The Walking Dead "Chupacabra" S2E5 11/13/11

7954 Views 94 Replies 45 Participants Last post by sharkster, Nov 20, 2011

robojerk

Discussion Starter · Nov 14, 2011

Better episode. Maybe the farmer is just seeing how long it will take for a zombie to starve.

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Mike Wells

· #2 · Nov 14, 2011

I liked this episode. Should be something for everyone - more zombies, some explanations, faster pace. Looks like they are getting closer to Sophie, one way or the other.

Glad the farm is playing out this way.

I wonder - if Daryl has to choose eventually, who will he go with? Rick and co. or his brother?

VegasVic

· #3 · Nov 14, 2011

Eh, it was ok but this season is moving waaaaay too slow. I know there were budget cuts and other changes, as referenced here http://screenrant.com/walking-dead-frank-darabont-amc-aco-127783/

So far I'm not liking this season as much as I thought I would.

Billyh1026

· #4 · Nov 14, 2011

Best zombie kill ever - arrow through the skull...kerthunk chin on the sand.

ClutchBrake

· #5 · Nov 14, 2011

Billyh1026 said:
Best zombie kill ever - arrow through the skull...kerthunk chin on the sand.

That zombie looked like Dule Hill.

Rob Helmerichs

· #6 · Nov 14, 2011

ClutchBrake said:
That zombie looked like Dule Hill.

Oh, right, like an actor of his caliber would ever participate in some kind of meaningless cultural reference just for the sake of a gag.

danterner

· #7 · Nov 14, 2011

Mike Wells said:
I wonder - if Daryl has to choose eventually, who will he go with? Rick and co. or his brother?

The praise and acceptance he got from Sophia's mother at the end of the episode is what he wants, and what he never got/would get from Merle. Blood is thick, but I think Daryl would stay with the group at this point were he ever to encounter a non-hallucination Merle.

The problem I've been having with this season is that Sophia isn't developed enough as a character for me to feel sufficiently invested in the search for her. I get that it's basically just a plot device - an excuse to keep the season centered around the farm - but it seems like overkill since Carl is immobilized, too. Even had Sophia not been lost, or been found after an episode or two, everyone would still be at the farm anyway while Carl convalesces.

Rob Helmerichs

· #8 · Nov 14, 2011

On the other hand, the Sophia subplot gave Daryl the moment you referred to...which is critical.

I think a big problem the show is having is that it's too enamored of the comic book's structure, which is very free-flowing. And they haven't found a way to make that work in television, which has both a different structure and a very different set of expectations on the part of the viewer.

E.g., when the comic book has a story that doesn't run to the end of an issue, Kirkman doesn't pad it out; he just ends it and picks up something new. Or if he gets to the end of an issue and there's not enough room, he doesn't rush to a conclusion; he just stops there and picks up where he left off next issue. But television is much more formally structured, and whether that's for better or worse, it's what viewers have come to expect from decades of experience. The television writers (including Kirkman, but not Barabont, who really nailed Season 1) seem to be wanting to bring across aspects of the comic book structure to the show, but don't seem to have a good handle on how to make it work.

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madscientist

· #9 · Nov 14, 2011

danterner said:
The problem I've been having with this season is that Sophia isn't developed enough as a character for me to feel sufficiently invested in the search for her. I get that it's basically just a plot device - an excuse to keep the season centered around the farm - but it seems like overkill since Carl is immobilized, too. Even had Sophia not been lost, or been found after an episode or two, everyone would still be at the farm anyway while Carl convalesces.

Sure but having to go out and search for her gives a lot of drama and action that wouldn't be there if they were just hanging out waiting for Carl to get better.

If you think the show is slow now just think what it would be like with no reason for them to leave the farm and spread out into search parties...

LlamaLarry

· #10 · Nov 14, 2011

I am also stunned this band of misfits has managed to survive as long as they have.
Mildly curious about the barn, but mystified they would rather camp in tents than in that nice weatherproof building *right over there*.
Quickly running out of people I don't want to see eaten by the walkers.

jgmack1

· #11 · Nov 14, 2011

I wonder what the ratings are for this show? I can see it being cancelled.

