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SPOILER ALERT. So, The Walking Dead sucks now.

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Sunday night wasn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back, but it’s one of the straws that will eventually crush the poor bastard if I decide to keep watching. Season 3 has been a fucking train wreck, and I was hoping that after the midseason break, things would get better. But we’re getting to the point where I can no longer suspend disbelief and continue enjoying the show when it’s obvious that literally none of these characters would be surviving the zombie apocalypse if there weren’t writers playing deus ex machina for them. Before I start outlining why I now hate the show, let me say that I don’t care what happened in the comics, because the writers of the show are clearly not concerned with that, either. And don’t begin an argument against one of these points with, “They explained it on Talking Dead,” because that doesn’t hold water with me. I shouldn’t have to watch a second show to get the plot holes of the first show explained away for me. I’m taking the show itself on its own merits, and I’m finding it lacking for the following reasons (again. There will be spoilers):

  1. This season’s entire plot would have been avoided if they’d had the foresight to scavenge for baby supplies in the nine months that Lori was pregnant. Think about this, guys. We’ve seen these characters go in and out of abandoned houses and stores and things. I’m sure that in their travels, they had to have come across supplies like diapers and formula and bottles. They had nine whole months to get what they needed for the impending arrival. Instead, they wait until the baby is there, send two of their people out to get supplies, and they get captured, leading to the conflict with Woodbury. Why did it happen like this? Because the writers need to be able to send characters down to the store for a gallon of milk so that they can run into the plot.
  2. There is a scientist in Woodbury who is fucking useless. Hello, my name is Glasses McUseless, and I work as a scientist in a big lab in Woodbury. I’m sorry, what was that? Find a cure for the zombie disease that will wipe out humanity? No, I’m really busy trying to figure out if zombies remember their grandchildren when I play this old record and ring a bell. This is a good use for our resources.
  3. The writers of this show think we can’t tell two black male actors apart. It’s pretty clear that T-Dog had to die because they were introducing Tyrese, and in Walking Dead-land, more than one black guy in the group is just unacceptable. Look, we started out in season one with Morgan and Duane. Rick split with them to go find his wife and son, but there were hints in the narrative that they these two would find Rick again. Once Rick met up with Camp Dinner Bell, though, we were introduced to T-Dog. At the beginning of season 2 it was again hinted that Morgan and Duane might return, but they never did, and Camp Dinner Bell didn’t meet any more black people (except for the dude who got tore up by zombies during the stand off in the bar and whose total screen time contribution was being shady and eaten). T-Dog stuck it out for the whole season, though he was never given anything important to do other than get an infection and carry stuff, and he barely had any lines. Then season 3 started, and the group found the prison, where they met two more black guys, one of whom Rick promptly locks up in a prison yard with some zombies, but the other guy joins the group, so RIP, T-Dog for no reason. But then Tyrese showed up, and I thought, “Well, this noble prison guy isn’t long for this world.” And boom, he dies in the attack on Woodbury. Now we’re back to one black male main cast member. He better hope Morgan and Duane don’t show up, or else he gets the axe next. Of all the stupid Hollywood conventions the writers of this show fall back on, this one is the most frustrating. Not just because of the obvious racism, but because they’re establishing these characters and hinting at their pasts and personalities to get us interested before killing them off with no pay off, or just abandoning their story lines for a whole season while they carry stuff in the background. While the people behind the show trust our ability as an audience to tell the difference between any number of dirt smeared white blond ladies, clearly we’ll become confused if there is more than one black male involved in the story at any time.
  4. The characters are surviving without making any smart choices or adapting in any way. It’s roughly one year post-zombie apocalypse, and the characters are still relying on automobiles for transport and survival. They’re still running down to the store for one or two items with the idea that they’ll go back if they need anything else (this was the most obnoxious in season 2, when Glenn and Maggie would make trips to the pharmacy so the writers could develop their relationship and put people in danger that never paid off). They find a prison where they can stay safe from walkers and outsiders, then they immediately start splitting into groups and running around outside of the prison. If it weren’t for the writers saving them, they would all be dead already, and that’s super frustrating. It’s hard to root for characters who won’t do anything to assure their own safety or survival.
  5. How are they keeping these cars running, anyway? In the first episode of season three, we saw our band of survivors creeping around yards, through houses, on foot. I assumed it was because they had ditched their cars. Then they find the prison and go back and get their cars. First of all, at the end of season 2, they were hard up for gas. Where and when did they find more in the eight or nine months between seasons? And where did they find brake pads for the Hyundai that was squeaking like a sugar glider on coke back in season 2, but now sounds just fine? Furthermore, if these people have cars, why did it take them so long to find the prison, which at the end of season 2 appeared to be at most a mile away?
  6. I thought we were rid of Lori. Ghost Lori is just unacceptable, okay? I didn’t like her alive, I want no part of her dead.
  7. Every character has flipped personalities, or new characters have stepped up to don abandoned personalities. Tyrese is clearly the Rick of his group, and that other guy whose name I’m not going to bother to learn because he’s going to die soon anyway is the Shane. Tyrese argues with Rick that if they leave the prison, they don’t have a chance… and Rick becomes season 2 Herschel, arguing that they can’t trust them. Meanwhile Herschel has become season 2 Maggie, arguing that they can’t just let this new group go. Carl has taken on the role of season 1 Rick, and now Rick is losing his marbles, so I guess he’s the Shane of their group now? It’s like the writers have a finite number of characterizations and no idea how to complete an arc, so they just Invasion of The Bodysnatchers everybody until there’s no more room for further lunacy, then they kill them. This is not satisfying television, guys. It’s frustrating.
  8. Andrea is the worst. 

Are you loving or hating this season of The Walking Dead? I’m interested to see what y’all have to say about it, because I know some people are feeling this is the best season yet.

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95 Comments

  1. Katie
    Katie

    The clear solution is to forget the show and read the comics/play the game instead.

