[KidSeventySeven]

He inherited his acting chops from his old man, Stephen Dillane..aka Stannis Baratheon! 

 

Oh, wow. I had no idea!

[DaneBramage]

u speak VERY confidently when it comes to describing the formula of how the show WILL go, almost as if having deep insider knowledge of not only how a tv show goes, but how THIS exact TV show will go, eh, Rober- I mean, um, Dane...? Not to mention the shameless *subtle* plug/reminder to everyone to make sure to tune in for your-- I MEAN, Robert Kirkmans upcoming next issue/episode... hehehe

His majesty would never self-promote...

[backwoodsroamer]

Well now! I've been mulling this over for a week now and watching this thing multiple times. The best I can come up with is a firm, "I dunno."

 

First off, I have to admit I'm biased. "The Walking Dead" is just so natural a fit for me. It is set one state over from me in the Deep South. So very familiar.

 

Backwoodsroamer is in real life a one time Bodunkville cop, occasional criminal, meat wagon attendant, volunteer fireman, reformed drunk, sometimes a Bible thumper, sometimes an atheist, morally ambiguous, white trash, redneck. I got an eighth grade education folks. I've known more Ricks, Daryls, Merles, Carols, Morgans, Hershel, and so on than you can shake a stick at.

 

For me watching "The Walking Dead" is like sliding your feet into a worn pair of boots, tucking your old .45 behind your hip, strolling out to your beat up four wheel drive parked in the yard with the shotgun behind the seat and a pint of Old Crow in the glove box, and plopping up on the ripped seat. It just feels natural and comfortable.

 

Then we have "Fear The Walking Dead" set in L.A., and I ain't talking Lower Alabama either. It's LOS ANGELES! I've been there many times. I never bothered to leave the airport. Yeah, yeah I'm biased. I said that right off.

 

The show opens with an androgynous junkie wearing some kind of hipster, Lord Byron shirt waking up in a desecrated church. Is this some sort of symbolism for the moral degeneration of humanity? A metaphor for such degeneration representing the walking dead. I don't know kids. Forgive my ignorance please. Remember, eighth grade education and all.

 

Kudos to Gloria for being one great looking dead girl. If I was a necrophile? Ahhh well, better not go there!

 

Then we segue into a suburban, blended, dysfunctional family. Strong, sensitive, caring woman. Got it! Cool, hip, ethnically ambiguous teacher who is also handy with a pipe wrench. Got it! Sullen daughter to go along with the junkie son. Got it!

 

It's kind of starting to look like the Lifetime Network collided with "Night of the Living Dead." Don't get me wrong. I like the Lifetime Network. I've watch my share of "I Was a Teenaged, Drug Addicted, Amish, Female Sheriff" movies. I am just a little skittish about mixing my genres. What the heck though. "Shawn of the Dead" blended comedy and zombies beautifully. Right?

 

What I do like about the pilot is showing how the whole shebang began. In "The Walking Dead" Rick was tossed rudely into a dead world, clued in on the basics by Morgan, and sent on his merry way. In "Fear the Walking Dead" we have already been shown the student carrying a knife due to reports on the internet, missing person posters, a possible walker strolling in the park, and first responders duking it out with walkers. Good stuff there folks.

 

If the show is kept on a "slow burn" and continues to show how the Zompoc slowly develops I will find it interesting. The genesis of a nightmare! Fascinating!

 

On the other hand if it turns out to be "Walking Dead Lite?" Well then, I don't know. I might have to leave this one to my city cousin, Backalleyroamer. Ahhh crap! I just remembered. BAR was my sockpuppet. He was assassinated by the current administration.

 

Oh well, I'll just watch "Fear the Walking Dead." Who am I fooling here? I'll watch anything with zombies. I'm a cheap date. I even enjoyed "Zombeavers."

 

 

 

Don't hate me because I'm trashy. I just can't help myself.           

[Steph]

Hey, don't fucking knock Zombeavers, that's some good shit right there. 

[theglassintheguvseye]

Hey, don't fucking knock Zombeavers, that's some good shit right there. 

He is insulting me.  I was drunk.  Whatever.

[backwoodsroamer]

Hey, don't fucking knock Zombeavers, that's some good shit right there. 

 

I can't dispute that Steph. I am in no way impuning "Zombeavers."

 

It's on the same exalted list as "Piranhaconda" and "Sharktopus."

 

 

 

 

 

Hallowed ground there my little, Canamerican friend.  

[Steph]

You left out Sharknado and goddamn Ghost Shark 2 my friend.

[backwoodsroamer]

You left out Sharknado and goddamn Ghost Shark 2 my friend.

 

Ooohh! You're so firm and demanding. I like that in a woman! Admin me baby! 

[Logan5]

Finally watched the show last night, and I thought it was pretty good. The acting was fine and the pace about right. I was happy to see only a couple of walkers in the first episode. It was nice they did not rush into "end of the world" mode, but rather will build up to it over the first few episodes. It will be nice to see how things fall apart, and hopefully there will be no serious talk of how/why the ZA started. I like the mystery of it and as others have stated, this is not what either show is about. 

 

Looking forward to watching episode 2 tonight and seeing how far into the ZA it takes us.

[DeadOnMyFeet]

Alright this is way late, as I just finally started watching my TIVO recordings or eps

1 through 5 last night. So I wont be lengthy til I get to the later eps. 

 

For the pilot I find myself in the camp that feels this episode plodded along a bit better'n a

snails pace in order to fill the promised and well touted 90 minute premier slot.

But just cuz something is an hour and a half long doesn't mean it needs to be.

Shudda been 60 minutes and even then IMO further editing was needed. 

I think the biggest mistake was centering this story on basically 6 people, & all in one family. 

 

Genetic diversity--thats the key to perpetuating a race....and a TV series if you get down to it. 

I also find it possible this paring down was a result of constant complaints about TWD 

having too many characters. If so, I consider it a case of sever over steering. 

 

In conclusion it would seem that things move a bit faster in Georgia than they do in Los Angeles. 

Funny, Ive always considered it to be the opposite. And Ive been to Atlanta, and was born and 

raised here in the  LA basin.