S01.E01: Pilot

[Kellyee]

 

I too want to see the progression..my favorite part of the book, The Stand was the spread of the virus. Is LA going to completely go to hell in just 6 episodes? I'm in for a bit longer, but I hope these people smarten up fast or get eaten quickly.

 

When they used to have that Doomsday Preppers show, the preppers would always point out that if no deliveries are made, grocery store shelves will empty out within 3 days. I'm thinking things could go bad pretty quickly. I'm curious as to how long it takes for the power to out and the cell towers to go down though. I would think that would take a long time in a place like Los Angeles where it never rains hard enough to knock out the electricity.

[Dobian]

Sadly they switched to shooting in Vancouver right after the pilot. And according to Alan Sepinwall the production values look even cheaper after that.

 

Jeez, if anyone can remember, they did the same thing with Sliders.  It was set in San Francisco but the location shots were done in Vancouver, including the city skyline.  Anyone could plainly see that wasn't San Francisco.

[stretch]

I had no problem buying the fact that a junkie would put on a woman's sweater, but motivation behind that particular sweater was eye rollingly obvious. They were allllll about the church symbolism, and the opening scene where we saw Nick at the balcony, artfully lit, with arms outstretched and the flowing white "wings" of the sweater hanging just so was definitely a falling anvil.

[LadyArcadia]

When I first watched it, I liked it.  Especially the actor who played Nick. I thought he did a fantastic job.  I also accepted the slow burn of the story. I don't want zombies everywhere, I want to see the confusion, the fear and slow realization of what's really happening.

 

Then I started thinking about it more and my initial positive reaction quickly faded and turned into frustration. "Fear" the Walking Dead. There was no fear, no shock, no "What the fuck is going on?!"  As other's have said, the Mom practically reacted to Cal reanimating like she simply lost her keys. If my son said he shot his friend, then the friend tried to eat me, then my son ran over him twice, I'd be screaming my head off. After all of that, the friend then turned his head around, still not dead, I'd panic and grab onto my husband in pure terror.

 

There was no terror. There was hardly any reaction from either of them. Your son is running over a person!  TWICE! In a zombie-less world, that would be terrifying!

 

Our folks in TWD land are desensitized to the walkers and gore. These people shouldn't be. 

[CletusMusashi]

They should have called it "Find The Walking Dead."

And with only a marginally higher success rate than on "Finding Bigfoot."

[maczero]

It doesn't help that I didn't like any of the characters except for the dad, ...

Same here.  These characters are a tough sell for me.  I don't care for teenagers or junkies so it's going to be an uphill battle getting me to like most of these people.

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 ☺

Me too.  The bloodshot eyes also made me think it was a woman about to turn into a zombie.

 

The kid with the knife mentioned there were reports in 5 states and we know there's a flu going around.  I think most likely not everyone has the virus yet, so not everyone who dies is going to be re-animated.  And it's possible that this flu going around is what is passing the zombie virus to everyone, so that when they die, they reanimate.  It's possible that the flu itself is not 100% deadly and is just a new strain of flu, so many people might recover from it, so no zombie kids from the flu itself.

 

So I don't see a problem with not everyone who dies being reanimated as a zombie and why hospitals are not fighting constant running battles with the undead yet.

The flu as a way of spreading the virus makes a lot more sense than patient zero having to bite the next person to get the zombie apocalypse rolling.

I've only watched 17 minutes, and I have to ask: after TWD, why would we want a setting where the characters were MORE clueless? Where they have even less idea about the situation and the new world?

A lot of the audience (myself included) want to see the fall of society rather than focusing on another ragtag group trying to survive in the post apocalypse.

For me, Nick in the sweater wasn't distracting, beyond the moment where I went, "Oh, he's put on his girlfriend's sweater, it was the fact he was wandering around a FILTHY DRUG SQUAT in bare feet. What the hell?

Not really that shocking.  I suspect many junkies don't care much about their hygiene or safety while they're getting high.

 

I was willing to accept the theory that government cleared out the church but I don't think they would have left a pool of blood and guts.  That's a biohazard as well.  