    February 12, 2013
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  2. Em
    Em

    I stopped watching a couple of episodes before the midseason break and haven't looked back. I couldn't stand the Woodbury plot (so much potential, so little payoff) and the writers' inability to write female characters who aren't obnoxious. Andrea is consistently the worst character on the show, Lori was terrible from about three episodes in and Maggie is well on her way to getting on my nerves (or was, when I was still watching). I'd say something about Carol, but she's there to be rescued and have Daryl make eyes at her, so… nah.

    I had pinned some hope on Michonne, but the writers basically made her a walking frown with a big katana. There's nothing compelling about her, no sense that she's got a story to tell or characters to connect with. She spends most of screentime being randomly angry at people and grunting monosyllabic answers. (Like Daryl, but without any character development.) I was gunning for a girl power thing with her and Andrea, but we got literally half an episode of that before they were thrust into the warm, open arms of Woodbury crazyfolk and Andrea became completely brainwashed.

    I just. I liked this show when it started. It had so much potential. Alas, it has been squandered on crap plotlines and drawn out arcs than don't bring anything new to the table.

    February 12, 2013
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  3. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Rick used to exhibit considerable intelligence and foresight when it came to sharing information with the group. For example, he kept a huge secret from the survivors in order to maintain morale (I'm referring to the fact that he was the only one who knew they were all infected). Clearly he is losing his shit, but the hallucination of Lori is literally doing nothing but being present when he decides to scream his heart out at an empty balcony. His ability to lead is now, and should rightfully be, suspicious at best to this new group. Shouldn't he have been able to realize that his mental state is kind of key to being trusted with the leadership role within the group? Carl is suddenly my favourite.

    February 12, 2013
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  4. My husband and I gave up at the end of season 2. Now Lori is a ghost? Sounds like I picked the perfect time to quit watching, because I hated her too. I mean who decides to bring a BABY into a post apacalyptic world? Then she just goes and makes an even worse decision and makes them take the baby out of her in the middle of a frickin' ambush. She dies and leaves everyone else to take care of the baby that she decided she just had to have. WTF?

    February 12, 2013
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  5. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Jennyyyyy. I agree with everything you said. But (and I feel I may be in the minority here?) I have found Season 3 to be the most entertaining so far. Maybe I am just settling because I found the first two seasons to be completely…not compelling. The character development is so lacking. So, I guess I gave up on a lot of aspects of the show a long time ago. I actually found the Woodbury plot to be one of the most interesting so far, but after this last episode, I am thinking it may lose its potential as an interesting twist on the show. I'm loving the direction it seems to be going in.

    And yes, Andrea is indeed the worst.

    February 12, 2013
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  6. I watch it for Daryl and Daryl alone. And now they've decided he should go off with his psycho brother? Just, no. Am I the only one who remembered the hallucination scenes from Season 2? Where Daryl was standing up to Meryl and pretty much said, “Fuck you, I got this.” And now they found each other again, he just pops over to his side? Don't get me wrong, I understand that blood family is a big scale-tipper, even more so in an apocalyptic world, since it's such a rare commodity. But, I feel that the writers at least made Daryl seem like he was a fairly world-conscious person. So, blood or not, he shouldn't be able to overlook the horrible things Meryl did….Idk, maybe I'm overthinking and giving too much credit where none is due.

    Also, I agree that Andrea is the worst. I wish she would go away like Lori and neither of them should be ghosts. Because ghosts AND zombies? No dice.

    February 12, 2013
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  7. Season Two had me all sorts of angsty – I was honestly praying to the gods of Hollywood that Carl would be eaten, Lori would die in labor, and that Rick would move on and find someone with a fucking brain to make sweet, baby-free love to. Alas. Though, I have to say, Season 3 Carl seems to be less of a liability, so I guess I'm glad he's not dead.

    My mom and I are constantly yelling at the screen: “WHERE THE FUCK IS THE BABY, IS SHE OKAY???” That poor child should be dead by now, what with all the “oh noes, what will baby noms on now?” Fuck their terrible planning/parenting skills.

    And ditto to Landi's comment about the Daryl/Meryl thing. The fuck is up with Daryl just abandoning the group to hang out with his douche-canoe of a brother? So lame.

    I'll keep watching to see if things turn around, though mostly just because I know Daryl will be back soon. Also, because I'm rooting for Andrea to be eaten next. That bitch has to go.

    February 12, 2013
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  8. When Season 3 started, I was super excited because I've read the comics and fully believed shit was about to get real. And then shit didn't get real. Shit continued to stay un-real, and actually became shittier, to the point where I don't even know if I want to watch the second half of S3 now. I wanted my Governor hardcore psycho, and they gave me wishy washy. I wanted my Michonne to kick ass and take heads, and they gave me angry glares. I wanted my Andrea to grow the pair of massive balls she has in the comics, but no, she just sucks the Governor's instead.

    Walking Dead, I am disappoint.

    February 12, 2013
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  9. Seriously, who the hell has a baby and doesn't have tubs of back-up formula ready? I get that they never had a baby shower or anything, but come on, you people had nine damn months to prepare for this shit. What if Lori hadn't been able to breastfeed? She's malnourished and super stressed, it wouldn't surprise me if she couldn't produce enough milk to keep the kid alive. They should have been gathering formula and other baby supplies this whole time.

    I'm beginning to think the writers don't understand women. At all. There is not a single likable female character on the show.

    February 12, 2013
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  10. Seriously! Are all the writers men with absolutly no survival skills? I mean come on! You write what you know, and this show obviously tells us that these writers wouldn't know how to survive a zombie apocalyspe without miracles.

    February 12, 2013
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  11. It was my understanding that season 2 was pretty terrible. A bunch of people sitting on a farm complaining. If I wanted that, I'd go visit an impoverished dairy farm outside of town. Replace the occasional zombie with a bored teenager, and you got the same thing.

    February 12, 2013
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  12. Yes. All of this. The new episode was a complete waste o my time. What the fuck is Maggie upset about?

