First off, besides being a TV Addict; I'm a comic book guy. I try and get to the shop every Wednesday, go to the conventions, the works. So it was about two years ago now that a friend recommended to me that I check out The Walking Dead trade paperbacks as he'd been hearing good things. So at FanExpo here in Toronto I picked up the first trade paperback. That night we were at his place and I ripped through that first trade. Kirkman had hooked me, the excellent writing and the chilling black and white art of Tony Moore had pulled me into the story instantly. The next day at the show I picked up as many trades as I could. I needed more. I told anyone that would listen, you've got to read these books. Once you start, you just can't stop reading. Too many late nights reading because you literally can't stop. The story each trade just got better. I keep checking Amazon to see when the next trade is shipping, December 20th if you're wondering. So as you can imagine, the day I heard that AMC and Frank Darabont were bringing one of my favorite comic stories to television I was pumped. Then they brought in Greg Nicotero which people were pumped for and his work was outstanding in the first season. According to the fine folks at Imdb.com, he's only been involved in 1 episode this season and it shows. Of course some episodes this season have only had glimpses of a zombie here and there and that brings me to my second point.
I've been riding The Walking Dead harder and harder as the episodes this season have gone by. Each week I couldn't help but think back to the summer with the announcment of the budget cuts and the firing of Darabont. What the hell has happened to this show that's being created for fans like me? Sure, the first season was slow at points, but you always felt the danger of the situation that this group and now the world's surviving population is in. After watching an episode earlier in the season I said something like "The Walking Dead? More like The Boring Living" or something to that effect. It was losing me and I'm not alone, check the comments section on any recap on any entertainment site. Alright, let's get into last night.
Last night, I was laying in bed reading Twitter as I do everynight before going to sleep and with about 5 minutes left in the show Twitter just explodes with the #twd hashtag. I follow a lot of tv and comic people on twitter :) I was pumped to watch what people were seeing. So this morning I take to the blogs and I read the re-caps on some of my favorite blogs. Yes I know, how could you spoil it you're asking. I've read the books, I didn't think it would spoil anything for me. So they describe the slaughter outside the barn and then of course what happened next. So I spend a few minutes after reading it on every site I visited and just think. Ok. So she's in there, no big deal. This search for Sophie story-line went on for about 5 episodes too many, so that's resolved. Can't wait to get home and watch it.
So I actually leave work on-time, which is becoming a rare thing these days, I rush home and fire up the episode. More of the same boring stuff at the farm. I think to myself, how is something that took half a trade and was wrapped up quite quickly taking so long on the show? So I keep watching, yep Carl is growing up quickly, yep Glenn is a goofy man in love. Yep, same as all season. Yep, Shane is still being a dick. Shane in the show is a total turn from what happened in the books and it's awful. I don't need the two different leaders with differing opinions and very different leadership styles for this show to work. How about you just write Rick like he was in the book and correct this situation? Huh? Just saying. So Shane has had enough of this farm situation and he takes it into his own hands. As you know he busts open the doors to the barn and turns the walkers into a bad carnival game. Sure part of the tribe joins, but it's damn clear that this is the Shane show. I'm waiting for it, I thought it was hinted at around the 5-10 minute mark, I'm pretty sure they showed us a shot of a young girl in the barn. Cut to a shot of Herschel, just crushed. The reality of the "new world" has hit him, the only thing that was really keeping him going has been destroyed by these strangers. That shot, I can admit got things a bit dusty in the Media Room with the clips of Herschel during the blood bath. I feel that even Maggie knows that this has to be done, she gave Glen the go ahead to help clean up this "problem" So, it's done. Or is it? You start to hear the moans of one last walker. Surprise! It's Sophie!
Poor Carol, I think to myself, but she's finally got some closure on this on-going story. Even more thankfully, it's over for us. Rick does what a leader does, he makes the tough call and puts the bullet in her head. Fade to black. Even though I knew what was coming, it still felt like a giant punch to the stomach. This group has grown way too comfortable on the farm and the world in that exact moment came crashing back down to reality for everyone, not just Herschel. Props to Michelle MacLaren of Breaking Bad fame for what was an excellent sequence that felt as heavy for me as it would have for the people in it.
Here's a clip of the special preview that aired during Hell on Wheels.
There is no doubting that there is something broken with this show. I'm really hoping that this will finally get them off from the farm. I hope that they've done the second trade paperback backwards and that they visit the gated community next. I just don't see how they're going to drag that out for another 6 episodes. I say that, but somehow we dragged out the farm for 7 episodes, at least and that was just downright painful at times. I'd like to see the season finale of this season be the big reveal that was at the end of the second trade. At the current turtle pacing that the show is on, they could spend 3 season at that big stop. I don't mind the slowness of the show as long something happens and that hasn't always been the case this season. Fingers crossed that they can fix this thing in the next 3 months. It's not hard really, how about showing some more zombies. It really starts there. I'm not asking for 42 minutes of zombies. The last 5 minutes of this episode and the great editing of the facial expressions, the pain of this group proved that. I just need to feel the danger of the world that these characters are living in again. This isn't The Camping Boring on a Farm, this is The Walking Dead. Perhaps these guys need to read the trades again to fall in love with it like I dead a few years ago.
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