In yesterday’s recap of the season seven premiere of The Walking Dead, many of you wrote that you’re done with the show. You cited the torture p0rn, the deaths of beloved characters and the way that cliffhangers have been used to keep fans guessing and drum up viewership in a show that frankly doesn’t need to rely on these tactics. In fact the manipulative repetitive plot devices may be having the opposite effect and losing viewers. After Sunday’s premiere there’s been outrage from the fan community and think pieces from journalists who are ditching TWD. Sarah at Lainey Gossip is done with it and The Verge has a new article with different writers explaining why it’s no longer worth watching. I haven’t been following their coverage but they’ve been writing about quitting TWD for a while and this was the last straw. Here’s part of that article, written by Bryan Bishop.
It’s been easy to look the other way while The Walking Dead has indulged in its crueler, more vulgar tendencies. From the beginning, the series was able to mash up violent zombie deaths with legitimate character development — particularly in its first few years — and the quality of the drama and emotional engagement made it a fascinating horror hybrid. But that balance became less nuanced when showrunner Scott Gimple took the helm. And it turned outright problematic last season when the show seemed to eschew true character or narrative developments in lieu of tawdry manipulation. Whether it was faking Glenn’s death, dropping Polaroids of bashed-in heads into shots to tease comics fans, or the seemingly endless almost-reveals of new bad guy Negan, The Walking Dead seemed more about hyping itself than about telling a story.
It was all building up to last night’s season premiere, when Negan and his baseball bat Lucille went after the show’s heroes. Abraham died. Glenn died. The episode added cheap tension by leading the audience to believe that Rick would cut off his son’s arm. It was horrifically violent. It was cruel. And the show had the audacity to slap on some cello score and a “what could have been” fantasy sequence to make sure the audience was manipulated as much as possible.
This wasn’t quality television, and it wasn’t suspenseful drama. It was torture-porn masquerading as storytelling, and AMC should be ashamed for airing it.
That was extremely well put. After that the piece has more editorials explaining how manipulative and sh-tty the show is getting. I highly recommend reading it in full. Another one of my favorite quotes is from Nick Statt who writes “The beatings were certainly some of the most upsetting visuals I’ve ever put myself through on a cable television show. It feels as if a line was crossed… no amount of payoff is worth being jerked around like this. The point I’m making here is that if there were ever any time to say no — to exercise your will as a consumer and to respect your time and emotional energy — that time is now.”
As I mentioned yesterday, I gave up on the comics right after Glenn died. If I stop watching the show as well it will be because of not only Glenn’s death, but for how unpleasant it is. It feels like emotional abuse just to watch it. While I understand that we’re supposed to experience that episode as Rick does, it worked too well in my opinion and just left me depressed and beaten. There’s a way to show a major character going through extreme adversity without making it seem horrible and pointless.
Every explanation the show runners have given for these cheap tricks has been inadequate and arrogant. Comic creator Robert Kirkman said on Talking Dead that “We wanted to send a clear message that we are just getting started and there is a lot that is going to be coming from this.” Showrunner Scott Gimple promised that tone would be lighter moving forward, and then he made a cheap quip about Abraham because of course he did.
It’s actually funny after the episode you just saw. There’s a tiger. There is King Ezekiel. And that begins a season where we see all these different worlds, all these different characters. We see these characters that remain trying to put together the pieces, trying to go on. And there’s a big story for Abraham!
See that’s what they think of us, they think we don’t care about these characters or if we do, that it’s something to be mocked and laughed about. I already have a replacement show in mind.
Here are photos from The Talking Dead special!
Photos credit: WENN.com
I personally can’t believe people have stuck with the show as long as they have. It’s the same thing over and over and over again. Boring
This, I gave up around season 3 when it was rinse and repeat for me. Amazed people still bothered to watch it.
Me too.
Season 3 was it for me too. If I want to wallow in darkness and misery, I’ll watch the news.
Me too! Just couldn’t go on with it.
same hear it was boring we turned off and never watched again
yeah seriously. i stopped watching after season 3 finale. it was ALREADY boring at that point.
I stopped at season 3 too.
I’m with you guys. I stopped watching a couple of seasons ago…I think it was the first season that they did the “mid-season finale” and came back a couple of months later.
When they returned, I did not. it IS the same over and over. find place to stay. walkers arrive. run frantically, maybe group separates, group finds each other. find place to stay. etc…
don’t forget–leader of the new group seems nice but is most certainly not nice!
My boyf and i were loyal fans up until the 4? 5th season or whatever before we just slowly eased out of watching it. It just didn’t hold our interest anymore because there is no end game at all. The group goes through the same scenario to various degrees of brutality each time but what’s the resolution? Is there some cure we don’t know about? Or is the whole point of the show just them moving around? We also had no emotional attachments to any of the characters. Ultimately there was no payoff and there was a myriad of other, much better, much more engaging shows to watch – which we rapidly moved on to once we abandoned TWD.
Oh, ffs. If people want to stop watching, that’s cool, more power to them. But the comment after comment where others feel the need to formally announce their zombie apocalypse show flounce is ridiculous.
“Well, I hate this show, and I’m going to spend the next 4 paragraphs explaining in detail why I’ll never watch it again….”–it honestly gets abusurd.
Because this election and all its fuckery feels like the beginning of an apocalypse, with Nov. 8th looming I simply can’t get OUTRAGED over a tv show. If it bothers you, change the channel and move along.
100. Like everything else, if you don’t like it don’t watch it.
@Ghost of Beth G. There’s a difference between “this isn’t my kind of show but I’m going to criticise it anyway” and “I used to enjoy this show but it’s lost what made it appealing”. The latter feedback, in theory, can help the show runners understand why they’re losing viewers and possibly do something about it.
or… you could choose to not read the comments where people are expressing why they no longer choose to watch a show they used to enjoy (in a thread asking if the show has jumped the shark). Goes both ways, Ghost.
@ Ghost of Beth G
LOL and I agree. I think love it or hate it a whole lot of people are invested. TWD’s social media footprint has gotta be pretty huge. And it’s still the #1 show on tv. It’s been on a while, so there’s gonna be an ebb and flow. And the show by it’s very premise is gonna upset people. But there’s still well developed characters on the landscape that people are very invested in. The show must go on. At least through season 8 anyway.
