This isn't a very good show. Basically, to me at least, the appeal of this show is "Do you like zombies?" You HAVE to like zombies to like this show. You have to find zombies awesome actually. I'm mildly interested in the zombie genre and I've actually liked quite a bit of the movies in that genre so The Walking Dead should theoretically appeal to me. The problem though is that if you don't love zombies, if you don't love mindless action, this isn't a good show at all.
A very important part of making a good television show involves making interesting characters who you want to see succeed. The Walking Dead does NOT have that whatsoever. I kind of care about Rick, Glenn, and Daryl. I'm not sure if that's because of the writing or if it is because those are the only good actors on the show. (Though Dale is played by a good actor too and I stopped caring about him in this season - except for his tendency to widen his eyes for serious moments).
A very important part of making a good television show involves making interesting characters who you want to see succeed. The Walking Dead does NOT have that whatsoever. I kind of care about Rick, Glenn, and Daryl. I'm not sure if that's because of the writing or if it is because those are the only good actors on the show. (Though Dale is played by a good actor too and I stopped caring about him in this season - except for his tendency to widen his eyes for serious moments).
Having character development is vital to a show where anyone can die. If you care about the majority of the characters, every scene is heightened because of that potential - especially in a zombie genre. When you don't care about the characters, you don't really care if they die. I know that Sophia was a kid, but this show made zero attempt at making me care if she lived or died and they wasted six episodes until that resolution was cleared up. In the five episodes before, I could not care less if they found here - to the show's credit I just assumed she would live so I guess points there.
This show is poorly written. The writers basically came up with interesting ideas that they wanted to explore and then wrote ways to get to that idea. None of it is very organic and nearly every conflict needed to be brought about by a character doing something stupid, usually by the apparently brain dead Lori. An example: Rick and Glenn go find Hershel, who's at a bar. They go explicitly to find Hershel. Lori objects to this because Rick needs to stay with their son. Then they leave and she GOES OFF AND ABANDONS HER SON TO FIND THEM. What did she think she was going to do? Save them from zombies? Yeah, right you're going to be able to horde off zombies when Rick and Glenn can't. Anyway, then she crashes her car because she's reading a map while driving. SO STUPID.
Then there's the fact that almost all of these characters are unlikeable. I've already mentioned Lori, who exists to give the negative feedback. Andrea is another character who is pretty easy to hate - she gets mad at Dale for saving her life, then shoots at Daryl with three people around him (assuming shooting was the right move). I like Maggie I guess. But I think liking her is just an extension of me liking Glenn really cause her purpose is to date Glenn and not much else. The female characters on this show are not written well at all. Then there's T-Dog who gets jackshit to do all season. (I'm sure I will care about his obvious and inevitable death soon)
This show is poorly acted for the most part as well. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Steven Yeun as Glenn, Scott Wilson as Hershel, and Norman Reedus as Daryl are all good actors who seem to elevate the material they are given. The rest though? They leave something to be desired. Jon Bernthal as Shane is mediocre at best and sometimes he's given more than he can handle. Chandler Riggs as Carl is straight up awful as an actor, but he's a kid so I guess that's more understandable. And Sarah Wayne Callies isn't great as Lori. It's partly the writing, it's also partly the bug eyes she develops anytime she's mad, frustrated, upset, or really any emotion.
Yet another problem with this show is the lack of tension. The zombie scenes create a certain amount of tension, but I was pretty sure who wasn't going to die. And I was mostly right. A zombie show should NOT have zombie scenes where it seems like nobody will die. And if somebody does die, it's usually someone the audience just met like Otis. It's hard to care about a character dying after two episodes. (Side note: It should be a sin that on a show as poorly acted as this, that they bring in Michael Raymond-James of Terriers and Pruitt Taylor Vance of Deadwood and have them killed off almost immediately. Raymond-James was scary good in his 10 minutes of screen time. Someone give this guy a TV show... oh wait someone already did. Sigh)
While I'm being honest, this review was written after having seen the first 11 episodes. I haven't seen the last two yet which I've heard are among the show's best. Overall, I don't think that changes anything I've said yet. I'm done watching this show for good now. For people who want to complain "If you don't like it, don't watch it" I won't. I watched the rest of season two specifically to write this review or I would have stopped.
The Walking Dead is a more apt title for the living "characters" on this show than the zombies - oh I'm sorry "walkers."
Playlist
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
2. "Centerfield" - John Fogerty
3. "Real World" - Matchbox 20
4. "Multiples" - Atmosphere
5. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" - Arcade Fire
This show is poorly written. The writers basically came up with interesting ideas that they wanted to explore and then wrote ways to get to that idea. None of it is very organic and nearly every conflict needed to be brought about by a character doing something stupid, usually by the apparently brain dead Lori. An example: Rick and Glenn go find Hershel, who's at a bar. They go explicitly to find Hershel. Lori objects to this because Rick needs to stay with their son. Then they leave and she GOES OFF AND ABANDONS HER SON TO FIND THEM. What did she think she was going to do? Save them from zombies? Yeah, right you're going to be able to horde off zombies when Rick and Glenn can't. Anyway, then she crashes her car because she's reading a map while driving. SO STUPID.
Then there's the fact that almost all of these characters are unlikeable. I've already mentioned Lori, who exists to give the negative feedback. Andrea is another character who is pretty easy to hate - she gets mad at Dale for saving her life, then shoots at Daryl with three people around him (assuming shooting was the right move). I like Maggie I guess. But I think liking her is just an extension of me liking Glenn really cause her purpose is to date Glenn and not much else. The female characters on this show are not written well at all. Then there's T-Dog who gets jackshit to do all season. (I'm sure I will care about his obvious and inevitable death soon)
This show is poorly acted for the most part as well. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Steven Yeun as Glenn, Scott Wilson as Hershel, and Norman Reedus as Daryl are all good actors who seem to elevate the material they are given. The rest though? They leave something to be desired. Jon Bernthal as Shane is mediocre at best and sometimes he's given more than he can handle. Chandler Riggs as Carl is straight up awful as an actor, but he's a kid so I guess that's more understandable. And Sarah Wayne Callies isn't great as Lori. It's partly the writing, it's also partly the bug eyes she develops anytime she's mad, frustrated, upset, or really any emotion.
Yet another problem with this show is the lack of tension. The zombie scenes create a certain amount of tension, but I was pretty sure who wasn't going to die. And I was mostly right. A zombie show should NOT have zombie scenes where it seems like nobody will die. And if somebody does die, it's usually someone the audience just met like Otis. It's hard to care about a character dying after two episodes. (Side note: It should be a sin that on a show as poorly acted as this, that they bring in Michael Raymond-James of Terriers and Pruitt Taylor Vance of Deadwood and have them killed off almost immediately. Raymond-James was scary good in his 10 minutes of screen time. Someone give this guy a TV show... oh wait someone already did. Sigh)
While I'm being honest, this review was written after having seen the first 11 episodes. I haven't seen the last two yet which I've heard are among the show's best. Overall, I don't think that changes anything I've said yet. I'm done watching this show for good now. For people who want to complain "If you don't like it, don't watch it" I won't. I watched the rest of season two specifically to write this review or I would have stopped.
The Walking Dead is a more apt title for the living "characters" on this show than the zombies - oh I'm sorry "walkers."
Playlist
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
2. "Centerfield" - John Fogerty
3. "Real World" - Matchbox 20
4. "Multiples" - Atmosphere
5. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" - Arcade Fire
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