 

My theory why Nick's parents didn't run into any walkers is that they could've been locked away or incapacitated.  The junkie that the stepfather found may have encountered them in a room and simply closed the door on them.  Most walkers aren't smart enough to turn a door knob.  

 

I'm surprised by the amount of love Cal is receiving.  For such a small part he seems to have made a big impression on the audience.  Hopefully the kid goes onto bigger and better things.  On a related note, Cal reminded me of a kid I went to school with.  He was clean cut, straight A student and had a middle class upbringing, yet he sold crack.

[CletusMusashi]

One problem with watching it as a "fall of society" story is that half these characters don't deserve a society. You know what most people do when they're part of a society? They report mysterious violent murders. Both parents are way too secretive about their discovery in the church.

Now, I personally am fanwanking that the feds do know what's up, and that Nick's rantings at the hospital weren't ignored. Somebody was called in, and they eliminated Gloria and whoever she'd infected. But Travis and Madison don't know that.  "Oh, there's been a horrific killing? No, too busy to report it. My family matters, but I only care about anyone else's when I'm on the clock."

We've only seen two characters actually offer useful data. Nick reported what he saw, but only to explain why he was running into traffic like a loony. And Tobias reported what he's found online, but only to explain that he was not planning to murder another student. Those two examples, both of which are motivated primarily by immediate self-interest, are the closest thing to good citizenship that we've actually seen on this show.

All I can think is, when the fall of civilization is that easy, who needs zombies?

[Raven1707]

I believe there was a wallet in the clothing he pilfered from the old man.

 

Ah, the petty details! I worked in hospitals for many years, and there's no way that should ever happen. Patients admitted to the hospital have their valuables -- which would definitely include any cash or credit cards -- inventoried and stored in the hospital's safe.

 

I think I need to watch this episode again, though. It's so easy to miss the finer points.

[Jalyn]

I'll watch the next episode, but this episode definitely didn't particularly impress. 

 

 

The actor that played Nick did a wonderful job of convincing me that he was a complete waste of space that I desperately wanted to die. I alternately rooted for him to get hit by a second car, for Cal to put a bullet in him, and for the Cal-bie to chomp him. Then he had to go and be the only person that could figure out how to handle a dead man trying to kill his mother and stepfather and I had to give him some grudging regard. 

 

The good:

I liked the Cal plot twist. I actually like the mounting tension as it was clear that he was taking an oblivious Nick out to kill him, even if I hoped that it would go another direction. Talk about something that would have been a cool plot twist - what if Cal had killed Nick and then somehow ended up being the protector in a survivor group that included the rest of the family? Yeah, I really wanted Nick to bite it. 

 

 

The plot holes from my POV that I haven't seen mentioned:

 

Nick shoots Cal and then walks away without searching the car for drugs? 

 

Maddie and Travis are told that Cal is a drug dealer that tried to murder Nick and that Nick killed him instead. They see an abandoned car, a dropped gun and a trail of blood. So they walk up to the person that they should assume is, not a zombie, but a man that tried to murder her son to try to help him? They may think that Nick is having hallucinations, but it's unlikely that he would suddenly believe that his straight-laced childhood friend has been his long time drug dealer unless it is true. At the very least, stay in the truck, call out to him asking if he wants you to call an ambulance or something. Don't give him a chance to shoot you all with his backup gun.

 

The principal didn't watch the news at ALL before he goes into school? That video was apparently all over the place but he had no clue. The "district" that was so freaked out that they canceled the rest of the school day hadn't bothered to already call him? Also, they're freaked out about violence in the streets so they are sending school kids away from where they can be controlled and watched to homes where their parents have probably left for work and they'll be alone? 

 

If people are right and the hospital staff and police have a general idea of what's going on, shouldn't they have been trying to find out if Nick had any bites?

 

The "could have been cool" misses:

People complaining about more drugged out homeless people in the parks that they drive past.

In the hospital - one or two people complaining about being bitten by a crazy person that they managed to run away from - or when Maddie and Travis go in to complain about Nick going missing the nurse is swathing antibiotics on a bite on her arm. 

Basically, random extras should have been talking about weird things that they've seen or had happen to them. 

 

These types of things would ramp up tension that we understand but wouldn't really mean anything to characters at the moment. It allows the slow burn but makes it clear that it's all headed to hell fast.

