Fear The Walking Dead Pilot Review

Fear the Walking Dead

Fear the Walking Dead Pilot Review (101 )

What is your opinion of the Pilot Episode?

  1. Excellent (28 [27.72%] - )

    27.72%

  2. Good (49 [48.51%] - )

    48.51%

  3. Fair - Not what I expected (14 [13.86%] - )

    13.86%

  4. Poor (10 [9.90%] - )

    9.90%

#1
Serenity@sea

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Woohoo! It's finally here.

First three minutes;

 

 


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#2
Stan

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Time to chime in! I do like the start to the series, but it was a little slow in terms of plot development and excitement. Not that I needed to see Walkers right away, but the suspenseful scenes like visiting the church twice didn't really worry me. That sort of thing.

 

FYI: I don't like the theme music, I hope it grows on me.

 

I thought the visiting the church to see for yourself thing was contrived, as well as Cal's death. One bullet gut shot and he's down and out, those shots would HURT! He'd make some kind of noise if there was any delay, and unless he went straight to shock there should have been a delay.

 

LOVED the Jack London analogy being taught in class, as well as introducing chaos in the girl's class. Nice filler.

 

The hospital scene was good for showing the 'cover up' or at least a tacit look at how a medical authority would try and figure out what to do next. But in my experience no one removes restraints in that environment without having a big dude in uniform nearby to remind him how to use a bedpan, if at all. Especially not pre-evaluation.

 

So I'm not thrilled about this first episode, but I' very excited to see the rest of it and where it's going!


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#3
berny

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Agree with Stan, very slow, almost boring at times.  Theme music is awful too.  I really hope it gets better.  If not I'll sign off and not watch and just wait for October 11th WD premiere.


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#4
Mr. NomNom

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I only really rated it good because at first some of the characters came off as a bit of annoying.

Nick, and chris' s mom weren't the only two that annoyed the heck out of me which was weird.

I'm just tired of the.... i hate one parent/divorce thing stereotype. I'm sure there's a reason but the only one who liked travis was Nick.

Seeings how i stayed away from spoilers i was just waiting for Nick to die. First in the hospital. Then when he was hiding in the underpass. I thought hell. Maybe thats him they are shooting. Then with the drug dealer.
The part with the truck. Lol. I just yelled keep effing hitting him!!

The girl doesn't bother me so much i just hope they get more of a chance to develop and rid the teenage attitude. I ultimately liked Travis at the end though. He's just trying to be an overall good guy.
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#5
PoleAxe

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Looking forward to most of this cast getting eaten.  This was painfully slow, I hope they don't find a farm house, this could get ugly. 


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#6
MyZomB8UrHonRStudent

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The first five minutes, and the last five minutes were the best. I like the storyline, but it was a little slow.

I also thought the mom seemed way too calm during the last scene.
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#7
EvieSessions

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The pilot was excellent, in my opinion. Frank Dillane stole the show. The score and lighting was fantastic throughout.  I think it should also be noted that this show is obviously going for a slower burn approach than the flagship series. I, for one, like that. The character development seems to be at the forefront, and I don't find well-acted scenes boring at all.


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#8
Stan

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The first five minutes, and the last five minutes were the best. I like the storyline, but it was a little slow.

I also thought the mom seemed way too calm during the last scene.

 

 

Overall these people were very laid back about running over Cal twice. I get the sudden freak out, he gets shot and the druggie runs thing, and he was pretty weirded out when Mom and step found him, but they were waaaay to calm and not freaked by a guy who attacks them, gets run over, and then blasted into a concrete reservoir at full speed only to start moving again. Real people don't handle real death that well when they know the person at all, much less have a hand killing him (well, they're perception would be that).

 

I was thinking the early walkers would be stronger than later versions, since most of the muscle is still intact, as well as grip, etc. Cal was kind of a wuss of a walker to be pushed away so easy.


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#9
farswell7

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I don't think it was slow AT ALL. It wasn't groundbreaking or the best hour of television ever, but I don't understand those saying it was too slow. I had read reviews that said it was super slow, so I set my expectations very low. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it? Because it was nowhere near as slow as I thought. 

 

There's got to be some build up before shit hits the fan. 


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#10
Deadpelican

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Thought it was a great opener. Rated it excellent. Premieres have never really been a problem for the Walking Dead Franchise though, at least in my opinion.

 

The real test is maintaining a coherent and engaging narrative as time goes on.

 

Impressed by what I've seen so far though.


