The Walking Dead: Your Final Verdict

[OoohMaggie]

Hurrah!
It’s been a long twelve years but we’ve finally made it to the end. So what do we think about all the time and effort we’ve all put in? Are we satisfied or do we want our money back?

What are your favourite periods of TWD? Can you remember being filled with anticipation as the next episode approached and those first few notes of the theme tune sent shivers down your back? When if at all did that change for you? Did you ever get to the stage of “if it’s on I’ll watch but I’m not making an effort to catch it”? 
What were your favourite episodes and characters? Best / worst Villains, What were your Good, Bad and Ugly in all regards to TWD?

If you could have sat in the Showrunner’s chair for a season, what would you have had happen? I think you get the idea, if there’s anyone still hanging in there just give us your final verdict.

Edited November 21, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

Favourite episode? Season 2 Episode 2, “Bloodletting” the first look at a certain chubby cheeked Farm girl 😛

[Taget]

Favorite period.  The beginning.  Loved the tension between Rick and Shane.  It's a tension that has been playing on this show with no answer besides the finales faerie tale ending.  Can any group wishing to do more than just survive but prosper (Woodbury, The Commwealth, CRM, Sanctuary even our heroes communities) survive without rolling over the other settlements and survivors they encounter?

Even Negan admits that perhaps The Saviors might have made a mistake just subordinating rather than annihilating the other settlements around them.   Of course a larger community gives you access to more people and resources.  So keeping yourself too small makes you an easier target for others.  What will the CRM do well they encounter The Commonwealth.  Hilltop and Alexandria are too weak and irrelevant to much care about.  But the Commonwealth?  Maybe not.

Favorite episode, chills down your spine?  Definitely the season finale of season 1, TS-19 when the scientist working on the cure for the zombie virus before blowing himself (well the CDC was on self-destruct) tells Rick the secret (without us knowing) and Rick going white.  With members of the group debating whether to die a quick death than see the horrors that await them outside.  Back when the show still had an air of mystery.

What would I have done differently?  I would have ended the show after Negan's defeat.  Key cast members were itching to get out and the show was creatively spent.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Taget

[Iguessnot]

The seasons before the "where's Negan" were terrific with a few duds in between. The Governor was good but too long. The Claimers scared the hell out of me and I loved when Rick went vampire on the dude. 

Carol has always been a joy to watch. Look at those flowers Lizzie!

As I've stated before, things changed with the season long teasing of the Negan storyline.  I didn't read the comics, so it was clear the storytelling took a backseat to challenging the comic readers.  Only they could get some enjoyment out the of peek-a-boo storytelling. 

The show did that epic bait and switch cliffhanger and pissed off everyone and never recovered from that blunder. Chris Hardwick doubled down as groupie/show apologist and made TD nearly unwatchable. 

[theredhead77]

I love seeing platonic, opposite gender friendships on TV which makes favorite relationship Carol and Daryl. No UST, no "brother/sister vibe" (I hate that trope), just two people who have been to hell and back together and forged a serious bond. They had their ups, downs, periods of not speaking, and hating each other but at the end of the day, they always gravitated back to each other. And normalizing saying "I love you" "I love you, too" to your friends. My soul was so full after that.

Edited November 21, 2022 by theredhead77

[OoohMaggie]

1 hour ago, Taget said:

Loved the tension between Rick and Shane. 

Thank you for your insightful comments, I would have loved to have seen their relationship progress over at least two or three more seasons.  I can only imagine in my wildest dreams how that may have impacted for the better,  the show that at that time I loved dearly.

[OoohMaggie]

34 minutes ago, Iguessnot said:

things changed with the season long teasing of the Negan storyline. 

Unfortunately the first appearance of Negan will undoubtedly be a defining point, whether for good or bad in most viewers experience of watching TWD.

28 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

They had their ups, downs, periods of not speaking, and hating each other

Do you believe they ever really hated each other?  And may I just say that I’m sooooo glad now it’s all over, that I never had to inform you of any harm ever coming to Dog, I hadn’t forgotten 😂🤣

[theredhead77]

8 minutes ago, OoohMaggie said:

Do you believe they ever really hated each other?