[polyhymnia]

Thanks for that link, Cynthia24. I watched the second viewing before I read your comment, and that time I caught the urgency of the doctor repeating that the dying old man - actually he coded, right? - needed to be moved downstairs stat. That got me thinking that the hospital knew about the reanimations, but the casual way Nick's nurse was reacting to the old man's death rattle threw me off. I didn't notice, but I hope the old guy was restrained in the same manner that Nick was, otherwise that's pretty irresponsible of the hospital admin since they obviously know about the whole zombie thing.

 

I was paying a lot of attention to the nurse and the hospital staff - they obviously knew what was up and I assumed that they were restraining Nick (and everybody else) not because of restraint protocol and him being a delusional tool but because they were pretty much now restraining everyone.  Also, it would have been nice if they had shown the hospital being a little more interested in what he had to say as it would comport with what they knew.

Nick annoyed me the first half of the show but then I found him the most interesting for the second half.  The adult couple wandering in the church was idiotic.  Their reactions to Calvin didn't bother me as much because I think fear can definitely do different things to different people.  The teen girl wasn't awful but wasn't interesting.  I think I would like it a little more if it were more of a hodge-podge of characters thrown together as opposed to a family unit.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

In the story sync, they showed a document from the CDC about the disposal of corpses.  I'm assuming that since it was in this episode's story sync it supposedly was sent out during the time span of the episode.

 

http://images.sync.amctv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FTWD-101-WHO-v3_UPDATED2-09gu3-e4908.pdf

 

I think the reason we weren't seeing any walkers in the hospital is because these orders were already being obeyed, and not enough people had reanimated yet so these measures were successful enough to get by.  The fact that the nurse was so dismissive of losing a patient when the parents were asking about Nick makes me think that shit was currently hitting the fan at the hospital, but they were at least managing to cover it up at that point.

 

Finally got around to reading this...

 

Are we, the viewers/fans, supposed to be super intrigued as to what facts were redacted and why the info was redacted, on that W.H.O. memorandum??  Cause all I got right now is 'really?!  what exactly is to be gained by making a fake official document look *really* real?'. 

[Nashville]

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

 

The infection has to build to a critical mass first.

Actually, the show is starting a little deeper into the infection spread than I expected.  I was hoping we might catch some of the environment around Patient Zero; instead, the societal fray is already setting in.

 

I liked it!

 

I am with you. 

If this show is going to have staying power, I don't mind some up-front time being spent on character development. 

In fact, I want that.

[editorgrrl]

In the story sync, they showed a document from the CDC about the disposal of corpses. I'm assuming that since it was in this episode's story sync it supposedly was sent out during the time span of the episode.

http://images.sync.amctv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FTWD-101-WHO-v3_UPDATED2-09gu3-e4908.pdf

Are we, the viewers/fans, supposed to be super intrigued as to what facts were redacted and why the info was redacted, on that W.H.O. memorandum?? Cause all I got right now is 'really?! what exactly is to be gained by making a fake official document look *really* real?'.

The memo is about the "Integrated Disaster Emergency Response Plan"—aka iDERP (Get it?) being superseded by new protocol to

ignore DNRs, restrain the deceased, and treat reanimated corpses as a biohazard.

Spoiler tags added for those who avoid anything not seen in the actual episode, but given the use of "derp," I wouldn't overthink this thing. And it doesn't reveal anything that couldn't be inferred from the scene with Nick's roommate.

Edited August 27, 2015 by editorgrrl

[tv echo]

Moved.

Edited August 27, 2015 by tv echo

[Christi]

SSSSSSso disappointing. First scenes, Im thinking "ok, they cant kill this guy off, cause hes the new Johnny Depp :/". Guess others thought the same thing.

Also, the filming style and coloring is weird. Like its supposed to take place in the 70's. Funny that others are mentioning this heing a musical, because the first scene looked SO MUCH like Godspell, or Jesus Christ Superstar...especially when he was running with his etherial and flowy shirt...was it in slo mo?? Seemed like it. That scence was so crafted to make "heartthrob material"

Felt like I was watching a grittier After School Special. I dont like any of the characters, and I hope Stereotype Bratty Teen daughter gets eaten next.