I’m still watching. I think people want entertainment without the upset and this show isn’t the place for that. That said, they could back off the gore a bit (the murders on the premiere were excessive imo) and play up that psychological horror again. The tension of not knowing when or where a threat would present itself is one of the best things about the show.
@Ghost Ummm i can give my opinion on a tv show i used to enjoy, ffs. If i was formally announcing my abandonment of the show, you would’ve seen it in your Sunday papers 2 years ago when it happened. Where in my comment was i EVER outraged? It’s absurd that YOU feel so strongly about whether or not i watch this bloody show – which IS just a tv show, remember? – so if it bothers you and hurts you so much, skip my comment and move along.
@Radley TWD might be the #1 show on tv but i just don’t think it’s any good and it’s got nothing to do with being upset or gratuitous violence or whatever because i watch GOT. Like i said, there was just no incentive to stick with it because it didn’t seem like there was going to be a payoff for the group or if there was anything to work towards. The story moves forward but it moves forward in circles and that gets old real quick.
I used to loved this show however for the last few seasons, it has become too dark. Last week’s espisode crossed the line with the extreme violence. Yes, I knew that someone was going to get bashed in the head but it was how it was done that upset me. I felt sick after watching. Even the next day, I was still upset. That is not why I watch TV. The violence could have been implied. It was fun when it was a just a zombie show and about survival. I dont’ want to watch a sadistic, smiling Psychopath kill and torture people every week! Zombies don’t exist, psychopaths do and this is not what I find entertaining. There has to be some lightness in the darkness. Can’t be all death. I would like to think that should the world come to an end, there would still be people who would help each other. If you want to read a great book about zombies read “The Girl With All The Gifts”. Movie coming out next year. Google and see the coming attraction!
I started my hatewatch proper when they screwed up the Andrea/Lori/ Carl Characters so badly, from then it’s just been me pointing out how POORLY written this stuff is on each Character, How they basically give you a Backstory or some fake Character development riiiiighht as they are about to off em to I guess create sympathy for people that often are unsympathetic/dumb/cardboard cutouts of a trope then I altogether stopped when they came back from one of those mid half season break ( whatever they call that transparent excuse of not running against HBO’s GoT) and they spent an ENTIRE episode basically on the same walk of their dinky town wearing Zombie ponchos for absolute no ass reason except filler episode/car commercials, that’s when I Said to my BF “You’re alone on this” without watching a single episode I can tell him what’s gonna happen cause they so very lazily write them in a cycle of big Bad, staying in a place long enough to fck it up, rinse and repeat , there are No stakes or plot advancement no end in sight and like one of the thinkpieces posited yesterday, they are the Strain but they don’t know they are the Strain they take themselves extra serious they wanna be a Horror Show but also drama ( How LAUGHABLE was the 2 hours of Talking dead and all these inarticulate fool- Looking at you Lauren Cohan- grousing mournfully about a Character’s death that they already had faked us out on before LOLOL)
But yeah you can tell this show suffers from bloat/ poor writing and it’s a direct effect of AMC not respecting its own property… or their Audience tbh ( the news are always about how they want more product placement, less locations, less FX and whatever else, to service that they keep changing showrunners and thus changing tone and scope)
P.S. Im OBSESSED With Westworld.. .. I’m talking rewatches/follow up on theories… It’s Good.. Very very good, they threw Good Money at that
P.P.S AHS My Roanoke Nightmare Is HILARIOUSLY Campy Scares, Ryan Murphy Finally hit on SOmething by Breaking up the Stories and with this last plot twist.. I truly found most of my TL Losing it cackling with Delight at a show within a show this season
QQ, their midsesdon break has to do with sports I think. Even without it, they still would not be running against it
As a fan I get the deaths of 2 main characters were intense but I get it. Abraham’s death seen through POV was more intense and gut wrenching, Glens death, I had to walk away regardless of seeing it in the comic, if they died by way of walkers or bullets it wouldn’t have the same affect. This was thee only way as much as it hurt and it did. I know its just a show yet sigh yes I teared and it stayed with me. To those who left by season 4 or 5 u missexreat seasons. This show is not about zombies but the human spirit n all it does to survive. Its not everyone’s cup of tea,I get that but in a world of Greys Anatomy, NCIS and all network crap, this is an excellent show, it wouldn’t be #1 for no reason. The real fans know this.
Hmm. I’ll have to check out Westworld. I was reluctant because I’m so over sexualized violence against women (cough Game of Thrones), and it seemed like that’s what WW was going for.
The Talking Dead was a bit pretentious and dull. I think they needed to have more fun with it and maybe they wanted to. Probably some producer told them to keep it serious and somber because the audience had the sads. Ummm, I know it’s not real. You can come out drunk and funny if you want. Steven Yeun is usually so funny on talk shows. Meh. It was a missed opportunity. But I appreciate Michael Cudlitz for adding some levity and Sonequa Martin-Green for being able to string some coherent thoughts together unlike some of her castmates.
I did not expect to get caught up in west world, so it has been fun and fascinating so far. I am also enjoying this season’s AHS. They’re kind of saluting and parodying certain show genres.
To me Saydie it isn’t that my fandom isn’t enough, it’s that i expect some plot movement or actual learning from the characters, rather than them stumbling into the same rubbish time and time again. I don’t watch any of the other shows for the same reason. Zombies don’t excuse repetition, that is just insulting to the viewer no matter how you dress it up.
QQ, isn’t Westworld freaking amazing?!! And the theories are so good… 😱
But I think My Roanoke Nightmare is cheesy as hell🧀 I’m honestly not feeling it and the acting is terrible especially that new douche canoe “behind the scenes” with hella makeup and the big veneers on dude like we’re watching Million Dollar Listing. I guess I just miss Gabourey and even little Miss Priss herself, Emma Roberts…
OMFGGGG YESSS The exterior shots!! I could watch a show about Ford or Bernard or the Park’s entire history, or The Corporation!, do you think they are even on Earth?!?! Have you read the Delos Contract online?!! Thandie’s Face! *gaaahh Sorry I’m full IN*
Oh IT IS mad Cheesy but you know what? It’s playing to me with a wink and a Nod! and YES that’s Exactly how he is playing it, like one of those Obnoxious producers! when Sarah Paulson Busted that British accent and then that whole wedding Video I LOST it laughing that was just so hilarious
ANOTHER SHOW?? That Exorcist reboot or whatever on Fox Is GLORIOUS! is so so well done! the sound foley/fx/ the Misdirection! the actors! Top Notch Scares! a great pace and Mood setting and also? the actors are super involved online, they will tweet @you and stuff as you are watching Online…It’s hitting it out the Park!
