Spoilers and Speculation

[nodorothyparker]

13 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

I think that goose was killed a few seasons ago.

Probably.  But the writing so far this season combined with a seriously scaled back amount of Chatty Cathy would have had you thinking they realized the show seriously needed to be retooled if it had any hope of going forward beyond Rick's exit, let alone continuing to spin off an "expanded WD universe."  So the part of me that isn't already coldly cynical about the mess the show has been is disheartened to see that they apparently haven't learned a damn thing amid the cratering ratings.

[Ohwell]

That poor bastard with the backpack who was on the road yelling for help when Rick, Michonne and Carl casually rode past him, had more of an impact on me than Jadis, Jesus, Eugene, Tara, Rosita, and some of the other characters who are still around.  I still remember that scene and for a long time I didn't like Rick and Michonne because of it.   

[peach]

54 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

Probably.  But the writing so far this season combined with a seriously scaled back amount of Chatty Cathy would have had you thinking they realized the show seriously needed to be retooled if it had any hope of going forward beyond Rick's exit, let alone continuing to spin off an "expanded WD universe."  So the part of me that isn't already coldly cynical about the mess the show has been is disheartened to see that they apparently haven't learned a damn thing amid the cratering ratings.

Right?  My mind is kinda blown that what seemed like a return to sanity, to featuring the people we love and care about, is apparently just preparation for their One True Love, the blowhard idiot MURDERER OF GLENN Negan.

Also, Jadis is gross, and I never want to see her in anything again ever.

[amazinglybored]

52 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

That poor bastard with the backpack who was on the road yelling for help when Rick, Michonne and Carl casually rode past him, had more of an impact on me than Jadis, Jesus, Eugene, Tara, Rosita, and some of the other characters who are still around.  I still remember that scene and for a long time I didn't like Rick and Michonne because of it.   

 

I mean... left that guy to die and took his backpack. Saved Negan. Just Rick Grimes things.

 

I miss Denise.

[LydiaMoon1]

11 minutes ago, peach said:

Also, Jadis is gross, and I never want to see her in anything again ever.

THIS. Jadis traded human beings to the helicopter people for supplies. Right now, her purpose is still unknown, but based on how she had Rick locked up in S8 and both Negan and FPP trussed up recently, I'd guess that most people were shipped off against their wills. Now, we may find out later that she had altruistic reasons. Rght now though, I'm going to call her a kidnapper at best. She's quite possibly a human trafficker or worse. Either way. I never found that she added much to the show.

[Mu Shu]

On 11/20/2018 at 5:09 PM, JackONeill said:

To me, the Wolves were both frightening AND a success because they were “in and out” quickly. Like the Terminus people. And the Claimers. They weren’t like the Governor and (god forbid, never again please) Negan. Do we really need to have a season or more about crazy dudes who drape skins over their bodies? This show really fails when they try to tell a real story, I think because they don’t have good writers and (IMO) not great actors. This show is better with shorter pieces. 

Oh man, that scene where Carol looks out the window and sees the wolf guy killing someone was surreal.  And the long haired one was hot bad teeth and all.

[AngelaHunter]

Quote

The Walking Dead looks and feels completely different from past season. One of the biggest changes is the pronounced lack of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's formerly motor-mouthed villain Negan.

Fixed.

Quote

More Negan is on the way, so don't worry.

Oh good. I was so hoping.

9 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Who was Jesus? <Gimple, Kirkman, and the writers turn to each other in confusion> He was a gay guy with a cool name who threw awesome ninja kicks. What more did you need to know?

And a long leather coat in the South. In the summer. Cool, right? At least we didn't have to look at his stupid, nu-male, hipster man bun for too long.

5 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

Your list of past characters almost made me weep.  It hurts to remember the days when TWD was about SOMETHING.

Yep. Ah, the days when we had real, human characters who spoke and acted like real people.

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

That poor bastard with the backpack who was on the road yelling for help when Rick, Michonne and Carl casually rode past him, had more of an impact on me than Jadis, Jesus, Eugene, Tara, Rosita, and some of the other characters who are still around.  I still remember that scene and for a long time I didn't like Rick and Michonne because of it.

That was actually shocking and grim and gripping, nothing like anything we've seen in ages. I remember when some of the most wrenching scenes on this show worked without any dialogue, but now it seems they think extra-long boring speeches and monolgues are just The Thing.

 

8 hours ago, tv echo said:

More Negan is on the way, so don't worry.

I need to repeat this, because, like, on what frickin' planet, insulated from the Real World, are these people living that they think we want MORE NEGAN??? FFS.

[mightysparrow]

6 hours ago, Ohwell said:

That poor bastard with the backpack who was on the road yelling for help when Rick, Michonne and Carl casually rode past him, had more of an impact on me than Jadis, Jesus, Eugene, Tara, Rosita, and some of the other characters who are still around.  I still remember that scene and for a long time I didn't like Rick and Michonne because of it.   