SO DISAPPOINTED!!! AAGGHH

Edited August 27, 2015 by Christi

[Nashville]

SSSSSSso disappointing. First scenes, Im thinking "ok, they cant kill this guy off, cause hes the new Johnny Depp :/". Guess others thought the same thing.

Also, the filming style and coloring is weird. Like its supposed to take place in the 70's. Funny that others are mentioning this heing a musical, because the first scene looked SO MUCH like Godspell, or Jesus Christ Superstar...

But... but... but the songs, they write themselves!

He's not Depp!

Shoot-up Star!

Faster than a walker - can't outrun a car!

ETA: made it better, dammit

Edited August 27, 2015 by Nashville

[CletusMusashi]

"Take Me To The Church At Night"

[ghoulina]

This show has far too many teenagers for my liking. They need to remedy that soon.

 

From your lips to God's ears. That's why I was worried about pandering to a youth audience. And on the other show, they've already proven they don't write for youth characters very well. I just don't want to groan my way through this show. 

 

One problem with watching it as a "fall of society" story is that half these characters don't deserve a society. You know what most people do when they're part of a society? They report mysterious violent murders. Both parents are way too secretive about their discovery in the church.

 

Totally agree. In just one episode I have already prayed that 3/4 of the cast would be eaten, and hurry about it! I need someone I can root for, or I'm not really going to care about society falling. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I think the thing that gets me about the Pilot, even knowing they used it as a character-development episode and it was basically just the very 'top of the mountain, avalanche hasn't even started moving yet, but all the contributing factors are now in play' beginning of the descent to the ZA - at least from the viewpoint of the main cast.  And I don't mind that approach, in fact, I'm glad they did that right out of the gate, until waiting to like, say, the season finale and it being a '40-minutes of flashbacks, for characterization, and then last 3 minutes used for the setup and execution of a seasonal hiatus cliffhanger'.

 

If done well, the Pilot would have been very good.  But, unfortunately, it wasn't done well.  Every single cast member was literally depicted as not really giving one shit about almost anything; until it was absolutely critically necessary.  The only one who felt even remotely engaged to the storyline was Nick, and without any foreknowledge of the show/universe, I would still be wondering if everything he saw/experienced was real or just a really bad acid trip.  How can I be expected to be engaged or care when nobody on the show isn't or doesn't?

 

Maybe once the show's action, descent into the apocalypse, and pacing picks up, the show's acting/writing/direction will grow by leaps and bounds too.  Or at least, here's to really hoping so.

Edited August 27, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Nashville]

"Take Me To The Church At Night"

That top did look like something straight out of My Fair Lady's wardrobe department.

ETA: Wait a damn minute - I was thinking "Get Me To The Church..."

Edited August 27, 2015 by Nashville

[crowswork]

I just had a hilarious thought. What if - at the end of the line/series - they show that the whole north of the country is walker free. After a few years of freeze-thaws the walkers turned to goo. All the heroes had to do is survive one winter and  walk north.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2015 by crowswork

[Bongo Fury]

I found the pilot episode utter farcical.

 

High school around here starts around 7:30 am, so I assume the teachers have to be there around 7;00. Who the fuck starts a plumbing job at 6:00 in the morning? I can barely get the coffee pot fired up and read the forum at that time of day. The dead reanimating and eating the living, sure I can buy that. But dude breaking out the wrenches and climbing under the sink at 6:00 am? I call bullshit.

[Nashville]

I found the pilot episode utter farcical.

 

High school around here starts around 7:30 am, so I assume the teachers have to be there around 7;00. Who the fuck starts a plumbing job at 6:00 in the morning? I can barely get the coffee pot fired up and read the forum at that time of day. The dead reanimating and eating the living, sure I can buy that. But dude breaking out the wrenches and climbing under the sink at 6:00 am? I call bullshit.

I assumed it took him all night. ;)

[peach]

One problem with watching it as a "fall of society" story is that half these characters don't deserve a society. You know what most people do when they're part of a society? They report mysterious violent murders. Both parents are way too secretive about their discovery in the church.