    February 12, 2013
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  13. All of this. I am not even interested. I am also a huge fan of the comics, but was fully prepared to like the show. The last episode of season one gave me doubts, and season two drug it further, but season three just pushed us over the edge. The blatant racism alone burns me up, but the characters inconsistent personalities, and all the dumbass things these people do–I'm always rooting for the zombies.

    February 12, 2013
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  14. I read an article that the reason the show was so popular was because it was the show that millions loved to hate. I think what pisses me off the most is that no one seems to be aware of their surroundings. When I'm in a place where I don't know the area I am hyper aware. No one seems to hear the groaning or lumbering movements of the zombies who seem to sneak up behind them. I am also really frustrated with the lack of strong female characters. I thought they were making Maggie into one of them but it is likely that they will fuck that up too.
    I was also really pissed off when they killed T-dog off, he was one of the few mentally stable characters and one of the few who I didn't want to high five in the face. He also seemed like the one who you'd want to have with you in an apocalypse. I suppose I only keep watching because I am hoping that something gives.
    I also agree that Andrea is the worst. I dislike her more than I disliked Lori and I really hated Lori. Oddly Carl seems to be handling everything better than most of the adults.

    February 12, 2013
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  15. Joy
    Joy

    When Token-Dog- sorry, T-Dog- died, my first post on Facebook after that was, “It's a good thing they have a new token black guy ready to replace the old one!”

    February 12, 2013
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  16. Meg
    Meg

    Oh, let's not forget the biggest travesty of them all about the baby. Rick in season 2 wanted Lori to keep the baby because of hope. Then in season 3 we find out this will probably kill Lori because she had massive complications when she had Carol. Why would Rick want this if it would most likely kill his wife? He wouldn't!

    This show is so terrible now. I loved season 1, season 2 was okay (I hated that they booted Darabont) and season 3 is just terrible.

    February 12, 2013
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  17. I don't watch “Walking Dead” so I'm not able to make a relevant comment. However, if you're looking for a replacement show in that time slot, I highly recommend “Shameless” on Showtime. It's also in season three; never a dull moment.

    Jenny, in all of this time I have been following your blog, I just now noticed your kick depression playlist. Might I also recommend “The Good Life” by Weezer?

    That's enough off topic for today.

    February 12, 2013
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  18. So… I'm going to take the other side from what appears to be the vast majority opinion, because I am actually really enjoying season 3 so far. So first I'm going to respond to the comments you made which I have opinions about that don't directly match yours and then give my own thoughts on the season.

    1. Maybe they just all assumed that Lori would breastfeed? I agree that some prior proper planning would have made sense, and would probably be realistic, but if everyone was assuming Lori would survive (which I can imagine, since the idea of dying while realistic probably isn't something people want to assume), there aren't really any items that are so critical you can't do without. I mean, they still have only gone out for the formula. I do know that when I was watching the scene where Lori was trying to give birth and they were finally like, “shit, we're going to have to try this C-section our self, oh, and she'll probably die from it,” my first thought was “what a stupid idea, who the hell is going to feed this baby if the mother is dead?” And then they brought up they could get formula, and I thought, oh ya, I guess that's a thing.

    2. Crazy mayor told him to do it. You don't question crazy mayor. Also have they said what kind of scientist he is? Maybe he's a psychologist and that's why he was recruited for that job. Being a psychologist won't help you figure out a cure, or else, maybe that's the only theory he has for a cure – “make them remember who they are.”

    7. All of these personality flip-flops kind of make sense. Rick felt betrayed by both his wife and his best friend. I mean, his best friend tried to kill him so he could bang his wife again, and then his wife was kind of pissed when he defended himself, even though she had basically told him two episodes earlier that he needed to “deal with Shane.” Oh, and now both of his wife and best friend are dead. I think he has some trust issues, not to mention some crazy issues, all of which I find believable especially given that the rest of the group basically says “wahh, we can't make decisions, you make all the decisions for us. Oh, and if anyone dies, that's on you.” Hershel, now that he's not in charge of “his people,” is in a better position to want to give people a chance because it's not on him if anyone gets in trouble. Also from his perspective, he finally mustered up the trust to let Rick's group into his home last year, so why not muster up the trust again? I don't really see Carl acting like Rick from season 1, so I can't comment on that one.

    The reasons I do like this season is that I enjoy the tensions between groups of really starting to show after prolonged periods of fear and stress. Woodberry seems a lot like what Rick's group was like last season – completely trying to deny what's going on while their leaders do know what's going on, and their constant interaction with it has made them ruthless. I find the mayor to be a really intriguing character, I have enjoyed watching his arc so far. I also really enjoy Michone. I agree that she hasn't been really developed so far, but to be fair I feel like the focus hasn't really been on her very much, so it will probably take some time to develop her. Above all, I feel like they are finally normalizing the walkers, and I would imagine this is what it would really be like in a post zombie apocalypse. I have noticed that zombies are often times background props. People will be having perfectly normal conversations why zombies slowly lumber towards them. These people are too worn down and burnt out to worry about zombies unless they are right in their face, I think this is the first season they have done that. So. That's my two cents.

    February 13, 2013
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  19. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I am liking this season a lot more than season 2 overall. I disagree about the supposed lack of strong female characters. Yes, Andrea is willfully ignoring the Governor's fragile hold on sanity, but in the last episode she started to step up and lead the people of Woodbury. We haven't seen a woman lead a group of survivors thus far and there is potential there. Beth was prepared to commit suicide last season, but now she seems to be the primary caretaker of the baby, responsible for keeping another human alive other than herself. Michonne is suffering a lack of screen time/plot involvement, but once she has healed I predict she is going to reemerge and be awesome again. The show had a lot of problems, and it can be very fun to hate on it. However, I wouldn't say having weak female characters is one of those problems. There are different kinds of strength.