Excellent point!  People debated that one little scene for AGES.  It encapsulated the entire TWD universe, what it does to the people who survive and just how 'good' the people who claim to be the good guys really are.  What was even more interesting was that scene was part of a pivotal episode when Carl decides that Michonne is 'one of them'.

When I look at the cast as it stands right now, I would give anything to have Bob and/or Tyreese back.  And I will never not be mad about killing Andrea.  Not only would it have spared my beloved Michonne from having to be thrown into Rick Grimes' bed (and the permanent damage that did to her character), but it would have nice to have a female friendship on the show.  There are a lot of women on TWD but they all seem ready to throw each other under the nearest horse-drawn bus for a man.  I still find it impossible to believe that Michonne and Maggie had a beef that lasted SIX YEARS.  Daryl is still searching for Rick's body but Maggie didn't even bother to say goodbye to ANY of the women she went through so much with?  FUCK YOU FOREVER, SHOW.

Edited November 25, 2018 by mightysparrow

[JackONeill]

The last truly great thing about this show, and it was a thing that really showed why this show was once something — it’s when all of our people were in that little barn before Aaron took them to Alexandria. It was night and our crew was a muddied mess. They'd just lost Bob and Beth. There was a whole lot of second-guessing going on.

A herd shows up and attacks the barn. One by one (some of them were in the back of the barn and didn’t know what was going on initially) they went and pressed back on the door. The only sounds were Walkers and grunts. No person said anything or asked for help, but there were a lot of glances and they all pitched in. They pressed into one another to press into the door. And unbelievably they managed to hold back the Walkers. 

It was a thing of beauty, of real poetry. Then the next morning we saw that a storm had come through and reeked chaos outside the barn. Very spooky.  Very supernatural.  But that is where the show started it’s slide into a shitshow.  Think of what came after — Alexandria, which included Rick “dating” Blondie, the dumpster dive and, of course, Negan. And etc, etc, etc. That was the valley into which we still haven’t climbed out of.

Edited November 25, 2018 by JackONeill

[AngelaHunter]

17 hours ago, JackONeill said:

I think that goose was killed a few seasons ago. Now it’s just a bunch of ducklings wandering around. (Yeah, I know I mixed my birds. But the one bird I haven’t mixed up is my middle one — which is pointed directly at this show.)

But there's always turkey soup to be made from the carcass. I'm mixing birds too, but this show is more turkey now than golden goose.

 

1 hour ago, JackONeill said:

The last truly great thing about this show, and it was a thing that really showed why this show was once something — it’s when all of our people were in that little barn before Aaron took them to Alexandria.

I was just thinking about just that yesterday - one of the last truly good segments, IMO. They're facing starvation and are homeless, eating dogs and acorns out of desperation. It was all very tense and apocalyptic (No, TPTB, monologues do NOT up the suspense, move a story along or add excitement)and made us really wonder how on earth they would pull themselves out of this dire situation.

[maystone]

1 hour ago, AngelaHunter said:

But there's always turkey soup to be made from the carcass. I'm mixing birds too, but this show is more turkey now than golden goose.

 

I was just thinking about just that yesterday - one of the last truly good segments, IMO. They're facing starvation and are homeless, eating dogs and acorns out of desperation. It was all very tense and apocalyptic (No, TPTB, monologues do NOT up the suspense, move a story along or add excitement)and made us really wonder how on earth they would pull themselves out of this dire situation.

The scene from that arc that has always stuck with me is the shot of our guys trudging slowly up a roadway, and behind them is small herd of walkers coming slowly but inexorably after them. It spoke of utter weariness mixed with an indomitable will to survive. It gut punched me.

There were things I liked about the Alexandria arc pre-Negan, but yeah, that was when TPTB lost control of the story. I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about the story moving forward, but with the addition of Breakfast Club ZA and the news that Negan is back . . . well, I just don't know.

[LydiaMoon1]

1 hour ago, maystone said:

There were things I liked about the Alexandria arc pre-Negan, but yeah, that was when TPTB lost control of the story. I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about the story moving forward, but with the addition of Breakfast Club ZA and the news that Negan is back . . . well, I just don't know.

Breakfast Club ZA? I hadn't seen that one before. On SM, they were calling the stills of the ZA teens TWD 90210. Sooooooo....Henry and Lydia are going to be the new Dylan and Brenda? Plus Negan as the bestest guy evah?? Yeah, okay. LOL

[Anela]

22 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

They honestly think that a large portion of the viewing public is wondering why there isn't more Negan?  The reality is that a large portion of the viewing public is wondering why Negan is still alive.  Why Negan still has a story when Maggie has been tossed aside? 

Last season, valuable viewing time was wasted on Jadis/Ann.  She had nothing to do with the story and no-one misses her now she's gone.  Even the character who was fucking her has moved on without looking back.  We now know that the Jadis/Ann story is Gimple's imagined road into the movies (AS IF!!!).   He (and the powers that be at AMC) seem to think that the character/actress are interesting enough to build a whole new TWD world around.  Where did they get that idea from?  Was there anybody out there begging for MORE Jadis?

