Spoilers and Speculation

[scrb]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Good Place, Empire, 9-1-1, Lucifer, The Flash, Supernatural, NCIS, TWD and More
By Michael Ausiello / August 29 2018, 9:48 AM PDT
https://tvline.com/2018/08/29/empire-season-5-spoilers-time-jump/

 

Even if Michonne becomes more prominent this season, it's only a matter of time before she leaves for greener pastures.

The more big roles she gets, the higher her salary expectations are going to be, just like with Cohan.

[AngelaHunter]

On 8/27/2018 at 6:04 PM, CrazyDog said:

Ooh, I like Ryan Hurst.

So we're getting Opie (I never watched SOA) AND Charles Vane? Ooh! I'm so excited maybe I'll forget how they turned everyone else into nitwits and Emos yet preserved ol' Mr. Dick&Balls Negan.

[SimoneS]

With the success of Black Panther and Infinity War, Danai is the highest profile actor on TWD now. The show and AMC would have been fools not to give her a more prominent story this season. I am not confident that TWD will give her a compelling story, but claiming to is enough to peak my curiosity. Besides Danai's contract ends this season so she might be gone soon enough.

Edited September 2, 2018 by SimoneS

[Ohwell]

I wouldn't mind at all if Michonne got written out and Danai went on to bigger and better things.  Carol and Maggie and Darryl can leave, too.  Actually, I wish this were the last season because I'm sick and tired of just about everyone.   Just keep Jerry.

[shanndee]

Well. I like Ryan Hurst. Of course...I liked JDM too. These show runners are exceptionally skilled at making likeable actors look like talentless hacks. :(

[mightysparrow]

On 8/29/2018 at 3:05 PM, Gobi said:

It's always fun to see someone lose a family twice.

Except we're the only people who remember that Michonne had another family.  The writers have certainly forgotten.

I don't see any reason WHY Danai would stick with the show after this season.  She's watched most of her cast mates be treated dreadfully.  Lately, Michonne has been the invisible woman on the show and it's only the success of Black Panther that's going to get Danai a look in.  Gimple and his gang of assholes didn't appreciate that they had an amazingly talented actor and writer, one of the best working today.  They'd rather throw multi-millions at NORMAN REEDUS, of all people.  AMC needed Marvel (and millions of movie goers) to tell them.

[Wildlifefan]

I'm a comic book reader, and the story doesn't disappoint me there.  The series though...? 

I want to see how they write off Rick, as I have cared about his character from the final scene of Days Gone Bye.  I let Carl's exit slide, but I think I am done after Rick's.  It just will be a new show for me. 

Oh well, it's been good Sunday fun for a long while!  I hope they do it properly and he shows up in person for talking dead.  ?

[tv echo]

Fall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 40 Returning Favorites!
By Michael Ausiello, Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz and Charlie Mason / September 5 2018,
https://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2018-season-premiere-spoilers/#!38/the-walking-dead-fall-tv-preview-2018/

Quote

THE WALKING DEAD
Picking up 18 months after the Season 8 finale, Season 9 is “an exciting succession of new’s,” says Scott Gimple, chief content officer for all things Dead. “It’s like, new, new, new!” Not only will we be introduced to a dozen new survivors — foremost among them, Samantha Morton’s Alpha, the vicious leader of the Whisperers — but we’ll visit a new locale (Washington, D.C.), get new intel about that helicopter (and Anne’s connection to it) and get to know a Negan that Gimple suggests is “like this brand-new character.” Mind you, there remains some old business to be addressed, too — specifically, new mom Maggie’s beef with Rick. “There’s a lot of tension underneath the surface,” says Gimple. And, since Andrew Lincoln’s exit is imminent, the twosome and Daryl will have to make peace fast. “There is brutality” to Rick’s ending, Gimple warns, “and there is grace… and a very epic aspect.”

