The Walking Dead (S5) - First half of season thread

[Leadbelly]

OK character dev episode, but maybe only because I like the characters.

Now that the mystery car with the white cross is in the story's rearview (so to speak), was the fully stocked funeral home and one-eyed dog just a big misdirect? Or are we to conclude the funeral home was a place the corrupt cops used as a secret stash/white house situation.

If the car and the funeral home had no connection, then the car just happened to be driving this one lane road at the exact time Beth was running from the house and the exact time a whole bunch of zombies just happened upon this quiet, secluded funeral home. And the one-eyed dog was just a random stray.

Awfully coincidental.

Seemed at the time like the zombies we drawn to the house to force Daryl and Beth out, and the car was connected.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

OK character dev episode, but maybe only because I like the characters.

Now that the mystery car with the white cross is in the story's rearview (so to speak), was the fully stocked funeral home and one-eyed dog just a big misdirect? Or are we to conclude the funeral home was a place the corrupt cops used as a secret stash/white house situation.

If the car and the funeral home had no connection, then the car just happened to be driving this one lane road at the exact time Beth was running from the house and the exact time a whole bunch of zombies just happened upon this quiet, secluded funeral home. And the one-eyed dog was just a random stray.

Awfully coincidental.

Seemed at the time like the zombies we drawn to the house to force Daryl and Beth out, and the car was connected.

Just like other unexplained happenstance, I think the funeral home explanation will come out in due time.

 

[Stryker44]

Too much backstory and drama. Carol is portrayed as a strong warrior - emotionless and cold. Then they show her crying after Rick booted her from the prison? Weak.

When are they going to introduce Negan and Lucille? Why do you think they are doing these episodes focused on 1-2 characters at a time rather than moving the whole plot forward?

What was the whole deal with the sexual abuse book Carol had? Was it meant to imply her dead husband wasn't just a wife beater?

 

[Aikmaniac]

True.

Some folks think each episode should have the same amount of action as a 90-minute zombie movie and that simply isn't the case.

There were a number of "easter eggs" that connected this episode to the scenes of downtown Atlanta in season 1, which if you were simply looking for next "bite" or "kaboom", you were bound to miss.

I thought the pack of cigarettes were a wonderful touch.

I saw a tank and wondered if that was the same tank Rick "escaped" from in the pilot.

 

[Doomsday]

There really wasnt that much character development at all this week. It was just how they met up with Noah and a little bit about Carol after Rick sent her packing. I was hoping to see about the people in the hospital, why they had the crosses on the vehicles, what they are up to. You cant tell if they are actually trying to save people, or if they are kid napping them. I just felt like they could of cut out the fire starter scenes and the van scene and got to more actual story development. Im not looking for biting, etc, I actually enjoy the show with out it. I just think a few of these episodes are going really slow.

 

[EST_1986]

There really wasnt that much character development at all this week. It was just how they met up with Noah and a little bit about Carol after Rick sent her packing. I was hoping to see about the people in the hospital, why they had the crosses on the vehicles, what they are up to. You cant tell if they are actually trying to save people, or if they are kid napping them. I just felt like they could of cut out the fire starter scenes and the van scene and got to more actual story development. Im not looking for biting, etc, I actually enjoy the show with out it. I just think a few of these episodes are going really slow.

I love the slow times but the flashbacks of Carol really didn't reveal anything and a lot of it we already knew.

 

[blindzebra]

Once again, the flash backs tied into a theme that both Carol and Daryl with fire and smoke. Daryl and Beth burn down the moonshiner's shack, the smoke and burnt walkers with Carol and Mika.

The abused child book was in Daryl's pack, Carol had Tom Sawyer, the book Hershel gave to Lizzie.

The entire episode was about how their past was burnt and they have risen from the ashes stronger and better for it.

 

[DanteEXT]

How did the camping people die? It looks like they all went to sleep one night and woke up zombies. Still in their tents. Sleeping bags. Seems like they all would have had to die at the exact time. Was there something that I missed?

 

[blindzebra]

How did the camping people die? It looks like they all went to sleep one night and woke up zombies. Still in their tents. Sleeping bags. Seems like they all would have had to die at the exact time. Was there something that I missed?

I am thinking it happened while they were sleeping...I thought I saw blood stains on the outside of the sleeping bags.