I won't miss Jesus because like @JackONeill, I have no idea WHO Jesus is.  But there were a lot of people who were really excited when the character appeared, based on the character's story in the comics.  None of that potential has been realized and, instead of developing the characters we already have, tptb have added even MORE characters to an already bloated cast.  And they're going to double-down on Negan, because he hasn't driven enough viewers away.

FUCKERY.

Your list of past characters almost made me weep.  It hurts to remember the days when TWD was about SOMETHING.

Jesus was supposed to be Maggie's right-hand man, I think. Now that she's gone, they don't know what to do with him. Weird how they thought killing off Carl, and other main characters, would be perfectly fine. Also weird how they seem to be trying to jump on the grrl power train with Judith, which I normally wouldn't mind, but they fire Maggie, and screw up Michonne, which is just stupid, and the total opposite of "girl power". I haven't watched since the season opener, I'm just going by what I've read. 

[LydiaMoon1]

1 hour ago, Anela said:

Also weird how they seem to be trying to jump on the grrl power train with Judith, which I normally wouldn't mind, but they fire Maggie, and screw up Michonne, which is just stupid, and the total opposite of "girl power". I haven't watched since the season opener, I'm just going by what I've read. 

Going by what I've seen in the fandom,  I don't think they've screwed up Michonne. I just think some people have their panties in a bunch because she didn't roll out the welcome wagon for the hot new convict and her crew. Oh. and she had the nerve to have Rick's baby. Other than that, she's good.

[AngelaHunter]

3 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

On SM, they were calling the stills of the ZA teens TWD 90210.

Hey, that's what I called it! They're stealing my lines.

2 hours ago, Anela said:

Also weird how they seem to be trying to jump on the grrl power train with Judith, which I normally wouldn't mind, but they fire Maggie, and screw up Michonne, which is just stupid, and the total opposite of "girl power".

Someone is unclear on the concept. The women in this show have been portrayed in less than flattering lights. From Lori, to Andrea, to Rosita to Michonne - all so desperate for a man they'll not only take just about anyone, but put up with anything to keep them. Maybe Kirkman's insight into the female sex, based on his vast experience.

Edited November 25, 2018 by AngelaHunter

[amazinglybored]

8 hours ago, JackONeill said:

The last truly great thing about this show, and it was a thing that really showed why this show was once something — it’s when all of our people were in that little barn before Aaron took them to Alexandria. It was night and our crew was a muddied mess. They'd just lost Bob and Beth. There was a whole lot of second-guessing going on.

A herd shows up and attacks the barn. One by one (some of them were in the back of the barn and didn’t know what was going on initially) they went and pressed back on the door. The only sounds were Walkers and grunts. No person said anything or asked for help, but there were a lot of glances and they all pitched in. They pressed into one another to press into the door. And unbelievably they managed to hold back the Walkers. 

It was a thing of beauty, of real poetry. Then the next morning we saw that a storm had come through and reeked chaos outside the barn. Very spooky.  Very supernatural.  But that is where the show started it’s slide into a shitshow.  Think of what came after — Alexandria, which included Rick “dating” Blondie, the dumpster dive and, of course, Negan. And etc, etc, etc. That was the valley into which we still haven’t climbed out of.

 

If we’re talking smaller scenes. I really liked Rick hallucinating/dreaming everyone coming to save him on the bridge because that’s how it had been before. Regardless of the disagreements and distance that’s what he was seeing and they did try to save him. The arrow hitting the walker about to get him was a nice throwback, too. If not bittersweet for a lot of reasons.

 

If they’d just cut it down to some core characters (not god damn Negan), spread the dialogue (not monologues) out, keep the action coming at a decent clip and not try to go in depth with their villains things would be better. I’d also be down for the threat of the half a season to be something like a hard winter, a drought or problems with the crops.

 

Alexandria really should have been an exchange of skills and knowledge between the two groups. Not Rick schemes to take over, Rick has a public meltdown, Rick somehow ends up in charge and the Alexandrians are all lucky losers who need to be saved. They had a decent idea of how the characters would struggle to integrate but didn’t do it justice.

[mightysparrow]

1 hour ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Going by what I've seen in the fandom,  I don't think they've screwed up Michonne. I just think some people have their panties in a bunch because she didn't roll out the welcome wagon for the hot new convict and her crew. Oh. and she had the nerve to have Rick's baby. Other than that, she's good.

I've been a ride or die Michonne fan since she first arrived and I think that fucking Rick Grimes was the worst thing that could have happened to her.  He didn't give her a second glance until two minutes AFTER Jessie got bit and I think she deserved better than that.  I don't care if she rolled anything out for the newbies but I DO care that she took her people on some wild-goose chase and didn't seem to have any communication with a community that she should be closely allied with.  And that she turned on a woman who was her friend for the sake of a man who wasn't worth it, in my opinion. 

My panties rarely get bunched up,.  Thanks for asking.

