Talking Dead: Where Chris Hardwick Got His Groove Back

[lulee]

More and more, I think an actor's announced appearance probably means that they're alive, but if Hardwick pops up in a promo with 5 minutes of TWD remaining, talking about a "special guest you won't want to miss," somebody unannounced is headed to the ZA afterlife.

[Pete Martell]

I've been uncomfortable for a while with the tradition of having the performer on the same night on which their final episode aired. Scott Wilson barely hung on to his sense of humour when Hardwick had the cast of his head, Emily Kinney was in bits and even the kid who played Ron was down. It might be time to abandon that and wait a week or so for the dearly departed to guest on the couch. Regardless of what Hardwick says, I still get wary when he announces a surprise guest.

 

I think they can have the departed actor on and treat them respectfully, but for all Hardwick's talk of how viewers use Talking Dead as therapy, it seems to happen too infrequently. I remember how uncomfortable Tyler James Williams (Noah) was when Hardwick trotted out the mutilated model of his face/body. Steven Yeun was the only one who tried to be respectful.

[indeed]

JB Smoove was not that bad. I was more worried about Alana going in based on her last appearance, but she was fine here. Ross is always a delight (and should be on TWD more!). After reading people here comparing him to Manson (seriously?!), I was expecting a lot worse from JB. Sure, some of his jokes were terrible, but he wasn't taking himself seriously and he only talked when he was directly addressed. He also was pretty superfluous with two cast members there, but apparently they feel the need for three people on that couch. (I like Nathan Fillion and all, but he didn't add much IMO either in his episode.)

[rab01]

I tried to watch TD but it seemed like every time I turned back to the show Hardwick threw the question to the guy y'all tell me is JB Smoove and he would start a long unfunny sexist joke.  (I assume he's playing a sexist character to make fun of that type of person but it's still not funny. If, however, any of that is close to how he actually thinks, yuck.)

 

Could Alanna's better performance this time just be down to being more secure in her position on the show so she doesn't have to be so "try hard"? Also, I think that Tara and Heath are going on a separate mission so that the show had an excuse to not air footage of her if the pregnancy got too big to ignore. (In other words, I don't think that her presence on the couch is a sign that her character died (will die?) for production reasons.)

[Pete Martell]

JB Smoove was not that bad. I was more worried about Alana going in based on her last appearance, but she was fine here. Ross is always a delight (and should be on TWD more!). After reading people here comparing him to Manson (seriously?!), I was expecting a lot worse from JB. Sure, some of his jokes were terrible, but he wasn't taking himself seriously and he only talked when he was directly addressed. He also was pretty superfluous with two cast members there, but apparently they feel the need for three people on that couch. (I like Nathan Fillion and all, but he didn't add much IMO either in his episode.)

 

When I did watch, I skipped a lot of his comments, but one of those I saw near the end was his saying, based on the conversation about the female voice at the end of the episode, that when he hears a woman in retail, he keeps on shopping. And that's the type of thing that I really dislike in a guest on this show, not only because it's sexist, but also because it's a cheap joke that has nothing to do with the conversation. From what I saw, he wasn't as bad as his last appearance, where he was grinding and going on and on about Beth and Daryl fucking, but I still don't know why he was asked back.

 

I assume they always want that third person to make sure discussion doesn't get too meta, but some of these guests either just don't seem to have anything to say, or they say stupid comments, or they want to try out their standup routine. 

 

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing good to say about this show, but I do enjoy parts of it. I thought Ross was very insightful and you can see how seriously he takes his character and the show. His answer about Abraham and Rosita teaching them military formation was one of those little details that added a lot to my enjoyment of the episode. (I do wish when he'd been asked about Eric and Aaron, he'd actually talked about them rather than Aaron, but then Eric barely appears on the show so what can he say?). And Alanna was fine too, albeit obviously sick. 

 

I mostly wish they would shake up their format. Not just the guests, but a lot more than that, as what used to feel natural with Hardwick (who can still be a more than decent host and moderator at times) now feels forced and patronizing. 

 

I hope that doing the TD for Fear the Walking Dead improves his skills somewhat, as that show won't have as much to riff on and from the few episodes they had of it last season, the cast members were very dry and serious.