    February 13, 2013
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  20. Maggie
    Maggie

    I want Darryl back and I want to see a Darryl sex scene soon, or I'll quit watching. AMC, if you're reading this, hear me out: Darryl is the most popular character on the show. As the saying goes, “men want to be him, and women want to be with him.” And some women want to be him and some men want to be with him, too. When a character is that popular, people want to see him getting it on. Preferably kind of rough and dirty (ok, maybe that part's just me). It's not fair that he hasn't gotten laid yet. Andrea's already banged two dudes, but no sex yet for Darryl? It ain't right.

    February 13, 2013
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  21. Because the show implied that the Governor raped her. It never actually confirmed/denied whether or not it happened (as far as I recall). She did tell Glen that nothing happened, but, it's a good possibility that it did happen and she lied to him. Denial is a common reaction to rape. Though, let's be honest, this show isn't very good at portraying female characters realistically (see: Lori lol).
    (For the record, that was not an attempt to comment on actual rape victims in any capacity. Just meant to explain what I think happened.)

    February 13, 2013
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  22. Agree, Maggie 🙂

    February 13, 2013
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  23. Jessica
    Jessica

    My partner and I love walking dead, him more than I do. I have to say though that you do bring some interesting points. When you last mentioned plot holes and inconsistencies with the storyline and logistics of things (zombies dont decay?)in a previous post about this show, my partner didn't want to hear it. Maybe the show needs to be taken for what it is.

    I like it. And it never occured to me that they had nine months to prepare and never went out to get stuff, like wtf??
    One of the things thats really frusturates me about the show is that all this time Lori didnt miscarriage. Scarce on food and water, running around to find a suitable 'home' and running away from zombies, plus added to the fact a broken family/marriage you would think the stress alone would nip that baby in the bun. Lori annoyed me to know end, deciding to keep the baby when all of season 2 she was whining and bitching about the kind of world Carl would have to live in, and his childhood ripped away. It's one or the other, you can't be ok with letting a baby into the world and at the same time telling everyone how sucky the world is and 'oh god think about the children, doesnt anyone think about the children'.

    Overall though I don't mind it, maybe it's because I just don't overthink it, its a fun, mindless 40 minute show and I just like being taken for a ride.

    February 13, 2013
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  24. I'm going to be unpopular and say that the way Andrea acted in the latest episode actually gave me some hope for her. She strikes as someone who's willfully in denial about the state of things, which is frustrating- but if I was stuck in the zombie apocalypse in a place with electricity and no danger of intestine-ripping, it would take a LOT to get me out of there. Even if the guy running it was more scrambled than a pan of eggs. I don't like her decisions, but I think I can get why she's making them- she had what she thought was something normal and is trying to keep it that way even while it's falling all to pieces. Yeah, she's deliberately avoiding the issues with the place, but so is Daryl by going off with his asshole of a brother, so whatever. Fans seem to forgive him for that.
    The stuff about the black guys though- I was so angry when Oscar and T-Dog bit the bullet. I don't fucking care if the place is set in the deep South, the zombie apocalypse should be past discriminating by skin color. As for the women, I do admit to liking Carol, I think when the writers let her talk she's interesting, but they seem determined to keep her at quiet-mousy status, which bugs the hell out of me.
    All the plotholes though, and the randomness- you're right, I can't argue with anything you said, but I'm probably still going to keep up with it anyway 🙂 Probably because I genuinely enjoy Rick's descent into madness, though I really hope he gets called on it soon. I would fucking love if they drew some parallels between him and Tyrese and contrasted how they run things, but I don't have much hope for that. We'll see how things pan out. Probably badly.

    February 13, 2013
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  25. Sadly a lot of people wait until babies are born to even start think about supplies. Common on Freecycle lists everywhere are women who/whose friends/sisters, whatever, just had a baby and has nothing at all, no diapers, onesies, or anything else. This happens almost with more regularity than women claiming their didn't know that no periods, a growing belly, and movement in that bump, meant they might be pregnant.

    February 13, 2013
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  26. I respectfully disagree with points 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and sort-of 8. But I wholeheartedly agree with points 3 and 6. Unfortunately, I can't explain why because my explanation was “too long” according to the Blogspot powers that be 🙁

    I wrote a review of this episode myself, and it was published on my friend's blog at dmfiat.com. Just scroll down until you find it. And I only mention it because it's relevant to the topic at hand; if you feel it's inappropriate for me to be shamelessly self-promoting here, just let me know and I'll happily remove the link.

    February 13, 2013
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  27. Well, I suppose it would be no fun if agreed with you on everything.

    February 13, 2013
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  28. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Sending characters to do things so they can stumble into the plot is one of my MOST HATED THINGS in all forms of entertainment. Like, seriously, you couldn't figure out a more developed way to make this happen? GOD.

    *fumes in angsty writer land*

    February 13, 2013
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  29. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I agree with you though I hated seasons 1 and 2 far more. I felt like I was watching an episode of 30 Something that happened to have zombies. Like, drop the angst and kill some zombies you spoiled babies!!!!

    February 13, 2013
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  30. Dude, Lizzy, this is exactly how I feel. Jenny, I agree with you, too. I would be so concerned with plot holes like “where'd they get the gas?” if I had better things, like a plot, to focus on. I also seem to remember an interview with the actor who played T-Dog saying “yeah, I'll totally be in it a million times more this season” which was just a lie. I'll still keep watching it because part of me hopes it will get better but I'm super disappointed. I think changing showrunners as much as they have has created most of the problems.

    February 13, 2013
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  31. On my facebook page, I have people raving about how great Walking Dead is, huzzah, it's back. Then I remember those are the same people that raved about FSoG being the best thing since getting a sybian.

    February 13, 2013
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  32. So I don't watch TWD, but I read this anyway since I love your writing, and enjoy TV criticism. I read it yesterday at about 9:30 am and got on with my day.

    You know what I dreamed about last night? Zombies. Scary-ass, Walking Dead, gonna kill me and my husband zombies. Scariest dream I've had in a couple of years at least.

