*SPOILERS*The Walking Dead Season 4– First half of season

[MichaelWinicki]

The episode was great.

I knew people were going to die and I figured it would be Hershal but that still sucked. I do like that they kept the beheading from the comic, even if it was a different character he beheaded.

My only complaint was I don't like how they had the Gov. just basically manhandle Rick. I don't care if the Gov. wins the fight, that's fine cause the good guy shouldn't always win, but the way he just destroyed him made so little sense to me. You're telling me that Rick, the guy who beat the dog out of Tyrese, is just going to get stomped by the Gov like that? I just don't buy that. Thought the fight could have been a little better but that was my only real complaint.

Yeah, I was surprised about the Governor/Rick fight myself. Rick held his own against Shane too. I guess it really wasn't his day! LOL!

 

[Stash]

I think once you eliminate the "Can't kill because the show would go down quick" list...

Rick
Carl
Michonne
Daryl

You don't have much left... meaning if you killed one of Herschel's daughters or Glenn or Tyreese even– would anyone care as much as Herschel getting chopped? No. Not really.

And really the Herschel character lasted longer than I thought he would. If the character that played Dale hadn't wanted off the show after Darabont left, Herschel would have perished on the farm and it would have been Dale meeting his end at the prison.

The Herschel and Dale characters that represent the "moral compass" of the show only really work when the group is together in one location. And like you pointed out the rest of the season is going to be about putting the pieces back together. And when that happens there will probably be another "moral compass" ready to take over the job.

Great points and I think you're right. But I guess I had a personal attachment to the character, the actor who played him, and the moral compass Herschel brought to the show.

It just seems to me that we're losing quality characters and getting lesser replacements like Tyrese and Bob, who I'm actually rooting to get knocked off because I'm so disinterested in their characters.

I liked the last few episodes better, but I still see plenty of points where I feel the quality of writing has taken a big dip.

 

[Stash]

The episode was great.

I knew people were going to die and I figured it would be Hershal but that still sucked. I do like that they kept the beheading from the comic, even if it was a different character he beheaded.

My only complaint was I don't like how they had the Gov. just basically manhandle Rick. I don't care if the Gov. wins the fight, that's fine cause the good guy shouldn't always win, but the way he just destroyed him made so little sense to me. You're telling me that Rick, the guy who beat the dog out of Tyrese, is just going to get stomped by the Gov like that? I just don't buy that. Thought the fight could have been a little better but that was my only real complaint.

I had a tougher time when the Governor manhandled Merle. Merle was a badass with a knife hand and the Governor just destroyed him!

Hello! Knife-hand!

 

[diehard2294]

Great episode. I was glad to move on from the prison, and even though I liked the mother shooting the Gov. I would have liked to see a walker(s) get him.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Great points and I think you're right. But I guess I had a personal attachment to the character, the actor who played him, and the moral compass Herschel brought to the show.

It just seems to me that we're losing quality characters and getting lesser replacements like Tyrese and Bob, who I'm actually rooting to get knocked off because I'm so disinterested in their characters.

I liked the last few episodes better, but I still see plenty of points where I feel the quality of writing has taken a big dip.

Yeah, the writing hasn't been as good IMO.

I thought the first half of this season was dragging on. It (the prison arc) was getting to be like the farm arc.

The two "Governor-centric" episodes were the two worst episodes of the entire series IMO.

I think the writers/producers are relying too much on the comic book to determine story lines.

 

[speedkilz88]

So were those old people from Woodbury somewhere on the bus?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

So were those old people from Woodbury somewhere on the bus?

That's where most of the folks ended up. After the infection and several people turning and killing others you don't know who was left and who didn't make it.

 

[Stash]

Yeah, the writing hasn't been as good IMO.

I thought the first half of this season was dragging on. It (the prison arc) was getting to be like the farm arc.

I agree. I was ready for them to get out of the prison too. I thought they should have looked into Woodbury before the Governor got to it. If they had, they may have killed him before he rebounded.

The two "Governor-centric" episodes were the two worst episodes of the entire series IMO.

I think the writers/producers are relying too much on the comic book to determine story lines.

I saw it the opposite. I thought it was all stalling until the Governor resurfaced and things finally starting happening when he came back.

Now I think there is a serious void of protagonists.

I would like to see an urban setting brought back in somehow.

I know it's more expensive, but I can't see them staying in the woods forever.

Maybe they can get a deal to shoot in Detroit?

 

[Stash]

So were those old people from Woodbury somewhere on the bus?

I think that's changed as they've seen fit.

When they first showed up, it looked to be tons of older folks, then I didn't see them during the lousy outbreak episodes, and then there were more kids, and then some showed up just to be victims.

I think overall they were just fodder and just for storyline purposes.

 

[Stryker44]

Anybody else feel like the talk Rick had with Daryl about Carol was rushed into this epsiode, when she played no part? I was sure we were going to see her at some point.

 

[Kevinicus]

I think once you eliminate the "Can't kill because the show would go down quick" list...

Rick
Carl
Michonne
Daryl

You don't have much left... meaning if you killed one of Herschel's daughters or Glenn or Tyreese even– would anyone care as much as Herschel getting chopped? No. Not really.

And really the Herschel character lasted longer than I thought he would. If the character that played Dale hadn't wanted off the show after Darabont left, Herschel would have perished on the farm and it would have been Dale meeting his end at the prison.

The Herschel and Dale characters that represent the "moral compass" of the show only really work when the group is together in one location. And like you pointed out the rest of the season is going to be about putting the pieces back together. And when that happens there will probably be another "moral compass" ready to take over the job.