I seem to recall a period where it seemed like they did. I can't recall which season it was though.

9 minutes ago, OoohMaggie said:

 And may I just say that I’m sooooo glad now it’s all over, that I never had to inform you of any harm ever coming to Dog, I hadn’t forgotten 😂🤣

So grateful to you for being on the watch and I was extra happy to learn Daryl was leaving Dog behind so I don't need to worry about him in the next series.

[OoohMaggie]

The Best TWD Villain? 
In my humble opinion it was the Gov, he had that perfect balance of charming nice guy / unpredictable lunatic who kept his familie’s heads in fish tanks.

The way he fooled and then killed Martinez on top of the RV was sheer class. FOUR……………..

[cambridgeguy]

The early show certainly had its share of annoying characters (Lori, Andrea, Dale), but it's telling that the vast majority of the interesting/beloved ones (Rick, Carl, Glenn, Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Michonne, Shane, Hershel) were introduced by the beginning of season 3.  The later additions weren't all bad, but they never reached the same heights as the initial crew.

[Dodginblue]

That's a lot to think about and answer!  I found TWD to be must-watch, appointment TV up until Negan killed Glen and Abraham.  I have only watched intermittently since then so there are things that went on after those deaths that I don't really know much about.  The whole Whisperer arc, for example, I am not really familiar with it.  

My favorite episode is the  opener to  Season 5, "No Sanctuary" when Carol goes full ninja and rescues the group from Gareth and the others at Terminus.  That scene where Rick and Daryl and Glen are lined up at that trough?  I think that was the single most terrifying scene in all of TWD, or at least in the top 3 or 4.   I found the Terminus group to be the scariest of the villains.

My most favorite character is Rick and I think Andrew Lincoln is an excellent actor, actually probably somewhat under-rated IMO.  I also liked Shane and Tyreese and Glen and Tara and I always found Abraham and Eugene fun to watch.  My least favorite characters?  Probably Jadis, at least of those characters who were around for more than one or two episodes.  And I was never a huge fan of Deanna, at Alexandria.  I like Tovah Feldshuh, so it wasn't the actress, I just found the Alexandria group to be unbelievable, they seemed so untouched by the ZA, really the same with the Commonwealth.  I am also not a big Princess fan.

If I could be any character on TWD, who would I be?  Well I'd want to make it to the end so I guess I'd say Michonne or Carol or Maggie but leaving that issue aside, I'd say Sasha. Of the women characters, she was my favorite.  Of course in a real ZA I'd be one of those people in the bus that never made it very far out of the prison.

[heisenberg]

Nice idea this subject.  I'll be back as soon I have time.🙂

[OoohMaggie]

51 minutes ago, Dodginblue said:

That's a lot to think about and answer! 

Well Dodginblue, thank you for your honest answers, those answers were exactly what I was hoping to get. You admit to not having seen everything but have spoken honestly about what you have seen.

Regarding the Terminus scenario, I fully agree that this was the most amazing and devastating situation so far experienced by our people in the Zombie Apocalypse. My only complaint is that “Terminus” happened way too early in the whole WD timeline, there were still vast supplies of tinned, packaged food available to those caring to look for it, there was no need for people to resort to cannibalism at that stage in the ZA.

If however, the Terminus idea had been introduced when the communities were literally starving, I feel it would have at least come across as being believable, it was a great storyline sadly squandered in my opinion.

Edited November 22, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

51 minutes ago, heisenberg said:

Nice idea this subject.  I'll be back as soon I have time.🙂

Cool, we’ve got twelve years to discuss so there’s no rush ⏱️

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, heisenberg said:

Nice idea this subject.  I'll be back as soon I have time.🙂

Same. I'm still gathering my thoughts. I promise to reply before the first spin-off. 

[Iguessnot]

One of my least favorite characters was Beth, at least when they started to make her more prominent.  The actress was just awful and she attracted the most annoying fanbase to this forum. 

Reminds me that one of my favorite scenes is when Ace? perked up when Carol told him she wasn't a lesbian.