BONUS SPOILER!: The photo AMC released of Carol and Ezekiel looking happy and couple-y didn’t necessarily mean that one of them was doomed. “It’s understandable why you’d think it’s a harbinger of terrible things,” Gimple says with a laugh. “But sometimes it’s just tough for people who have been through terrible things to live with good things.”

RETURN DATE: Sunday, Oct. 7 at 9/8c (AMC)

Edited September 5, 2018 by tv echo

[scrb]

12 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Fall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 40 Returning Favorites!
By Michael Ausiello, Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz and Charlie Mason / September 5 2018,
https://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2018-season-premiere-spoilers/#!38/the-walking-dead-fall-tv-preview-2018/

Ugh, Gimple's comments.

Sounds like the same old snow job.

[OoohMaggie]

Some cast photos, Maggie is looking hot in those woods, Carol, Michonne and Anne battling for second place lol

 

https://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead/extras/the-walking-dead-season-9-cast-portaits#/4

Edited September 5, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

New Key Art

https://media.comicbook.com/2018/09/twd-rick-key-art-1132038.jpeg

I noticed in the key art that the badge was back on Rick’s hat, it was missing when Coral was wearing it towards his end, does it mean anything?

Edited September 5, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[WalkerTalker]

1 hour ago, OoohMaggie said:

Some cast photos, Maggie is looking hot in those woods, Carol, Michonne and Anne battling for second place lol

 

https://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead/extras/the-walking-dead-season-9-cast-portaits#/4

I have to disagree with you on this one. They all look gorgeous!  Wow, the world goes to hell and all that low calorie intake, lack of junk food, healthy veggies does a body good. I wish I could look so good on an average day, lol. 

1 hour ago, OoohMaggie said:

New Key Art

https://media.comicbook.com/2018/09/twd-rick-key-art-1132038.jpeg

I noticed in the key art that the badge was back on Rick’s hat, it was missing when Coral was wearing it towards his end, does it mean anything?

Maybe, if you think of the previews The sheriff is back in town. He is Negan's jailer too. 

[Fellaway]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

and get to know a Negan that Gimple suggests is “like this brand-new character.” Mind you, there remains some old business to be addressed, too — specifically, new mom Maggie’s beef with Rick. “

Ugh.  We are never going to be rid of Negan, are we?  And what about everybody's beef with him?

[Anela]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

Fall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 40 Returning Favorites!
By Michael Ausiello, Matt Webb Mitovich, Kimberly Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz and Charlie Mason / September 5 2018,
https://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2018-season-premiere-spoilers/#!38/the-walking-dead-fall-tv-preview-2018/

Oh, for heaven's sake: “There is brutality” to Rick’s ending, Gimple warns, “and there is grace… and a very epic aspect.”

[scrb]

29 minutes ago, Fellaway said:

Ugh.  We are never going to be rid of Negan, are we?  And what about everybody's beef with him?

I recently listened to an old appearance by JDM on Howard Stern a couple of years ago.  I think he'd just filmed that scene where he batters Abe and Glen to death.

He was very personable and friendly.

Too bad they wrote the character to be the opposite of the actor's natural personality.

Of course given the nature of his exploits, as a mass murderer, you wouldn't exactly expect a friendly, convivial personality.

[OoohMaggie]

1 hour ago, WalkerTalker said:

I have to disagree with you on this one.

I did say battling for 2nd, there was no battle really, Carol will always be my ‘very close’ No2, you are correct though, gorgeousness all around  Lol

Edited September 5, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[Nashville]

10 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

Some cast photos, Maggie is looking hot in those woods, Carol, Michonne and Anne battling for second place lol

 

https://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead/extras/the-walking-dead-season-9-cast-portaits#/4

Anne?  Is that Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis)?

[Smad]

Damn Melissa is looking good. I've always wondered what her secret was for looking so damn good at her age.

[OoohMaggie]

6 hours ago, Nashville said:

Anne?  Is that Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis)?