Okay, so maybe I need to watch AHS/MRN with fresh eyes. I was like are they for serious?? This guy, I just can’t with him. But I also tease my husband mercilessly for watching those real estate shows. Love the houses, miss me with the drama ass dudes🙅🏼
And I’ll keep an eye out for the Exorcist one too for sure👀
And re: Delos — yes girl, I was all up on the DiscoverWestworld website, and are you talking about entering “violentdelights” as the access code to reach the internal emails site? Mind. Blown!!!
I thought for sure with the Orion constellation they were on Earth, but then someone way smarter than me kindly explained that it would look pretty much the same in any part of our solar system😆 But then they just showed the moon?! So… Earth confirmed?! But they could be simulating the sky!!! So many possibilities…. What are your thoughts? Who do you think Arnold is? Have you peeped the old vs new logos and the 2 timelines theories?? We need a WW thread, ASAP. I’m so juiced CB seems down.
I love Ford, Bernard, and the MiB. Thandie is soooo beautiful too, like stahhp, her face is pure perfection and her acting is on point! So vulnerable like you could just reach out and touch her… Even Evan Rachel Wood, who I previously side-eyed harshly for being with Marilyn Manson, has converted me into a fan of hers. And don’t get me started on Teddy… I don’t often like white dudes but that one can come sit right over here next to mama😍
I stopped watching after a few episodes. Same thing over and over and over. Not worth the time.
I was never able to get into it. Zombies don’t do it for me, for some reason.
No, it hasn’t jumped the shark for me! I can’t imagine anyone with that delicate a sensitivity is still watching anyway. I think they needed to have something that showed how you could break even the toughest of men, that Rick represents. I mean everyone is fallible and to be any less vicious and evil wouldn’t have been convincing.
Also the acting on this show is spectacular and I care about each and every character so hope all are proud of what they contribute.
I’m with you on that – it was such a brutal episode but how often does TV make you feel so many different emotions in one hour?
Exactly, someone said it was emotional manipulation but how good is a TV show when it can have you that wrapped up in it?!? It’s amazing.
It depends on how it’s done. The focus should be the story, and imho, the story didn’t get very far with this episode.
100% this.
I’m not going to stop watching. The writing and acting is excellent. The fact that a tv program is able to invoke so much emotion from so many people shows that this is true.
We waited what, 8 months, for that episode to air. We KNEW that someone was going to die. We knew it was going to be at least one person from the core group that fans love. We knew that there was likely going to be a barbed-wire-entwined baseball bat involved.
So why the shock now??? This IS a post-apocalyptic zombie world we’re watching.
I WILL say that the show has jumped the shark when these things happen:
*The writers start making ‘everybody lives and is happy’ episodes
*The people who DO die are minor characters who nobody cares about
I like Zombie movies a lot but I am happy to say that I never got into this big pile of heaping poo that is The Walking Dead.
I agree with you completely! Watching the episode was like riding a roller coaster and I loved it. I didn’t want Glenn to die, but I knew that he died in the graphic novel and it was such a big deal in the gn that I knew they wouldn’t stray from that plot and off someone else. Most of my friends who are upset about Glenn getting it weren’t aware of the comic and just see it as the producers messing with them. If we were in a real apocalypse not everyone would survive. You would be safe some time and in danger the next. There wouldn’t be a happily ever after for all. Can’t wait to see how this changes the group.
It’s a great show and yeah it was brutal but the eye thing is exactly what happened in the comic. A lot of people complaining are still going to watch next week. And who cares if you don’t? They have plenty of viewers.
Comics are an entirely different medium. What works in a comic might not carry over well in a show. The eye popping out was okay in the comics, but I almost laughed when it happened in the show because it was so absurd looking… For me, it completely ruined the emotional impact because I was too busy giggling at how stupid the fake eye looked.
Agree with marshmellow. The effects were way too cheesy, Halloween haunted house-ish. That may be acceptable in a comic book, but not on a show when your goal if dramatic effect. If you’re going to show a scene like that, fine. I’ll accept it. But I want realism. Not bulging eyes and zombie neck taffy. Consult with someone who will make that look real. Not B horror movie.
Amen.
The true monsters of this apocalypse aren’t the zombies, it has and will always be the people, NO ONE is exempt in this show.
The comics are brutal, AMC brought it in this season debut. Did I cry like a bitch? Yup. Was I heart broken? Indeed.
Hell, even on the verge of death, both Glenn and Abraham stood true to form; Began broke Rick, Maggie’s strength prevailed, now starts a new chapter.
I’m still salty at last season’s ending but what’s coming next is a new beginning, I’ll stick around, also the acting was on point….
JDM nailed his character, CM was like chop it dad, and as always AL blew me away….
+1000
i dont care who dies since two seasons ago, I suffer enough With hershel but ill never give up, the show´s name is THE WALKING DEAD! what do ppl expect from that?.
I wonder what would happen if instead of Glenn it was Daryl … Lol XD.
I think ppl is over reacting, the actors are amazing (i also stop the comic right here)
I fully agree! I thought the fact that the show WAS still able to shock and horrify when we’re getting desensitized to it was pretty impressive. The acting was great, I still care about the characters. I’m still watching.
I’m going to still watch the show. I want to see beyond Negan, and see what else is out there.
the season opener was jarring, so is watching a bunny get hit by a car, too bad the bunny incident was real.
The show didn’t go the way I wished, I Would have preferred those characters not die, but like the show always says, “You don’t get that. You can’t have it both ways.”
Maybe that’s some of the viewer fall-off; the show has a very rigid individualistic tone.
Besides, even though he’s a villain, Negan resembles my husband, and I find him good-looking. I can rejoice in the fact I didn’t marry a man who revels in barbed wire baseball.
