The Walking Dead-Season 8, Episodes 1-8

[TheBigEasy]

I hate Nascar, used to find my way into those threads and make snide comments. It was stupid and childish. The people that liked that were entitled to a thread of their own without people coming in to crap in. So I let them be in their threads.

Well, if we're all going to open our hearts this xmas season, I might as well join in. I HATE Nascar, too!!! Phew...that felt really good.

 

[DallasEast]

I have wanted Karl killed since the first season, only to see characters I liked more get the axe. The episode was pretty good for me considering that single event alone.

 

[iceberg]

Well, if we're all going to open our hearts this xmas season, I might as well join in. I HATE Nascar, too!!! Phew...that felt really good.

i always wanted to be a color commentator for NASCAR. between them only turning left, hitting the straight away and crashing your dialog is pretty much set.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

That was the big showdown battle royale between Rick and Negan?????.......... child please

No. That's not the showdown. It's an encounter before the big one.

Might want to let the whole thing play out before you just make random dumb statements.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I understand having to kill off a character. I think they could have found a better way to do it then what they just showed.

However if they are going to do it like they showed...they should have made it more plausible.

One thing I was noticing during all the houses and cars exploding and gun shots going off was the lack of walkers around.

Then you see 4-5 of them total and Michonne kills one of those.

So with all the guns going off, two explosions that almost take the guy out...it turns out it was a bite by one of the few zombies in the whole area that gets him while he is still aware enough to avoid gun shots and explosions and also falling off a ladder to avoid Negan.

Another funny thing I have noticed all along.

Anytime Negan (sp?) comes to the gate.
Why not have a few small holes along the wall where someone can just put a rifle muzzle through and shoot the fool. Sure they don't want his people running into the town afterwards but in the end if you kill him, it will be better for all. He always comes out and gives his..hey I am the bad guy speech while all it takes is one shot.

If you're referring to when Carl was bitten it wasn't in this episode. Carl was actually bitten, though we (The audience) was not made aware of it at the time. Actually he wasn't even bitten as he was scratched badly. It happened in the words when he was fighting the walkers with the guy he brought in and he wound up in that deer body trying to fight that one off. That one clawed into him a bit at that time, though you weren't supposed to really notice it or be aware so that it would be more shocking in the finale when it's revealed.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

That would explain him saying that he would be willing to die and throwing Negan for a bit of a loop.
But after that it looked like he did it just to buy time and let the others get out.
Been more interesting if he would have continued that line of action with Negan.

Exactly. That's the whole reason he said he'd offer himself up for death. He was dying anyway.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Now for me to finally get in here and talk a little bit more about the episode after having thought about it more and having seen it again.

It was a solid episode and a good finale. I enjoyed it for the most part. As per usual there are things in there that irk a bit here and there but it's nitpicking at it's finest but I'll mention a couple of them I'm sure. I know one for sure.

#1) I liked that Maggie sent the message back by killing one of theirs and writing on the casket. You knew she wasn't going to roll over and play dead. I wished it had been the long haired idiot, whom I've absolutely hated more than anyone not named Simon but it is what it is.

#2) I liked that they did the attack of Alexandria a lot like the comic but it wasn't totally that way. In the comic they do fire bomb the place and Rick and Company are forced to flee to Hilltop. Where the final battle happens. What I don't like about this is that it's obvious them fleeing, and the final fight at Hilltop will now drag out for the entire second half of the season. It is what it is in that regard, I was hoping for the second half of this season to be the fall out after the battle there but that's just not going to happen.

#3) I love that Rick and Negan got to get into a little fight before the big showdown. I loved Rick's line "Do you ever shut up?" Negan "Nope." That made me laugh. I enjoyed that.

But here is one of my nitpicks. Again the show wrote Rick to be man handled, for the most part and then run, by the lead bad guy. I do not like that. He's the main good guy he should look like he can hold his own against your main bad guys.

Again he doesn't have to win the fight here but don't make it look like it's so easy for Negan to just toss him around and make light of him. He does take a couple of beatings from Negan in the comics but most of that is due to the fact that Rick has one hand and Negan is a much larger guy than Rick in the comics.