It is,  I admit to having had the image below  in my mind rather than frumpy coat Jadis.

 

Edited September 6, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

15 hours ago, WalkerTalker said:

Maybe, if you think of the previews The sheriff is back in town. He is Negan's jailer too. 

A quote from Comicbook.com

“Don't count on seeing Rick wear his Sheriff's hat which made its debut in Season One during episodes in Season Nine, though. The hat is merely being added to the promotional art for effect and nostalgia, it seems.”

[OoohMaggie]

A snippet about the WD logo for those interested in such things,

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2018/09/05/the-walking-dead-season-9-logo-credits-decay-hope/

[SimoneS]

17 hours ago, Fellaway said:

Ugh.  We are never going to be rid of Negan, are we?  And what about everybody's beef with him?

Nope, because the creator Kirkman loves the character. Negan's miraculous survival is completely unbelievable. Someone would have killed him long ago. I stopped watching TWD because of him. 

Danai looks gorgeous in that promo photo.

Edited September 6, 2018 by SimoneS

[Nashville]

4 hours ago, Smad said:

Damn Melissa is looking good. I've always wondered what her secret was for looking so damn good at her age.

She looks pretty good for any age.  ;)

 

4 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

It is,  I admit to having had the image below  in my mind rather than frumpy coat Jadis.

 

 

Uhhhh, yeah.  Looking at this photo, I think I might possibly see where you’re coming from....

(DAYYYY-UMMMM...!!!  Paint me naked and call me Rick...!!!)

;>

Edited September 6, 2018 by Nashville

[Gobi]

52 minutes ago, Nashville said:

She looks pretty good for any age.  ;)

 

Uhhhh, yeah.  Looking at this photo, I think I might possibly see where you’re coming from....

(DAYYYY-UMMMM...!!!  Paint me naked and call me Rick...!!!)

;>

Makes Rick's insistence on recruiting Jadis understandable.

[CrazyDog]

Gimple says there is a "brutality" to Rick's ending. Ugh. And my whisper (no pun intended) of hope that Rick meanders off into the wilderness for a few seasons (ie, a few days in the Walking Dead timeline), instead of actually being killed off, disappear. Crap.

Go Carol, I guess. I do like some of the new actors coming on board, but the cast is just too saturated already. Even with more deaths coming up. Maybe they are trying to go the FTWD route and essentially reboot the show. 

[OoohMaggie]

Pretty cool clip, 8 little Maggies all in a row, mm mmmmm

Everyone is locking and loading except poor old Jesus!

Nex, what’s the song?

Edited September 7, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

A new synopsis taken from Comicbook.com

Last season brought the culmination of 'All Out War,' which pitted Rick Grimes and his group of survivors against the Saviors and their cunning leader, Negan," the Season Nine synopsis reads,

"With Negan’s life in his hands, Rick had a character-defining choice in front of him. By making the unilateral decision to spare Negan, Rick upheld the values his late son, Carl, championed in order to build for the future, but created conflict within his group.

"Now, we see our survivors a year and a half after the end of the war, rebuilding civilization under Rick’s steadfast leadership. It is a time of relative peace among the communities as they work together, looking to the past to forge the future, but the world they knew is rapidly changing as man-made structures continue to degrade, and nature takes over, changing the landscape and creating new challenges for our survivors.

"As time passes, the communities confront unexpected obstacles, danger, and of course, walkers, but nothing quite prepares them for the formidable force they are about to encounter, which threatens the very idea of civilization that our survivors have worked so hard to build."

Oooooohhhhhhhh! 

[scrb]

First of all man made structures degrade all the time.  But people maintain them and rebuild them if necessary.  If they've had a year and a half to rebuild things, then they should be in better shape, not worse.

It's when they have their hands full and are in a fight for survival that they'd let things go.

Second, if this malevolent force wanted to take down these survivors, they wouldn't let them build up and recover for a year and a half.