[Richness]

I didn't see JB's first appearance, so my opinion was formed solely on tonight's episode. After a few sentences into his first comments, I decided that I didn't like him. I forced myself to sit through the rest of that first question and answer section with him. But after that, I fast-forwarded any time he spoke. He was *that* annoying. I do not want him back ever again.

 

Ross was a delight. Even the few times he referenced JB's comments, and tried to make them relevant, did not make me go back and listen to JB. Loved Ross's impressions.

[Armchair Critic]

Nice makeup on Melissa McBride, she looks great. Hopefully Alicia Witt will be less annoying than her character.

[Peanut]

Melissa McBride is gorgeous.  I wish my hair would go gray in that awesome way instead of random white streaks in stupid places. 

[SimoneS]

Alicia Witt looks lovely.

[MichaelaRae]

Damn, Alicia, you could pack some luggage in those bags.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Poor Rus Blackwell, played a weak willed douche and died.

Liked him as Gordon on Banshee.

[wait.what]

I thought the same about Alicia's bags. Dang.

Melissa looks incredible.

[eejm]

Nice makeup on Melissa McBride, she looks great. Hopefully Alicia Witt will be less annoying than her character.

 

I'm betting you've lost hope by now.

[SimoneS]

Melissa McBride looks lovely. Her hair is stylish.

Melissa McBride is gorgeous.  I wish my hair would go gray in that awesome way instead of random white streaks in stupid places. 

 

She must color her hair to get her gray so perfect.

[riverheightsnancy]

OMG Alicia, shut up. She practically regurged the entire monologue from the show and then used it to talk about the character on TTD. We already heard it once and it was boring then!

[TVFan17]

OMG Alicia, shut up. She practically regurged the entire monologue from the show and then used it to talk about the character on TTD. We already heard it once and it was boring then!

 

This is a tough crowd!  Lol.  To be fair, Chris was asking her about her thoughts on her character.  It's better to have a guest that can give an informed reply than a guest that sits there and says nothing.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Sherry67

[CletusMusashi]

Kill her again, Carol!

[TVFan17]

Universal Studios Hollywood is stepping up its game with Harry Potter and a year-round Walking Dead attraction.

[maystone]

OMG I want to go through that Walking Dead attraction so very, very much!

[TVFan17]

OMG I want to go through that Walking Dead attraction so very, very much!

 

USH usually does something TWD-related for their Halloween Horror Nights event every year (a maze or two with a TWD theme), but now that there is going to be a permanent attraction there I wonder if they will skip the maze at HHN.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Sherry67

[kia112]

I don't like Alicia Witt. Never have. I appreciate that she's a fan, but this is a super boring episode. I actually think this is probably how I would be on TD (just...talking too much, telling stories no one cares about, etc), and I think that Hardwick would normally try to make up for that deficit. However, since they're besties, he just lets her keep going and I'm like :-|

[SimoneS]

I don't know who this Paul guy is, but I like him.

[eejm]

I don't like Alicia Witt. Never have. I appreciate that she's a fan, but this is a super boring episode. I actually think this is probably how I would be on TD (just...talking too much, telling stories no one cares about, etc), and I think that Hardwick would normally try to make up for that deficit. However, since they're besties, he just lets her keep going and I'm like :-|

 

I think I just want Ross Marquand to be a permanent guest.  

[lulee]

What the hell "bonus" clip for next week was that? It was just 15 seconds earlier into the clip they showed at the end of this week's ep. Cheaters!

[kia112]

I don't know who this Paul guy is, but I like him.

 

Directed Bridesmaids, the new Ghostbusters reboot and probably some other stuff. From those two things, at least, he's known as someone who appreciates women-centric / women-led stories, so I assume that's why they got him for this episode.

[TVFan17]

I don't know who this Paul guy is, but I like him.

 

He seems like a fun, upbeat guy -- he directed the movie Bridesmaids and he is doing the upcoming Ghostbusters remake.