Morgan's a great character, but that all lives are precious phase was infuriating.

[Mr. Sparkle]

5 hours ago, Iguessnot said:

Reminds me that one of my favorite scenes is when Ace? perked up when Carol told him she wasn't a lesbian.

Ha! I was thinking of that the other day for some reason, probably because I saw a clip. 

"Things just got interesting!" 

"No they didn't!" 

[ctlady]

12 hours ago, Iguessnot said:

One of my least favorite characters was Beth, at least when they started to make her more prominent.  The actress was just awful and she attracted the most annoying fanbase to this forum. 

And Daryl fangirls wanted so bad for them to become a couple.  She was a teenager for Pete's sake!  Same with them wanting to hook up Daryl and Connie.  Just like Carol - why can't men and women be friends who truly love each other without having to shove a romance down our throats?  Look how it ended with Leah!

The entire Negan storyline from end of S6 to end of S8 was hard to watch and anxiety inducing.  Seeing these people - Rick especially -on their knees and bowing under the thumb of the Saviors was infuriating.

Most annoying:  

- Laurie.   know she thought her husband was dead, but she still.  When Carl first saw Rick and ran to him and she appeared to be wanting to hold him back from going to his father was when I first placed the annoying tag on her

- Andrea.  For some reason, she came across as a wannabe - trying too hard to be bad ass. 

- Beth.  For my reasons above

- Jessie (Pete's wife from Alexandria) and her stupid kid

- Glen.  Unpopular opinion, but I thought he came across as a big kid and never bought him and Maggie as some supercouple

- Jada.  And the entire Junkyard gang's idiotic language/vernacular

- Leah.  Another chick trying to act tough and losing the battle.  

- Alpha.  Or maybe it was just her sing-songy accent

Favorite:

-  Carol. Carol.  Did I say Carol?

- Judith.  When children and teens can be the demise of some shows, this little girl knocked it out of the park.  She was a tough kid rather than a kid who was trying too hard to be tough (looking at you, World Beyond sisters!)

- Rick.  Even when he made mistakes or very unpopular decision (keeping Negan alive), he never lost the air of leadership he had around him

- Father Gabriel.  What a turnaround from the coward he was when they found him in the church to "they call me Gabriel" don't mess with me character

- Deanna.  I really liked this little powerhouse and her vision for Alexandria.  When she gave the order to Rick to kill Pete.....oooooooh!

Graduated from annoying to tolerable:

- Negan.  Once JDM stopped with the body contorting and sarcastic euphenisms , then got soaked in humility in that jail did he become bearable

- Princess.  What?  A character wearing a pink, fuzzy jacket and goggles?  Seriously?  She was a bit much when we first met her, but she pulled it back a bit.  And I like her hooking up with Mercer

Just Didn't Care About

- Magna & Yumiko

- Dale

- Rosita

Best Fist-Pumping Moment

- Tie between Carol saving the day in No Sanctuary and Shiva saving Carl's behind in The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life (to which the scene at the end where Rick and Maggie are addressing everyone after the shootout with the Saviors reminded me of the finale's scene with Mercer and Ezekiel addressing everyone at The Commonwealth)

Scene I Can't Bring Myself To Watch Again

- Shiva getting taken down by walkers

Cringe Scene

- Alpha in her birthday suit and walker mask getting it on with Negan

Gasp Scene

- The walker heads on pikes - and Carol realizing one was Henry's

I'm sure there's more over the years, but this is all my brain can vomit out right now

Edited November 22, 2022 by ctlady

[diebartdie]

So, I am well aware there is a vocal segment of this forum/fandom that absolutely hate Carol with a burning passion but here's my 2cents. I started watching this show because the website io9 turned me on to the comics which lead to the tv show. In the comic (spoiler for a really old comic), Carol was so different. She was so traumatized, at one point she came on to both Lori and Rick, wanting to create a thrupple. When they rejected her, she ended up committing suicide via chained up zombie. She was a weird, barely there character with hard to understand motivations.