What are they trying to say, people try to live in peace and rebuild but the dog-eat-dog world won't let them?  Well that's been the pattern of the last several seasons of TWD, one group of bad guys after the other that Rick and company had to put down.  So the show decides to pretend they had peace and they were building something off the screen, just so they can have more wars again?

Sounds like nothing has changed.

[Nashville]

53 minutes ago, scrb said:

First of all man made structures degrade all the time.  But people maintain them and rebuild them if necessary.  If they've had a year and a half to rebuild things, then they should be in better shape, not worse.

Depends on what resources are available with which to work; brick and concrete structures can’t be built back good-as-new, for example, if brick kilns and concrete plants aren’t back in production operation.  And repair/rebuilding work takes manpower time away from farming and hunting/gathering labor.  Somewhere there is a tipping point where your population has grown large enough to supply sufficient manpower to cover all these different activities, sure - but have they reached that yet?

[peach]

10 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

"With Negan’s life in his hands, Rick had a character-defining choice in front of him. By making the unilateral decision to spare Negan, Rick upheld the values his late son, Carl, championed in order to build for the future, but created conflict within his group.

Rick had a character-assassinating choice in front of him...

[AngelaHunter]

26 minutes ago, peach said:

Rick had a character-assassinating choice in front of him...

... and in order to satisfy and cater to Kirkman's juvenile and fucked-up hero-worship (A harem of wives! Every man's dream, right!) and self-insertion to make himself a towering, badass cocksman, we decided to make Rick show the kind of mercy to Negan that he's shown to no one else, ever, not even to the Savior who saved Rick's life. Gee, when one of the Merletones was going to rape Carl, why didn't Rick show HIM the kind of mercy he showed Negan, who was only going to bash in Carl's head and who murdered Glenn and Abe? Why couldn't he have just given the Merletone a non-lethal flesh wound as he did to Negan, find Morgan, get him to build a jail cell and then speechify at the Merletone and lecture him about what a naughty boy he was? Why did he say, about the Termites, "Kill them all?" Shouldn't he have been willing to see if rehabilition was an option for Gareth? Oh, but I guess neither the Merletone nor Gareth had Kirkman rippling with excitement, with the ballsacks and screwing and penis stuff and rubbing one out (the sign of a Real Man) and submissive wives decked out in short dresses and high heels and all that. Sorry, Rick. When it comes to you or Kirkman's kinko, macho-man, torture porn fantasies, you lose.

[Nashville]

Aww, c’mon now @AngelaHunter - quit holding back and tell us how you REALLY feel.  ;>

[AngelaHunter]

26 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Aww, c’mon now @AngelaHunter - quit holding back and tell us how you REALLY feel.  ;>

Mock me if you will because maybe I'm being unfair and judgmental, since I admit I've never watched one second of any interview with Kirkman, The Gimple, or any other of TPTB because, well - I can't stand looking at any of them. Therefore, I may be biased since none my favorite shows ever needed endless (or ANY) explanations, justifications, interpretations etc after an ep. I could be totally wrong. Wouldn't be a first!:>p

Edited September 7, 2018 by AngelaHunter

[Nashville]

3 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

Mock me if you will because maybe I'm being unfair and judgmental, since I admit I've never watched one second of any interview with Kirkman, The Gimple, or any other of TPTB because, well - I can't stand looking at any of them. Therefore, I may be biased since none my favorite shows ever needed endless (or ANY) explanations, justifications, interpretations etc after an ep. I could be totally wrong. Wouldn't be a first!:>p

Mocking?  Not at all!  Just loving your expressiveness.  :)

[nodorothyparker]

They lost me at describing Negan as a "cunning leader."  For my own mental well being, that's where I disengage beyond a bit of snarking.

[AngelaHunter]

2 minutes ago, Nashville said:

 Just loving your expressiveness.  :)

Back atcha!

