S01.E01: Pilot

[HalcyonDays]

Episode synopsis: A highly dysfunctional blended family is forced together when they realize a reported virus is actually the onset of the undead apocalypse.

[HalcyonDays]

Hey Everyone! As I mentioned in the other thread, SimoneS had a great idea to start a Pre-Air Speculation and Live Chat thread, just like we have in the Walking Dead. So we have one and here it is:

 

                                                           S01.E01: Pilot - Pre Air Speculation and Live Chat.

 

It's open now, so go on over and chat and speculate away! Once the episode airs, this thread will open and we can continue discussion here.

 

We'll see how it goes, in terms of how much posts we get for the show. If we don't get that many in this thread, then we'll just keep the one episode thread, but I will open it before the episode airs. If we get tons of posts, then we'll stick with this format.

 

Also, remember the episode is 1.5 hours long so set your DVRs accordingly.

 

Please have fun discussing, but as always, be respectful and courteous. Enjoy!

[Red Fields]

I am totally in!

[AimingforYoko]

Anybody else rooting for Cal to shoot Nick and have him come back as a walker? I have a feeling I'm gonna get more tired of his act than Kim Dickins.

[raven]

 

The description is:  "Rick and his group face challenges."  Hee

 

Those vague descriptions crack me up.  "Rick must make a difficult choice that effects everyone in the group".

 

I'm in too!  I'm rooting for Nick because in his starved, junkie state he made the best choices out of anyone and I'm rooting for Travis cuz he's hot. 

[MrsRafaelBarba]

So far Nick and Tobias are the smartest ones on this show.

[Anela]

When the son was running, at the beginning, he reminded me of that little girl whose picture is all over the internet, running like hell.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Anela

[SimoneS]

l did not like it as much as I hoped. Too much family drama and not enough walkers. They could have cut out half of family and Nick's scenes and shown us the walkers starting to infect the city. I hope that the second episode is better. I will keep watching.

[Straycat80]

The first hour was slow, the last ten minutes were good, finally some action. The previews looked good, I'll keep watching.

[mustbekarma]

Despite the slow buildup, and do I ever mean slow, the show has me hooked. Nick the Junkie would normally be the character too stupid to live, but the kid's got survival instincts. First he ran like hell from the Druggie Chapel, then he knew Cal was going to kill him. Then he ran over Zombie Cal twice. The character I fully expected to despise was actually my favorite character.

 

I think watching everything going to hell could be very interesting indeed.

[TheRabbi]

I don't remember the music/atmospheric effects being this loud and overbearing on the mothership show.  It's really getting on my nerves.

 

Favorite line:  Kim Dickens (upon seeing a huge pile of blood): "Something bad happened here."  Oh boy, think a rewrite was in order there.

[bmoore4026]

So this is The Walking Dead meets The ABC After-School Special?  I'm cool with that.

 

Seriously, I was rather tense watching the premiere.  And also a bit sad.  All of the bit characters that the main cast has interacted with are going to die horribly and become those monsters.  People who had jobs and plans for the future.  It's tragic.

[natyxg]

Eh. i thought it was just okay. I thought they spent too much time showing us the family dynamics and the drug addict son, like this was Lifetime movie. I guess it was supposed to be suspenseful, that we know what's going on and they don't or whatever. But overall I found it annoying. I can't believe it took an hour and a half for them to get to the second zombie. I hope it picks up next week.

[Cheetosandchoc]

This will have to tide me over until October. Since Joanie rom Deadwood is on its a bonus. I miss Deadwood.

[tennisgurl]

The first half of the episode, I thought I would really hate Nick, but he grew on him. He has a pretty clear survival instinct, and had the first official Walker kill of the show! Plus the actor actually did a pretty good job. 

 

I love Kim Dickens, and I hope they give her more to do in the future beyond looking worried. 

 

This episode was mostly boring family stuff, but it seems like it might be setting up some cool stuff. 

[SnoGirl]

So I liked and disliked this episode. I'm disappointed it didn't end as memorably as the Walking Dead's pilot did (Glenn and Rick on the radio) but I didn't think it was horrible.

They were definitely laying down the path to Walkers with Walker Gloria, the missing boy at the Park, constant sirens in the background and the school's being shut down.

