FEAR The Walking Dead - Season 4 discussion...

[JDP]

So he gets a pass?! Do you judge people with mental problems the same way as people without them? In a fully functional society, Morgan would be under psychiatric watch & treatment, but since he is living through a zombie apocalypse that has destroyed society he doesn't have the advantage of such help. The only meaningful help he has is himself: his own self-control. And so far he seems to have managed to keep his worst behavioral problems under control. We haven't seen him in the "clear" mode in a long time. What excuse do the other guys have for having pulled such a rotten thing on him, though? They did it because of their a-holeness!

[Moon Knight]

Morgan slaughtered innocent people simply for crossing him lol. A-Holes and psychopaths are in different leagues, my friend.

[JDP]

Morgan slaughtered innocent people simply for crossing him lol. A-Holes and psychopaths are in different leagues, my friend. That's why they can't be judged by the same standards. Morgan didn't know what he was doing at the time, he didn't even recognize his friend. He was a different person than his normal self. These other guys did what they did being 100% aware of what they were doing, not because of some momentary insanity.

[MinionZombie]

Morgan didn't recognise Rick ... until he did.

[Moon Knight]

Morgan didn't recognise Rick ... until he did. Haha.

[MinionZombie]

Episode 4x14 saw another little rise in live viewing figures - 1.87m (the highest figure for this back half so far has been 1.88m).

[Moon Knight]

Episode 4x14 saw another little rise in live viewing figures - 1.87m (the highest figure for this back half so far has been 1.88m). You believe the ratings would be a bit higher if Nick and Madison were still around?

[MinionZombie]

You believe the ratings would be a bit higher if Nick and Madison were still around? Hmmm ... good question. There's maybe a smidge of that, but I think the falling ratings (I'm just going on live figures, not sure what the time shift ratings are) is more a general symptom of a few things including AMC zombie fatigue as well as too much filler (i.e. too many episodes, I know I keep going on about it, but it's still true). It is fair to say that the 'identity' of the show, for lack of a better term, has shifted with the loss of two main characters like Nick and Madison (you can't help but wonder if there's a 'leaving a sinking ship' vibe to their departure, quite possibly not, but the whiff of curiosity still lingers). The strongest characters this season are either a new entrant (John) or someone ported over from the main show (Morgan). With a selection of other new folks along the way, it's kinda like a different show in some regards. Fear has always struggled for a real purpose in being. Focusing on another set of civilians lead to very similar scenarios as we've seen on TWD already, and the "beginning of the ZA" aspect was ditched very quickly and was never really deployed very well - they rushed through it in season one, although season one was generally quite good as we got to see some of the initial chaos and collapse - I recall episode two being particularly scary as it was so realistic how riots were breaking out and how easily things could fall apart. Since then Fear has just kinda been like a CSI instalment - it's TWD: Mexico then it's TWD: Texas, you know? They're struggling for story with too many episodes to fill. TWD at least has the source material as a roadmap (in spite of one or two ill-advised diversions) as well as a strong cast of characters with whom the audience is really invested, but TWD as well would have benefitted from an episode drop. I mean, ideally, ten episodes in one shot (no split seasons) would have been perfect from the get-go - you wouldn't have chomped through story quite so quickly in some regards, you wouldn't require filler, and the actors would have more time to either pursue other projects as their profiles take off or spend some time with their families. I think TV production in America really needs to drop these large episode orders to create a more sustainable work-life balance for everyone involved while unshackling the writers from the need to fill so many blank pages.

[Buzzbomb]

4x14 was a bit lame... Lot's of typical TWD-ism's... unrealistic injuries (husband in car impaled/not a scratch on wife) / exploding diesel lorry / the inevitable bite that wasn't noticed and seasoned survivors abandoning their senses - like barricades being built on beds with wheels.... or getting trapped on the top floor. At least it had Zombies though... and we won't be seeing the souped-up wheelchair again (they must have heard Minion).

[MinionZombie]

4x14 was a bit lame... Lot's of typical TWD-ism's... unrealistic injuries (husband in car impaled/not a scratch on wife) / exploding diesel lorry / the inevitable bite that wasn't noticed and seasoned survivors abandoning their senses - like barricades being built on beds with wheels.... or getting trapped on the top floor. At least it had Zombies though... and we won't be seeing the souped-up wheelchair again (they must have heard Minion). If only television production was that swift, haha. Yeah, the barricades made from wheeled objects annoyed me - like, turn it over at least! I did enjoy the slow swarm of zombies following them through the hospital though. They found themselves in a bad luck situation which could happen in the ZA quite easily, so it was good to see them becoming desperate and getting pushed further and further back. The bite on beer dude wasn't a shock. We've seen the 'lower back/love handles' bite a few times already, hidden beneath a shirt, but I suppose there's only so many places you can have a zombie bite somebody...