[peach]

I think it's been a struggle for them to make Michonne's character work, going from a glowering, caped, silent, katana wielding cartoon character into a real person.  Her relationship with Carl did that, and was maybe the most natural relationship on the show.  That's gone now, of course.

[AngelaHunter]

50 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

He didn't give her a second glance until two minutes AFTER Jessie got bit and I think she deserved better than that.

Yes, but she was willing to settle for being a last choice "any port in a storm." I've come to realize that she is not alone in this attitude which seems to be a sadly common one for way too many women. She, as a mature, intelligent woman wanted him. She got him. Congrats.  I know the pickin's would be slim in an apocalypse and you might settle for someone you wouldn't choose pre-ZA when you're looking for different qualities (Rosita and FPP? Oh, please!) but none of the women on this show seem to ever realize that any man is not always better than no man.

[amazinglybored]

49 minutes ago, peach said:

I think it's been a struggle for them to make Michonne's character work, going from a glowering, caped, silent, katana wielding cartoon character into a real person.  Her relationship with Carl did that, and was maybe the most natural relationship on the show.  That's gone now, of course.

 

I think they cleared the hurtle of making her character work years ago. They’ve since struggled with a lot of characters including her and haven’t exactly been amazing with romantic relationships. I don’t think how comic book-y she was to start with is the problem now, unlike someone like Negan who they never made work.

 

They really did throw away a lot of relationships over the last couple of years, though. Relationships that were built over years of the show and from when they had a lot of good characters. Now they’ve got... Carol and Daryl, Carol and Ezekiel... uh, maybe Michonne and Daryl? Did Michonne and Carol ever interact much? Ummmm... Aaron and Daryl. I can’t remember Aaron doing much with other surviving characters. Eugene and Rosita???

 

The platonic and familial bonds were a strength of this show and now it looks like how spread out the characters has been coupled with actors leaving has killed a lot of that.

[mightysparrow]

1 hour ago, peach said:

I think it's been a struggle for them to make Michonne's character work, going from a glowering, caped, silent, katana wielding cartoon character into a real person.  Her relationship with Carl did that, and was maybe the most natural relationship on the show.  That's gone now, of course.

I think Michonne worked from the start, thanks to the talented actor who plays her.  You could use the words 'glowering, caped, silent' to describe Daryl from the moment he arrived on the scene to right now, but it seems to be okay for HIM.  And a crossbow is as unusual a weapon as a katana, in my opinion (but I don't know a lot about weapons).  Where does he get the arrows? 

I agree that the relationship with Carl was one of the best on the show and Danai and Chandler were amazing together.  But Carl and Rick weren't the only people that Michonne was close to; she just wasn't allowed to have any other relationships.  She and Daryl spent time together hunting for the Governor.  But a certain 'fandom' got worked up and it was dropped.  Michonne was close to Hershel; you'd never know it now.  That's why I find it so hard to believe that Michonne would throw her relationship with Maggie away so easily, considering how she felt about Hershel.  It was a shame the way they kept Michonne so isolated, like she was the Grimes' family pet.  I don't think Michonne and Carol ever exchanged more than 10 words, which never made any bloody sense considering that both of them were women who had lost their children.  But I think 'fandoms' had something to do with that too.

 

23 minutes ago, amazinglybored said:

 

I think they cleared the hurtle of making her character work years ago. They’ve since struggled with a lot of characters including her and haven’t exactly been amazing with romantic relationships. I don’t think how comic book-y she was to start with is the problem now, unlike someone like Negan who they never made work.

 

They really did throw away a lot of relationships over the last couple of years, though. Relationships that were built over years of the show and from when they had a lot of good characters. Now they’ve got... Carol and Daryl, Carol and Ezekiel... uh, maybe Michonne and Daryl? Did Michonne and Carol ever interact much? Ummmm... Aaron and Daryl. I can’t remember Aaron doing much with other surviving characters. Eugene and Rosita???

 

The platonic and familial bonds were a strength of this show and now it looks like how spread out the characters has been coupled with actors leaving has killed a lot of that.

I agree that relationships have been thrown away like they were nothing.  Daryl is willing to take that sniveling Henry under his wing.  Shouldn't he be looking out for Judith and Little Rebar?  He's so obsessed with Rick that he's still looking for a corpse but he's okay that Judith is doing her math homework with Negan?  And what about Carol?  Why isn't she looking out for Judith?   None of the surviving members of Camp Dinner Bell bothered to watch over Little Hershel?  He's not only Glenn's son, he's Hershel's grandson and Beth's nephew.  There's no way that Maggie should have been able to sneak off without any of them knowing.  Judith, Hershel and Little Rebar should be up to their eyeballs with Aunties and Uncles ready to teach them how to kill and making sure a piece of shit like Negan never got near them.

[amazinglybored]

20 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

I think Michonne worked from the start, thanks to the talented actor who plays her.  You could use the words 'glowering, caped, silent' to describe Daryl from the moment he arrived on the scene to right now, but it seems to be okay for HIM.  And a crossbow is as unusual a weapon as a katana, in my opinion (but I don't know a lot about weapons).  Where does he get the arrows? 