I'm disappointed they didn't figure out the shot to the Walker head to put them down quicker in the Walking Dead. That video of the accident would be everywhere. And it would have been a memorable inference.

I liked Nick and Tobias. Alisha shows some promise along with her Mother and Travis.

It was just a tad slow, with not enough Walkers.

[truelovekiss]

When the son was running, at the beginning, he reminded me of that little girl whose picture is all over the internet, running like hell.

He ran in such a girly way with his hair flowing behind him.

[SlovakPrincess]

I can't decide if it was refreshing to not have the characters screaming their heads off at the end when Cal kept coming back ... or slightly ridiculous.

I know if I had just seen that, my reaction would have been more than "ugh. What the hell is going on?"

In other news, Nick's shirt was tiny in the opening scenes. It looked child-sized and cracked me up.

Edited August 24, 2015 by SlovakPrincess

[fliptopbox]

l did not like it as much as I hoped. Too much family drama and not enough walkers. They could have cut out half of family and Nick's scenes and shown us the walkers starting to infect the city. I hope that the second episode is better. I will keep watching.

Yep. The previews make it look like once they do amp this show up it will get good, but I was really bored by the whole after school special feel of the entire episode. Hopefully next week is less disappointing.

 

Also, Nick only knew Cal was going to kill him because he saw the gun in his hand, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out if it's just you and one other person in a fucking drainage area. That's not exactly instinct. But he did redeem himself by running Cal down numerous times....one of them should have grabbed the gun that was just lying there on the damn ground though.

[weightyghost]

I had really low expectations for this, and sadly they were met if not more so. And I'm kind of upset about it. I never complained about TWD being slow bc I like character building but good lord. It doesn't help that I didn't like any of the characters except for the dad, and probably only bc I like the actor. I found the son annoying, the mother was very blank, I'd like more of the ex wife and son but I don't know if I can handle any more family drama.

[SimoneS]

 And also a bit sad.  All of the bit characters that the main cast has interacted with are going to die horribly and become those monsters.  People who had jobs and plans for the future.  It's tragic.

 

It is very sad. All these people about to lose everything that their dreams and hopes for the future, society about to disintegrate.

[natyxg]

l did not like it as much as I hoped. Too much family drama and not enough walkers. They could have cut out half of family and Nick's scenes and shown us the walkers starting to infect the city. I hope that the second episode is better. I will keep watching.

 

Exactly. I figured the first half hour or so would be family drama, then on to the walkers. But it went on and on and on. I also have a hard time with how slow everything is going in terms of the walkers. Everyone turns when they die, how many people die a day? I would have thought it would go faster.

[maystone]

I'm in. I would have preferred a more organic show-don't-tell reveal of the family dynamics, but I think the pilot was so full of exposition because it's only a six episode season. Pack it all into the pilot, and then get into the meat of the story in the following five.

[Brooklynista]

Was it me? Or did these people seem weirdly calm after running a man over twice and having that man still get up?

They seemed really zen about that shit for teachers. Must be a rough school.

[truelovekiss]

l did not like it as much as I hoped. Too much family drama and not enough walkers. They could have cut out half of family and Nick's scenes and shown us the walkers starting to infect the city. I hope that the second episode is better. I will keep watching.

I really hope we come across a ragtag group of survivors, like Camp Dinner Bell because I don't like any of the people we've met. The daughter is going to be a whiny little bitch, the mother is already unbearable. Travis is okay, but we're going to have to deal with his bad relationship with his son while striving to build relationships with his step kids. Nick is possibly the best we've got right now, but I can't follow him when he's stammering and all confused, so I hope he sobers up quickly.

[Jordan27]

Wow, I knew there was going to be a lot of family and teen angst, but that was over the top.  Good thing it's a Walking Dead or I might have serious doubts. 

 

Certainly a little slow, but it really looks like it will pick up.  I guess to a certain extent they give us one ep with a slightly normal world that we never got in WD.

 

Nick and his sis were annoying most of the show, but Nick did redeem himself at the end.  I hope she can do that next ep. 

 

Alicia Debnam Carey, who plays his sis plays a totally different character than she did in the 100.  She was an apocalyptic warrior.  Perhaps, she might be in this one.

[CarpeDiem54]

At least TWD promos are great. And the trailer for the movie, The Martian (which is a really good book, BTW).

It looks like the shit hits the fan next week. I hope so.