Robert Kirkman has been a monster for awhile. Too bad Talking Dead won’t do a super mean letter hacks for viewers to vent.
I quit after the last finale. It was emotional manipulation and the story hasn’t been good since the group got to Alexandria.
last episode wasnt really the straw for me, i just wanted to get closure and see who they’ll kill. but im also out. just too many jump the shark moments.
im kind of angry because i never held high standards for TWD. i didnt need it to be the best show and it still disappointed.
the characters are so flat i dont care who dies. Who was Glenn anyway? we know nothing about it, alright delivery guy but anything else?
Rick is always going from crazy and lost to killer and back. Carol is so often away from the group, though i have to admit she had by far the best development from a shy domestic abuse victim.
the rest is just group gets into safe zone, safe zone is not safe anymore, on the run, (group gets seperated), safe zone etc
Yeah. I just got around to watching it last night. I’m not a squeamish person by any means, but there comes a point when gratuitous violence gets ridiculous. Literally ridiculous. I couldn’t take the episode seriously, so it had no emotional impact on me whatsoever. And I liked Glenn, so his death should’ve had me bawling. Instead, I was just bored wondering how much corn syrup was wasted for this episode.
I don’t watch the Walking Dead because I get jump scared easily and I hated Jon Bernthal’s character and the mom so much I couldn’t deal. I’m just here for the fashion.
Danai… I think I’m in love with that dress. I can’t even tell you why because I don’t really like the suit jacket that matches.
Steven Yeun’s suit is gorgeous and I even like the blue dress with the cut out.
It’s a shame that the show in general is critically turning into such a joke, because I think Andrew Lincoln’s acting is absolutely brilliant. I feel like if he was delivering these performances on a different show he’d be rolling in awards.
I agree about Lincoln. He’s a terrific actor. I’d say the same for Melissa Mc Bride. If they both were on GoT or another drama, they’d be racking up the Emmys.
I watched TWD seasons ago but quit for these exact reasons you guys are saying.
The original Rick, Lori, Carl, and Shane storyline was really good. And I’m sorry, Shane might have been crazy but the man is foooiine. When he died, I knew it was the beginning of the end for me. I hung on for a bit longer though.
The show straight up gave me zombie nightmares, but the one-dimensional story wasn’t worth it. I got spoiled by GoT and the first season of True Detective…
Go watch Westworld ladies!! 🙌🏼
I HATED the original RIck, Lori, Carl, and Shane storyline. I didn’t really get into the story until the women exchanged the laundry for rifles and we saw the characters slowly begin to lose their humanity.
I’m with you Grant. I liked the show better when we moved past Lori.
Emotional abuse is the expression I was trying to put in words after the episode.
No I will not quit the show, still love it. I did close my eyes during Glen’s beating because it was a bit too much though. I love the show and if you think about this from Negan’s point of view, he’s not the bad guy, Rick started it by going after his people while they slept. Rick started to think he was a little too big and bad and had to be taken down a few notches, Negan truly broke him and I can’t wait to see how he picks himself up after this. Love the show!!!
All my thoughts exactly.
+1000
loves the show…and Negan too 😀
LOVED Sunday’s episode! It completely broke my heart to see him throughout the episode in an almost catatonic state. Watching him negotiate with Negan to save Carl’s arm and then having to pick themselves up to head back to Alexandria gutted me.
Oh and Jeffery Dean Morgan better keep wearing that jacket and red scarf with his scruffy beard all season long. Damn!
Agreed. And Andrew Lincoln is such a good actor that he’s still fooling everyone into thinking Rick is the good guy. He’s not. Negan could be the morally superior character, for all we know.
Negan is not morally superior or a nice guy. I promise, lol!
And Maggie too! She’s had to see her entire family and her lover slaughtered – how the hell is she going to come back from this? I hope see does though because I love her 😀
Where is this show going?
I asked this yesterday and see it has also been asked by Sarah at Lainey Gossip. The characters are working towards nothing. The story line is B-movie level zombies and groups of terrible people doing terrible things. Why should I care about this?
I think the sad and frustrating thing about the show and the deaths is that you have a very good actor in Michael Cudlitz and they could have developed Abraham into a more meaningful character (which he was in the comics), they showed no interest in really developing Abraham outside of being in a sort of love triangle between Rosita and Sasha.
You also had the novel idea of a Korean actor being the lead in the show’s leading love story with Glenn and Glenn developing a leadership role and if we are supposed to wonder how Maggie will carry on…why was every season a long Maggie/Glenn separation. I know Maggie will carry on without him. I hated to see Glenn go, but then again, I thought well Steven Yeun will hopefully go on to better shows and movies where he can really show off his acting skills.
It can’t always be cheap, gory thrills. Walking Dead can do some really good episodes (i.e The Grove and Clear) and you have a cast with a good chemistry that works well together and I think sometimes they forget to take advantage of that.
As an avid fan I will still watch. But they had to make you feel pissed and manipulated. They wanted to make sure everyone knows how terrible Negan is and that Rick was broken. Rick is a strong man and they wanted to show he is broken and that itll be believable that he will surrender to Negan when he demands it. The show has always been violent. People should have taken that memo when the first episode had a little girl get shot..yes shes a zombie but still. Lori’s death was awful and heartbreaking and so was Hershels. I do agree on Scott Gimple. He seems like a dickhead. Now I fear itll be back to split up episodes. You’ll have carol and morgan at kingdom, rick and Alexandria, Daryl w the saviors, and sasha and maggie at hilltop. I hated when it was like that in previous seasons.
I love the show. Yes it’s gory. How about when we saw that Characters arm sod offa the hospital! That was a lot for me and Sundays EP was another push past the comfort zone but… that’s what this show is about. They will build up the store line BF they are following a comic book (or whatever) so I will continue to watch! I think I am the only one who thinks Ricks G acting is not the best and other cast members have done a better job. I love Carol and Daryle but hey if they die I won’t stop watching! Cause I bet it will be epic. Like the new evil guy said “you don’t kill someone like that without working for it”. Can’t wait till Next Sunday!!
I really want to know what made Negan who he is. You don’t just wake up one morning like that.
I disliked Morgan’s Cheeseman episode, but I’d like an episode of Negan’s backstory.