 

Daryl being silent is a newer thing and I’d say it’s as detrimental to that character as it was to early Michonne. Both gained depth as characters over time back when the show bothered to do that. Silence and endless monologuing just aren’t as compelling as the writers seem to think. If only there were some kind of balance that could be struck.  

               

 

22 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

I agree that relationships have been thrown away like they were nothing.  Daryl is willing to take that sniveling Henry under his wing.  Shouldn't he be looking out for Judith and Little Rebar?  He's so obsessed with Rick that he's still looking for a corpse but he's okay that Judith is doing her math homework with Negan?  And what about Carol?  Why isn't she looking out for Judith?   None of the surviving members of Camp Dinner Bell bothered to watch over Little Hershel?  He's not only Glenn's son, he's Hershel's grandson and Beth's nephew.  There's no way that Maggie should have been able to sneak off without any of them knowing.  Judith, Hershel and Little Rebar should be up to their eyeballs with Aunties and Uncles ready to teach them how to kill and making sure a piece of shit like Negan never got near them.

 

I think Hershel left with Maggie and I’m not sure she snuck off so much as left without being stopped. I assume it’s got something to do with what happened during the time jump. Maggie (unknown) and Michonne (scarred) had a falling out, Carol (unknown?) married Ezekiel, and Daryl (scarred) became a hermit in a swamp. Carol has spent a lot of time away from CDB between being exiled by Rick and exiling herself so I guess it’s  possible she’s elected to stay out of something that she didn’t think was her business. We know she’s at least making sure Daryl is alive and she’s always been closer to him than Michonne or Maggie. We don’t know if Carol and Daryl can’t or won’t visit with Judith, LR or Hershel2, or why they won’t. I don’t think we know if they’re estranged from Michonne and Maggie. Maybe Michonne blamed Maggie and Daryl for Rick’s death, idk.

 

 

It’s bizarre that Michonne would let Judith talk to Negan or have the chance to and I’ve got nothing for why that's allowed to happen. Why no one walked by and was like “hell no!” I can’t imagine anything coming close to explaining that.

[OoohMaggie]

 

 

Edited November 26, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[tv echo]

How The Walking Dead's Negan Twist In The Midseason Finale Will Play Out Compared To The Comics
BY NICK VENABLE  November 25, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2462079/how-the-walking-deads-negan-twist-in-the-midseason-finale-will-play-out-compared-to-the-comics

Quote

Its midseason finale brought the mysterious Whisperers to the forefront in a very deadly way, but The Walking Dead also quietly dropped a mini-bombshell by giving Negan his freedom again. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's smile was infectious as he realized he was no longer locked up, but what will happen next? Speaking with showrunner Angela Kang, I asked how Negan's TV escape will compare to how it played out in the comics, since Rick isn't around to be Negan's moral compass. She said:

"I think because we've done different time jobs and we do have a different array of characters, that story of escape will play out in its own way unique to the show. But, you know, it is something that will tip off the start of a longer story for Negan as a whole."

Kinda sounds like we won't be spending a whole lot of time dealing with Negan's bed pan antics whenever The Walking Dead comes back, for better or worse. (Father Gabriel, if no one else, might be pleased.) Could this show's most confidently brutal villain actually be out and left to his own devices again? According to Angela Kang, we won't be waiting long to find out when Season 9 continues.

"We'll see quite a bit of what happens in the first episode back after the break in airing. I think Jeffrey, as Negan, just does some really great work. And I know that he was really excited to be out of the cell, and so that was fun for us to see that, finally."

The Walking Dead Showrunner Explains The Whisperers' Role When Season 9 Returns
BY NICK VENABLE  November 25, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2462078/the-walking-dead-showrunner-explains-the-whisperers-role-when-season-9-returns

Quote

CinemaBlend spoke with The Walking Dead's showrunner Angela Kang ahead of the midseason finale's airing, and she told me how the show will dig into The Whisperers' story in the back half of the season, following that wild cliffhanger.

"I think it's really just a fascinating group. They're unlike any group that our people have encountered before, and their philosophy is so specific and so strange. So that's a big part of the story going forward is we will just kind of peel the layers of that onion and you'll just learn more and more about who they are and what they believe. But also in the way that they apply that, you know?"

Without getting too far into comic-based details, The Whisperers operate under the general belief that human beings have gone too far astray from our animalistic roots. They're as lo-fi a pack of villains as there can be, even in a world where technology has been all but vanquished outside of phonographs. It's obviously unclear if Angela Kang's creative team will be adhering to all of the Whisperers' comic elements, but one would expect the broad strokes to remain intact in the adaptation.