#4) The King...he had such a weird role in this episode and it's also quite the departure from the comics. He's now been captured by the people who mean to kill him when in the comic he is at Hilltop helping defend it and helping them win. Of course his whole arc has been altered quite a bit from the comic because in the comic the Saviors never go to the Kingdom. Ever. They never have a deal with them or anything because The King doesn't work with them and they never attempt to attack his people and town. It's not really explained well in the comic, that I remember, but for some reason Negan doesn't see the fight with them as profitable or winnable and thus just leaves them alone for the most part.

That said him sacrificing himself to save the others is great but a very different path for this character and I'm wondering where it will go. There is a death here that hasn't been used, from the comic, and it's how Negan and the Saviors gained access into Alexandria to fire bomb the place. They didn't use it there so now I'm wondering if they'll use The King, and this tactic, to try to enter The Hilltop for the final battle.

#5) The death of Carl....Didn't see it coming. At all. I was actually shocked, I'll be honest. I've said from the beginning that I believed there were only 2 untouchable characters in this show, those being Rick and Carl. So I was shocked that they killed Carl off here.

This is big to me in a few ways. Number one this a HUGE departure from the comics. Carl is not only alive in the comics still but he lives at Hilltop and is being groomed to obviously be a future leader of the communities. So this is big.

Not to mention there is a lot of extra story between Negan and Carl after the time skip that there is now no way of having. It's a lot of stuff, IMO, that they're going to be changing.

How does this change the ending with Negan and Rick? Obviously all along we know that this either ends with Negan's death or Rick simply taking Negan captive (As in the comic). All along I'd been of the belief that they'd follow the comic and Rick would ultimately keep Negan alive to show that he wasn't as ruthless, and uncaring, as Negan and that Rick's way could work. To show the people that Rick means to bring together afterwards that Negan's way is not the only way.

It's a bit of a surprise in the comic as well because all the way up to that point you are led to believe that Rick has every intention of killing him. Much like we believe here on the TV show is that Rick has every intention of killing him.

And I believe Rick truly does. He has that very intention. But the death of Carl is going to change that now. At first, when I thought Carl had to have gotten bitten in the attack I felt that they would have no choice but to kill Negan now because Rick would view Negan as the cause of Carls death.

As a father there is simply no way that you could see Rick allowing the guy that he blames for his sons death to live. But now knowing that Carl was actually bitten doing something on his own, and Negan had nothing to do with it, I believe the message that Carl was trying to send to Rick will pull Rick back from the brink of killing Negan.

I believe they've actually already for shadowed that moment in the opening moments of the first episode of the season. When we see a red eyed Rick, sweaty, and he's talking to himself. He says something to the effect of your kindness, or your hope, out weighted my wrath. I believe that has for shadowed the fact that Rick ultimately will allow Negan to live as he believes that is what Carl was wanting him to see.

They also for shadowed this all through the season when they showed Rick and Carl talking.

For me this is a tough call for me. As a fan of the show, the comic, and the Negan character I've wanted him to live all along, like the comic, because I love what the character adds going forward. I just love the character. So on the one hand if he does ultimately live in this I'm going to be thrilled to see that.

On the other hand, as a father, watching the story play out I'm now of the mind as well that you simply can't let him live. Rick absolutely has to kill Negan. Of course that's the me that's thinking with the idea that Carl is dead because of Negan which we now know not to be true.

Unless in some weird way Rick looks at it like Carl wouldn't have been out there helping someone, behind Rick's back, if it weren't for Negan and the Saviors because if it weren't for them then Rick would have been with Carl on saving the guy in the first place. But since he didn't trust anyone, due to the fact that they could be a Savior, Rick might look at the whole situation as Negan's fault. If he looks at it like that then, again, as a dad you can't help but say that Rick ultimately has to kill Negan.



It's a very interesting departure from the comic because Carl is a huge part of the next arc in the comic and now they don't have that character to fill in that role. This makes a very big change to a lot of things post war, IMO. It will be interesting to see where they go and how they go about it.

