The Walking Dead: Some Guy
November 13, 2017 7:59 AM - Season 8, Episode 4 - Subscribe

A new weapon in the Savior arsenal proves to be a giant hurdle as fighting continues between Rick's forces and those of the Saviors.
posted by LizBoBiz (12 comments total)
 
Haven’t watched the episode yet, but misread the description and briefly thought that Negan had a “giant turtle” and got super hyped for a moment.

🐯 vs. 🐢 2017
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:14 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


in principle this show's plot is as simple as it gets and yet I can't follow it, which makes me angry.

there are some people at different places fighting. I don't know what is going on at which place and what the goal is. the dialog is limited and always opaque. it never does that thing where the viewer is reminded of the motivations and context from previous episodes through dialog. I think this is because no one knows. flashbacks in time somehow always confuse me, because at first I think it is just another location among the mystery locations, and then I think maybe it's later because the rah-rah overwrought dialog would likely be the same in either case. this episode was the closest I've felt to 80s-90s TV in a long time, particularly the head-on green-screen(?) shot of Rick chasing another jeep in his jeep, which is impenetrable to heavy gunfire while Darryl is able to make a long pistol shot riding a motorbike in one try.
posted by sylvanshine at 9:52 AM on November 13, 2017 [5 favorites]


I started fast forwarding through all the endless shooting scenes and boom, the “thing” happened and show over. How many bullets do these folks have left anyway? Weren’t they making and hoarding them last season? Shaking my damn head.
posted by pearlybob at 10:34 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


I know that complaining about directing is maybe my thing over here on Fanfare, and also this season is trying to really pad it's action out as much as it can. But I really felt like I was watching an 80s era Canon film this episode. I mean, the pacing, the shootouts, the placement of the camera and it's movement. It felt totally retro. That car chase was practically A-team material.

Oh and now we'll never know how the deus-ex-tigris knew which people were the bad guys.
posted by Catblack at 10:20 PM on November 13, 2017


I feel like those that are confused might not have watched the previous shows that closely? The King's men went to take out an outpost, like all the groups are doing. They have so many bullets because they got some from the coastline women, and they enlisted the Kingdom, who had plenty.

The Jeep on Jeep action annoyed me cause Rick's Jeep got shot, went smokey, and then was fine. Why would the guy set up a big gun in the back of the truck to shoot at them, didn't he have a side rifle? Confusing and dumb.

They are trying to emulate Romero this season, but only in camera work, it seems.
posted by agregoli at 5:46 AM on November 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


(So happy about the stupid tiger)
posted by agregoli at 5:48 AM on November 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


I got too drunk while watching this week's and last week's episode so I don't remember much, but amazingly I feel like I could totally skip re-watching them and just carry on next week.
posted by lyssabee at 5:21 PM on November 14, 2017


I feel like those that are confused might not have watched the previous shows that closely?

in our defense,
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:24 PM on November 16, 2017


I just feel sad. I don't have anywhere to discuss TWD any more where other people actually like the show and want to go deeper than "well that was dumb." I might start writing up longer thoughts here about the overarching themes the show is dealing with but I am not sure anyone here really wants to read that either so...I dunno. Sigh.
posted by agregoli at 8:32 AM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


agregoli, my guess is we're 4 weeks in now, which is long enough for people who didn't realize the show had started up again, or hadn't caught up and checked in with fanfare to dropped by to say they're disappointed the show isn't what it used to be. I don't know if we're ever going to get away from that, because the show had a huge enough following and has drifted enough from its original...something...that there will always be freshly-disappointed folks who want to say so. And I don't blame them, if they've finally reached the end of their rope with something they used to really enjoy. That said...I'd love to hear larger thoughts on what the show has become, where it's headed, or what you think about it.

Personally, I think it's interesting that the good guys are using the walkers as weapons so much this year. Previously, that was a seriously bad guy tactic. In fact, entire seasons were basically the good guys thinking they'd found refuge but some asshole trying to let walkers into their fences and ruin everyone's day. So to see Rick's team finally be like "fuck it, that was really effective. Let's lead 1000 walkers into Sanctuary and see what that dipshit does then!" is interesting to me. I would have liked to see if there was any discussion or pushback from anyone who was like "actually not everyone in sanctuary deserves to die" or "you know, sanctuary is a pretty chill spot. if would could kill Negan and get rid of the bad saviors it would be a pretty sweet spot to live."