Even Pol Pot had an interesting backstory.
Exactly!
As for the split storylines, I dig it. This just means each group can come together easier/faster when they eventually decide to fight back and take down Negan, because they will each have a liason from the original group.
My husband and I have loved watching it from the beginning. However, we could not watch the season premiere because of the upcoming deaths. Just knowing that it would be brutal was too much. (it’s always been violent but killing zombies was somehow different then killing humans) After reading what happened in the premiere, we decided to stop watching the series because it just made us feel so sad and depressed. Who needs that? I can watch the news on Syria or Trump to get depressed and sad.
I only saw the first 6 episodes and since they film in my city, I felt compelled to watch. It was good but never went back to it. Why did the zombie outbreak happen?
That question has never been answered and is one of the reasons I will keep watching till this series is over. It’s brutal but it’s also realistic in that if a zombie apocalypse did actually happen, this is sadly what would become of human–brutally fighting for survival at all costs. The show started showing us humans trying to keep these zombies at bay and just live another day. Then they showed us how those humans figured out generally how to handle the undead and just trying to maintain a safe place. What we’re seeing now is what comes after safe places have been established–the fighting to keep it that way. I’m hoping that after this “phase” of the show we will get to see (somehow, some way) the group finding people who are actually working towards a solution and hopefully one day solving the problem. I’ve always wondered if the group is going to somehow join up with the Fear the Walking Dead people.
I think at one point I saw the creators say we’ll never know why the outbreak started? Which is kind of lame
I’ve always came to the conclusion that the outbreak started because of a failed science experiment that spread. (That’s how they ALL start)
Hah, I didn’t make it passed season 1 either and that’s saying something since I love zombie apocalypse scenarios. Glenn was my favorite too.
I didn’t like Sundays episode, but I will continue to watch. Like Norman Reedus said in an interview, this isn’t the Andy Griffith show. This is the highest rated show on tv, so I really doubt an entire fan base will stop watching because Glenn is dead. I’m still walking!
Definitely. They have a huge and loyal fan base. Almost like the BeyHive lol. That show’s ratings will not really miss any of the casual fans who will stop watching. I feel like they are the reason the producers stayed true to the source material and played it out the way it did in the graphic novels. And Abe was supposed to have died with the arrow in the eye like Denise did, so they reset the timeline back to where it should have been in the comics. And Abe going out like a hero and hard rock imo was better than seeing him die in an ambush without a fight. It was a fitting end for him.
Actually some fans will stop watching and it will hurt ratings. It happened to Twilight and The Hunger Games. The sequels made more than the finales for those two movies.
What I hadn’t realized was that this show has Twihards! Several of the critics who have written about why they’re done with the show are getting attacked on Twitter and in comments. Grow up folks, it’s a show about imaginary monsters.
I didn’t stop because it was “too much”, I stopped because I found it has become bloated, dull, and repetitive. There’s new, more interesting shows to discover (I agree, I’m all in with Westworld).
Good answer!! Those of us who still enjoy the show and characters will continue to watch and those who don’t won’t. It’s that simple. Imaginary monsters…lol! Gotham is also in there for me, love the Penguin. Was a Bates Motel fan but this year is going to be like WD for some people, just a bit too much. Norman has gone full psycho.
I agree with Sarah’s assessment. At least Game of Thrones has an end game. I didn’t even bother to tune into the second half last year since I knew nothing was going to happen. And since it has been said numerous times that Glenn dies in the comics, I just didn’t even bother.
I’m with you. I quit somewhere in the middle of last year. It is the same thing over and over. I haven’t read the comic so I don’t know if there’s more plot development in that either.
I’ve been done for a while (since season 5). Mostly because I find the show deeply depressing – it gives me anxiety!! I’ve always hated the moments of intense gore, too – for the same reason I hate it on Game of Thrones. Most of the time on both shows, the violence has its basis in the source material but they take it so much farther for shock value. I’m all for some well placed moments of over the top zombie destruction but not here for seeing beloved characters beaten to death in extreme detail.
I’m right there with you.
I could never get into it. The first episode gave me such intense anxiety that I could never watch it again. One of my worst fears is waking up to see that the entire world is screwed up, so when he wakes up from a coma to find out that there’s an apocalypse happening that screwed with me way too hard.
Y’all are watching it wrong. Watch the premiere, mid season finale, mid season premiere, then the finale. That’s honestly all you need to watch of this show.
This is a great strategy😹
I’m not giving up just yet, but I really do feel like Kirkman and Gimple don’t care about the fans, especially after Glenn’s dumpster diving experience last season. It was ridiculously insulting and I would have enjoyed one, full last season with one of my favorite characters. I read the comics and figured Glenn was going to meet his end at the hands of Negan, but I feel cheated. During the Talking Dead this week both Kirkman and Gimple seemed arrogant and if I didn’t care for the characters so much, I’d quit watching because of their cavalier and cocky attitudes.
They can afford to be arrogant. If enough people are truly angry about the episode, and the direction of the show, and stop watching, maybe things will change. It is like a lot of other things on tv. People complain about the Kardashians, yet as long as people are talking, and “hate watching”, and buying magazines with them on the cover, they will stick around. These two know this. As long as there are eyeballs (no pun intended) on the show and people paying attention to it, no matter what, the status quo will be maintained. Kirkman and Gimple don’t have a reason to change anything. They’ll change it when they have a reason to.
YAASSS to Westworld, CB!! It’s Game of Thrones-level amazingness. It seemed like this site wasn’t a fan at first but I’m telling you guys it’s a must-watch!!
Please make a Westworld post…🙏🏼
Ok I’ll watch Westworld! I’ve heard so many good things about it.
Yes! I was hooked the very first episode. Love it!
YES YES! there are sooo many discussions to be had!
I’ve been curious about starting Westworld. Now I know I’ll have to watch it for sure! 😉
TBH I’m not even a hardcore fan, I started watching it around season 4 and even then I only watch it whenever it’s on TV. I mean, I don’t follow their schedule and anxiously wait for the next episode like a real fan would. But even as a casual viewer, the last episode was so brutal so violent that I had to stop watching it. You see, I don’t even read the comics and the way they killed those 2 characters…..God iIt made me feel numb inside for a few minutes and then I lost interest in it. I switched to another channel. I’m not saying that I won’t be watching it anymore but maybe I’ll drop by again when their done with whole “wah negan is pure evilllll look at how violent he can be” concept and when they return to a real story plot.