The tv show Carol started out that way and was that way for 2 seasons and then she just changed. That sudden, complete about face really threw a lot of people and I think maybe that lead to some of the above mentioned ire towards Carol. For some people, that kind of sudden change represents some deceit or for the more literal minded, a plot-hole instead of character development.

Im a survivor of domestic violence and I grew up seeing important women in my life (mother, grandmother, great aunt) suffer under extreme domestic violence. I saw my mom and later myself behave like season 1-2 Carol, meek, withdrawn, quiet but more importantly I saw my grandmother go the route of season 3 Carol. No more taking shit. No more being the punching bag. No. More. So why say all this?

Because for me, Carol was the most important, most relatable character on TWD followed closely by Daryl. I totally got that weird, unexplained sudden transformation between seasons because I had seen it in real life. Sometimes you really do JUST CHANGE. It's change or die and she chose to change. She did so many heroic things but no way was she a hero. No, she was still damaged, still fucked up from all the trauma. What else could possibly explain her horrible psychological abuse of Sam? I mean, she really did a number on that poor child and this marked yet another change in her character, her descent into what looked like psychotic depression.

She went downhill for a long time, a real long time. Her decisions grew ever more reckless, her paranoia grew and she began to develop obsessions that nearly got herself and those she loved killed, over and over. I think by the end of the series she had made yet another change, the one called menopause, the one big ass change that really puts a person's whole life in perspective. I think the Carol we saw at the very end of the show was the best, most balanced, most psychically integrated she had ever been. Strong, brave, nothing left to prove, able to love and care and protect without the insanity. I loved this inspiring character, she was the show for me with filthy Daryl as a very close second (the wounded child grown into fierce protector). I prefer this ending for her instead of her racing off to fucking France.

So now I cry instead of when cypher Rosita died, lol.

[theredhead77]

I liked the concept of Beth as a character but the actress couldn't hide her IRL crush on Norman and it made for an awkward vibe.

I wouldn't have minded if Connie and Daryl became a couple. I think he was finally in a place where he could be in a healthy relationship and Connie not only challenged him, she didn't take his shit. I was also 100% fine with them not getting together but I am glad it didn't end with Connie being with someone else as the reason she's happy (as far as we know). Along with platonic friends, I'm also a fan of "women can be happy without a man" storylines.

[OoohMaggie]

17 hours ago, Iguessnot said:

Reminds me that one of my favorite scenes is when Ace? perked up when Carol told him she wasn't a lesbian.

That scene was hilarious, his name is Axel, it’s just a shame he didn’t live long enough to turn on the charm, that would have been interesting to say the least.

Morgan’s flip flopping mental state was at times challenging to watch, yet his good times made up for any frustrations, this is before he moved to Fear obviously.

Edited November 23, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

7 hours ago, ctlady said:

I'm sure there's more over the years, but this is all my brain can vomit out right now

That’s a great answer, there are some great comments on the thread, keep them coming while the interest is still there.

[nodorothyparker]

Good topic to start. It's going to take a bit of reflection when I've got some time.

[Tallulah7606]

Favourite period by far for me was the prison. After Lori died and after Rick had come to terms with it. Daryl really started to shine during the Prison days. 
As for the last episode, I’m hot and cold over it. I feel like we all became a bit immune to the horror of the walkers several seasons ago, they were nothing more than a little side nuisance getting in the way of fighting the human antagonists-but the final episode brought back some of the suspense and turned the walkers back into the threat that they really are.

It also provide the obligatory heartbreak-even if the lead up to Rositas sad goodbye was absolutely ludicrous-she falls backwards into a pit of zombies with nothing more than a solitary bite on the back of her neck, then she leaps from the truck to the drainpipe, slams into the wall but the baby strapped to her chest is completely unharmed. 
 

I’m seriously disappointed that Daryl left without Carol though-last I heard, Daryl and Carol were filming a spin off, but clearly it’s going to be Daryl on his own
 

[theredhead77]

On 11/21/2022 at 7:01 PM, OoohMaggie said:

 And may I just say that I’m sooooo glad now it’s all over, that I never had to inform you of any harm ever coming to Dog, I hadn’t forgotten 😂🤣

I decided to re-watch the series and I'm in season 4 when we first see Violet (the pig) and in my Googling to make sure I skip the episode where they kill the piglets I came across this article (from 2013) about the post airing outrage. Vindication! I was not alone! 