One thing that is majorly frustrating to me, but I think the horse has fled the barn, is the consequence of expanding the cast to include so many expendables. When the team was small, even as it expanded slightly, a single injury was tense and a death was tragic. Now they so casually kill off unnamed randoms, and the occasional named-but-tangential character that I'm numbing to it a bit.

And finally, my biggest fear: Rick's team seems to be pretty invested at this point in getting rid of the saviors and making Alexandria/Hilltop/Kingdom/etc a safe place to live. But personally, I liked this show best when resources were scarce and the team was always on the move. I don't know where the show goes from here, unless something forces them to abandon their safe zones. And if they beat the Saviors with all their walls in tact, I don't know what else will make them run.
posted by jermsplan at 10:42 AM on November 17, 2017 [3 favorites]


Thank you thank you jermsplan! I am so happy to hear your thoughts, truly.

I do think it's cool the good guys are using walkers more. It is a power-taking-back move, to say, "what has terrorized us, what mistakes did we make vis a vis hordes of walkers?" and turn those tables against those who are terrorizing them now. To overcome the horror of the world and then use that horror against the worst humankind has to offer.

I do think they have made a mistake in having too many "expendables" as you say. The Walking Dead's strength has ALWAYS been in letting us get to know characters, and then having those characters grow, change (for good or bad) and then pass.

Also, their biggest mistake lately has been killing Glen. I know, I know, major characters have to go sometimes, especially to keep the emotional punch going, but Glen was not only a major tie to the beginning of the season, and to earlier Rick, but he was unfailingly the moral compass of the group (he lost his own soul when he killed for no reason - killing those at the outpost, thinking they were killing all "Negan" but were really only taking out one spot - which is why his death is poetic - he died for no reason except that Negan picked him). He frequently reminded everyone to keep going (walking in the woods, dying of thirst, he convinced Maggie she had to fight). He was a character everyone felt comfortable with and loved, and more than any other they have killed so far, it really hurt. I think the show lost it's footing with that choice a little.

Another thing that didn't make sense in the show to me was their decision to kill Sasha. They really rushed the whole, Abraham ditched Rosita (altho that breakup is just how it goes sometimes) and wanted to be with Sasha thing. Rosita had the guts and mean drive and frustration level necessary to take out Negan, even with suicide. It was weird to see Sasha, who they never gave a voice at all, suddenly be so purposeful and zen.

I think for your last point, they've done the "wandering in the woods thing." While I agree with you that the show is more interesting when they are out in the wild, discovering things, I see why they wanted to stay in one spot to defend. They have toilets and showers! Electricity! If anywhere, this is a place to defend. I do hope they run again. I'd like to see another big travel to a destination, like they were focused on D.C. before.

I have more to say, but I am busy tonight so I'll pick it up later. In closing, I leave you with my awesome TWD drinking game:

agregoli's Walking Dead Drinking Rules. Take a drink every time you hear or see:

* the word "safe" or "secure" or "survive" (add "supplies" at your alcohol poisoning peril)

* "overrun" or "on a run"

* "you people" (the mallory archer)

* "this world" or "this place"

* a character makes a list, such as saying, "We need food, supplies, ammunition"

* anytime a character "controls the head" of another character, like holding their face or cradling their head (holding their own head counts)

Follow these rules and get sauced during almost any Walking Dead episode! You're welcome!
posted by agregoli at 4:46 PM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


Another thing that didn't make sense in the show to me was their decision to kill Sasha.

I think that this was a situation similar to the one they had with Tyreese, where the decision to kill the character was made based on the actor leaving the show. I'm not mad at anyone in these situations. The Expanse and Star Trek: Discovery are both much better opportunities (both generally and specifically for actors of color) to have interesting and reliable roles than The Walking Dead, so good on Chad Coleman and Sonequa Martin-Green for jumping ship. And for the producers, well, in a zombie apocalypse show the answer to the question of how to write a character out when their actor departs is obvious.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 8:18 AM on November 20, 2017


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