What Am I Missing About The Walking Dead?

I wanted to like this series, I really did.  I love most zombie movies I've seen, and I was very intrigued by the thought that we'd get to explore a lot more elements that go along with a zombie outbreak in a series format (initial reaction, political/governmental response, military/civilian distinction, societal breakdown, survivor stories, etc.).  But I got halfway through the second episode and I just couldn't take it anymore.  The dialogue is just atrocious, the pacing of the plot is slow, and everything that isn't terrible has been done to death in the movies.  Also, the storylines about the cop's wife/former partner and the racist redneck with the sniper rifle are beyond moronic.  I love the executives for greenlighting this thing, but the writers are killing me.

I found the pacing in the first and third episodes to be mind-numbingly slow, but I actually though the second was very well paced. But you're right about most points, it just seems like it's borrowing ideas from every single zombie film ever made and trying to cram them all into one, and it's not working that well. 

Too many good TV dramas to waste 12 hours trying to get something just because the internet tells you its great. Cut'r loose, check back in when someone makes a "omg the last episode, elephant zombies" thread or something.

You'd be missing a boring show with stock characters and ridiculous plot points that has decided to waste a third of its first season one set piece. And they cancelled Rubicon for this.

" @HandsomeDead: So Rubicon. I meant to check that out. Which uh, makes me part of the problem. Did it seem like it was going somewhere?  "

Interesting. I love the show i think its fantastic. I've pretty much got zero complaints.
But if you're not into it no point watching it, probably better off watching something you enjoy more i guess.

" Interesting. I love the show i think its fantastic. I've pretty much got zero complaints. But if you're not into it no point watching it, probably better off watching something you enjoy more i guess. "

" @ryanwho said:

" @HandsomeDead: So Rubicon. I meant to check that out. Which uh, makes me part of the problem. Did it seem like it was going somewhere?  "

Admittedly, it was messy in spots because they swapped show runners after the second episode but the show's slow pace was more than made up for with the intriguing atmosphere and once it got beyond the first 4 or 5 episodes, it became a great conspiracy drama with a nice balance between the greater evil scheme and how it effected the people tasked with dealing with it. You should probably check it. it's entertaining and closed enough to be enjoyed as a one season wonder. "

Man Ryanwho really hates The Walking Dead. I've seen like 5 posts from him about how terrible the show was. 

You notice strange things when you stalk people bro. I think me and Handsomedead have been sounding off about equally, but if you wanna take this opportunity to derail a thread and schedule a playground fight that's fine.

I've loved it so far, but I do agree that the last episode (ep 3) was terribly fucking slow. Tomorrow's episode seems very very promising though.

There's the fact that it's the first time zombie ANYTHING has been serialized for TV, which pushes new boundaries for what can and cannot be allowed on TV.  There's the fact that it's Frank Darabont, a highly respected and well-known director, is making the entire season.  There's the fact that it's a highly respected and critically acclaimed comic book series. 
 
As for the show, I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, and I haven't seen the others because I don't have cable.  I know, I live in the prehistoric age of digital antenna.  Regardless, the first episode had a perfectly fine pace and intelligently written characters.  Rick Grimes is written to be some hillbilly hick dumbass, which makes me happy.  Actually, none of the characters so far have been written like dumbasses.  This isn't about the zombies - it's about surviving the conditions.  I guess that will be boring to quite a few people.  Those are the people that this show isn't made for.

" @audiosnag said:

" Interesting. I love the show i think its fantastic. I've pretty much got zero complaints. But if you're not into it no point watching it, probably better off watching something you enjoy more i guess. "

"

" You notice strange things when you stalk people bro. I think me and Handsomedead have been sounding off about equally, but if you wanna take this opportunity to derail a thread and schedule a playground fight that's fine. "

" @ryanwho said:

" You notice strange things when you stalk people bro. I think me and Handsomedead have been sounding off about equally, but if you wanna take this opportunity to derail a thread and schedule a playground fight that's fine. "

I've also noticed he's kind of a dick. "

You must be pretty sick of zambies i sure am

Bah. It's not bad. It's not very good either. I'd say it's better than most of the crap in the TV right now.

" @audiosnag said:

" Interesting. I love the show i think its fantastic. I've pretty much got zero complaints. But if you're not into it no point watching it, probably better off watching something you enjoy more i guess. "

"

I like it because I like post-Apocalyptic movies and shows, and the only other TV series I can think of like this are the UK show Survivors which was cancelled after 2 seasons and Jericho, cancelled twice with what was essentially only one and a half seasons. So called 'cult' shows, which include other tv series like Firefly, don't do well because they're difficult to mould into the traditional drama form of about 6 people and their assorted issues. Such shows keep getting sidetracked with other, more interesting side points like 'zombies' and 'space', which the vast majority of viewers can't keep up with. Shows like Stargate have only survived because they keep changing the setting, dumbing down to shit, or changing the characters.
 
Obviously this plagues sci-fi more than other genres, but real action series suffer too, the only ones I can currently think of are Human Target and Nikita (which I believe is getting less than satisfactory ratings), it's not that they're bad shows, but the writers are doing twice the work of the writers on Brothers and Sisters and the like, because they have to write about situation on top of relationships. You can literally put all the characters of those shows in a room and have them say their lines, and everything will still make sense.
 