 

Melissa McBride looked very lovely tonight.  It's funny because I usually think she looks older than she actually is in real life -- and that is normally a bad thing for any woman, but for some reason it works on her.  She looks a bit older than her years, but it looks good.  I don't remember her from her younger years (I think she was on Dawson's Creek at some point?), but I think that time has been kind to her.  She is aging very well and very gracefully.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Sherry67

[Madding crowd]

Melissa McBride is always very quiet when she is on TD. Sometimes it comes off as her being a bit above it all, but it could be shyness. Alicia Witt talked too much, which pretty much every B guest star does when they come on the show. I was wondering if they would discuss the possibility of Maggie losing the baby, but they no longer really ask questions regarding future developments on the show. The best part was Chris announcing the new Walking Dead experience at Universal Studios. 

 

I still wish they would get rid of the polls, quizzes and the fan art and fan tweets. To me they add nothing to the show and they could easily put that stuff on the TD Facebook page. 

[walnutqueen]

Shut up, Alecia.

[TVFan17]

Melissa McBride is always very quiet when she is on TD. Sometimes it comes off as her being a bit above it all, but it could be shyness. Alicia Witt talked too much, which pretty much every B guest star does when they come on the show. I was wondering if they would discuss the possibility of Maggie losing the baby, but they no longer really ask questions regarding future developments on the show. The best part was Chris announcing the new Walking Dead experience at Universal Studios. 

 

I still wish they would get rid of the polls, quizzes and the fan art and fan tweets. To me they add nothing to the show and they could easily put that stuff on the TD Facebook page. 

 

I could do without the polls, quizzes, fan art, Fresh Buzz, etc.  I could do without most of the tweets and social media commentary -- unless it is something particularly funny or insightful.  Just reading tweets that say things like "Carol is a badass" adds nothing to the show.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Sherry67

[RedheadZombie]

Melissa McBride is always very quiet when she is on TD. Sometimes it comes off as her being a bit above it all, but it could be shyness.

She seems like a quiet and introspective person. When she was on following The Grove, I felt she was very emotional, and struggling not to cry at times.

[Unusual Suspect]

I didn't feel like Alicia was "hogging" the time, she's not DB. And I liked a lot of the backstory. The blood malfunction anecdote was pretty funny.

 

I think I just want Ross Marquand to be a permanent guest.  

... in my bunk.

[Eyes High]

I don't like Alicia Witt. Never have. I appreciate that she's a fan, but this is a super boring episode. I actually think this is probably how I would be on TD (just...talking too much, telling stories no one cares about, etc)

 

Aw, I liked her stories. I thought the one with her dribbling water all over herself accidentally during one take while Melissa was trying not to crack up was pretty funny.

 

Lauren Cohan seemed to be parodying her own bad southern accent when she was imitating the fan gushing over her: "'Ah lahk yer fice! Yer mah FAYV-rih! Mah FAYV-rih!'"

Edited March 14, 2016 by Eyes High

[Pete Martell]

I could do without the polls, quizzes, fan art, Fresh Buzz, etc.  I could do without most of the tweets and social media commentary -- unless it is something particularly funny or insightful.  Just reading tweets that say things like "Carol is a badass" adds nothing to the show.

 

I don't mind the tweets as much as I mind when Hardwick says it. I feel like there was so much of him saying "Carol should be the leader" and so on, on a loop, that it helped contribute to the idea with some fans that she should always be emotionless or else the show is ruining her.

[TVFan17]

I didn't feel like Alicia was "hogging" the time, she's not DB. And I liked a lot of the backstory. The blood malfunction anecdote was pretty funny.

 

... in my bunk.

 

 

Aw, I liked her stories. I thought the one with her dribbling water all over herself accidentally during one take while Melissa was trying not to crack up was pretty funny.

 

Lauren Cohan seemed to be parodying her own bad southern accent when she was imitating the fan gushing over her: "'Ah lahk yer fice! Yer mah FAYV-rih! Mah FAYV-rih!'"

 

I agree with both of you.   I liked Alicia's stories too.  I was interested in what she was saying, and was glad that she was such an enthusiastic guest.  I was interested in hearing about the line of dialogue that didn't make it into the episode, where her character says that [under different circumstances] she probably would have sent Carol funny cat videos.  In other words, they might have been friends or acquaintances if things were different.  They were probably more similar than they were different at one point, but Alicia's character turned into a horrible person and Carol is still a good person.  I thought it was interesting that the line was cut out because it would have put an interesting, more human, spin on the scene.