[catrox14]

2 hours ago, peach said:

Rick had a character-assassinating choice in front of him...

What's even worse is they also assassinated Carl's characterization to do it.  Fuck Kirkman and his obsession with Negan.

[Anela]

5 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

... and in order to satisfy and cater to Kirkman's juvenile and fucked-up hero-worship (A harem of wives! Every man's dream, right!) and self-insertion to make himself a towering, badass cocksman, we decided to make Rick show the kind of mercy to Negan that he's shown to no one else, ever, not even to the Savior who saved Rick's life. Gee, when one of the Merletones was going to rape Carl, why didn't Rick show HIM the kind of mercy he showed Negan, who was only going to bash in Carl's head and who murdered Glenn and Abe? Why couldn't he have just given the Merletone a non-lethal flesh wound as he did to Negan, find Morgan, get him to build a jail cell and then speechify at the Merletone and lecture him about what a naughty boy he was? Why did he say, about the Termites, "Kill them all?" Shouldn't he have been willing to see if rehabilition was an option for Gareth? Oh, but I guess neither the Merletone nor Gareth had Kirkman rippling with excitement, with the ballsacks and screwing and penis stuff and rubbing one out (the sign of a Real Man) and submissive wives decked out in short dresses and high heels and all that. Sorry, Rick. When it comes to you or Kirkman's kinko, macho-man, torture porn fantasies, you lose.

Right. I don't like gore (which might be weird for someone who watched this show), but I loved it when Rick tore that guy's throat out. It was exactly what I thought most parents would do, if their kid's life was at stake (or if they were about to be sexually assaulted, which would still damage him significantly). Same when his baby, and the rest of his makeshift family, were in danger from the termites, and their hipster leader. 

[OoohMaggie]

The premier is an extended show, to almost 90 minutes, so yes even more commercials.

One good point is that Nicotero is directing, his shows are usually above par, we’ve also got our first taste of Ms Kang as runner, no pressure there!

No matter how disappointing I found last season, or that Maggie and Rick are on their way out, having seen the new clip I can  feel the old excitement building up again. I really would hate feeling like I couldn’t care less.

[nodorothyparker]

Nicotero's episodes have been uneven at best.  He's is also the same person who gave us What Happened and What's Going on, which was student art film level of pretentious in having all the dead blonde girls and the Governor show up to usher Tyreese into the afterlife.  And while I realize it's ultimately a showrunner and writer decision more than the director, he also brought us the end of season six, start of season seven cliffhanger episodes, Last Day on Earth and The Day Will Come When You Won't be that had the gang dodging Wile E. Coyote levels of road blocks to drag out the introduction of Negan and the big who's he gonna kill sweepstakes for Glenn and Abraham.

There's also the whole this show rarely justifies needing a 90-minute runtime to tell a story thing.

[AngelaHunter]

14 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

He's is also the same person who gave us What Happened and What's Going on, which was student art film level of pretentious in having all the dead blonde girls and the Governor show up to usher Tyreese into the afterlife (which took ridiculously long, considering he was covered in at least a gallon of red paint yet was still conscious and trippin'.) - *my addition*

Just when I had finally purged that pseudo artsy-fartsy psychedelic crap from my mind. God, that was painful and embarassing, but they didn't learn from it because then they started with the super closeup facial montages. Okay, that was pretty funny in a dopey way, but the fact that it was meant to be vewy, vewy sewious, ominous and very arty pissed me off. Anyway, there are art student films on YouTube at which the writers (and Mr. Nicotero) might want to take a look and maybe pick up a few tips about pacing, continuity and engaging storytelling.

Aside: There's one very short student film about a Kiwi bird. It's animated and needed no dialogue or explanations but told a story so compelling I was sobbing by the end.

14 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

There's also the whole this show rarely justifies needing a 90-minute runtime to tell a story thing.

