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Thread: Happy with the series post Darabont?

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    Webmaster Neil's Avatar
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    Happy with the series post Darabont?

    I believe the second half of Season 2 was Darabont free, unless you maybe consider story arcs/elements?
    Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. [click for more]
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    Twitching Thorn's Avatar
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    Yes I have been thrilled with the show without him around actually...

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    through another dimension bassman's Avatar
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    It's hard to say because we're not exactly sure where his influence completely stopped. We've heard Mazzara say that the second half of season two was all his own, but it's possible that he only completely took over the detailed script work in the second stage. Darabont may have mapped out an outline for this entire season we've just seen.

    I don't mean to say Mazzara can't handle the job, but we really won't know his full potential until we get into the totally non-Darabont season three.

    In the end, I say they've done a damn fine job with season two. I can't say any of those episodes have surpassed Darabont's directed pilot episode, which I consider to be the best zombie "movie" since 1985, but the show has definitely maintained my interest and keeps me wanting more.
    Last edited by bassman; 28-Mar-2012 at 10:19 PM. Reason: .

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    Just Married AcesandEights's Avatar
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    ^ Excellent points, Bass.

    If we're assuming that a large measure of Darabont's influence on the story arc, scripting & directing ended at the break (big assumption AFAIC, at least w/ regards to story arc), then I can only say that they did a brilliant job in the wake oh his departure. Regardless, I'm very happy with the second half of the season.

    "Men choose as their prophets those who tell them that their hopes are true." --Lord Dunsany

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    Walking Dead Moon Knight's Avatar
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    Yes, very happy. You can really tell the difference when the second half started. Everything flowed quite well. Bass, has an excellent point bout Mazzara's real test coming up in season 3 as well.
    "That's the deal, right? The people who are living have it harder, right? … the whole world is haunted now and there's no getting out of that, not until we're dead."

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    Twitching Thorn's Avatar
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    I have to clarify.

    Based on the beleif that Mazzara's imprint was firmly on the second half of season two I am thrilled with his work, and the work post Frank. If his statements are not true then all bets are off but I am assuming him to be a man of his word and the second half of season two was the best we have seen in my opinion. Not counting maybe the pilot episode.

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    Feeding shootemindehead's Avatar
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    Very happy so far. In fact, I'd say that I haven't missed him at all.
    I'm runnin' this monkey farm now Frankenstein.....

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    Team Rick MinionZombie's Avatar
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    It's been a very smooth transition in my view, and Mazzara has proved himself in terms of the show and in terms of interviews (including appearances on The Talking Dead) to be very invested in the show and to have a good head on his shoulders for creative decisions. I'm very pleased indeed with the second half of season two. This second season has had some behind-the-scenes troubles that have caused fan concerns and led to some unfortunate decisions having to be made (e.g. Dale's exit, the whole Darabont thing), but the show has come through it all and hopefully season three will be a smoother ride in those terms.

    The second half of season two definitely took on a different vibe from the first half - as Mazzara said, the look of the show expanded, but they also worked very hard on pacing (2x10 is a perfect example of this - the pacing is great in that episode, which mixes action with character drama, with two groups in two different locations, and proved to be a very arresting viewing experience - and a great discussion starter). In terms of an overall arc, you can see that too - as Mazzara has also said, it was deliberate to make the farm seem safe in the first half of the season as the walkers simply haven't got there yet - to show the spread of the disease out into the countryside so that nowhere is truly safe or relatively safe even - but also with the whole Rick/Shane/Lori story.

    It's been a smooth transition from Darabont to Mazzara, and I think the man's proved his worth in spades. Keep up the excellent work, says I!

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    Feeding LouCipherr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bassman View Post
    It's hard to say because we're not exactly sure where his influence completely stopped. We've heard Mazzara say that the second half of season two was all his own, but it's possible that he only completely took over the detailed script work in the second stage. Darabont may have mapped out an outline for this entire season we've just seen.

    I don't mean to say Mazzara can't handle the job, but we really won't know his full potential until we get into the totally non-Darabont season three.

    *nods head in agreement*

    Quote Originally Posted by bassman View Post
    In the end, I say they've done a damn fine job with season two. I can't say any of those episodes have surpassed Darabont's directed pilot episode, which I consider to be the best zombie "movie" since 1985, but the show has definitely maintained my interest and keeps me wanting more.
    I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that considered the pilot to be a "zombie movie" and probably the best one in quite a few decades.

  10. #10
    Just been bitten Zombie Snack's Avatar
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    I think the show is in very capable hands.
    D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.

  11. #11
    Twitching krisvds's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bassman View Post
    It's hard to say because we're not exactly sure where his influence completely stopped. We've heard Mazzara say that the second half of season two was all his own, but it's possible that he only completely took over the detailed script work in the second stage. Darabont may have mapped out an outline for this entire season we've just seen.

    I don't mean to say Mazzara can't handle the job, but we really won't know his full potential until we get into the totally non-Darabont season three.

    In the end, I say they've done a damn fine job with season two. I can't say any of those episodes have surpassed Darabont's directed pilot episode, which I consider to be the best zombie "movie" since 1985, but the show has definitely maintained my interest and keeps me wanting more.
    Dear god no; That would be 'The Dead'. As good as the pilot was the tv format hindered it. Felt too 'cosy' to me to be a truelly great zombie 'movie'.

  12. #12
    Fresh Meat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thorn View Post
    Yes I have been thrilled with the show without him around actually...
    You said exactly what I was going to write here.

    I was worried and then pleasantly surprised that it was the best batch of episodes yet in the series. Thoroughly enjoyed the second season and especially the second half.

  13. #13
    Team Rick MinionZombie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eat Flesh View Post
    You said exactly what I was going to write here.

    I was worried and then pleasantly surprised that it was the best batch of episodes yet in the series. Thoroughly enjoyed the second season and especially the second half.
    Well said, there was a lot of concern when the whole 'Darabont thing' happened, with some even going so far as to call it the end of the show altogether, and while I was concerned, I wasn't too worried. When I heard it was Mazzara taking over, who had written "Wildfire" (one of my favourite episodes), I knew they had someone with talent now in charge, and being that Darabont brought him in in the first place, I doubly knew that he was right for the job - he just had to prove it to the fans, I guess, and fortunately he's shown himself to be very capable indeed. Picking one half of the season over the other, I'd definitely pick the second half over the first, but that's not to say I didn't dig the first half - I totally did (this is my most favourite show on TV after all), but they definitely found the right pacing in the back half ... plus they were building on the previous seven episodes, but totally, the second half rocked my socks.

  14. #14
    certified super rad Danny's Avatar
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    almsot done with season 2 and id say pretty happy. i mean i love darabonts flicks to death, but aside from the pilot i did not enjoy the first season at all. This one has just gotten better as its gone on. I suppose its just a reminder that great filmmakers dont make the best tv producers. The pacing was better. The writing was sharper and there were far less of those 'in despair' static shots darabont loves to employ so often. On the whole a considerable improvement as a television show production wise.


  15. #15
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    Was Maggie's side boob scene from Darabont or Mazzara?

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