    So just wanted to let you know this post had quite the effect on me! 🙂

    February 13, 2013
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  33. Oh, I do want to play the game. It looks really cool.

    February 13, 2013
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  34. Yes! A walking frown and a katana! Absolutely. I feel like, yes, the zombie apocalypse would probably make people suspicious and closed off, but realism doesn't make for good tv in this case. No one wants to watch an hour of people suspiciously glaring at each other.

    February 13, 2013
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  35. omg Point 7. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

    I hate this show now too, I've been watching it this season because I was already watching it, and I feel like I've invested too much time to give up now. It's like a bad relationship.

    February 13, 2013
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  36. And I feel like Rick going insane now, because he lost Lori, is pretty hard to accept, given what we've already seen of the character. As D-Rock was pointing out to me today, Rick didn't just kill his best friend, he killed his partner, and the damage Shane did to their relationship would be more likely, almost, to drive him nuts than Lori dying would. Rick seemed pretty done with Lori at the beginning of season 3.

    February 13, 2013
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  37. Oh, I KNOW! That's exactly what I said. WHY did they have to save the baby? Do we really need to keep populating a species that's already host to a zombie plague?!

    February 13, 2013
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  38. See, I feel like I'm in the minority because I really liked the second half of season 2, and nobody else seemed to, LOL.

    February 13, 2013
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  39. Well, considering Lori tried to have her abortion using Plan B, it's pretty safe to say the baby was happening either way.

    February 13, 2013
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  40. Yeah, what was the point of seeing Daryl work through his childhood trauma if he made no forward progress on it?

    February 13, 2013
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  41. I'm like, excuse me? Who doesn't pull out during the zombie apocalypse? YOU PULL OUT DURING THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.

    February 13, 2013
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  42. Yeah, it seems like anything interesting that COULD happen must be avoided at all costs in favor of the much more boring original storyline.

    February 13, 2013
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  43. I'm kind of pissed at the way the rape/attempted rape was portrayed. I think it's a case of the writers not knowing how to write for women, and not understanding that they could have had Maggie beaten/tortured with a walker/psychologically tortured and gotten as much drama out of it. It's like a room full of men sat down and decided that the worst thing they could do to a female character is threaten her with rape, when in reality, Maggie has probably thought about the possibility of getting raped every single day since the country's infrastructure fell apart.

    February 13, 2013
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  44. YES! It's like, damnit, even the zombies can't be this smart, if they can't kill these morons.

    February 13, 2013
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  45. And it seemed like after he had some lines at the end of season 2, when he was going to straight up take off and fuck the rest of the group over – including pretty much kidnapping Lori – he was going to get something awesome to do, and be a cool counterpoint to Rick or something.

    February 13, 2013
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  46. It's so blatant, I really don't understand how they're getting away with it.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  47. Apparently coat hangers and knitting needles are scarce in the ZA.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  48. I will totally check that song out! Thanks! And I'll check out the show… I love Emmy Rossum!

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  49. What do you mean, there's more than one kind of scientist? WITCHCRAFT!

    I did love the number of conversations, etc. that have happened in plain view of walkers behind fences or just off in the distance. Because yeah, at some point, it's not going to be shocking anymore. They're just a fact of life.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  50. I think it's hard to do that when you make up stories for a living. According to my husband, I ruin everything. Once, we were watching Titanic, and I was like, “Jack never even said he loved Rose,” and Joe looked at me and goes, “Do you have to ruin EVERYTHING?” LOL

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  51. I didn't like that Andrea couldn't nut up and shoot that guy. She stood by when Dale got his guts ripped out and she was like, “Do something!” Then when it's time to step up and do something, she can't do it. I'm like, “Stop disappointing me, you had such potential as a bad ass in the first season!”

    Carol is one of the only reasons I'm hanging on. Her speech about Ed, and how she might still leave with him if he showed up suddenly, was one of the high points of the episode Sunday night.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  52. Yeah, but we're talking about a survival situation here. They've already made plans for the baby by sticking with Herschel's group for his medical training, they've talked about the realities of it, so I feel like it can't really be a case of denial that the baby is going to happen. It just seems like they had to do it that way to get two characters into Woodbury.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  53. No, that's fine, people are always posting links and stuff. They're welcome when they're on topic like that one. 😀

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  54. No, definitely not. And the world would be no fun for me, either.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  55. Sometimes, I can see it happening organically and being part of good story telling. Like at the end of Dances With Wolves, when Dunbar has to go back to his post to get his journal, and it gets him captured and leads to the final big confrontation. Other stuff in that movie was a big mess, though.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  56. Wait, what I was trying to say is, the consequences of NOT going out to where the stuff happens have to be unavoidable.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  57. hold up, you know someone who has a sybian?

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  58. See, I feel like the way they're portraying women is that they have potential to be strong, independent, fully formed characters, but they throw in a good reason not to. I'd say the strongest women on the show are Carol and Beth, but they don't get enough screen time to make up for Andrea and Lori. And I wish they could have done more with Michone, the season is half over. 🙁

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  59. I just want him and Carol to get together. They love each other, damnit! THEY ARE MY OTP!

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  60. NO! We must never mention that other show! Because of my feels. My scarred, fragile feels. I really hated the way that show ended.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  61. You're welcome! If I can ever psychologically scar you again, please do tell me, LOL.

    February 13, 2013
    |Reply
  62. I KNOW! That's exactly how I feel about it. I'll keep watching it, but resenting it silently until the children are out of the house, and then it's splitsville.

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  63. From what I remember of her actions in situations like that, she doesn't seem to like taking action unless it's literally life or death. For instance, she took out the old zombie as soon as it started back up and when she's surrounded by walkers, she's solid. But when the person in question is alive (but been bitten and certain to turn) she's always been reluctant. She did that from the first- when her little sister was turned, she waited till Amy came back as a walker, and then same with Dale- I feel like the “Do something” there didn't necessarily mean shooting him, as illogical as that is. So her not shooting the guy just seemed like an extension of that- she doesn't like to kill when they're suffering in front of her. I do think it's frustrating as hell, but that bit in this past ep seems pretty consistent with the way she approached that situation in the past.