But... but, they can get in at least 15 more minutes of commercials! The little bit of extra story time can be nothing but fillers - people walking and walking, a few more slo-mo closeups and a couple speeches. There. 90 minutes filled.

On 9/7/2018 at 7:06 PM, nodorothyparker said:

They lost me at describing Negan as a "cunning leader." 

Missed this. Cunning? A boring, blabbering, bragging, bully who is not overly bright would be my description of him.

Edited September 9, 2018 by AngelaHunter

[nodorothyparker]

I can't claim credit for the bolded part, but part of me wishes I'd written it as it's a fair point.

[OoohMaggie]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

Nicotero's episodes have been uneven at best.  He's is also the same person who gave us What Happened and What's Going on, which was student art film level of pretentious in having all the dead blonde girls and the Governor show up to usher Tyreese into the afterlife.  And while I realize it's ultimately a showrunner and writer decision more than the director, he also brought us the end of season six, start of season seven cliffhanger episodes, Last Day on Earth and The Day Will Come When You Won't be that had the gang dodging Wile E. Coyote levels of road blocks to drag out the introduction of Negan and the big who's he gonna kill sweepstakes for Glenn and Abraham.

There's also the whole this show rarely justifies needing a 90-minute runtime to tell a story thing.

It’s the differences of opinion that keeps things interesting, long may it continue!

[SimoneS]

Great trailer. You can see AMC response to the actors' changed statuses in popularity. Michonne is now right after Rick instead of Daryl at the beginning and she is standing in front of Rick in the last shot even though Norman is now the lead with the highest salary. I can't help, but notice no Negan in this promo, maybe this is there was too much negative feedback to how heavy they were promoting him.

Edited September 9, 2018 by SimoneS

[WalkerTalker]

On 9/7/2018 at 7:06 PM, nodorothyparker said:

They lost me at describing Negan as a "cunning leader."  For my own mental well being, that's where I disengage beyond a bit of snarking.

He was pretty cunning to get All those peeps to do his bidding for him. He was outnumbered, but managed to fear the sheet right out of them daily. He pitted the tough ones against each other to keep them in line. Always the threat of being demoted if a job, kill, etc. didn't pan out for Negan. Who is Negan, we are, we are. Like lambs to the slaughter he played upon their za fears. 

[WalkerTalker]

On 9/5/2018 at 5:33 PM, OoohMaggie said:

I did say battling for 2nd, there was no battle really, Carol will always be my ‘very close’ No2, you are correct though, gorgeousness all around  Lol

No matter how you slice it, or dice it, the za does a body good, lol. 

[Nashville]

On 9/7/2018 at 6:06 PM, nodorothyparker said:

They lost me at describing Negan as a "cunning leader."  For my own mental well being, that's where I disengage beyond a bit of snarking.

Yeah, that was bullshit.  Negan didn’t even qualify as a “cunning linguist”.

[AngelaHunter]

13 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

I can't claim credit for the bolded part, but part of me wishes I'd written it as it's a fair point.

Oops. Sorry! I forgot to add a note to say that was mine. Fixed!:)

[OoohMaggie]

After removing it from their sites some time ago, AMC have reissued the S9 promo, this time confirming Rick’s exit.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2018/09/09/the-walking-dead-advertising-rick-grimes-final-episodes-andrew-lincoln/

Edited September 9, 2018 by OoohMaggie

[TigerLynx]

I stopped watching a few seasons back, but I check in here every once in a while.  You all have some funny snark.

This will tell you how little attention I've been paying since I stopped watching.  Andrew Lincoln is leaving the show?  So Rick Grimes may die?  That would be something really interesting for Carl and Glenn to deal with along with Michonne, Daryl, and Carol.  Except that Carl and Glenn are dead, Daryl does nothing but mumble, and Michonne and Carol were tamed down and put on the back burner to fit with the no one can manage to kill Negan idiocy.

This show may not know how to kill Negan, but it sure can shoot itself in the foot.