Negan sticks around for a long time. Later on a civil war breaks loose with all of the different factions in the area.
Sounds boring as hell. I barely made it through the ‘Governor’ season – I can’t bear to have to sit through endless episodes about why Negan is a bad guy etc.
I fast forwarded through most of season 6. I started watching this earlier this year because my daughter begged me to. I binged the seasons on Netflix. It all makes me supersad and that’s NOT why I continued to watch. So I’m off to Westworld with Celebitchy. Its a confusingly great show thus far.
Eh. the show is about a post-apocalyptic world where there is no law, and people who have had to watch loved ones die and “turn “and then maul others are now adjusting to that world. Some people will become dejected, some will chose to die and some will become terrible people with no compassion left. and then there are the socio and psychopaths and criminals that have now gone unchecked. Ish gets real. And although I wasn’t a fan of the cliffhanger, the writers and producers did their job, which was to evoke a very visceral emotion from it’s viewers. Maybe its growing up in a large city during an era where the crack epidemic, murder rates and corruption were probably at it’s peak, I can totally grasp the concept of what could and would happen under dire situations. People get desperate and the strong will prey on the weak and horrible people will do horrible things when there is no system in place to maintain order and dole out justice. And it’s truly depressing.
Rick and the crew got extremely arrogant last season. They thought they had this apocalypse life on lock and that no one would mess with them. Until they met Negan. And Negan is a psycho who likes to play with his prey and break people in order to get them to submit. I knew Glen’s death would stay true to the comic so that wasn’t a surprise to me. If you have read or know about the comics, you know what you are getting. I was grossed out by that episode and probably will not watch that specific episode again, but it is what it is. The brutality was meant to wake the gang -and the viewer- up from their comfort zone. To stop thinking that everything is Kumbaya. Glens death will usher in a new, stronger and powerful Maggie who will honor the type of people her dad and Glen were. Daryl will deal and struggle with a guilty conscience. Rick has been humbled and broken and will have a hard time getting his balls back. Carl will become the Terminator lol. The story has been reset and these characters will now change and adapt to their new way of life. I look forward to see their development.
JeanGrey,
Pardon the pun, but you read my mind.
The show is taking on a different tack, and I’m curious.
Now there will be factions at war.
Everyone in the show that insists that the survivors will be taken care of by them ends up hurting the survivors very badly, most of the time the one promising is smiling sweetly and altruistically while being a completely selfish megliomaniac dickhead.
What’s disturbing for me, and it’s not just on this forum, is posters’ calls to join them in their boycott of the show, to drop their viewership, to bully the creators into giving the boycotters what they want, without realizing that the show is giving a large swath of people exactly what they want.
The brutality is just part of the story, that’s how it is in the comics and the vast majority of the people watching the show knew it was coming. It’s rough but it’s part of a story. I always liked how the show balanced horror with exploring concepts of morality and how the juxtaposition carried the story further. It really had me contemplating human nature and scenarios that wouldn’t exist in our lives unless society fell apart. It’s an intensely fascinating concept and Negan is another facet of this.
However, the delivery of that story peaked in season 5, fell apart in season 6 and appears like it’s just going to continue to nosedive in season 7. The delivery is horrible. There’s too many teasers, too many cheap shots, too many cliffhangers. They took what should have been a very momentus occasion, a very emotional, hard hitting, revolutionary for tv moment and butchered it. We should have been given it all in one shot (sorry for the puns Im not doing it on purpose) in last seasons finale and then left reeling and wondering what is next. The entire show is about “what’s next” and “what comes after” and “how do we survive this” and THAT is how the show should have left off. The premiere shouldnt have been a series of mini cliffhangers spliced with moments of horrific suffering. It’s pointless.
Such a butchered story. Whoever wrote and guided the creation of seasons 4 and 5 should still be in charge.
Of all of the gripes I have read about the show and this episode, I agree with your assessment the most. The cliffhanger was completely unnecessary. The dragging of the scene with Negan and Rick in the trailer seemed like filler. Imo, Abe should have been killed at the end of last season, then this season should have began with Rosita being taunted to look, Daryl fighting back, and then Negan asserting his authority again with Glen’s death. The whole teasing after about 3 commercial breaks after the long hiatus was annoying. Last season was probably my least favorite of all as well.
Yes. I agree completely. We were discussing this last night- if they had ended with Abe’s death last season, we would be in a different boat. They have somehow managed to kill a show I loved. I’m in the “done” category.
shewolf, if you like human nature and scenarios that wouldn’t exist unless society fell apart, you might like a book called Swan Song, by Robert McCammon. It explores the lives of small groups of people after a cataclysmic world tragedy. He writes similar to Stephen King, not really horror but could keep you awake thinking.
Totally appreciate the recommendation!!! Thank you!
Exactly Shewolf, I don’t know how many times during the premier I rolled my eyes and said “They’re f–king with us” instead of being engrossed in the story. It’s also irritating how those defending the show hit exactly the same beats (i.e. PR talking points)…it’s a zombie apocalypse show, what do you expect? Wait till you see what happens next, blah blah blah. Most are not quitting because of the violence but because of the poor storytelling
100% done with TWD. Loved the show but couldn’t even watch the season finale last season. I stopped with 15 minutes left. I let this season start with my friends as guinea pigs and they immediately told me “You will not want to see this”.
I find it sad that as a society we have become so numb and desensitized that this is television we find view-able. If I wanted gore porn I’d watch Saw I – XXV (insert whatever roman numerals it is as I wouldn’t know).
I cried this past week when Glenn died, but isn’t that what you’d hope for with a character’s death? That the writers and actors have done such a good job that you feel loss when the character dies? That doesn’t feel manipulative to me, it’s good storytelling. I also can’t really imagine a horror show in which no one integral ever dies. TWD has killed off important characters every season, so it feels odd that people are quitting watching over this one.
And it’s supposed to be gross – Negan doesn’t tickle people to death – he beats them with a baseball bat covered in barbed wire. That is just inherently going to be gross.