    And I'm sorry about how long this is- I totally get the Andrea hate, but like you said- she had so much potential and I think she still could get interesting if the writers would stop fucking things over. Ideally things would become a power play btwn her and the Governor for control of Woodbury, but I doubt that'll happen…

    That speech made me adore Carol so much. And I love that she was upset about Daryl leaving and still got up and kept going. She needs more focus, especially since she's one of the few left with her act still together.

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  64. Team Carol and Darryl! They should just take Carl and the baby and go and raise them themselves somewhere WHERE ALL THESE IDIOTS AREN'T.

    *cough* Sorry. I have feels XD

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  65. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Aww I'm sorry. My lip is zipped.

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  66. I agree with every point you made and especially loved the flipped personalities point because it's so true. The show has just been going downhill since the second season. For me, it is lacking in authenticity, I feel like I'm watching a fucking soap opera at this point. But everyone else seems to be enjoying the show.

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  67. Nadia O.
    Nadia O.

    I bated Lori. Thank goodness she's. gone …then wait a damnable minute…her dumb ghost is back. (hand over face sigh) I want Andrea to get locked in a room with the governor. and some zombies. I'm hoping Glen takes over the group, keeps the new black people, gets rid of the 2 trouble making white dudes and takes the baby, Michone, Carol with him. Finds Darryl (love Darryl) and they find a highrise building with an underground fully stocked store so they don't have to leave for supplies. Oh yeah, Herschel and his daughters can come too. Rick goes & takes over the town and they fade into the sunset. The baby supplies, the gas situation, the amazing how they never run out of bullets and the lack of a true leader with some goddamn common sense really ticks me off. I'm going to keep watching until I cant anymore. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't. end like Lost…leaving me feeling cheated and screaming WTF at the Tv. thanks Jenny again….for your insightfull take on this show

    February 14, 2013
    |Reply
  68. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I don't think lori is a ghost, she's only in Rick's mind which is quickly losing sight of reality, hello people you have to realize that it would really suck to live in a situation like this where you can NEVER relax because that could get you killed. People don't act rationally in the best of situations let alone this. I agree there are some plot holes but that happens in every show, just go with losing 45 minutes of your humdrum life once a week and stop over thinking it.
    I like Daryl he has always been the smartest and coolheaded, but I also like Glen (remember how they used to make him do the most dangerous stuff now he doesn't take shit) I loved when he ripped the bone out of the zombie to give to Maggie for protection my husband and I looked at each other and said “AWWW how sweet” Although now Glen seems weird about what happened to Maggie and I think he thinks she isn't telling the truth about what they did to her to torture her. So perhaps he's getting that somebody touched my girl so I don't want her anymore thing going on.
    Remember whatever was a personality trait in a person before the zombie appociclips happened they will still have those traits and this horror won't help them become a better person. But what do I know I watch this on Sunday and then move on to Downton Abbey HA!

    February 15, 2013
    |Reply
  69. I'm now so glad I went with my gut instinct and didn't watch past the pilot. I couldn't get my head round That Guy From Teachers as an action hero. Sounds like that would have been the least of my problems if I'd watched on!

    February 15, 2013
    |Reply
  70. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Im glad Im not the only who noticed the 1 black guy max rule…And can carol please get eaten already?! I dont want to live to see the day Daryl and her hook up.

    February 16, 2013
    |Reply
  71. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I thought that Herschel letting Carl go down into the prison basement to find out what the hell was making the noise in the mid season finale was absolutely ridiculous……. and introducing characters right before a mid season break is just idiotic as well….. the mid season finale of season 3 was one of the worst episodes for me, ironically this episode along with one of my other least favorite episodes (vatos) from season 1 were both written by Robert Kirkman….. he's a shitty writer and hes ruining the tv series that so plainly made him rich..I suggest anyone that respects Kirkman read this article he wrote to see what a real piece of crap he is http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15128 …his comic books lack any realism when it comes to the female characters ….I think the lack of the realism has been the reason for the downward spiral of season 3 …that and total lack of character development….and I agree, the “scientist” from Woodbury is a total douchebag….. his dialogue is forced and awkward….and all the character development of Andrea being a “strong and independent” woman flew out the window when she arrived at Woodbury and became a brainwashed moron. Darabont was the real visionary behind The Walking Dead…

    February 19, 2013
    |Reply
  72. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Delurking here (hi, sorry, I'm a long-time delurker in the old blog, so I just thought I might share an interesting point).
    Sure, you're right. Some women are naturally able to have a kid, with no problems and no side effects. But I doubt Lori would have access to fresh milk, extra vitamins, fresh and processed (and noncontaminated) meat than a pre-zombiepocalypse woman.

    If all these things are no longer available, I'd personally expect Lori to go back to the 3rd-world problems of having kids. Like the 'gain a baby, lose a tooth' territory in the show. Which should have caused people to go and get supplies early on, rather than go all “Meh, we're okay for now.”

    February 19, 2013
    |Reply
  73. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I agree, I liked season 2 as well, some episodes lacked in action packed moments but these episodes were dedicated to developing the characters,their interactions and the drama that comes along when a group of people are trying to survive together. If we didnt have these “slow” episodes we wouldnt know anything about the characters and therefore wouldnt be devastatingly affected upon the writers decision to kill them off.(Dale). Besides, season 2 was full of intense moments that in my opinion made up for the slack in action throughout the rest of the season . Its season 3 that I have a problem with. Woodbury, the Governor,that annoying as hell scientist and the all around shitty writing. Has anyone noticed that now the action sequences are filmed like a video game? Its all about the money for AMC….. thats why they got rid of Darabont…. he's an artistic genius…. I mean look at the series premiere episode, the first half hour there is barely any dialogue yet it had me creeped out and on the edge of my seat … it was filmed like,well, a film. Lets hope that the writers learn from their mistakes and that they abandon this barely tolerable Woodbury plot soon.