[MinionZombie]

4x15 "I Lose People..." Directed by: David Barrett Written by: Kalinda Vazquez Two episodes left in Fear's fourth season...

[MinionZombie]

Even though Alicia and Charlie hadn't previously met this crazy 'make you stronger' lady, I was frustrated that they didn't just snuff her out. I know there's this thread of returning from the dark side to help people, but goddamn, some people are beyond help - and this lady is too damn crazy. They knew enough about her to make the distinction. Now, the trucker duo were just selfish in their survival, but you can tell there's something worth saving in them and that they have that chance to be a better person again - but crazy lady with the marker pen? She's batshit nuts. You can't have somebody that loony roaming around in the ZA. Sure, Morgan was far gone, but he was brought back through far more effective methods and Morgan himself was more of a victim of his madness, whereas this lady is a victimiser. Also, if beer guy ends up shambling about as a walker I'll be irked because they specifically stated that from a fall like that you'd just be a mangled mess unable to go anywhere - zombie or not, if the limbs ain't functioning they ain't functioning (remember the Black Sabbath-referencing walker in the wheelchair in season 4 during the post-Woodbury episodes for The Governer?) This one did kind of stretch the workings of the walkers a little bit - they've all got eyes on the folks standing on the fire truck, but get distracted by a kinda distant car alarm - despite food being right there standing in front of them in full view. At least have them try to hide from view inside/on top of the truck prior to the car alarm plan (i.e. beer guy could have said for them to make themselves disappear from view - then he jumps).

[JDP]

Even though Alicia and Charlie hadn't previously met this crazy 'make you stronger' lady, I was frustrated that they didn't just snuff her out. I know there's this thread of returning from the dark side to help people, but goddamn, some people are beyond help - and this lady is too damn crazy. They knew enough about her to make the distinction. Now, the trucker duo were just selfish in their survival, but you can tell there's something worth saving in them and that they have that chance to be a better person again - but crazy lady with the marker pen? She's batshit nuts. You can't have somebody that loony roaming around in the ZA. Sure, Morgan was far gone, but he was brought back through far more effective methods and Morgan himself was more of a victim of his madness, whereas this lady is a victimiser. Also, if beer guy ends up shambling about as a walker I'll be irked because they specifically stated that from a fall like that you'd just be a mangled mess unable to go anywhere - zombie or not, if the limbs ain't functioning they ain't functioning (remember the Black Sabbath-referencing walker in the wheelchair in season 4 during the post-Woodbury episodes for The Governer?) This one did kind of stretch the workings of the walkers a little bit - they've all got eyes on the folks standing on the fire truck, but get distracted by a kinda distant car alarm - despite food being right there standing in front of them in full view. At least have them try to hide from view inside/on top of the truck prior to the car alarm plan (i.e. beer guy could have said for them to make themselves disappear from view - then he jumps). Writers are getting lazy. Plus there's also other contradictions with previous episodes. Example: remember when they were at the hotel in Mexico and a bunch of zombies started falling from the balconies? A whole bunch of them stood up and walked. But now it was stated that falling from such heights would damage the body too much to be functional, zombie or not. So which one is it then??? Crazy lady is too far gone. She would be shot on sight by anyone who is familiar with how insane she is. Too dangerous to let her roam around at her will.

[MinionZombie]

Yeah, zombie or not, a fall from a great height is gonna mash up the human body a hell of a lot. I'd hope that they show her with just the head cut off as her tool of 'making people stronger' (her whole reason for it is pretty patchy and vague and doesn't make a lot of sense, frankly) ... but I wouldn't be surprised if they completely ignore it and have beer guy shambling along with just like a broken arm or something.

[Moon Knight]

Yeah, zombie or not, a fall from a great height is gonna mash up the human body a hell of a lot. I'd hope that they show her with just the head cut off as her tool of 'making people stronger' (her whole reason for it is pretty patchy and vague and doesn't make a lot of sense, frankly) ... but I wouldn't be surprised if they completely ignore it and have beer guy shambling along with just like a broken arm or something. Oh Jimbo is on his feet next episode alright lol.