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#11
leegreenman

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I voted "good" would have chosen "very good" if that was an option. Almost exactly what I expected. Good acting and writing. Not much action, but I don't thing we expected much at this point of the story, the walker scenes that were featured were very cool. Nice amount of suspense to keep us interested while we get to know the characters and grow invested in them. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds.
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#12
Lurwalker

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I'm not into the theme music either and hope they do something to make it better or change it all together.  I voted good and liked several things in it.  I like that they are showing how society doesn't want to admit something strange is going on and I liked that we are being shown how the family is prior to societal breakdown and that we shouldn't have to find out things through flashbacks.  I think this family should be following Tobias around as he seems to understand whats happening.  At times it was a bit slow but I wouldn't have turned it off. Love how they go to the church and realize something bad happened there but let's not call the police.   End was a bit unrealistic to me.  As someone noted above, the guy shot should've been screaming for help until death.  Was also surprised that mom and boyfriend weren't trying to get son to stop rolling over him with the truck.  Though the acting was good and kid playing Nicky did a good job at playing an addict (feels a bit like watching a young Johnny Depp in his acting abilities.)


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#13
Shane is the Man

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I liked it. I wasn't bothered by it not being fast or whatever people are complaining about. And I thought the actor who played Nick was astounding. I don't think I've ever felt anything for a junkie but this guy did it for me. That scene when he's crying on Cal's shoulders was very real and powerful.
He also lets off a very Johnny Deppesque vibe.
Edited to add: I see I'm not the only one who saw some Johnny Depp.
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#14
leegreenman

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I liked it. I wasn't bothered by it not being fast or whatever people are complaining about. And I thought the actor who played Nick was astounding. I don't think I've ever felt anything for a junkie but this guy did it for me. That scene when he's crying on Cal's shoulders was very real and powerful.
He also lets off a very Johnny Deppesque vibe.
Edited to add: I see I'm not the only one who saw some Johnny Depp.

I agree with the Johnny depp thing too. The kid is good.
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#15
thelastpaul

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I thought it was good, looking forward to more and more.

 

I knew that we couldn't get into straight up chaos in the first episode (though it was still plenty chaotic if you think about it).

I actually like the actors on the show and was surprisingly pleased with the actor who portrays Nick. Thought there was some really good panic in him, real sense of "Am I going completely insane?" - The trailers misled me in a bad way on his character. That and they chose to dress him like a vampire for the church scene.

Anyways, overall I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. Definitely looking forward to the next episode and beyond!



 


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#16
Creeper

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I didn't think it was slow.  :smiley-confused002:   I loved, LOVED TWD's pilot, but I also liked how this one was going for a completely different build up.  I still felt tons of tension.  I rated it 'good' because I thought the parents reaction after running over Cal a number of times, etc. was super blase and unrealistic.  I think they would have been having a meltdown.  They just saw someone killed in front of them, more than once. And keep coming.  

 

I thought Nick was the best actor there.  I really bought how borderline bonkers he was, not knowing if he was going insane, or if he really saw what he thought he saw.  Great acting.  THAT is a realistic response to seeing the kinds of stuff he was seeing.  

 

Anyway, I didn't think it was perfect, but I'm really looking forward to seeing this season unfold, and seeing it unfold differently than TWD.  I always wanted to see more scenes in TWD from when the epidemic was just starting, and now we get it!  

 

This episode gave me chills because it reminds me a little of Contagion.  The break down of society - how it starts slowly, with disbelief and nonchalance, before it juggernauts into uncontrollable fear and chaos.  :zombie02: Very scary stuff. 


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#17
Serenity@sea

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I agree that it wasn't ast slow as some people are complaining about. I like that they are working on character development and showing the family dynamics.

The collapse of society wouldn't happen overnight, so I thought it was realistic to show things slowly falling apart and people's disbelief as the shit hits the fan. The collaspe will happen in stages and the next reaction will probably be wide spread panic.

I also thought it was realistic that they included the viral aspect as that would certainly be a huge factor.


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#18
DominusPisces

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::SNIP:::

..... Not that I needed to see Walkers right away, but the suspenseful scenes like visiting the church twice didn't really worry me. That sort of thing.....

 

You literally saw a walker within the first two minutes... LOL I know what you meant, but I couldn't help but point that out.

Okay my real review. I like the slow build-up. I think the action will come in epi 2 now that they established the start of the fall. Ummm the intro.. I honestly don't recall it. We were chatting. (Looks up on youtube) Hmm Okay.. not bad.. not great but not bad.. kinda forgettable really. Overall.. really pumped for the rest of it! Voted excellante!


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#19
Deadpelican

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I don't think it was slow AT ALL. It wasn't groundbreaking or the best hour of television ever, but I don't understand those saying it was too slow. I had read reviews that said it was super slow, so I set my expectations very low. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it? Because it was nowhere near as slow as I thought. 

 

There's got to be some build up before shit hits the fan. 

 

Agreed.

Also, I think they effectively conveyed the idea that the shit was already hitting the fan but most of  the world is oblivious to it.

 

Subtle reminders throughout signaling the begin of a slow unraveling.

 

 

 

I thought Nick was the best actor there.  I really bought how borderline bonkers he was, not knowing if he was going insane, or if he really saw what he thought he saw.  Great acting.  THAT is a realistic response to seeing the kinds of stuff he was seeing.  

 

 

 

I  agree that Nick was the best actor and to me he was the most engaging character.