It almost goes without saying that The Whisperers are a deadly group that doesn't believe in bringing the judge and jury to the party alongside the executioner. Fans probably shouldn't expect these creepsters to change those habits when their story gets...fleshed out. (Pun absolutely intended.) According to Angela Kang:

"They're not really a group that just kind of talks about a thing and doesn't do stuff. They do what they believe, you know, and what they believe can be brutal."
*  *  *
The cold and calculating Alpha is set to be played by Samantha Morton, who has most recently been winning over fans and critics on Hulu's Harlots, while Sons of Anarchy and Bates Motel vet Ryan Hurst will portray the domineering Beta. The two big bads have some very interesting moments with Negan in the comics, along with other characters, so we'll just have to wait and see if Negan's new lease on freedom will take him their way soon.
*  *  *
I asked Angela Kang about adapting The Whisperers for television after all of the other popular antagonists that have been brought to the show. Saying how big of a fan she was even before a Walking Dead writers job was in the cards, the showrunner continued:

"I think Kirkman does an amazing job plotting out these comics. They're page-turners. And every villain, I'm like, 'Okay, well this is the best storyline. Can't be beat.' Then he'll come up with something new, and you go, 'Okay, that was pretty great.' Then when we got to The Whisperers -- you know, we were reading the Whisperers comics while we were making one of the seasons of the show, and just literally going, 'What? What's happening?! What's he doing?' And so like, that's really the feeling that we wanted to try to capture within the show itself. That was really the spirit with which we went at it. It's trying to capture that sense of delight and the feeling of being intrigued and scared. And so that was sort of our philosophy in how to tell the story. Fingers crossed, we succeeded a little bit."

Edited November 26, 2018 by tv echo

[Nashville]

8 hours ago, tv echo said:

How The Walking Dead's Negan Twist In The Midseason Finale Will Play Out Compared To The Comics
BY NICK VENABLE  November 25, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2462079/how-the-walking-deads-negan-twist-in-the-midseason-finale-will-play-out-compared-to-the-comics

Reckon we can pray for TWD: Negan’s Journey to be a totally separate spin-off?  :>

 

8 hours ago, tv echo said:

The Walking Dead Showrunner Explains The Whisperers' Role When Season 9 Returns
BY NICK VENABLE  November 25, 2018
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2462078/the-walking-dead-showrunner-explains-the-whisperers-role-when-season-9-returns

Other than the inclusion of Ryan Hurst (Remember the Titans’ Gary Bertier, SOA’s Opie) in the cast, I find nothing here remotely engaging.

[Fellaway]

Erm, we're supposed to be delighted by the Whisperers?  Crazed, brutal, animalistic, dead-Walker-skin-wearing humans (who just killed Jesus, thus depriving me of a long-awaited Aaron/Jesus relationship).  Yay?

The one question I want these journalists to ask AK, or whomever, is why do they insist on double- and triple-downing on a character the audience Does Not Want.

Negan is totally going to be our "Hero" this time next year, isn't he?

[Nashville]

4 minutes ago, Fellaway said:

Negan is totally going to be our "Hero" this time next year, isn't he?

Not mine.  If anything happens to Dog, or they do another two-and-out with Ryan Hurst (the same way they did with Zach McGowan)...?  I’m liable to be out.  Teases and tricks are a poor substitute for solid storytelling.

[Fellaway]

7 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Not mine.  If anything happens to Dog, or they do another two-and-out with Ryan Hurst (the same way they did with Zach McGowan)...?  I’m liable to be out.  Teases and tricks are a poor substitute for solid storytelling.

Nor mine.  All I want from Negan is his death.  Show, you can't redeem a character who took joy in brutally killing people and raping women, and you can't make me forget that he did.

TWD has been one of my all-time favorite series from the first ep, and I thought I was one of its ride and die fans, but now...  I dunno.  I just don't care about any of these newbies - Henry is already insufferable. - and the characters I do like are spread too thin and get too little to do.  I might be checking out early.

[peach]

I actually forgot to watch it or follow along.  Halfway through today, I realized that it was Monday and it was on last night. I tried to read through last night's live posting thread, and even that couldn't hold my interest.  I can see from the episode thread that the killing of Jesus certainly isn't going to KEEP any viewers.  I'll keep reading the spoilers to find out what the X scars mean, and to visit with you hilarious people, but the show sure seems to be dwindling away.  I guess next half of the season will be The Return Of Negan.  blah.  I wonder if Danai will be out after this year.

[LydiaMoon1]

12 minutes ago, peach said:

I wonder if Danai will be out after this year.

God, I hope so. Well, technically, I hope she gets AL's deal so that she can come back for the movies and give Richonne a happy ending. Otherwise, see ya!

[Anela]

44 minutes ago, peach said:

I actually forgot to watch it or follow along.  Halfway through today, I realized that it was Monday and it was on last night. I tried to read through last night's live posting thread, and even that couldn't hold my interest.  I can see from the episode thread that the killing of Jesus certainly isn't going to KEEP any viewers.  I'll keep reading the spoilers to find out what the X scars mean, and to visit with you hilarious people, but the show sure seems to be dwindling away.  I guess next half of the season will be The Return Of Negan.  blah.  I wonder if Danai will be out after this year.