Maggie would be the last one I'd want to see killed.

 

[Kevinicus]

The episode was great.

I knew people were going to die and I figured it would be Hershal but that still sucked. I do like that they kept the beheading from the comic, even if it was a different character he beheaded.

My only complaint was I don't like how they had the Gov. just basically manhandle Rick. I don't care if the Gov. wins the fight, that's fine cause the good guy shouldn't always win, but the way he just destroyed him made so little sense to me. You're telling me that Rick, the guy who beat the dog out of Tyrese, is just going to get stomped by the Gov like that? I just don't buy that. Thought the fight could have been a little better but that was my only real complaint.

Rick did have a gunshot wound to the leg. I was far more surprised by how sell he was moving around than by him getting his *** kicked.

 

[speedkilz88]

I would have liked to have seen Michonne hack the governor by the neck instead of the stab in the back though. eye for an eye:

 

[punchnjudy]

I agree. I was ready for them to get out of the prison too. I thought they should have looked into Woodbury before the Governor got to it. If they had, they may have killed him before he rebounded.



I saw it the opposite. I thought it was all stalling until the Governor resurfaced and things finally starting happening when he came back.

Now I think there is a serious void of protagonists.

I would like to see an urban setting brought back in somehow.

I know it's more expensive, but I can't see them staying in the woods forever.

Maybe they can get a deal to shoot in Detroit?

And then they can bring in snoop, omar, and stringer bell...works for me!

Clay Davis has to be brought in at some point too...would put the governor to shame.

 

[funkytown]

Excellent episode this week. The fans really needed an episode like that. This whole season has been very boring. Glad the prison stuff is over with. Herschel was a great character, but his time was up.

When the rest of the season picks up in February it will be about all the different groups that broke off. I guess eventually they will all meet up again. I dont think the baby is dead, someone had to of picked her up.

I also wanted MIchone to chop off the Governor's head.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Anybody else feel like the talk Rick had with Daryl about Carol was rushed into this epsiode, when she played no part? I was sure we were going to see her at some point.

Yeah it was rushed.

But I think the pieces had to be in place for them to ALMOST tell Tyreese about Carol killing Karen and David.

Why?

Because I think (and I have no proof of it) that Tyreese and his small group (the kids) meet up with Carol in a future episode which presents this awkward situation.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Rick did have a gunshot wound to the leg. I was far more surprised by how sell he was moving around than by him getting his *** kicked.

I read an interview/article from Kirkman yesterday and he said that they (the writers) didn't want to make Rick into a "Super-hero" so they allowed him to get man-handled by the Gov.

The problem I have with that rational, and this gets back to the inconsistent writing, is that's exactly what they did with Daryl– They "Super-heroed" him...

He comes walking out of his hiding spot, with a zombie-on-a-stick holding this (no doubt) 100lb+ zombie with one arm. While at the same time the zombie is absorbing all the shots from the automatic rifles and not one reaches Daryl.

Poor Dale couldn't lift a decaying body off of himself out in the field, yet Daryl moves around like a running back holding a zombie up with one arm– amazing!

And then he runs over and blows up the tank by dropping the grenade down the barrel.

 

[Stryker44]

Yeah it was rushed.

But I think the pieces had to be in place for them to ALMOST tell Tyreese about Carol killing Karen and David.

Why?

Because I think (and I have no proof of it) that Tyreese and his small group (the kids) meet up with Carol in a future episode which presents this awkward situation.

Interesting theory.

I was a bit surprised also when the Governor put down the child after he was unable to do so for Penny? I thought he was in the same delusional state of mind he was when he was in Woodbury.

Also, did you view the girls mom shooting him as a mercy put-down, or an act of spite after leading the group on a suicide mission and/or killing the girl even though she was about to turn into a zombie?

It really did seem for a second that Rick's words reached "Brian", but then he quickly and angrily pushed them away before killing Hershel.

Will be interesting to see the effect this has on Maggie and her sister.

Was half expecting to see Rick's daughter as a baby zombie at the end. That really would have been gut-wrenching.

We still don't know who was killing the rats do we? Wouldn't be surprised if that person took Rick's daughter.

 

[Stryker44]

I would have liked to have seen Michonne hack the governor by the neck instead of the stab in the back though. eye for an eye:

It looked like she considered it then figured that would be too easy a death versus leaving him there to bleed out or be eaten alive. There was nothing but pure hatred on her face.

 

[Stryker44]

I read an interview/article from Kirkman yesterday and he said that they (the writers) didn't want to make Rick into a "Super-hero" so they allowed him to get man-handled by the Gov.

The problem I have with that rational, and this gets back to the inconsistent writing, is that's exactly what they did with Daryl– They "Super-heroed" him...

He comes walking out of his hiding spot, with a zombie-on-a-stick holding this (no doubt) 100lb+ zombie with one arm. While at the same time the zombie is absorbing all the shots from the automatic rifles and not one reaches Daryl.

Poor Dale couldn't lift a decaying body off of himself out in the field, yet Daryl moves around like a running back holding a zombie up with one arm– amazing!

And then he runs over and blows up the tank by dropping the grenade down the barrel.

Was that the action of a "super-hero" though - or a man full of rage over his home being violated? After all he did shoot the guy who surrendered after he fleed the tank.

I wouldn't think it would be too far of a stretch for him to move the zombie - but its definitely a stretch that he didn't get shot or bitten in that sequence.

Will be interesting to see how his character changes as well. You wonder if he's going to go to a similar "dark place" as Rick or the Governor.