Now, I personally am fanwanking that the feds do know what's up, and that Nick's rantings at the hospital weren't ignored. Somebody was called in, and they eliminated Gloria and whoever she'd infected. But Travis and Madison don't know that.  "Oh, there's been a horrific killing? No, too busy to report it. My family matters, but I only care about anyone else's when I'm on the clock."

We've only seen two characters actually offer useful data. Nick reported what he saw, but only to explain why he was running into traffic like a loony. And Tobias reported what he's found online, but only to explain that he was not planning to murder another student. Those two examples, both of which are motivated primarily by immediate self-interest, are the closest thing to good citizenship that we've actually seen on this show.

All I can think is, when the fall of civilization is that easy, who needs zombies?

 

ITA.  I'm not sure they could make the mother more unlikable to me.  First she comes off as an arrogant enabler, then ignores a possible murder, because they're just gross drug addicts, amirite? Who cares?  Unless it's her drug addict.  Then everyone should care, and her boyfriend should blow off his own kid's time because he needs to babysit Nick for her.   Because for some reason, her boyfriend is the one missing work, when it's HER kid in the hospital?  I'm glad the principal and the entire staff are down with them showing up whenever since her grown son is causing shit again.  Cuuuz that's like real life.  But I guess Boyfriend's kid is supposed to be portrayed as petty because he doesn't want to spend his dad weekend with his girlfriend's addict son in the hospital.  Yeah, what a jerk.  Kids today.  

Later, she has almost no reaction to her precious Nick confessing murder (although I realize she didn't quite believe him), ignores a gun lying on the ground, and just seems mildly confused about her kid running Cal down twice.  Then Cal isn't even dead, and she's like, huh.  Maybe she's just really stupid.

[Ohwell]

As much as I like Cliff Curtis, so far he is playing Travis like a pussy-whipped doofus.  I'm not used to seeing him like that and it's unsettling.  I hope he retrieves his balls from her purse real soon. 

 

The school principal is creepy-looking.  I'd take a knife to school, too, if I had a principal who looked like him.

[Raven1707]

So I watched the Pilot for the second time last night and although this show hasn't hooked me in the way The Walking Dead did -- which happened well before the opening credits -- there's enough potential to keep me tuning in. And zombie Calvin's death was pretty damned cool, I thought.

 

I'm not really intrigued by the characters -- which might be because I'm not familiar with any of these actors -- or the groan-worthy family dynamic, but I'm willing to give it time. 

 

*Edited to delete possible spoilers. Better safe than sorry.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Raven1707

[Christi]

My fav: fat kid with bad acne makeup job...I pray he becomes the Ultimate warrior with his lil knife

Edited August 28, 2015 by Christi

[PopTart16]

Okay, way late to this party but better late than never.

 

I'm glad that they are taking their time to build up to the horror of dead people walking around Los Angeles. Maybe the government at this point has an idea that something terrible is going on, but perhaps they don't yet understand the magnitude of the situation, and really I would not expect the government to come out and say "yes, the dead are coming back to life and eating human flesh"- can you imagine the total cluster f*ck a statement like that would create? People would start to loot, riot and possibly kill- which would make the situation so much worse.

 

I totally buy that Tobias is on-line all the time and has heard enough accounts to really believe that everyone is screwed.

 

I kinda like hearing the sirens and knowing people are out with the flu, it feels like something is brewing and I know what it is but these poor people don't. I almost expect that this is what would happen if this took place in RL, people start missing work/school because they have the flu-but who could even dream that they are turning into zombies? Now what I really want to know and might never get an answer to is how did this spread? Because in order for everyone to be infected they would of had to breathe it in, so was it the flu that people were exposed to that eventually leads some (at least at the start) to turn into zombies? So many questions, so little answers!

 

[Cthulhudrew]

EDIT: NM

Edited August 28, 2015 by Cthulhudrew

[ParadoxLost]

oops.  You ever hit quote when you meant to hit edit?

Edited August 28, 2015 by ParadoxLost

[Dobian]

I'd like to know who picked the main cast because they just don't grab me at all.  The mom's annoying.  Of course I expect the cast to expand through the season, but the main family just doesn't do it for me.  The beauty of these shows though, it's easy to kill people off and bring in new ones.