 

Now as far as Alicia's character, Paula -- she was awful and needed to die since it seemed she was past the point of no return and couldn't be turned around.  She had become pure evil.  I was trying to understand her back story, though.  She worked for a boss that drank coffee and who was probably going to get them both killed when they had to stay behind -- and so she killed him?  I assume her husband and 4 kids got killed, but that couldn't have been the boss' fault.   It didn't sound like he was a bad person, but she hated him and wanted him dead.

 

In any case, I like Alicia.  She has a great smile, a hearty laugh, and -- from what I have seen on social media -- she has a good sense of humor.  She was only on this one episode of TWD and she is already off the show, so I had no problem with her being on Talking Dead and talking about her role, and about working with Melissa.

 

There are some guests who never should have been on TD in the first place, and who have never been back... like Marilyn Manson.  And whatever happened to Dave Navarro?  He was a huge TWD fan and started complaining about the show when everyone was on the farm.  He has not been back for another TD episode since then.

[Nashville]

Melissa McBride looked very lovely tonight.  It's funny because I usually think she looks older than she actually is in real life -- and that is normally a bad thing for any woman, but for some reason it works on her.  She looks a bit older than her years, but it looks good.  I don't remember her from her younger years (I think she was on Dawson's Creek at some point?), but I think that time has been kind to her.  She is aging very well and very gracefully.

Fixed that for you.

Just a personal thing for me, but I see no reason to qualify MM's beauty on the basis of age.

Probably because she's younger than me.  :)

[turnitwayup]

I don't know who this Paul guy is, but I like him.

 

Even though he mostly directs/writes/produces, I recognized him from his role in Ski Patrol when I rewatched it on netflix a months ago.

[kj4ever]

I thought Alicia was fine.  Melissa is almost shy and you can tell she struggles with answering some of the questions, so it's probably good to have someone more chatty on when she is on.

 

I really wish they could have elaborated more on DC.  I found her story in the show and when she talked about it on TD about not being able to leave while they got the "important" people out.  Man I wish FTWD would have showed us some things like that.

[ghoulina]

Melissa looked absolutely stunning last night! I was so glad she wasn't on because Carol was killed. Whew. I just love that woman, you can really tell that she takes her character very very seriously. She gives such insightful answers and I feel like she really puts a lot of thought into Carol's motivations, back story, etc. 

 

Alicia was a BIT over the top, but not too bad. I liked seeing how close those two had become in just a week of filming. 

 

I have no idea who the other guy was, and he didn't get to say much, but at least he wasn't an obnoxious guest. 

[ghoulina]

This is a tough crowd!  Lol.  To be fair, Chris was asking her about her thoughts on her character.  It's better to have a guest that can give an informed reply than a guest that sits there and says nothing.

 

I agree. I'm not a huge Alicia Witt fan, but I felt like she did give a lot of thought to who Paula was, for a character that only lasted one episode. I remember once they had Christian Serratos on before and I was shocked by how shallow a lot of her answers were. I felt like she didn't know Rosita at all, outside of the actual script she was given. Alicia can be a bit obnoxious, but I get the impression she takes her craft very very seriously. 

 

I think I just want Ross Marquand to be a permanent guest.

 

YES! If there's ever a lull, or an awkward/inappropriate guest, they can just get him to do impressions. 

 

What the hell "bonus" clip for next week was that? It was just 15 seconds earlier into the clip they showed at the end of this week's ep. Cheaters!

 

I swear they do that every week! That's why I no longer get upset if I fall asleep before the last segment. 

 

Melissa McBride is always very quiet when she is on TD. Sometimes it comes off as her being a bit above it all, but it could be shyness.

 

Yea, I don't think she's above it all....at all. Heh. I see her just as someone who's very reserved and who takes her job very seriously, and wants to answer serious questions. I think she gets nervous about the inevitable shipper crap. I noticed the look on her face when the moment with Daryl was brought up and apparently people in the audience started to "go there". She got A LOT of crap over the years about that, and I think it makes her apprehensive. 

[lulee]

I think McBride seemed the most comfortable she's looked on TTD couch. She's looked visibly tense in previous appearances - like she really felt like she was on the "hot seat," and was less so last night. It was obvious that she and Witt had gotten along well on set and Witt was a good complement to her.