[bmoore4026]

He ran in such a girly way with his hair flowing behind him.

 

Zombie - a new fragrance by Calvin Kline.  Now at Macy's.

[Guest]

In other news, Nick's shirt was tiny in the opening scenes. It looked child-sized and cracked me up.

 

I spent the whole sequence trying to decide if he was wearing Gloria's blouse.  It killed any tension in those scenes.

[Skyfall]

Eh. i thought it was just okay. I thought they spent too much time showing us the family dynamics and the drug addict son, like this was Lifetime movie. I guess it was supposed to be suspenseful, that we know what's going on and they don't or whatever. But overall I found it annoying. I can't believe it took an hour and a half for them to get to the second zombie. I hope it picks up next week.

1) Have to introduce us to the characters and the dynamics help with that.

2) It's a slow burn so don't expect too much ramping up.

[bosawks]

I don't know what would be worse: The Zombie Apocalypse or being back in High School.

[raven]

 

Pack it all into the pilot, and then get into the meat of the story in the following five.

This is what I'm thinking.  We have some regulars to follow, Travis will want to get to his own kids, etc.  I'm hoping it will ramp up right away, the basic premise is set.

[Saje]

I was all "How did Daya's mom get out of Litchfield?"

[eejm]

When Alicia and her boyfriend were canoodling up on the scaffolding (was it a billboard?), I looked at Mr. eejm and said, "OK, so we both know he's going to die, right?"

 

I'll keep watching because I love Cliff Curtis and Ruben Blades to pieces.  I figured the pilot would be a little slow.  I'm still skeptical, but there's promise.

[truelovekiss]

Was it me? Or did these people seem weirdly calm after running a man over twice and having that man still get up?

They seemed really zen about that shit for teachers. Must be a rough school.

I thought that too. Remember when Rick first woke up and he was like "the fuck is going on?" And the world was so clearly different, and he was surrounded by dead bodies? If I went outside right now, with the world completely normal and I saw a man get shot and run over twice and live, I'd be freaking out.

Also, I think we like Tobias and all, but pretending the metal detector went off for change instead of the knife he brought to school is kind of messed up. I'm pretty sure there are rules about things like that.

[SimoneS]

 Everyone turns when they die, how many people die a day? I would have thought it would go faster.

 

Exactly. especially in a hospital. I would have thought that was where  Travis, Nick, and the mother would have encountered a mass of walkers.

[Texasmom1970]

In other news, Nick's shirt was tiny in the opening scenes. It looked child-sized and cracked me up.

My teenage daughter was watching with me goes why is he wearing a girls shirt? I told her maybe when he was high he put on his friend Gloria's top.

It was bad enough in the first shot were he was shown lying down we were like man that is an ugly girl, took a minute to realize nope ☺

[eejm]

I spent the whole sequence trying to decide if he was wearing Gloria's blouse.  It killed any tension in those scenes.

 

The fact that his shirt was still a pristine white made me snort.  Sure, after spending probably days laying around in a grimy abandoned building shooting up his shirt is going to look freshly laundered.  Yep.

[SlovakPrincess]

Nick is possibly the best we've got right now, but I can't follow him when he's stammering and all confused, so I hope he sobers up quickly.

Well, he just turned his dealer into a mangled zombie so chances are good he'll have a harder time scoring drugs now!

[TexasChic]

I liked it!

[raven]

There were some inconstincies in TWD about how soon they get up.  Remember Andrea weeping over her dead sister for seemingly forever?  Maybe it's the same thing here.  I mean, the "whatever is causing this" has to start at a certain point, there might be some who died, say, yesterday, or an hour ago or whatever who don't reanimate.

Edited August 24, 2015 by raven

[truelovekiss]

I spent the whole sequence trying to decide if he was wearing Gloria's blouse. It killed any tension in those scenes.

It didn't seem like it fit him, even when he woke up. The arms were very tight, the back came to the middle of his back, but it seemed oddly loose at the same time.

[tennisgurl]

I will say, the trailer looked really really cool. Here`s hoping the season picks up a lot.

 

I am curious. If so many kids are getting sick, where are all the Walker kids? 

[zibnchy]

Considering how long we've been hearing about this series, that was really un-amazing. I really, really don't care about drug addict son and really, really have no desire to watch his addiction issues play out against the background of the zombie apocalypse. That would be how you make the zombie apocalypse boring! Will keep watching because I like Kim Dickens and I like shows about the apocalypse.

