/Negan scene (as well as the Maggie/Michonne before) and it echoes what the did in the comics (albeit much later and in a different context.  The helicopter thing, of course, is so pathetically contrived they're back in Glenn under the dumpster territory.

13 hours ago, Lady Olenna said:

Is this like an alpha beta thing? 

That seems intuitive, but interestingly Jadis described Rick as a "B" in her final conversation with the helicopter people, when earlier she had said he's an "A."  Seems to suggest it's based on capabilities and Rick was downgraded from A to B due to his grave injuries.

17 hours ago, l2 0 5 5 said:

Knowing Rick, surely he would try to get back to his old stamping grounds once he regained his strength and a gameplan. Doesn't seem to be the case though.

Right - the storyline for every Rick-centered AMC "movie" should be "Rick does all he can to get back to his daughter."  One would think that'd get boring after one or two.  It's also farcical that Gimple stated unequivocally on Talking Dead that this was the end of Rick on the main series.  Yeah, right.

Anyway, I was fine with the time jump - and it looks like they are getting into all the post-All Out War stuff pretty quickly.  Introduced Magna's group, teased the whisperers, and showed Eugene communicating with somebody.  Other then Negan and Dwight's stories those are pretty much all the important things that happen in the comics up to the current Commonwealth storyline.

18 hours ago, HokieStone said:

I don't read the comics, but I've read some summaries, and like others, I suspect he'll be in..."The Community" (??? I think I've got the wrong name there....but the thing where there's like 50000 people living in Ohio or something)

The problem is there's (at least) one too many groups in the show.  By the end of last season seemed to be a safe assumption that Georgie's group would represent the Commonwealth.  Now, yeah, could be the helicopter group.

[kairparavel]

I haven't been watching. I would have been interested when they got to The Whisperers, but without Carl and now Rick..meh. 

It's been pointed out that last night was someone else's final appearance as well, at least for the season. 

https://news.avclub.com/weirdly-last-nights-walking-dead-was-the-end-of-the-ro-1830234203

All the farewell masturbatory ads in tribute to Andrew Lincoln leading up to the episode coupled with his goodbye letter (I didn't read) only for him to not die? Ridiculous is probably the nicest way to put it.

[Free Northman Reborn]

I’m guessing some convenient amnesia might come into play to keep Rick from returning to his daughter for a few years.

[Martini Sigil]

My complaints about the show's decline in writing quality aside... I am in awe of The Walking dead as a brand... has there ever been a TV show that has built a franchise quite like this?... the business model is staggering.... they're making more shows, movies... the merchandising... the after show... next month we're going to a "Walker Stalker" con... and of course, the comic books...  Hats off to everyone involved

[red snow]

That horse was a pendulum from saviour to fucking liability throughout the episode.

I enjoyed the guest appearances. Was a nice surprise to see Shane back with a timely reminder that Rick became him in many ways (just not deranged) and a reminder that Judith was his kid (not that this mattered to Rick). Herschel's scene was touching as they must have filmed that shortly before the actor's death. Not too sure about sonequa Martin green appearing. It stunk more of "she's the lead in a star trek show now" rather than bearing any relevance to Rick. Were they ever that close as characters? Surely Glenn was more apt? I assume Carl and his wife were left out because of the "searching for his family" thing but I guess Glen wasn't available or the lead in a popular show to do a guest slot?

Interesting how all the other characters think Rick is dead (would have been funny if he still died on the helicopter). It removes their need to find him. Rick himself is going to have to be a long way away not to excuse him not returning. But maybe there'll be some contrived reason like the new group will destroy (or only keep them safe) if Rick stays with them? Or maybe it's super chill in the new place and he decides to put his feet up. 

The timejump will certainly make the next episode interesting. It gets them around having several episodes of everyone being angsty and sad. It also conveniently skips the character growth that would be necessary to turn Daryl into a leader. I wonder if they also use the jump to just go "hey, negan has sort of rehabilitated and hangs out with them now". It would also be a convenient way to have Maggie exit but I doubt they'd send her away like that.

I'm curious to see the next episode. I haven't felt like that about walking dead since the season cliffhanger with Lucille. 

[Spockydog]

Ugh. The whole thing was as mawkish and preposterous as I expected it to be. 

[DMC]

7 minutes ago, red snow said:

I wonder if they also use the jump to just go "hey, negan has sort of rehabilitated and hangs out with them now". It would also be a convenient way to have Maggie exit but I doubt they'd send her away like that.

I agree that'd be expedient for Negan, but wasn't he still in the cell talking to Judith in the previews?  As for Maggie, if the article @kairparavel cited is accurate, that is basically Maggie's exit for now while they try to get Cohan to return for some stuff next season.

[red snow]

10 minutes ago, DMC said:

I agree that'd be expedient for Negan, but wasn't he still in the cell talking to Judith in the previews?  As for Maggie, if the article @kairparavel cited is accurate, that is basically Maggie's exit for now while they try to get Cohan to return for some stuff next season.

Ah well sometimes the laziest solutions are the best...

I haven't seen the previews but that's quite a while to keep him locked up. Short by standards of how much time he'd spend in prison but keeping him kicked in the cellar is pretty medieval.

I forgot to mention that Judith has a lot of potential as a hybrid Carl Rick michonne. Plus she isn't in the comics so they can play around with her. She's probably too young to make a main character yet though

[Alia of the knife]

One of the things I thought was interesting were those who DIDN'T show up in his fever dreams.

A favorite series of mine,"I Claudius" with Derek Jacobi and John Hurt had a memorable death scene for Jacobi's character, Emperor Claudius. At the end of the series when Claudius was dying, they had all the characters that Claudius survived, come back and it was a a riot, but in Ricks case, I was surprised you didn't see Carl, Lori, and no Glen.

[red snow]

6 hours ago, Alia of the knife said:

One of the things I thought was interesting were those who DIDN'T show up in his fever dreams.

A favorite series of mine,"I Claudius" with Derek Jacobi and John Hurt had a memorable death scene for Jacobi's character, Emperor Claudius. At the end of the series when Claudius was dying, they had all the characters that Claudius survived, come back and it was a a riot, but in Ricks case, I was surprised you didn't see Carl, Lori, and no Glen.

the showrunners confirmed my suspicion which was if any of his family were in the dream he would have found them and lost the will to fight on. Although he did see Michonne which is a bit of a burn for her. And it still provides no logical reason whatsoever for Glen's absence (other than the actor has been filming in south korea). That character was the yin to Shane's yang and should have been there. To be honest it's Sasha's appearance that bugs me as I really don't think she was that big a deal in Rick's life. Sure, he probably missed her but her cameo was entirely down to her being in Star Trek Discovery in a "ooh look at the star we've brought back". Sure, the same thing can be said about Shane/Punisher but the difference there is the guy was his partner/friend from the pre-apocalypse and the post apocalypse relationship was both strained and educational for Rick.