 

[Kevinicus]

There really wasnt that much character development at all this week. It was just how they met up with Noah and a little bit about Carol after Rick sent her packing. I was hoping to see about the people in the hospital, why they had the crosses on the vehicles, what they are up to. You cant tell if they are actually trying to save people, or if they are kid napping them. I just felt like they could of cut out the fire starter scenes and the van scene and got to more actual story development. Im not looking for biting, etc, I actually enjoy the show with out it. I just think a few of these episodes are going really slow.

Exactly, it's not about action. Why does everyone try to say what others want when they have criticism of this show? Pushing the plot forward != more action. And characters discussing or doing things the audience already knows about != character development. It's stalling.

 

[blindzebra]

Exactly, it's not about action. Why does everyone try to say what others want when they have criticism of this show? Pushing the plot forward != more action. And characters discussing or doing things the audience already knows about != character development. It's stalling.

It is not stalling if the development is critical for future plot lines.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It is not stalling if the development is critical for future plot lines.

Agree.

Plus it helped fill a "plot-hole" IMO, with why Carol all of a sudden showed up at the prison just as it's being over-run by the Governor crew.

 

[blindzebra]

Agree.

Plus it helped fill a "plot-hole" IMO, with why Carol all of a sudden showed up at the prison just as it's being over-run by the Governor crew.

It also ties up just how close they all were last season when they were separated The smoke Carol and Mika saw that burned the walkers was from the fire Daryl and Beth set..

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It also ties up just how close they all were last season when they were separated The smoke Carol and Mika saw that burned the walkers was from the fire Daryl and Beth set..

Yep... even though at the time I thought it was Daryl and Beth's cabin fire that the others saw.

 

[blindzebra]

Yep... even though at the time I thought it was Daryl and Beth's cabin fire that the others saw.

That is the reward for appreciating the little details sprinkled throughout each episode. You get to discuss it and then see if you were right.

 

[DanteEXT]

I am thinking it happened while they were sleeping...I thought I saw blood stains on the outside of the sleeping bags.

Maybe they all caught that killer flu from the first half of season 4.

 

[nablives]

Maybe they all caught that killer flu from the first half of season 4.

Tell you what, that would make more sense to me than a sneaky zombie taking one bite out of each of them in the middle of the night and then running away. Good point.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Anyone been watching Z Nation on Syfy?

Not in the same hemisphere as Walking dead as far as acting, production, money or writing but if you are a zombie fan it is ok. Actually a few cool ideas in it.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

There really wasnt that much character development at all this week. It was just how they met up with Noah and a little bit about Carol after Rick sent her packing. I was hoping to see about the people in the hospital, why they had the crosses on the vehicles, what they are up to. You cant tell if they are actually trying to save people, or if they are kid napping them. I just felt like they could of cut out the fire starter scenes and the van scene and got to more actual story development. Im not looking for biting, etc, I actually enjoy the show with out it. I just think a few of these episodes are going really slow.

I think it's pretty clear at this point that they're not rescuing people they're attacking them, while they're in the middle of something else, and then 'saving them' so that they can try and make them feel like they have to do what they want them to out of owing them.

It was obvious when Beth mentioned she was fighting a Walker and then everything went black what happened. They hit her in the head in order to tell her that BS story about saving her life and now with them hitting Carol with a car they've made it even more clear that they're kidnapping people in ways where they can tell them some BS story and try and force them to do whatever they want.

The woman running the place clearly has a God complex.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Too much backstory and drama. Carol is portrayed as a strong warrior - emotionless and cold. Then they show her crying after Rick booted her from the prison? Weak.

When are they going to introduce Negan and Lucille? Why do you think they are doing these episodes focused on 1-2 characters at a time rather than moving the whole plot forward?

What was the whole deal with the sexual abuse book Carol had? Was it meant to imply her dead husband wasn't just a wife beater?

They showed her crying because she had just lost the group of people who had helped her find the strong warrior she has become. Prior to being with those people she was a scared, terrified, person who could have never taken care of herself. It's pretty weird for anyone to not get that point, to be quite honest.

I don't believe Carol was the one who had the book I believe Darryl was the one who did but I'd have to watch the episode again to be sure. I also didn't realize it was a sexual abuse book, I thought it was a domestic violence book but again I'd need to watch the episode again to be sure on that as well.

I feel like people are going to be so sadly disappointed when they bring in Negan. The Governor was already well toned down for this show and they're going to have to go to even further lengths to tone Negan way way way down because he's even more disgusting and vile than the Governor every thought about being.