I haven't watched it either. I don't know if my DVR picked it up. I did see that Tom Payne was talking about his death, so RIP Jesus. He was apparently happy to be killed off, just as frustrated as viewers, over not being given anything to work with, after his initial big entrance.

[Mu Shu]

Good god.  The character who was sinking the show is being given a second chance to drive a stake through it?  No wonder three of their leads/iconic characters bailed.

Ryan Hurst will make one creepy fucker though.  Too bad they already did this storyline with the wolves.

[Nashville]

12 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Good god.  The character who was sinking the show is being given a second chance to drive a stake through it?  No wonder three of their leads/iconic characters bailed.

Echo echo ECHO echo echo echo Echo.  And Echo.

 

12 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Ryan Hurst will make one creepy fucker though.  Too bad they already did this storyline with the wolves.

Maybe Hurst can do it better.

[Mu Shu]

13 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Echo echo ECHO echo echo echo Echo.  And Echo.

 

Maybe Hurst can do it better.

I hope so.  I wouldn’t mind having a good villain around for awhile.

i will admit the way they introduced the Whisperes worked for me.  Super creepy. 

[peach]

3 hours ago, Anela said:

He was apparently happy to be killed off, just as frustrated as viewers, over not being given anything to work with, after his initial big entrance.

Can't say I blame him.

Tonight I happened to catch the first Star Trek movie tonight...it wasn't, like, great, but it just reminded me that you can take a well established, well-made group of characters and put them in any situation and have an adventure! Even going back and having young actors play the young characters.  This is so where the show drops the ball, over and over again.  You could take the example of Seinfeld or Friends, of Always Sunny, lol, or Star Trek or go back to something like Bonanza or Gunsmoke, and have the set group of well defined characters go into any situation and be either hilarious or courageous, what have you, and have a great story.  TWD HAD THIS GROUP OF CHARACTERS, but they sacrficed all of them to stupid storylines and plot devices to drive some dumb idea they have forward.  They have it completly backwards.

[AngelaHunter]

1 hour ago, peach said:

Tonight I happened to catch the first Star Trek movie tonight...it wasn't, like, great, but it just reminded me that you can take a well established, well-made group of characters and put them in any situation and have an adventure!

Yes, well-defined characters we got to know and loved and care about. So now we're supposed to care about Henry getting drunk, in a kind of "Leave it to Beaver" moment with the, "Aw, gee Dad. I've learned my lesson and I'll never ever do that again." Got me right in the feels, it did.

Compare that to the long-ago time when we cared about THESE characters. Was it ever this good again?

[OoohMaggie]

15 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

i will admit the way they introduced the Whisperes worked for me.  Super creepy. 

It was, they made a really good job of it. I am surprised though that they didn’t prolong the mystery a bit longer, the killer  could easily have slipped back into the fog and despite the answer seeming obvious, the group wouldn’t be sure as to exactly ‘what’ killed Jesus. 

Their gimmick is now known by all, so are they now just another bunch of villains? despite the skins I’m wondering how the show can put a twist into the upcoming confrontations, or will it just be ‘all out war 2.0 - medieval edition’?

Edited November 27, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[cambridgeguy]

Right now TWD reminds me of the last season of Scrubs.  Some of the old favorites are still around but most of the newer folks range from OK (Aaron, Jesus(RIP), Ezekiel) to atrocious (Henry).  I'd argue that the last truly compelling character they introduced is Michonne, and that was way back in season 3.  There will always be creative and disgusting ways to kill zombies so at least the show has this going for it but we're seeing the limits of how far that can go.

[Nashville]

5 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Right now TWD reminds me of the last season of Scrubs.  Some of the old favorites are still around but most of the newer folks range from OK (Aaron, Jesus(RIP), Ezekiel) to atrocious (Henry).  I'd argue that the last truly compelling character they introduced is Michonne, and that was way back in season 3.  There will always be creative and disgusting ways to kill zombies so at least the show has this going for it but we're seeing the limits of how far that can go.

 I’d say it’s even worse on that; even when they have compelling characters, the writers have absolutely no idea what to do with them. Tom Payne addressed this some in his exit interview with the Hollywood Reporter; after the big bang and flash of Jesus’s introduction, the character went nowhere - shifting from Super Ninja Thief to Pacifist Extraordinaire to Managing Mister Morgan to Unhappy Regent, and simply disappearing for large chunks of time between each shift.

Jesus was the writers’ Shelf Elf - and not the only one.