[Nashville]

I'd like to know who picked the main cast because they just don't grab me at all.  The mom's annoying.  Of course I expect the cast to expand through the season, but the main family just doesn't do it for me.  The beauty of these shows though, it's easy to kill people off and bring in new ones.

 

Carrying on in the tradition of Network:

 

This was the story of Howard Beale: The first known instance of a man who was killed because he had lousy ratings.

[Raven1707]

The Live + 3 ratings are in:

 

Fear the Walking Dead was the week's top Live + 3 ratings gainer among adults 18-49 adding 1.8 adults 18-49 ratings points.

Fear the Walking Dead led total viewership increases, adding 3.198 million viewers to its Live + Same Day viewers. (NOTE: For a total Live + 3 of 13.328 million viewers.]

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/08/28/live-3-cable-ratings-fear-the-walking-dead-tops-adults-18-49-total-viewership-gainers-the-strain-leads-percentage-increases-for-the-week-ending-august-23-2015/454600/

[anadyr21]

I'm all kinds of late on this, but I thought this pilot sucked a**. Other than "dad," there really wasn't a likable one in the bunch. I have little patience for junkies. The fact that this tweaker easily took out the drug dealer, well, that doesn't say much about the skills of the dealer, who choreographed his whole intent. I have no desire to deal with the subplots of teenage angst (daughter and the "dad's" son) against parental units, even if said angst is justifiable. Mom was a neurotic Type A personality, who seemed to be both in denial about everything that came her way, yet strangely detached about the situations that she finds herself in. And "dad," I'm gonna say it. Why the heck did you agree to get involved in this mess of a family dynamic?

I realize that the show wanted to introduce our characters and backstory, and then let ish hit the fan. However, by devoting so much time to these characters, it exposed a ton of character flaws in one fell swoop, rather than letting us see this gradually, as the season progressed. I have no reason to root for these characters, whom I actively dislike, and unlike a slasher movie, the bad guy isn't going to eviscerate everyone within 90 minutes.

 

If this hadn't been part of The Walking Dead, I wouldn't have even finished the episode. I've been burned by mediocre pilots that had potential, only to self-destruct by the third episode. This wasn't mediocre. This was bad. Maybe it will improve, and I will eat crow. But, for now, I'll just peruse the episode boards, because I really want to like this show.

[Macbeth]

Kim Dickens for me is always added value.  Loved her in Treme and Deadwood.

 

Frank Dillane, Nick, is Stephen Dillane's son.  Stephan played Stannis Baratheon in Game of Thrones.  No matter how heinous Stannis was - the acting was fantastic. So he has great genes.

 

Saying that the fact that Frank is a dead ringer for Johnny Depp both in looks and acting style kept taking me out of the series.

 

I did like the pilot an awful lot.  The fact that it was slow was fine for me as it is the build up.

 

However - very sad to see some of the same problems that have plagued TWD plaguing this show.  Really the first character we see die is black and he played a drug dealer.  Seriously show?  Also given how so many blonde women/girls have died on TWD the first zombie we see is a blonde girl. 

 

Can we get some black/women writers on these shows??

 

 

[RedheadZombie]

Maybe I've seen too many zombie films, but this reminded me more of those than the original TWD.  When Travis walked yelling into the church, I remembered Jim from 28 Days Later, and how he triggered a lurching priest to attack.  The scene where they're caught in traffic, then a motorcycle cop whizzed past was straight out of WWZ (I think).

 

I wanted to like Madison more than I did.  Having another fifty year old kickass female character would be amazing.  I think I'm supposed to respect that she won't give up on her son, but I see an enabler.  And the scene where she was cuddled in bed with her unwashed heroin addicted son - yuck.

 

Who's the "Rick" in this show?  By that, I mean the person whom all storylines revolve around, is viewed as the hero, and is sure to survive until possibly the last episode.  I would say Nick, but having his name rhyme with Rick's seems too obvious.  This leads me to believe that Nick is Daryl - totally fucked up until the ZA, but thriving in the chaos.  I think Cal was the Shane (betrayal, yet killed by his intended victim).  Alicia is Andrea (irritating and shrill).  Travis is the closest thing to Rick, which leaves Madison as Lori (although I think she'll be more pro-active). 