 

I'm a little concerned about where they're going with his character though. Directionless loser who is transformed by the apocalypse into a man with a mission?

 

Sounds kinda familiar....


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#20
Dead Gov Walking

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SNOOOOOOOORE

I'm fine with slow build, but jeez, felt like nothing happened at all


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#21
Chinghis

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Time to chime in! I do like the start to the series, but it was a little slow in terms of plot development and excitement. Not that I needed to see Walkers right away, but the suspenseful scenes like visiting the church twice didn't really worry me. That sort of thing.

 

FYI: I don't like the theme music, I hope it grows on me.

 

I thought the visiting the church to see for yourself thing was contrived, as well as Cal's death. One bullet gut shot and he's down and out, those shots would HURT! He'd make some kind of noise if there was any delay, and unless he went straight to shock there should have been a delay.

 

LOVED the Jack London analogy being taught in class, as well as introducing chaos in the girl's class. Nice filler.

 

The hospital scene was good for showing the 'cover up' or at least a tacit look at how a medical authority would try and figure out what to do next. But in my experience no one removes restraints in that environment without having a big dude in uniform nearby to remind him how to use a bedpan, if at all. Especially not pre-evaluation.

 

So I'm not thrilled about this first episode, but I' very excited to see the rest of it and where it's going!

 

The other thing about the guy getting shot? When they find his car ... there's no blood on the ground. Cripes, they're already starting with not-logically-consistent writing. There should have been a fairly substantial pool of blood. Worse, his sweater had more than when Nick left him ...

 

And, yeah, the hospital scene, too. I just spent much of the the last three days in a hospital and, yeah, there's no way a nurse like that would say, "OK, I'll undo just one strap and give you some privacy." When I was visiting the hospital last month, in fact, I saw a guy who had a 36-hour psychiatric hold on him (suicide, apparently). Crap, they wouldn't even give him jello.

 

And this is in LA, about five miles from where all of this happened. We're a very litigious city, no nurse is gonna lose her job just so the guy can pee in private.

 

 

I don't think it was slow AT ALL. It wasn't groundbreaking or the best hour of television ever, but I don't understand those saying it was too slow. I had read reviews that said it was super slow, so I set my expectations very low. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it? Because it was nowhere near as slow as I thought. 

 

There's got to be some build up before shit hits the fan. 

I did think it was a bit slow, mainly because I forgot that it was going to be 90 minutes. At 3 minutes to 10, I was wondering how they were going to wrap it up. The last half-hour was OK.

 

I gave it a Good. The mother annoys me, and I don't feel particularly invested in these characters.


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#22
Gusto

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Personally enjoyed it. Cast is great, akin to - and I know a lot will disagree with me, and that's fine, but IMO very akin to the [Main Series] cast in season 1. Albeit less memorable/impacting. Dillane did extremely well. You may not like his character, but he most definitely gave this role his all. 

 

I'll admit I did wish they'd have sped things up a bit, but that's mainly due to my excitement of seeing a city-wide outbreak in it's first days. Can't wait.


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#23
Mick Turpin

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I thought it was great, enjoyed it much more than all series of the main show post series 1.

Thought the slow build of terror was great with a constant building sense of fear created by the backgroundd police copters/cars which became more prevalent as it went on.

Agree the only nitpick is the adults seeming to handle the car/walker tunnel scene too easily. no matter what they had seen with Cal obviously infected trying to bite them they would still have screamed for Nick not to run him over.


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#24
kjuzenas

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The other thing about the guy getting shot? When they find his car ... there's no blood on the ground. Cripes, they're already starting with not-logically-consistent writing. There should have been a fairly substantial pool of blood. Worse, his sweater had more than when Nick left him ...

 

And, yeah, the hospital scene, too. I just spent much of the the last three days in a hospital and, yeah, there's no way a nurse like that would say, "OK, I'll undo just one strap and give you some privacy." When I was visiting the hospital last month, in fact, I saw a guy who had a 36-hour psychiatric hold on him (suicide, apparently). Crap, they wouldn't even give him jello.

 

And this is in LA, about five miles from where all of this happened. We're a very litigious city, no nurse is gonna lose her job just so the guy can pee in private.

You're right, of course. But I got the impression that things were already dicey at the hospital. When the old guy died, the doctor was shouting, "Get him upstairs! Get him upstairs!" Maybe they already have a Don't Open-Dead Inside room? Maybe the nurse was thinking, dead rising and eating people versus giving a slightly crazy guy one free arm. Pick your battles.


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#25
jaco

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I give it a resounding "meh".  It really reminded me of a 90 minute webisode. 

 

The pace was off putting, but that can obviously change.  I think the biggest problem here is I don't particularly like the characters or actors.   At least not yet.  You have loser junkie son, snotty self absorbed teen queen, and then the cardboard step-dad and mom.  The nerd with the steak knife seems to have the most potential.  Right now, though, I'm not really invested in these characters surviving.  Nothing at all like when Rick awoke in the hospital or first met Morgan and his son. 


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