 

[trickblue]

I have wanted Karl killed since the first season, only to see characters I liked more get the axe. The episode was pretty good for me considering that single event alone.

Me too, but I actually really liked him in that episode...

Another bonus. Soon we won't have to hear Rick pronounce his name as "Coral" anymore...

 

[DallasEast]

Now for me to finally get in here and talk a little bit more about the episode after having thought about it more and having seen it again.#1) I liked that Maggie sent the message back by killing one of theirs and writing on the casket. You knew she wasn't going to roll over and play dead. I wished it had been the long haired idiot, whom I've absolutely hated more than anyone not named Simon but it is what it is.

My top three pig pen (I wished there were actual pigs running around in there!) preferred order of death:

1. The long haired idiot. The Kingdom boy death puts him at the top of my list.
2. Gregory
3. The guy Maggie actually shot.

I liked how they had Maggie wait for the guy to turn his head and talk all nonchalant to his people about agitating her and shot him before he could really re-focus his eyes back on her. It was like 'Okay. She will not shoot me. I will tell my people to shut up because I have big brass ones and oh shoot I'm dead!'

But here is one of my nitpicks. Again the show wrote Rick to be man handled, for the most part and then run, by the lead bad guy. I do not like that. He's the main good guy he should look like he can hold his own against your main bad guys.

Again he doesn't have to win the fight here but don't make it look like it's so easy for Negan to just toss him around and make light of him. He does take a couple of beatings from Negan in the comics but most of that is due to the fact that Rick has one hand and Negan is a much larger guy than Rick in the comics.

I think Lucille made their fight a lot more one-sided than if Rick had been able to help fend off Negan with his hatchet.

#5) The death of Carl....Didn't see it coming. At all. I was actually shocked, I'll be honest. I've said from the beginning that I believed there were only 2 untouchable characters in this show, those being Rick and Carl. So I was shocked that they killed Carl off here.

This is big to me in a few ways. Number one this a HUGE departure from the comics. Carl is not only alive in the comics still but he lives at Hilltop and is being groomed to obviously be a future leader of the communities. So this is big.

I am glad Carl is gone (I am so cold-blooded ). Question about the comics angle though. Carl lived in the book. Did he and Enid eventually hook up as a permanent couple? I am not crying that she is a 'widow' now (BAD DE! BAD!) but I am hoping they elevate her status on the show more despite Carl's death. The young actress has some real solid dramatic potential. Maybe not on this show but possibly down the road for her in my opinion.

She and Aaron find themselves in a real pickle in Oceanside. Cannot wait to see how that situation resolves itself.

 

[DallasEast]

Me too, but I actually really liked him in that episode...

Funny. A co-worker that I talk to about the show saw the episode before I did. She told me that I would enjoy the episode but did not tell me why. Of course she remembered how much I griped about Carl for years. That said, I did tell her that I liked how he helped save his people before telling Rick the bad news. Good for Carl.

Another bonus. Soon we won't have to hear Rick pronounce his name as "Coral" anymore...

True.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

My top three pig pen (I wished there were actual pigs running around in there!) preferred order of death:

1. The long haired idiot. The Kingdom boy death puts him at the top of my list.
2. Gregory
3. The guy Maggie actually shot.

I liked how they had Maggie wait for the guy to turn his head and talk all nonchalant to his people about agitating her and shot him before he could really re-focus his eyes back on her. It was like 'Okay. She will not shoot me. I will tell my people to shut up because I have big brass ones and oh shoot I'm dead!'

I think Lucille made their fight a lot more one-sided than if Rick had been able to help fend off Negan with his hatchet.

I am glad Carl is gone (I am so cold-blooded ). Question about the comics angle though. Carl lived in the book. Did he and Enid eventually hook up as a permanent couple? I am not crying that she is a 'widow' now (BAD DE! BAD!) but I am hoping they elevate her status on the show more despite Carl's death. The young actress has some real solid dramatic potential. Maybe not on this show but possibly down the road for her in my opinion.