    February 20, 2013
    |Reply
  74. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I thought her deciding to have the baby was ridiculous too, albeit not as stupid as when they decided to tell us in season 3 that Lori had complications with her first delivery with Carl……. why would she have decided to go along with it knowing that? Also that C-section scar we heard about also in season 3 was mysteriously missing in season 1 during her and Shanes little love tryst.

    February 20, 2013
    |Reply
  75. Thank you! Seriously Rick is the most incompetent leader since Gilligan. And his followers are every bit the zombies they are killing. Faction building? Nope! Planning beyond knee-jerk reactionism? Nope!
    Maybe the group just plays the the level of there adversaries (zombies)? Who here remembers the Latino Gang from season 1? So, post Zombie Apocalyptic Rest-home? Doable! But forming a group capable of feeding a single baby? Chaos!

    March 3, 2013
    |Reply
  76. I honestly feel like printing out this blog and just posting it all over downtown and anywhere someone that is just as disappointed can nod and laugh just like I did because I agree 100%, this show is worse than Herschel surviving the zombie bite. -_-

    March 13, 2013
    |Reply
  77. & to add to your #8, why hasn't Andrea died? She used to be a semi cool character learning how to sling guns with Shane and now she is a desperate housewife chasing the cock even when it rejects her.

    She should die soon.

    March 13, 2013
    |Reply
  78. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I think this show is an absolute mystery the success of which can be explained thusly: soap operas continue to thrive.
    People are hungry for entertainment, even it's just the promise or threat of entertainment, even if it proves to have no soul, no vision, no skill, no direction, and nothing about it that truly entertains. It's so bad it makes me angry.
    The most glaring problem, which is not to say I don't agree with most of the problems that have been highlighted in this blog, is the use of the “suddenly” trope. Michonne is about to “end” the Governor's daughter, and who suddenly appears? The Governor. They fight, Michonne gets the upper hand, and she's about to slay him and put an end to his amateurish, non-threatening “villainy” (when I compare him to a character such as Scorpius from Farscape, I want to weep for all humankind and lament our fall from discerning sophistication to headlighted deerification), the Blonde Moron to End All Blonde Morons shows up suddenly and stops her. Really? Twice in five minutes?
    But they weren't done. The suddenly trope persists.
    Witness this most recent episode, when the anti-Scorpie Sue is chasing the BMTEABM. He finds her in a random field. How? Unexplained, but suddenly, he is there. She runs through a forest to a building. Suddenly, his truck is at the building. After wasting 15 minutes where he mutters more badly written bullshit, the Writers (must capitalize in order to punish) allow her to unleash a horde of zombies on him. Of course, we don't see him get devoured, so naturally just as the Moronic Blonde is about to contact the prison (via waving to Rick) and warn them, the Governor suddenly springs up from the long grass and claps a hand on her mouth.
    Deus ex machina to the nauseating max.
    Has the Governor used voodoo to channel, what, Freddy Kruger or Legolas or even Red from Once Upon a Time (a show one must watch if and only if one has children who demand it be watched as a family)? How is he suddenly the world's most preternatural Tracker Man?
    Stupid, stupid, stupid. And the only way anything at all happens to the Blonde is if the Writers decide once more there are too many characters.
    You would think that with all those characters, you'd have a few worthy of keeping.

    When I think of the great television writing of the last 10 years, the shows that keep you coming back because of great performances, crackling dialogue, wit, plots that keep you guessing and turns that fulfill even as they open up new angles, it makes me sad that I have wasted time watching the Walking Dead.
    One gets no sense that these people have lived through something unspeakably horrible. Neither does one feel any connection to what was or what might still be out there…no one cares to explore the possibility of anything having been salvaged or salvageable. There is no plan. There is no hero. Hell, after the death of Dale, there isn't even a voice of reason or someone who at least considers the big moral picture.
    And the zombies. The zombies are the biggest problem.
    The dumb Blonde in the forest, in random spot in the forest in the middle of rural Georgia. She stops for one moment to hide from a truck and suddenly (natch) four zombies are on her.
    What are they, as plentiful as ticks? I understand there must be millions of them around, but given the square acreage of our country alone, that would still spread them out pretty thin, no?
    Stupid. Where would and should they be? Wherever there are lotsa of people and lotsa noise. But no, some are assigned to the forest, one zombie per tree, just in case dumb Blonde shows up.

    Okay, enough. I hate this fucking show. Bring back Deadwood.

    March 19, 2013
    |Reply
  79. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I hate everyone on there now. I hate carl and his stupid hat. I HATE THAT GOD DAMN HAT! Theres too much bla bla bla and there isnt shit for walking corpses. This show is a friggin soap opra. I say, quit watching this crap while you still can, it obviously isnt getting any better. It will never be like the 1st season.

    March 22, 2013
    |Reply
  80. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    sorry about my hate everyone on the show rant, I just dont have any links to cute dog pictures.

    March 22, 2013
    |Reply
  81. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I agree with every single point here. I've stuck around until about two episodes ago. Now I just read the summaries of the shows to save myself the disappointment. The writers and producers have managed to take an incredible idea and opportunity and completely ruined it. Season 1 was fantastic–despite the horrible dialogue and the atrocity that is the acting of the kid who plays Carl. I didn't even mind Season 2, despite it being heavy on poorly written dialogue and lazily executed character development.

    But Season 3, oh my god what a catastrophe. How it took them several months to travel about a mile to the prison is beyond me. The writers forced themselves into following the plot of the comic; which works well for a comic format but would require some actual writing ability in order to make it work for over a dozen hours of television. All of your points on this were completely on the mark. At this point, I don't give a shit about any of the characters. ANY of them. I don't care about the Woodbury plot. I don't care about the baby. I don't care about Andrea. I would only be happy if the entire cast got wiped out, the writers all fired, and the show begins completely anew with a new cast and set of writers.