Not to be a pessimist, but the Walking Dead will make it through this season strong into its second, lose out throughout both the second and third, and be cancelled by the end of or with the end of the fourth (assuming the writers and producers will take it that far anyway). If you think it about it, that's still a good run.
 
Also;
 

RUBICON WAS CANCELLED??

I'm a big fan of the show... and now I want to read the comics. I can't figure out if I like Lori or hate the skank.

I think it's a great show. I read the book 1 and 2 of the walking dead also.

" @jakob187: All zombie media is about surviving, the difference is, they regularly feature the zombies as a key point of context. In the previous episode, the relationship drama between Rick, Shane and Lori could have easily been taken from All My Children and verbatim fed into The Walking Dead. I understand that a zombie show isn't going to be all about killing zombies, and I didn't want that, but I wanted and expected the drama to be of a high standard (It is AMC, after all) and for it to at least feel like it was part of a larger, overarching plot. For a show called The Walking Dead and a pilot that seemed to set up the idea of following this one guy through the struggle of an apocalyptic world, the show has spent one episode introducing too many characters for the plot to handle and another on a seen-it-all-before love triangle.  "

Sharp writing, likeable and interesting characters, fantastic pacing. 
 
IMO.

I think it's great. Sit back, relax and enjoy. If you're able to write a paragraph or more explaning why it's a bad show you're probably thinking to much on it.

I think that the show is great.  I imagine that the seasons  may cover an entire graphic novel.  The series will get better and a little crazier (The Governor).  If you have never read the comic books or the Graphic novels the ending of this season, if done like the book then it will surprise you. 
 
I think that the series will last about 4-5 seasons.  The talent behind the show is great and the show is attracting non-horror fans. 

" @HandsomeDead said:

" @ryanwho said:

" @HandsomeDead: So Rubicon. I meant to check that out. Which uh, makes me part of the problem. Did it seem like it was going somewhere?  "

Admittedly, it was messy in spots because they swapped show runners after the second episode but the show's slow pace was more than made up for with the intriguing atmosphere and once it got beyond the first 4 or 5 episodes, it became a great conspiracy drama with a nice balance between the greater evil scheme and how it effected the people tasked with dealing with it. You should probably check it. it's entertaining and closed enough to be enjoyed as a one season wonder. "

One thing I appreciated about Kings when it got canned is they allowed the show to conclude, so like 4 more episodes were made after the decision was already final. And those were probably some of the better episodes. I like when production has respect for the small number of people who do enjoy a show and have the foresight to know those people are more likely to pick up the DVD later if they allow the show to conclude properly. "

This is not to the OP but the guy that has a problem with the show 
 
Yeah a good reason to hate Walking dead is that there's an asian driving a muscle car in it. How could they?? 
 
Please, based on the shit selection of shows this fall, I'm more than satisfied with what W.D. has to offer.

Needs less shitty drama. 
 
More like the TALKING Dead, amirite?

I was never big on the whole zombie thing, I always thought it was played out even when 28 days later hit the scene. 
 
The Walking Dead just seems average to me, but with an HBO budget thrown at it....which reminds me I have to watch Boardwalk Empire that's taunting on my cable's OnDemand...I'm also waiting for Game of Thrones to come out...jesus HBO you might not bless with The Wire again but you might get close.
 
But yeah people who cream their pants talking about The Walking Dead always make me laugh, when it's not even the best show on AMC...and I'm talking about Breaking Bad. I'm sure there are Mad Men fans who don't think that highly of The Walking Dead either.
 
Also Rubicon fans? Does it get that much better after the shitty pilot I watched?

Im no TV critic but 1 thing is for sure: FUCKING FRANCIS WAS IN EPISODE 2!

it's a great show man. if i remember i watch it a lot.

its a tv show, not a movie that is forced to rush the plot at the end 
character devlopment and plot + zombies how can u complain 
of course it not perfect but i cant imagine wut kind of crap u enjoy 
 
=)

I haven't watched any of it, mostly because I'm just so burnt out on zombies.

I like the show. I think the characters are fairly realistic - yes, even Merle and his brother. I can see how some people would view them as an awkward attempt at some heavy-handed satire, but being from the deep South, I can say that those guys are believable characters. Rick (main character) seems a bit shallow and too Jesus-like for my tastes, being mostly an engine to move the plot and establish the setting, but episode 3 suggested that there were some issues with his marriage before his coma - as he and Lori were laying down to sleep, he said something about having a second chance. Maybe that situation will uncover more about his personality. I'm pleased with the acting and dialogue as well. I'd like to go back and compare the dialogue in the show with the dialogue in the comic; I only read the first issue in anticipation of the show but the writing seemed pretty pedestrian and I didn't bother to go any further.

I actually really like the show, I agree it's losing the steam it built up with the first 2 episodes, but after last night's ending, I think sort of redeemed itself. All in all, I'm looking forward to the next season.

"  I love most zombie movies I've seen, and I was very intrigued by the thought that we'd get to explore a lot more elements that go along with a zombie outbreak in a series format (initial reaction, political/governmental response, military/civilian distinction, societal breakdown, survivor stories, etc.). 

I've been enjoying the show, but last night's episode was utter garbage. Hopefully next week will be better.

" This isn't about the zombies - it's about surviving the conditions. "

Please remember that this series is not about zombies as much as it is about survival. Expect more dialogue and less eating.