Beryl

· #12 · Nov 14, 2011

I'm beginning to love Daryl (wish he would just bathe more) and was totally feeling Aisha Tyler's "nurture vs nature" remarks on 'Talking Dead'. Merle is still scum that should only show up in nightmares.

Rob Helmerichs

· #13 · Nov 14, 2011

jgmack1 said:
I wonder what the ratings are for this show? I can see it being cancelled.

Pretty spectacular.

As in, I believe, highest-rated basic-cable scripted show ever.

voripteth

· #14 · Nov 14, 2011

jgmack1 said:
I wonder what the ratings are for this show? I can see it being cancelled.

I believe it has already been renewed for season 3.

NatasNJ

· #15 · Nov 14, 2011

This show JUST like Season 1 has so much potential and is plagued by HORRIBLE writing. Well known issues with their writing staff etc... Hopefully the ratings will allow them to actual invest in better writers for Season 3. Can't see myself watching a ton more of this show if they don't fix the numerous short comings.

Rob Helmerichs

· #16 · Nov 14, 2011

Concerning the Sophia subplot, Robert Kirkman says:

Well, we always know what we're doing and have things planned out. It's not a matter of going, "Ah, we don't know what we're doing here so let's just push this off." One thing that's important to remember is that each episode doesn't cover a week. It's not like Sophia's been gone for months or the weeks it's taken us to get the episodes out there. Some of this takes place over a very short span of time. The poor girl has really only been missing for a few days at this point, though it feels like it's been a while. And there's an interesting question there. They still haven't found this girl. How could she still possibly be alive, and what could have happened to her? Who could she have encountered that would have been able to help her stay alive? And would we drag this on so long without some kind of a cool payoff? What will this all lead to? Those are the questions people should be asking themselves. That's the stuff we were most excited about - having this mystery of why they haven't found her yet and why they keep looking for her. That leads to a lot more questions, which keeps people on their toes.

Which ties into what I was musing (rambling?) about earlier...I admire that they're trying to break with conventional television storytelling techniques, but I don't think they're doing a very good job of it.

pudding7

· #17 · Nov 14, 2011

LlamaLarry said:
I am also stunned this band of misfits has managed to survive as long as they have.
Mildly curious about the barn, but mystified they would rather camp in tents than in that nice weatherproof building *right over there*.
Quickly running out of people I don't want to see eaten by the walkers.

These characters and the writing have been frustrating the entire series, for all the stupid decisions they've made or not made. Just about every single opportunity to do something smart, they have done the opposite.

Finally, I had to have others point out that it's (sadly) not really a zombie show. I wanted to like it because I thought it would be a zombie show, but unfortunately it's a drama, set in a rather tame zombie world.

Lots of crying and speeches and dumb decisions and unnecessary drama, with an occasional zombie that's easily avoided or killed.

zalusky

· #18 · Nov 14, 2011

This sounds like the same complaints I heard about BSG (which I personally don't agree with).

DreadPirateRob

· #19 · Nov 14, 2011

pudding7 said:
Finally, I had to have others point out that it's (sadly) not really a zombie show. I wanted to like it because I thought it would be a zombie show, but unfortunately it's a drama, set in a rather tame zombie world.

Lots of crying and speeches and dumb decisions and unnecessary drama, with an occasional zombie that's easily avoided or killed.

I have to ask, what would you rather see? Because, frankly, a "zombie show" would grow pretty boring real fast. Zombies are probably the least interesting villain/monster possible - they have no personality, no motivation to explore (other than braiiinnnnsss), no agenda, and they have no communication skills. They are a construct with which to explore the human condition when the veneer of civility and society is stripped away. The story always has to be about the survivors and what means and methods and choices they have had to make to survive.

Last season everyone (rightfully) yelled at them for setting up camp in an unprotected quarry/camping area. The smartest thing to do, obviously, is to find a somewhat safe area - at the very least protected by fences and such - and hole up/regroup, so they can begin to think about what to do next. Which is what they are doing now. Only now, doing that isn't smart, it's boring.

JohnB1000

· #20 · Nov 14, 2011

So what is the speculation on the point of all the Zombies in the barn ?

I like the show and I'm happy with it's style and format. My teenage kids love it so it can't be as bad as some seem to think.

Vegas Vic, I recently watched the whole Breaking Bad season and read the threads as I went, your posts are almost identical.

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