[Bad Example]

Nick:  Please untie my hand so I can pee.

Nurse:  Sure! 

Me:  Are you NEW????

 

Also:  What's with Nick's walk?  Even before he decided to play in traffic, he kind of had that Walker lurch going on.

I hate hate hate foreknowledge.  "Don't take his knife!  He's going to need that!  DON'T TAKE HIS KNIFE!!!"

All in all, it served its purpose.  My paranoia is ramped up.  Now I just need to settle in so I can learn more about the characters.  They're easier to mock once I know them better.  

[fliptopbox]

 

I spent the whole sequence trying to decide if he was wearing Gloria's blouse.  It killed any tension in those scenes.

 

It took me a minute, but I realized it was definitely Gloria's shirt (or some chick's)....and not even a real shirt, more of a cover up, like what you'd wear over a sleeveless dress or something just to be less bare.

 

Anyway..

[Anela]

I briefly forgot that I was watching a zombie show. When the dad was in the place the boy fled earlier, I wondered where all the bodies had gone. 

It was okay, but I was hoping to really be drawn in. I'll keep watching.

[Amelie06]

 

Nick the Junkie would normally be the character too stupid to live, but the kid's got survival instincts. First he ran like hell from the Druggie Chapel, then he knew Cal was going to kill him. Then he ran over Zombie Cal twice. The character I fully expected to despise was actually my favorite character.

Agreed! Tom Riddle knows how to take care of himself. I will be supremely annoyed if he gets bitten by the end of this season. His story has a lot of potential. Instead of "The Walking Dead" where a lot of characters tell us about what a-holes they used to be before they got their shit together because of the Zombie Apocalypse, we could see this development actually happen. I won't be down for trying to watch him score heroin in the midst of the Apocalypse, though. That would be dumb. You know when people stop producing and importing heroin? When reanimated corpses start eating people. Frank Dillane, aka Nick, is a good actor. I bought his hysteria in trying to figure out what happened to him. I read the episode as him knowing that the Zombie Apocalypse was upon us, but desperately hoping it was just a bad trip.

 

Cal was ridiculously good looking. It was distracting. I see why they couldn't let him survive this episode.

 

I'm concerned more about what happened to Annoyed Daughter's boyfriend than I am about her. I get her issues and in her position I  would feel the same, but I just don't feel like hearing teenage girl angst. If one of those kids has to get eaten, I vote for her.

 

I found it hilarious when Kim Dickens shut Travis down about what actually might have happened in the Drug Den. What the hell? Her flippant response was basically, "It's a drug den. Bad things happen. Stabbings. Shootings. Don't worry about it." She had know idea what happened to her son. She preferred for Nick to think he was crazy, than to listen to Travis saying that Nick wasn't crazy? Weird.

 

I was about to super annoyed that Cal managed to wander off so fast, thus prolonging the parental units from encountering any zombies. Again. They seemed to be zombie adjacent for most of the episode. But then gorgeous Cal shuffled into the scene. And lost to Nick for the second and third times. He ain't pretty no more.

 

I find it incredibly fitting that Cal was the first named character to be killed. There is a proud tradition in the Walking Dead universe of massacring as many black men as possible and this show will be no different. It is actually funny, now. As soon as beautiful Cal showed up, several scenes after Smart Teen Girl's boyfriend was introduced, I knew one of those guys would have to go.

[TexasChic]

There were some inconstincies in TWD about how soon they get up. Remember Andrea weeping over her dead sister for seemingly forever? Maybe it's the same thing here. I mean, the "whatever is causing this" has to start at a certain point, there might be some who died, say, yesterday, or an hour ago or whatever who don't reanimate.

Seems like I remember the show saying the time varied from person to person.

Edited August 24, 2015 by TexasChic

[SimoneS]

There were some inconstincies in TWD about how soon they get up.  Remember Andrea weeping over her dead sister for seemingly forever?  Maybe it's the same thing here.  I mean, the "whatever is causing this" has to start at a certain point, there might be some who died, say, yesterday, or an hour ago or whatever who don't reanimate.

 

The show has been pretty clear that length of time it takes for the corpses to reanimate varies from person to person. Of course, this is done to increase the tension and ramp up the drama.