She and Aaron find themselves in a real pickle in Oceanside. Cannot wait to see how that situation resolves itself.

She is not with Carl in the comics. In fact I don't believe her character is even in the comics, that I remember. He does have a love interest, after the time skip, and that's actually a HUGE part of the storyline for the next arc that is now gone. That's why I was saying before that killing him off drastically changes a whole lot after the time skip.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I don't get all the hate for Carl. I love the character and Chandler played it extremely well.

 

[trickblue]

I don't get all the hate for Carl. I love the character and Chandler played it extremely well.

He did a really nice job... the character was just annoying...

 

[speedkilz88]

I think Lucille made their fight a lot more one-sided than if Rick had been able to help fend off Negan with his hatchet.

I am glad Carl is gone (I am so cold-blooded ). Question about the comics angle though. Carl lived in the book. Did he and Enid eventually hook up as a permanent couple? I am not crying that she is a 'widow' now (BAD DE! BAD!) but I am hoping they elevate her status on the show more despite Carl's death. The young actress has some real solid dramatic potential. Maybe not on this show but possibly down the road for her in my opinion.

She and Aaron find themselves in a real pickle in Oceanside. Cannot wait to see how that situation resolves itself.

Enid killed granny. She's joining him soon.

And on the fight. What I didn't like seeing was Rick getting his hands on Lucille and instead of taking a swing he uses the small end of the bat.

 

[DallasEast]

Enid killed granny. She's joining him soon.

And on the fight. What I didn't like seeing was Rick getting his hands on Lucille and instead of taking a swing he uses the small end of the bat.

They did not kill Enid on the spot so I am hoping she and Aaron can talk their way out of an execution--either hers alone or both of them.

My guess is they wanted Rick to seem so frantic in just getting his hands on Lucille that he would use it wrong. Methinks it was just another way of prolonging their mutual hate for each other.

 

[cowboyeric8]

I don't get all the hate for Carl. I love the character and Chandler played it extremely well.

He was really annoying in the beginning. But he really grew as a character the last few years. I didn't want to kill him off, I thought he would last until the end.

 

[DallasEast]

I don't get all the hate for Carl. I love the character and Chandler played it extremely well.

I give all praise for Chandler Riggs's performance. I applaud any actor that can get me to emotionally connect with the character they are portraying--whether that connection is positive, negative or somewhere in between. Heck, I love the long haired actor, even though he plays a bit character in the series, who Maggie should have shot instead in the mid season finale because... I just cannot STAND that guy!

Riggs did a great job making me loathe his character's off-and-on teenage rebellion tiffs. Considering the apocalyptic circumstances, I think a little more son-for-father unquestioned obedience would have make me feel less belligerent of Carl (I like Karl better ) but, in truth, that presentation would have altered the son/father dynamic for the series.

 

[JoeKing]

He did a really nice job... the character was just annoying...

Keep on hating, man. I love it.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

He was really annoying in the beginning. But he really grew as a character the last few years. I didn't want to kill him off, I thought he would last until the end.

Yeah he was. But he was playing a young kid, in a completely screwed up world. I don't think a kid in that situation would likely be anything but annoying.

Watching him grow into a man, and leader, is what was great about the character and how they did it. IMO.

 

[Kevinicus]

I give all praise for Chandler Riggs's performance. I applaud any actor that can get me to emotionally connect with the character they are portraying--whether that connection is positive, negative or somewhere in between. Heck, I love the long haired actor, even though he plays a bit character in the series, who Maggie should have shot instead in the mid season finale because... I just cannot STAND that guy!

Riggs did a great job making me loathe his character's off-and-on teenage rebellion tiffs. Considering the apocalyptic circumstances, I think a little more son-for-father unquestioned obedience would have make me feel less belligerent of Carl (I like Karl better ) but, in truth, that presentation would have altered the son/father dynamic for the series.

I hated the character due to the writing, not the performance. That's not to say his performance was bad. Any faults I had with "performance" were also probably writing related.

Oh, and the hat...