    March 25, 2013
    |Reply
  82. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    2 white dudes leading there factions. This show is about some Middle Aged white guy egos.

    It needs to be about the Zombie Apocalypse. Maybe trying to find a cure, maybe they should have ran into some more challenging zombies in the prison. Maybe the zombies should start to get smarter. I came for the zombies, not Rick and the Governor.

    Secondly it's a Soap Opera. Every scene so deeply emotional. His brother is evil, the governor touched so and so, that guy can't forgive this guy, this guy keeps keeps seeing his dead wife, etc…

    Every cool thing turns into a bad acting Soap Opera.

    March 25, 2013
    |Reply
  83. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I agree! Start it over with a new cast and writers. The show has strayed from the comics so much. Pretty soon theres gunna be an episonde where Carl looses his hat to a zombie and everyone mourns over that, it will be an entire episode long. In a perfect world, Rick will end up killing everyone and go back to the hospital and sleep..then a whole new cast is brought into the picture 🙂

    March 25, 2013
    |Reply
  84. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    for an american series with no substance to have lots of viewers, the black guy HAS to die as soon as a new black guy gets in the way. But this is NOT news, 24 did the same thing and no one noticed, once the new black dude was introduced the old one would die, gruesomly, within 2 episodes. The ex president dude got shot in the face, the other dude was shot by bauer who was his partner.
    Plus they not only die, they get totally fucked up
    The only way to survive being a black male in a terrible tv series is not being a very fella, a dude like dave chapelle would have NEVER been eaten by zombies, even surrounded by 10 governors

    April 1, 2013
    |Reply
  85. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    very big fella

    April 1, 2013
    |Reply
  86. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Just watched the season finale last night (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU CARE). I was getting discouraged with the show a few episodes ago in this season, and it just seemed to get dumber and dumber. I held out hope for the finale; it turned out to be the dumbest show of the season. Huge, enormous gaping plot holes. Ridiculous scenes of stupidity. No character continuity (who is this Michon and what happened to the old one?). Just really poor writing. What group of hardened apocalypse survivors would just walk into the prison in that fashion? How does nobody get shot when they go running and crying after a couple of flash bombs? Where did this riot gear all of a sudden show up, something you'd think might be useful for zombie defence? How does nobody shoot the governor later? The whole thing was just one ridiculous scene after another. Not going to waste my time with more of this stupidity next season.

    April 2, 2013
    |Reply
  87. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    ^You sound like you just want to watch people shoot up a bunch of zombies with zero plot. If this is the case,go watch a Resident Evil movie. The Walking Dead deals with how survivors interact with one another during the apocalypse, the title doesn't even refer to the “walkers” but to the humans.

    April 4, 2013
    |Reply
  88. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Lori's not a ghost, I don't see why people can't comprehend that. She didn't abort the baby because the groups moral was low and it would provide a symbol of hope for the group, that things can go on and that things can get better.
    As for the matter of trying to repopulate, why wouldn't they? Isn't that the point of survival? Not just to keep yourself alive but to keep the species going as a whole.

    April 4, 2013
    |Reply
  89. Yeah, but why would you want to keep the species alive? Everyone is infected. This is the extinction event, hanging on is going to eventually be futile, if people are dying faster than they're being born.

    April 4, 2013
    |Reply
  90. Also Lori was an idiot who thought Plan B was the same as the abortion pill… Are we really suprised she got herself knocked up in the zombie apolocolypse?

    April 4, 2013
    |Reply
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    Anonymous

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    April 13, 2013
    |Reply
  92. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    The first season was stellar, it was high quality and was promising. Obviously because of frank darabont and his actual talent as a storyteller and director. The ugly fact of the matter is once you get rid of actual talent like that and let GREG NICOTERO, (the cheesy-as-hell makeup artist for silly movies) start directing episodes, and that writing staff with a middle school education take over the show, it will suck hard. Seriously where do these people get off thinking they can run a show? Just because you apply corn syrup and red dye to someone's face doesn't make you hitchcock. You can really see the crappy and cheap direction under Nicotero and company. The cinematography also looks like crap now, under darabont it looked fantastic.

    I was holding out for season 3 to fix season 2 and maybe pump some excitement and interest in the dying show. What could have been the redemption for a potentially great show turned into season 2 part 2 minus the farm.

    It's sad how season 3 actually had worse writing than 2. Season 2 was boring yes, it put more people to sleep than Lunesta, but 3's writing was so pathetic and dissapointing, it..it's really more horrific than a zombie's anus. Really.

    The writing staff for this show are flat out morons…I've read middle school papers with more promise and plot than what these schmucks put out every episode. I think in the off-season they turn on telenovelas and “the young and the restless” to get inspiration.

    I gave this show a chance, but I'm done. Season 3 had the chance to pick this show up from the gutter and make it not only about genuine horror, but make it exciting. It failed on all levels and is now a virtual soap opera with the occasional shooting.

    April 20, 2013
    |Reply
  93. JesusAytch
    JesusAytch

    WOW..was that really written by Robert Kirkman..? What a douchecanoe.

    June 4, 2013
    |Reply
  94. Helena
    Helena

    I enjoy watching The Walking Dead because its fun pointing out the stupidity. I really don't take it all that seriously. I agree with all your points (hated Lori more than Andrea though) but I had to point out one more thing. The thing that consistantly bugs me: WHY HAS NO ONE ACCIDENTLY DIED FROM GETTING ZOMBIE BLOOD IN EYES OR CUTS?!?! They're chopping away at the walkers and getting blood all over themselves. How has no one gotten sick from that? For instance, Michonne got shot in the thigh and then covered in zombie guts. She touched her wound at one point. IT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO HER WOUND!

    July 9, 2013
    |Reply

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