[nodorothyparker]

On 11/26/2022 at 7:53 AM, Tallulah7606 said:

I’m seriously disappointed that Daryl left without Carol though-last I heard, Daryl and Carol were filming a spin off, but clearly it’s going to be Daryl on his own

It was supposed to be a Daryl/Carol spinoff until it was announced that it would for some reason be filming in Europe. There's been lots of speculation about that, particularly about Norman Reedus and his German actress partner supposedly wanting to relocate full-time there and AMC possibly bending over backwards to accommodate him, and more than a little defensive/damage control type press about it. Regardless of what the truth of it may be, the end result was Melissa McBride being either unwilling or unable to make that move and bowing out. I'll be honest that of all the announced spinoffs, the Daryl as the ugly American on his own in ZA France is the least appealing of the three to me because I don't find Reedus leading man material and Daryl not particularly interesting without strong scene partners to be invested in. But I guess we'll see. 

As far as the final verdict on the series as a whole goes, I think it's been incredibly easy and popular to rag on it for a long time. And to be fair, there were long stretches where the show gave its detractors plenty to work with.  I'm also not one who romanticizes the Darabont era. He had an incredible vision for a gorgeously haunted world and the people left alive at the end of it. But the writing could also sometimes be pretty hamfisted and misogynistic. Our gang especially in the early seasons was really just too stupid to live and the incredible body count and path of destruction in their wake attested to that. My favorite seasons are probably 3-5, starting with the prison story, the scattering of the group on the road to Terminus, and everything between there and finally landing at Alexandria, where our filthy ragtag band immediately set about to destroy the village to "save" it. Rick and Carol in those seasons were both pretty good portrayals of people who had started out decent and well meaning enough before being broken and brutalized by their new reality to the point that they both really struggled with how far is too far before you really can't call yourself a good guy anymore. Both actors always really brought it where I could understand where they were coming from even if I didn't always like where they were going.

While it was inevitable that they had to settle somewhere and couldn't just keep circling the same copse of trees forever, Alexandria is also where the show really began to stagnate. They spent five full seasons endlessly warring over it and rebuilding with two full seasons of fighting Negan and the asshole gang thrown in there. JDM is a good actor and he definitely does have some range and the ability to emote, but making the character so ridiculously cartoonish right out of the gate and then forcing the rest of the cast to continually contort themselves to rationalize keeping him around really didn't do them any favors. I will probably never get over sweaty Rick fighting hellraiser walkers in his underwear in a giant junkyard and grinning like any of it made any sense whatsoever. The back half of the series also suffered in that the same group who were once too timid to kill two (2!) walkers to save Sophia all became superhero wannabes who seemed to be about who could cause the most explosions or inflict the most destruction while battling increasingly ridiculous and interchangeable villains. While part of me is sorry to see the show end because it has been such a familiar part of the TV landscape for such a long time, I do think it was probably time. 

If nothing else, I will always be grateful to the show for introducing us to Carol, who had probably one of the most incredible character arcs in TV history to become one of the most unlikeliest of heroes. It's been a joy to watch a middle-aged mother figure take on all the thanklessness that middle-aged mothers have traditionally been expected to shoulder but also be unapologetically difficult and so ruthlessly internally focused and centered on her own pain in ways that are usually reserved for male characters/antiheroes. She got to be the gunslinger AND the lady who baked the best beet and acorn cookies, the woman you most wanted on your side in a fight of any kind AND the one who most scared the hell out of you. 

[Crashcourse]

I just wish Father Pee Pants had worn a fucking eye patch to spare me from looking at that dead eye of his.

[OoohMaggie]

20 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

I decided to re-watch the series and I'm in season 4 when we first see Violet (the pig) and in my Googling to make sure I skip the episode where they kill the piglets I came across this article (from 2013) about the post airing outrage. Vindication! I was not alone! 

In case you’ve forgotten make sure you avoid S5 Ep10, the Feral Dog episode.