It probably also helped that Carol is at a point that some viewers who hadnt before might feel more sympathetic toward her after last night

Edited March 16, 2016 by lulee

[mandolin]

LC's accent when describing her fan encounter was better than the one she uses in the show.

I'm so tired of Chris's southern attempts.

[nachomama]

I don't hate Alicia Witt, I appreciate the hell out of the fact that she was so pumped about a guest appearance on a show. She was there for the right reasons where JB Smoov and whoever else are there to promote other things. 

 

And Paul Feig is awesome, he's a fan, he's a writer, he's a director so he can appreciate all factors and he's just awesome.

[Eyes High]

Yea, I don't think she's above it all....at all. Heh. I see her just as someone who's very reserved and who takes her job very seriously, and wants to answer serious questions. I think she gets nervous about the inevitable shipper crap. I noticed the look on her face when the moment with Daryl was brought up and apparently people in the audience started to "go there". She got A LOT of crap over the years about that, and I think it makes her apprehensive. 

 

I think any actor playing a character in a ship that is extremely unlikely to become canon is put in a difficult position. Refuse to talk about it at all or talk negatively about the ship and you're not "engaging with fans." Talk about it positively when it's not going to happen and you're "leading fans on." Actors can't win.

 

As for MM's looks, I think very few middle-aged actresses let themselves go grey. Even Tovah Feldshuh, who is much older than MM, doesn't have grey hair. If MM dyed her hair like pretty much every other middle-aged actress, no one would believe that she was 50.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Eyes High

[TVFan17]

Fixed that for you.

Just a personal thing for me, but I see no reason to qualify MM's beauty on the basis of age.

Probably because she's younger than me.  :)

 

If people can comment on someone's else's bags in this thread, I can certainly mention that Melissa's age is working in her favor and that she is probably more beautiful now that she was even a couple of years ago.  Everything I said about her was complimentary.

 

I am someone who looks a bit older than I am -- I always have, way back when I was 16 and all the way up to now.  I don't look as good as Melissa looks, so I can appreciate that she is looking better as she ages and is not trying to do crazy things to stop the clock.

 

It's a reality that most women (especially in the entertainment field) don't want to look older than they are, and often times they don't even want to look their actual age.  And sometimes the years are not kind to certain ladies.  And sometimes they go to extremes to maintain their youth.  It's rare that anyone -- male or female -- begins to look more elegant, more lovely, more attractive as they get older.  So, my hat's off to Melissa!

Edited March 14, 2016 by Sherry67

[Nashville]

I think McBride seemed the most comfortable she's looked on TTD couch. She's looked visibly tense in previous appearance - like she really felt like she was on the "hot seat," and was less so last night. It was obvious that she and Witt had gotten along well on set and Witt was a good complement to her.

It probably also helped that Carol is at a point that some viewers who hadnt before might feel more sympathetic toward her after last night

Probably get some argument on this, but I thought it also helped that, when the audience did start their murmuring, CH cut them off at the knees. :) He seemed really protective of her this time out.

If people can comment on someone's else's bags in this thread, I can certainly mention that Melissa's age is working in her favor and that she is probably more beautiful now that she was even a couple of years ago.  Everything I said about her was complimentary.

 

Wow. Don't recall throwing around any THOU SHALT NOTs, but I apologize if it came across that way. Just having some fun. :)

[Iguessnot]

McBride looks good because the style and hair color fits her. Those who buy into the mantra of youth, bolt ons and blonde bouffants end up looking like pathetic fools. I noticed that sometime during this season's break, she tightened up the waddle. But she was striking last night.

[walnutqueen]

I noticed that sometime during this season's break, she tightened up the waddle.

 

Her walk is just fine - always has been.   :-)

[Iguessnot]

Her walk is just fine - always has been.   :-)

Dang. I'm using the wrong term. What's that section of loose skin under your chin called?

Wattle is the word I was looking for.

[walnutqueen]

Dang. I'm using the wrong term. What's that section of loose skin under your chin called?

Wattle is the word I was looking for.

 

I dunno, I was having a good chuckle imagining her going to the John Cleese school of silly walks during the break.  :-D

[lulee]

Neck wattle.

 

Anyway ...

 

I wondered if they had Paul Feig on last night for such a WomanPower episode given that two of his highest profile projects are so woman-centric (Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters (2016)).