 

The mother is way too old to have Madison as her first name (it didn't become a thing until the mid to late 80's).  It took me out of the show whenever they used her name.  

 

The character's original name was Nancy.  I have no idea why it changed.  I'm actually more disturbed by a teenage girl named Gloria.

 

The accents were on point.  75% of the main cast aren't American and no one slipped.  Well done, team.

 

You're not kidding!  Travis (New Zealand), Nick (England), Alicia (Australia), and three other main cast actors are from Sweden, Panama, and Mexico.  I don't really have a problem with it, but it's interesting that TWD (and this show) show runners prefer non-American actors.

 

And, OMG, how stupid was the nurse?  Not only did she remove Nick's restraint, she totally blew off Nick's comment that something was wrong with his roommate.  If a heroin addict coming off a bender can spot distress in a patient, what gives with the RN?  And if she thought the old man was a goner anyway because of the zombie virus (flu, whatever), why was he even in a multiple occupancy room with a dude who just was banged up and coming off a bender?

 

As a nurse, I almost always despise how nurses are portrayed, and this was no different.  First of all, you can't force a nineteen year old to pee if he doesn't need to, then compare him to a dog.  Also, metal bedpans have been gone for at least two decades, and Nick would pee in a urinal, not a bedpan.  Don't even get me started with the ludicrous soft wrist restraints.

[xls]

Ha, I was having trouble with my cable and couldn't get the channel changed, missed the first few minutes. I thought the kid in the girl's shrug was a female! Then I caught the rerun.

 

 

But anyway, the kid with the knife set off all kinds of red flags-and she didn't turn him into the authorities? And the obvious slaughter at the old church? Again not reported, and these people work in a school! 

 

But I'll stick with it, though I think it would have been better to start with the origins of the virus than to just throw a couple of zombies in there.

[Peanut]

I assume the majority of writers have been to high school.  It bothers me when they get details wrong.  I never watched past the first episode of Glee when the teacher said, "Well, I handed in my two week notice."  TEACHING DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.  Can the writers not call up a school and be all, "Hey, what if a teacher wants to quit?  What's the protocol?"  So in this one, when the dude teacher (names are escaping me...Calvin?  Babe?) says to Madison (yeah that name is all wrong), "Mrs. So and So can cover my classes."  Oh, really?  What about her classes?  At best, she can cover one of your classes on her plan period and you will have to find other teachers with an open period to cover the rest.  Oh, and those teachers get paid for that time.  My school gets really irritated when that happens. (Having all day teacher coverage is more expensive than a sub.) 

 

And let's not start on mandatory reporting, shall we? 

 

That said, I'm still willing to give this show another chance.  Even though I hate most of the characters. 

 

ETA: and OMG the inane classroom discussion.  I get what the writers were doing there, but DAMN.  Couldn't you have tried to go with something with a little more depth?

Edited August 30, 2015 by Peanut

[SoSueMe]

My fav: fat kid with bad acne makeup job...I pray he becomes the Ultimate warrior with his lil knife

Potential homage to Hugo/Hurley on "Lost" ?

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I'm all kinds of late on this, but I thought this pilot sucked a**. Other than "dad," there really wasn't a likable one in the bunch. I have little patience for junkies. The fact that this tweaker easily took out the drug dealer, well, that doesn't say much about the skills of the dealer, who choreographed his whole intent. I have no desire to deal with the subplots of teenage angst (daughter and the "dad's" son) against parental units, even if said angst is justifiable. Mom was a neurotic Type A personality, who seemed to be both in denial about everything that came her way, yet strangely detached about the situations that she finds herself in. And "dad," I'm gonna say it. Why the heck did you agree to get involved in this mess of a family dynamic?

I realize that the show wanted to introduce our characters and backstory, and then let ish hit the fan. However, by devoting so much time to these characters, it exposed a ton of character flaws in one fell swoop, rather than letting us see this gradually, as the season progressed. I have no reason to root for these characters, whom I actively dislike, and unlike a slasher movie, the bad guy isn't going to eviscerate everyone within 90 minutes.