 

ETA: Reference link - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/walking-dead-tom-payne-exits-jesus-fate-explained-1163273

Edited November 27, 2018 by Nashville

[tv echo]

From Nov. 26, 2018 AMC Press Release...
http://www.amcnetworks.com/press-releases/amc-announces-the-second-half-of-the-walking-dead-season-nine-returns-sunday-february-10-at-900-p-m-etpt/

Quote

AMC ANNOUNCES THE SECOND HALF OF “THE WALKING DEAD” SEASON NINE RETURNS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 AT 9:00 P.M. ET/PT
*  *  *
NEW YORK, NY – November 26, 2018 – AMC’s “The Walking Dead” will return for the second half of season nine on Sunday, February 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET/ PT as announced by Chris Hardwick on last night’s “Talking Dead.”  Hardwick also revealed that the season three premiere of “Ride with Norman Reedus” will air at midnight that same evening.
*  *  *
The second half of “The Walking Dead” season nine finds our groups of survivors, both old and new, continuing to deal with the impact of events that took place during the six years that have passed. Since the disappearance of Rick, many of these characters have become strangers to each other, and in some ways, strangers to themselves. What they do know is that they are in undeniable danger. They will soon realize the world just beyond does not operate as they thought. The group’s rules and ways of survival no longer guarantee their safety. A whole new threat has crossed their paths, and they soon discover it’s unlike any threat they have encountered or endured before. The group will start to question what they think they see. What may appear to be normal in this post-apocalyptic world could actually be more disturbing and terrifying than when the apocalypse first broke out. All that is certain is the stakes are high and numerous.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, “The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years after a zombie apocalypse and follows a group of survivors who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series is executive produced by chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunner Angela Kang, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse and Denise Huth.

Edited November 28, 2018 by tv echo

[OoohMaggie]

Kang talking scars and such,

“So, the scars. Clearly, our group has been through some stuff in the six years that we've jumped. I will say that within the back half, we will start to learn more about what the story was. There will be an answer for the audience in terms of what was the origin of these scars and what kind of led Alexandria a bit down the path that it's been on. It's what's exciting about the six year gap is there's some opportunities to play with time and maybe see some of what that story was in the future. So that's kinda what I'll say”

 

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2462218/how-the-walking-deads-x-scars-reveal-will-factor-into-the-story

[Nashville]

38 minutes ago, OoohMaggie said:

So that's kinda what I'll say”

Three of my old high school English teachers just broke out their long knives.

[Anela]

On 11/26/2018 at 11:10 PM, AngelaHunter said:

Yes, well-defined characters we got to know and loved and care about. So now we're supposed to care about Henry getting drunk, in a kind of "Leave it to Beaver" moment with the, "Aw, gee Dad. I've learned my lesson and I'll never ever do that again." Got me right in the feels, it did.

Compare that to the long-ago time when we cared about THESE characters. Was it ever this good again?

Oh my god, that was almost five f'king years ago. I hate that time is going so quickly. I had a fever the night this came back, and had totally forgotten about it. I had a quick shower,not realizing until I was up there, that I had a fever, and wasn't just exhausted, but it broke, I made tea, and settled in to watch this around midnight. I remember these things, because I was happy to have it back. 

I wonder how they will end it. I can't see it going on for years. I know they wanted it to, but there's nothing much to watch (although I do want to see the scene where they introduce the whisperers, going by what I've seen here). 

[AngelaHunter]

11 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

It's what's exciting about the six year gap is there's some opportunities to play with time and maybe see some of what that story was in the future.

 Whut? I almost feel sorry for her, having to pump up and pimp out this shit this way, stuff so bad it seems to be rendering her incoherent.

10 hours ago, Nashville said:

Three of my old high school English teachers just broke out their long knives.

One of my English teachers, Mr. Bevington, would merely throw an eraser at her head.

[Nashville]

8 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

One of my English teachers, Mr. Bevington, would merely throw an eraser at her head.

Canadian, right?

<ducking>

;)

[peach]

LOL "Walking Dead fans split on recent Harlem Globetrotters crossover"
https://entertainment.theonion.com/walking-dead-fans-split-on-recent-harlem-globetrotter-1830775810?utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF&utm_content=Main&fbclid=IwAR3CezVJ3sCUSQoSGBAoMt3NSQihHI4Pi5fBOCANdLBp3du-uY3xlj9xbG8

[Nashville]

Gotta love The Onion.  :>

[nodorothyparker]

Well, since this last one did devolve into a live action Scooby Doo, complete with villain unmasking, and the Globetrotters did appear in one of the Scooby movies ...

[AngelaHunter]

On 11/29/2018 at 7:00 PM, Nashville said:

Canadian, right?

Right, but Mr. Neville Bevington (on whom I had a major schoolgirl crush) was from England and too refined to haul out a knife, although his aim with the eraser was admirable.

On 11/27/2018 at 5:44 PM, Nashville said:

Jesus was the writers’ Shelf Elf - and not the only one

I lost interest in him when he was violently thrown from the roof of Rick's truck and wasn't hurt in any way and which precipitated the ridiculous Daryl chase scene. Pure comic book stuff.

[OoohMaggie]

18 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

I lost interest in him when he was violently thrown from the roof of Rick's truck and wasn't hurt in any way and which precipitated the ridiculous Daryl chase scene. Pure comic book stuff.

Thank you for reminding me of this clip,  a Walking Dead classic!

Edited December 2, 2018 by OoohMaggie