[maestroGoetz]

TWD is over. I saw the series finale and it was alright. My biggest take away from the show was how violent it was and that it was super popular AND on primetime. It was at one point, I believe, the most popular show in TV. 

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

In case you’ve forgotten make sure you avoid S5 Ep10, the Feral Dog episode.

Thank you! I did forget about that episode. Showing that level of gore (slicing the piglets), or the dogs collar, or when Carol killed the wild horse is so unnecessary. We all know you're going to kill these animals, there is no need to show it. 

[SharonH58]

16 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Thank you! I did forget about that episode. Showing that level of gore (slicing the piglets), or the dogs collar, or when Carol killed the wild horse is so unnecessary. We all know you're going to kill these animals, there is no need to show it. 

They seemed to enjoy killing any animal that showed up.   You knew that animal was dead soon.  When Daryl I think was going to trap that horse in a pen that had been running free.   Dead.  I am formulating my thoughts for a longer post.

[Tallulah7606]

On 11/27/2022 at 8:48 PM, nodorothyparker said:

If nothing else, I will always be grateful to the show for introducing us to Carol, who had probably one of the most incredible character arcs in TV history to become one of the most unlikeliest of heroes. It's been a joy to watch a middle-aged mother figure take on all the thanklessness that middle-aged mothers have traditionally been expected to shoulder but also be unapologetically difficult and so ruthlessly internally focused and centered on her own pain in ways that are usually reserved for male characters/antiheroes. She got to be the gunslinger AND the lady who baked the best beet and acorn cookies, the woman you most wanted on your side in a fight of any kind AND the one who most scared the hell out of you. 

This 👆🏻

quite possibly the most beautifully accurate description of Carol I have ever come across. 

[BasilSeal]

On 11/28/2022 at 5:29 PM, maestroGoetz said:

TWD is over. I saw the series finale and it was alright. My biggest take away from the show was how violent it was and that it was super popular AND on primetime. It was at one point, I believe, the most popular show in TV. 

I think i read somewhere that more people watched even the mid season episodes of the early seasons than watched the season finale of breaking bad.

[SharonH58]

IMO the show started to go downhill when they rolled into Alexandria.  I was annoyed how stupid they made Rick with, Jessica?   Her name was something about that, the wife of the drunk doctor.   Before that I couldn't wait until each new episode.   They began to build up new bad guys and then get rid of them in rapid time.  Except the Saviors.  Once Gumby showed up I began to really hate the show.   

I agree Carol was a great character until whatever season that she decided she wanted to hide out in some house.  After she decided to count how many people she had killed.   But luckily she snapped out of it.   

Rick was a favorite until they made him do stupid stuff around the Alexandria time.  They should have killed him and Michonne off.  Same with Maggie.   She was never a favorite of mine.

Past their expiration dates - 

Eugene.  I hated  him as soon as he showed up and as many good characters that they killed too soon they let him live?

Gabriel.  He too should have died long ago.   Poor Rosita stuck with him as a boyfriend.

They started adding too many characters in the last seasons that I had zero interest in.  

In it's prime Walking Dead was a great show but AMC ran that money train into the ground and started spitting out dull spin offs to continue trying to get blood from a turnip.   I thought of one thing I wished they had showed before it ended.   Daryl taking a shower.  😏

[theredhead77]

My re-watch has me after Carol destroys Terminus and infected Bob is being BBQed. The re-watch is simultaneously more and less stressful. I know what's coming, but I forget where it's going to show up.

[heisenberg]

They stretched the thing for too long.

It should have been 7 or 8 seasons maximum. 

Even the ending saved people i don't care about.

I know the show is about zombies but they took too much liberty with the writing.

Lots of characters came in the middle of the show and never did anything worth of their story lines.

I kept watching because the comics were going somewhere but not those shows. they were just turning in circles to make money.

I watched the last 3 or 5 seasons washing dishes or doing something else, lots of ffw.

They will have to do something special to the spinoffs if they want me to watch it or at least one of them but i dought it.

 

 

[heisenberg]

But if you are here and you insist...🤣