 

If this hadn't been part of The Walking Dead, I wouldn't have even finished the episode. I've been burned by mediocre pilots that had potential, only to self-destruct by the third episode. This wasn't mediocre. This was bad. Maybe it will improve, and I will eat crow. But, for now, I'll just peruse the episode boards, because I really want to like this show.

 

Ha.  Damn, don't know why it took so long to think about it until now, but just why the hell did it take so long between Cal getting out of the car, going to the trunk and then standing by the open passenger side (gun in view) for Nick to realize what was up and start getting panicky?  I mean, did he think Cal was getting a stroller out of the back to push Nick around in??   And maybe a cute little squeaky toy to keep him occupied?!

 

LOL.  And that's why thinking too much about dumb stuff only makes you realize how much so you just watched was hilariously bad.

[xls]

Ha.  Damn, don't know why it took so long to think about it until now, but just why the hell did it take so long between Cal getting out of the car, going to the trunk and then standing by the open passenger side (gun in view) for Nick to realize what was up and start getting panicky?  I mean, did he think Cal was getting a stroller out of the back to push Nick around in??   And maybe a cute little squeaky toy to keep him occupied?!

 

LOL.  And that's why thinking too much about dumb stuff only makes you realize how much so you just watched was hilariously bad.

LOL he didn't realize he was being "taken for a ride"! Did he ever see the Sopranos? 

[Raven1707]

Hmm, Calvin asked Nick at the diner whether he had his works. Of course, Nick didn't; they showed Madison finding the syringe & foil inside Nick's book at the church/shooting gallery. So the logical (yeah, I know) inference would be that Nick thought Calvin was getting a needle & the drugs from where they were presumably well-hidden in the trunk of his car.

 

At least that's how I saw it.

[Raven1707]

Well, it took 5 times, but I finally got a clear look (via LiveStream) of Alicia's texts to her boyfriend:

 

I'm here.

Where R U?

You'd better be dead.

I'm leaving.

 

Subtle. A close runner-up to Travis's "There are no bodies. They couldn't just get up and walk away."

Edited August 31, 2015 by Raven1707

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Hmm, Calvin asked Nick at the diner whether he had his works. Of course, Nick didn't; they showed Madison finding the syringe & foil inside Nick's book at the church/shooting gallery. So the logical (yeah, I know) inference would be that Nick thought Calvin was getting a needle & the drugs from where they were presumably well-hidden in the trunk of his car.

 

At least that's how I saw it.

 

Makes sense.  I remembered that scene as leaving the restaurant so Cal could help him, but either forgot or misjudged the "help" Cal was offering to give or get for Nick.  Good call. 

 

Still a little funny thinking like I did earlier.  After all, Nick has all the coordination of a toddler who's just barely learning to walk.

[Raven1707]

Moved.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Raven1707

[mhw209]

Episode 1 had several camera shots of pigeons or birds flying or sitting on a wires.  Think that has to do anything with it?  Bird Flu or something!

[Bongo Fury]

... on "Lost" ?

 

Please, for the love of god, never mention that train wreck again. It has taken all my effort to forget the time I wasted with that shitfest. The only redeeming factor in that episode of my life was the lady friend in my life at the time. If I sat quietly on the couch with her for an hour and stifled my snark, I got sex afterwards.

[Nashville]

Makes sense.  I remembered that scene as leaving the restaurant so Cal could help him, but either forgot or misjudged the "help" Cal was offering to give or get for Nick.  Good call. 

 

Still a little funny thinking like I did earlier.  After all, Nick has all the coordination of a toddler who's just barely learning to walk.

 

You mean, Nick who got hit by a car the day before and snuck out of the hospital without being discharged? 

Can't imagine why he might be walking a little funny.  :>

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

You mean, Nick who got hit by a car the day before and snuck out of the hospital without being discharged? 

Can't imagine why he might be walking a little funny.  :>

 

Dude, he was drugged up, he didn't feel a thing... other than the need to take a nap on the pavement.  ;)

[AnnaMayWong]

This was a painfully slow pilot episode, with perhaps the most annoying protagonists that I have seen in a long time. I don't care how action packed this series gets in the future, the mother and the daughter need to go, sooner rather than later.