And it’s not as though TWD is perfect – far from; each season is pretty inconsistent in terms of quality, but still…
There’s nothing to the show anymore. It’s just a dwindling group of people wandering around and finding out how terrible the surviving dregs of humanity are. Is the show going to end when the last of them are killed? There’s no story. I’m tired of watching something with no humanity.
It stopped being about the characters and the comics and about the viewers emotional investments and more about the egos of the writers and producers.. It is the worst form of ‘click bait’ I have seen. I do not care if they have a tiger or a deranged King, or even if they pull a fire breathing dragon out of Rick’s useless ass, the show just sucks.
When I watched this episode all I was thinking was: WHY I am doing it? Do I need this? Not just the violence which I see pointless, but the storytelling that led us to that wall. I was a really big fan of the show in the beginnings and now I don’t feel like I need to “quit it”, I just don’t feel this excitement every Sunday night. Just that and all of that. And there is SO MANY other shows, with all of different emotions, emotions that I like to feel.
Stopped watching sometime last season. Got too slow. Too predictable.
Which was a bummer, because I really liked it up until about last season.
Oh well.
Ok, my two cents. Most of my fellow celebitches know of my HUGE crush on Norman Reedus and that I’ve been a fan of TWD since day one. I follow all the spoilers and am current on the comic storyline (up to the latest released issue). But I was SUPER disappointed with the premier. The finale last season really left a bad taste in my mouth because of the cliffhanger and ticked my husband off so badly he was ready to write it off (he binge watched when we started dating to catch up circa season 4). We actually had to gear up so to speak to watch the premier. I knew what was coming… saying that, after the first commercial break we were refilling drinks and my husband said “I can’t believe they’re doubling down on the emotional manipulation with the reveal”. It stopped me in my tracks, that’s exactly the way I felt. Then the over the top gore, to what end? I’ve always enjoyed watching Talking Dead and generally like Chris Hardwicks insight on things but the grandiose spectacle that was Talking Dead the other night just drove home how arrogant and heavy handed the manipulation is. Blegh, I honestly don’t know what my future watching habits will be.
Westworld, ho!
On a lighter note that isn’t trolly or emotionally manipulative – Westworld is awesome! It’s thought provoking, dark, has a lot of intelligent social commentary, & even has its own suspenseful, gaspy, freaky moments. Anthony Hopkins is absolutely chilling. I encourage anyone to give it a go as their go-to Sunday show.
I wonder if GoT fans are giving up on it for the same reason? I never watched it but I’ve heard that a beloved character being killed in GoT is even more common, there are disturbing scenes just the same and I don’t know where a relationship between siblings like the one they showed is more watchable than a head being smashed in. TWD is truly a hard thing to watch and if the “fans” aren’t aware of that at this point they might as well give up on it. I think the problem with TWD is that it’s too close to reality, no magical world with robots or dragons to rely on and think it’s just fiction, if an apocalyptic-like situation happened IRL, it wouldn’t be too different from that and it makes people uncomfortable.
I was never able to get into this show but always watched bits and pieces when my boyfriend did. I love zombie movies, gore doesn’t really bother me because my aunt did special effects makeup so if anything I can admire well done make up. But. Something with this show has always either bored me or pissed me off. Watching last nights episode I fully made up my mind that I hate it. I hate watched the whole damn thing. It is torture porn. GoT kills people you love in horrible ways but there’s a depth there (even admits the boobs and gore) that TWD misses. Especially the first episode. It’s like they use all their FCC tokens on the first episode to make people gasp and stay hooked for the rest of the season.
Count me among the finished. Was getting tired of it last year but hung in there out of habit I guess. But seeing people get their heads bashed in by baseball bats by an over-acting bad guy is a bit much for me. Somebody said it earlier, rinse and repeat and that is pretty much what it is. They really should wrap it up this year and try to leave with some dignity. Show is used up
I stopped at season 3, the show got seriously boring and repetitive. Characters got dumb as eff.
Scott Gimple is the M. Night Shyamalan of TV. Instead of a twist, he thinks stunts, cliffhangers and hackneyed stories equal quality
They don’t.
Glenn, you were lovable favorite of mine. I viewed your character as hope, love and humanity in a world losing those qualities. You deserved so much better!!!
TWD is as soulless as the dead. Daryl might’ve been right, they ARE the walking dead. Why bother watching 60 mins of pure depression and emotional upheavals? I can get that on my commute to work.
I hear people say that often, Glenn was the heart of the show. What do we know about him besides the fact he was a pizza delivery boy. He fell in love with Maggie but really we didn’t see them together much. I can say Carol is the heart, Rick, even Daryl whose pulled a 180. I guess the answer to all of those so conflicted and depressed by the show, watch Dancing With the Stars! Now that is depressing to me….lol To each their own.
My original comment disappeared.
It was a hard episode to watch because the gratuitous violent deaths was too much. Also, I thought that Negan’s speech went on for too long and seemed like filler and no substance.
When I saw a gif of the character Ezekiel with his CGI tiger in an upcoming episode, my first thought was “Welp, it’s definitely jumped the shark now.”
I will continue to watch until the show is over, but I wasn’t happy with the brutality of the season premiere. It WAS torture porn, and I’ve got freaking Documenting Reality bookmarked on my desktop. I’m not some pearl-clutching grandmother.
Tons of people said they refused to watch after the season 6 finale but it doesn’t seem this show is so easy to quit.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainment/tv/the-walking-dead-premiere-beat-everything-else-on-tv/ar-AAjnmT8?li=AA59yo&ocid=spartandhp
It would have been a much better show if they had forewarned viewers in season 2 that there were “others” out there. Where did Neegan and his army come from? How come Alexandria had never heard of him with their scouts? It’s implausible. I fear this may be a train wreck like Terminus was. Ok, that didn’t work! Back to the “writers” table.
