The walking dead season 8

Last Sunday marked TWD series season 8 premiere and 100th episode.
For those of us whom are faithful followers of the show, I'm sure I can speak for us all when I say it could had been better.
Rather than making it an extended showing, the show runners stuck to the usual 44 minutes of air time plus the usual plethora of commercials.
For those of you who have yet to see the season premiere, I advise you to stop here to avoid spoilers.


So, we have a few confusing scenes in the premiere, a bunch of bad choices, and other things that can only come down to bad writing.
Don't get me wrong. I love this show, but that doesn't mean I can't vent my gripes.

We are introduced to a new key character in the opening scenes. Fans of the comic would have recognized the man quoting the Quran as Siddiq.
In the comics Siddiq is part of Oceanside and plays a part in the rebuilding of Alexandria after the Saviours blow it up.
In the show, we know Oceanside does not play host to any male members, so it will be interesting to see we're they write in his back story.
As well, for those who might had missed it, we hear Rick Grimes quoting the same verse from the Quran as Siddiq, in one of the many flash back/forward scenes this episode had.
That brings me to my next point...where in the hell in time are we?
We Have scenes of old man Rick, grey bear and all, presumably in the fast forward 2 years after the "All out war" story arc. We then get flashes of teary eyed Rick, red eyes, tears, quivering, visibly upset, minus the snot hanger we had in Ricks last break down.

One frame from this flash back is particularly interesting.
Rick is standing in front of 2 mystery make shift graves.
whom ever they are, I have a feeling they are part of our core group and close to him.
Rick didn't cry when Abe got nixed, he only broke a tear when Glenn got it.
Glenn was with Rick the longest in the series out of any character.
We know it isnt Michonne, Carl or Judith, they are in the flash forward aged and healthy, when Rick is an old man.
I guess we will have to wait and see where all these flash backs fit in.

Another scene that rattled me to the core was the infamous pop in on the Saviours doorstep by our merry militia.
No less than 50 guns were pointed at 1 man - Negan.
Heck Negan didn't even take cover. He happily stood out in the open staring at all the barrels pointed at him.
Rather than someone just taking the shot and putting him down, ending his reign of terror, we hear a nice little speech from Rick.
Then Rick provides a faux countdown from 10 that stops at 7 before easily 2000 rounds gets dumped into the Saviours compound.
Why didn't one of the guys in the back just pop him? He could have died 100 times over in that span.
This was the bad writing i mentioned earlier, but it does not stop there.
During all the melee, Gabriel risks his life for that snivelling worm Gregory, only to be left stranded at the Saviours front door.
When Gabe takes cover from the horde of dead, he finds himself taking shelter in the same trailer Negan is in.
Equipped with a gun, Gabriel takes the time to listen to Negan's - Whom is only armed with a bat, "#tin pants" spiel, and he just stands there with a look of terror on his face.
Why not just blast him to pieces?

You rally 3 communities together for 1 sole purpose; take this guy down.

He's killed your friends, makes you gather crap for him and his lackies.
You go threw all this trouble of out fitting your cars with tin siding so you can hide behind it.
Your fearless leader gives a kick ass motivational speech.
Then show up on this guys front porch uninvited,
All for one reason - to kill the guy, and no one even try's.
And Negan doesn't even try to hide.
He stands there listening to all the crap, smiling and not even one of these bozos Even try to pop a shot at him.
Just bad writing.

Maybe I'm being to hard on the show or just expecting too much from it, but scenes like than get me angry.
It's like the writers forget their characters purpose.
They put together 10 minutes of actual story and then dump in 35 minutes of filler to make sure you tune in next week.

I'm hoping tonight's episode is a continuation of last weeks and picks up right where we left off.
We already know Negan doesn't get captured till the end of the season, but hopefully the story keeps the action packed pace...but coherently.
We can have all sorts of explosions and gun fights, but the writing needs to make sense at the same time for the show to be enjoyable.

What are your thoughts on last weeks episode?
Did you think it was the epic premiere/100th episode mile stone, as it was made to sound?
Will Negan make it till the season 8 finale? Or will we be thrust forward 2 years in the timeline come the mid season finale?

You don't speak for me. It was awesome.

a reply to: Macenroe82

Screw killing Negan, even after stating that killing HIM would end the war, there were 100 2nd and 3rd story windows to shoot out.

Were they trying to kill Negan with falling glass? WT absolute F?

I'm with you, it made no sense. Hoping for better tonight, but not expecting it.

a reply to: Jefferton

I'm glad to hear it still has that magic for ya!

a reply to: stosh64

I'm GUESSING that the glass breaking along with the gunshots were a sure thing in attracting the walkers. So maybe it was their plan to go there, threaten Negan...surely not kill him, break all the windows in his hideout and hope for bad weather, like a snow storm or something lol

Well the opening scenes of ep 2 is good so far.
We get some stern faces, clearly focused on something.
The king and carol have a ringing in their ears - maybe the king will die this episode. (Fingers crossed!) or at least drops the bad playwrite act.
And we also learnt that Saviour Todd can't catch.

Edit add: This episode is by far better than the premiere.
If they would had made the premiere a double episode showing ep 1 and 2 it would had been great.

No, it's stupid again tonight. Disapppointed! No sense at all in this writing or editing.

Stopped watching after the Lucille baseball bat beating made us wait 6 months to find out who it was. The show was going down hill long before that though. Maybe one day I'll binge watch it on Netflix, but I don't care for their games on trying to constantly trying to tease the audience.

a reply to: Justso

Really? I found tonight's episode one of the best episodes of the entire series.
I didn't notice anything terribly off with the writing....probably because Negan wasn't in it.
I usually watch each episode twice. Once with the family then solo...so I can actually watch it.
Perhaps I'll notice more on my second time around.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I watch all the episodes twice as well.
This second episode has a Lot going on it will be well worth a second watch.

Tactically shooting out those Windows seemed pointless at first glance.
But after consideration the layout of that building allows a Lot of the natural elements to wreak havoc on moral.
It's like a giant eff you..like when the saviors burned the beds..

Respectfully,
~meathead

And yes neegans plot armor having a light shined on it again was not the best writing.
When rosita took the shot in Alexandria the bullet should have at least pushed the bat backwards forcing barbedwire into his cheek....

Respectfully,
~meathead

a reply to: Macenroe82

a reply to: Mike Stivic

I forgot all about Rosita popping a shot off at Negan. Good call Meat Head.
They made Negan out to be some Jedi with that baseball bat. Stopping that bullet with out even flinching lol.

The show is on it's way out. There's only so much you can do with a zombie apocalypse.....their grasping at straws with these storylines. I stopped watching when they opened the season at Terminous with the industrial killing and eating of people...Yea, really some redeeming social values to be had in The Walking Dead series. Like all shows with a large fan base....the actors themselves will kill the show with their salary increase's.

Yeah, I'm with you OP. That episode was so far beyond ridiculous that it totally broke any immersion.

50 people with assault rifles at a range of what, 50 meters? Negan and all of his lieutenants standing out in the open with no cover? And every single person missed every single one of them?

And then shot up a bunch of empty windows instead?

It was pathetic. Utterly nonsensical.

Last season of this show was bad. But it seems like they've totally jumped the shark now.