The Walking Dead Thread!

[oilgun]

I agree with the list, more or less, though I wish they'd quit bringing in the comic book version for comparison. Here are my other observations:

-- If they kill Daryl, I will stop watching the show. That's all there is to it. I think there are enough people who feel like me that they just won't. It would be like if "Happy Days" killed off the Fonz.

-- They also had better not kill Michonne, nor Carol or nor frankly even Maggie.

-- Nor should they kill Baby Judith.

-- Killing Rick would probably be a bad idea since, annoying as he can be, he's still sort of the central character and ostensible moral center of the show.

-- Sidenote: a romantic pairing of Rick and Michonne would be awesome.

-- As for the others, they can take whoever they want. Carl first, please

I disagree about baby Judith. They should kill her off, and soon.  She is just dangerous dead weight. They should also turn her, it would be cool to see a little Crawling Dead.

Carl comes with a demographic so I don't think they'll kill him off anytime soon.

[serious crayons]

I disagree about baby Judith. They should kill her off, and soon.  She is just dangerous dead weight.

The character of Judith showed her value in this last episode -- she can easily be seized by bad guys who leverage her life as a threat. The baby actress performed well in the role, too.

Also, the fact that Judith bogs down the group provides a challenge they would otherwise be running low on, since they've at least twice proved capable of breaking out of captivitywhile destroying a large, well-organized established community. And it's not like the zombies seem particularly scary at this point. The living can almost always easily outrun them, and/or smear themselves with guts as a zombie shield.

Plus, TV shows generally hesitate to kill children, because audiences find it so horrific. Off the top of my head, I can't think of many examples of children dying violently on TV. Breaking Bad did once have a kid get killed, but the kid was a drug-dealer so I suppose that mitigated it for some people. So the will they or won't they question adds a tiny bit more suspense to the show.

Carl comes with a demographic so I don't think they'll kill him off anytime soon.

Oh. I see what you're saying. Well, couldn't they find a slightly less annoying actor and character to fill that function? Seriously, Justin Beiber would be more tolerable.

However, I do want to point out one good thing about Rick. I don't love his character, but the actor who plays him is charming and funny, judging from his appearance on last season's Talking Dead. If only they'd let Rick the character show a sense of humor more often. I mean, ever.

The actor is also British, and as far as I can tell he does a pretty decent Georgia accent.

[CellarDweller]

I'm on the fence about Judith.  I think that Judith may represent the last of Rick's humanity, and if anything happens to her, he'll snap.

I know you mentioned about not liking the comparison of the comic to the series, but it's one thing that makes me wonder about Carol.  In the comic she's already dead, suicide by zombie.  Of course, comic Carol never evolved the way TV Carol has.

You are correct regarding the killing of children on TV, but I think TWD gets away with it because something had to have happened to all the kids on the show, they wouldn't have just disappeared.  We've seen a few shots (when they were on the highway) of blood-splattered baby seats in cars.

And, of course, we had Carol killing Lizzie last season.  I remember talking to a lot of people, and they were all shocked that it happened.

[oilgun]

I'm on the fence about Judith.  I think that Judith may represent the last of Rick's humanity, and if anything happens to her, he'll snap.

I know you mentioned about not liking the comparison of the comic to the series, but it's one thing that makes me wonder about Carol.  In the comic she's already dead, suicide by zombie.  Of course, comic Carol never evolved the way TV Carol has.

You are correct regarding the killing of children on TV, but I think TWD gets away with it because something had to have happened to all the kids on the show, they wouldn't have just disappeared.  We've seen a few shots (when they were on the highway) of blood-splattered baby seats in cars.

And, of course, we had Carol killing Lizzie last season.  I remember talking to a lot of people, and they were all shocked that it happened.

"Look at the flowers, Lizzie, just look at the flowers."

[CellarDweller]

"Look at the flowers, Lizzie, just look at the flowers."

This is gonna sound strange, but I didn't feel right for about two days after that episode.

[serious crayons]

I thought I had written and posted a longish reply, but now I don't see it. Damn! I hate when that happens.

Anyway, Chuck, I think you make a good point about Judith's importance to Rick's character.

And yeah, I had forgotten about Lizzie, so they've already crossed the kid-killing line. And weren't there some kids among the sick people Carol killed in the prison? But Lizzie was crazy and the others were sick, so all potentially dangerous, whereas at this point Judith is flawless and completely innocent -- I think that would be a tougher line to cross.

The other thing I remember writing was that I think they're keeping Carol alive, as opposed to the comic, because they need more badass women on the show. Michonne obviously qualifies. But Maggie, who originally had potential, is too all about Glenn these days. And of course Laurie (was that her name? the one who got involved with the Governor?) who was tough but lacked good judgement, is no longer around.

[CellarDweller]

The other thing I remember writing was that I think they're keeping Carol alive, as opposed to the comic, because they need more badass women on the show. Michonne obviously qualifies. But Maggie, who originally had potential, is too all about Glenn these days. And of course Laurie (was that her name? the one who got involved with the Governor?) who was tough but lacked good judgement, is no longer around.

You're very right about Maggie.  She was really becoming a strong woman, but once she and Glenn were married, she became all about him.

The character who fell for the Governor was Andrea.

I think the writers may be stuck.  If you have a full cast of badasses, it will get boring, however, in a zombie apocalypse, you either become a badass, or become lunch.

[CellarDweller]

Already looking forward to this episode......now that everyone (except Beth) is together again, will they all find out about each other?  Carl's near rape?  Carol killing Lizzie?

[CellarDweller]

Ok, Father Gabriel has shown up.  I don't know much about this person, as I don't read the comic series.  The way he's being played, I really don't trust him.

I don't get the whole Carol out in the woods thing at night.  Hello? ? ?  Most dangerous time.  I love that she's become a badass, but I don't want to see her become reckless.

I had an idea we wouldn't see the last of the terminus crew, but I didn't expect that.  Ugh!

OH, and I don't for a minute believe that Eugene character knows how to stop this zombie outbreak.

[serious crayons]

Gross.

Or, as Chris Hardwick put it in the TD teaser, "Well, that was vile."

OH, and I don't for a minute believe that Eugene character knows how to stop this zombie outbreak

I don't really trust him, either. But does he know anything at all? Why does the other guy trust him so much? Would he just get to Washington and say, "Sorry, guys, I was faking it"?

The character who fell for the Governor was Andrea.

That's right, thanks. I also heard Michonne mention her tonight.