The first season was amazing. Remember when it was that good? Second season was even OK and then it just went off the cliff after Darabont & the initial showrunner were fired. I cringed the other night when watching the talking dead when they said a whole new TWD is now in play and they can now go without an end. That shouldn’t be any show to not have a goal and an endless run. Breaking Bad, GOT and etc are excellent shows because they had/have goals and an end game. Gave the primere a shot and after watching it decided I’m not watching this season. Its going the route of Sons of Anarchy, meandering no direction plots, consistent repeated plot lines, very poor character development and horrible writing. T
I have to respectfully disagree with the writers quoted. This show has always been violent (Carole shoots Lizzie, Herschel is beheaded, Carole and Maggie lock men into a Kill Room and set them on fire, etc). That’s the point of the show. It’s a post-apocalyptic world that has turned cruel and nasty in a lot of places. That’s just showing human nature in all of it’s great and terrible glory. I also was very upset and depressed after the show, I felt very flat. That’s great TV, right? And now of course, I want to see how they get out of this situation and of course, Negan’s comeuppance.
Stop being such a bunch of babies!
http://uproxx.com/tv/walking-dead-defense-brutality/
Brutality isn’t upsetting to a lot of viewers, including me as a viewer. The problem its a godawful show, poorly written with no goal or end game. Its repetitive, wandering and not fun to watch anymore. Basically its a shi* show trying to pose as a “great” show. Well a lot of us are onto that stink and if you like C level entertainment with lots of violence and useless plot than TWD is for you but its not for a lot of us other viewers.
I don’t understand how you expect to see a show about a zombie apocalypse without all the characters dying at one point or another. I thought their cliffhanger was frustrating but brilliant from a narrative and commercial point of view. Considering the episode was watched by 17 million people (and that’s not counting DVR and all that) I doubt TWD will lose many followers. All the whiny, overthinking media (myself included) don’t matter.
wow…. the blogosphere kills everything…. listen this episode was trite but very necessary….
aside from Negan’s (jeffrey deans exhausting cringeworthy monologues) this episode did it…..
ITS A SHOW YAL…. what do you think the apocalypse would be….absolute torture and mayhem and just awful…. had glenn not died it would have a been a rush to annihilate him as per the comic which is the shows bible (dont really follow it always but it hold the cornerstone of the show)
i for one will be watching this show forever….it pulls all the emotions and give this nineties kid a really kick with the realistic portrayal of inhumanity, brutality, desolation, cruelty, and just sorrow…. i find when i see a show like girls or entourage im just like that shit is NOT real or just shows the up and up but what about the down and down…so shows like game of thrones and walking dead and fear walking dead just fascinate me.
I was really kind of hoping the show would have glenn pulled from the circle in that episode and thrown in the van chained down with a walker and have maggie watch him be ripped apart…..omg Negan is completely capable of that…and then in a monologue say
“SEE….LOOKS LIKE YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR WAS JUST DEVOURED….THERE WILL BE NO ALPHA MALES, HEROES, PRINCES TO SAVE YOU….I AM YOUR SAVIOR, I GIVE YOU MERCY, AND YOU WILL SUBMIT TO ME” (bring in that fear of the ensuing subjugation and sexually slavery that is one of the worst part of this Negan character) When I tell you….. everyone would have shivered. (BUT i know that was kinda already done to lame Andrea)
but my whole point…i ran away there… s7e1 was decent…more depressing and thats what it was suppose to be, and for crying out loud its a zombie show (which give it the poetic license to be even more gruesome than GoT) which it did.
Still going to watch because I have to know “how it ends” whenever that is. But I’m also still watching Grey’s Anatomy so clearly I’m crazy.
I get this show is not for everyone. I personally love it. But I don’t understand people saying this particular episode was so violent they will not watch anymore. We’ve seen a major character’s head cut off and his zombie head snapping on the ground. We’ve seen people have their throats slit over a trough because they were going to be eaten by another group. Was this episode tough?? Extremely!! But I think it had to be to show Rick (and us) that Rick is not in charge anymore.
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.
The feeling of being emotionally abused and manipulated is so accurate. I had to stop watching after Noah was ripped apart. I’m shocked that Abraham died because everyone on my Facebook feed is so up in arms about Glenn, it’s almost an injustice that this character has been overshadowed when he’s a huge loss for the group. I agree with this article, thanks for putting it so succinctly, but I’ll still watch when I’m not so scarred from the last season or two.
Thanks for linking to those reviews, Celebitchy – they perfectly summed up what I felt about the episode. It left a really bad taste in my mouth – and I have been a TWD addict since day 1.
The whole thing felt like a bunch of teenage boys were trying to out-torture-p0rn each other for kicks – and to hell with plot, character development or the audience.
And, I’m sorry, but there IS a difference between portrayal of violence in comic books and the realistic portrayal of violence on TV. While Glenn’s death may have been “faithful” to the comics, it was waaay too much for a TV show.
My only question is how did Abraham’s hair always stay dyed orange LOL
You know what would be shocking at this point for TWD. To actually have an arc where people actually work together to come up with a solution for the zombies and to carve out a safe spot instead of always fighting, eating each other, and taking an every man/woman/tribe for themselves approach. Could you imagine what could be done if the survivors somehow managed to work together and share resources, skills, and knowledge instead of battling each other to the death. They might actually solve this zombie issue. LOL. This show jumped the shark when they brought the governor back. It’s been a rehash of that story ever since. At this point, The Strain is almost a better show and that is saying something.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Work together and defeat the common enemy…walkers. Maybe that’s too obvious.
I stopped watching after season 2 because as much as I love zombies, I cannot watch hours of endless misery and depressing deaths. I had thought perhaps there would be an ‘end game’ hinted at or planned by the group of survivors, so it’s surprising for me to learn this far on and nothing is developed! They just run around and around. I am zero interest in returning to continue the series reading the comments section here. It sounds awful 🙁
Anyone quitting the show based on the season 7 premiere is a child. Grow up its a tv show for crying out loud. Ever seen American horror story? Any horror movie? A brother and sister going at it in game of thrones is fine but god don’t show any gore on TWD. Wow.
The show is no longer entertaining. The premiere was torture porn and they killed off the one of the two characters they should not have, and in the worst way. I don’t see any point in watching the rest of the season. Obviously Rick and the gang will eventually find a way to get their revenge but then what? There’s no chance for a happy ending after the graphic killing of the moral compass and the group’s symbol of hope for humanity. It’s sad and depressing and I would rather watch something entertaining. The show totally jumped the shark.