TWD 9x15 "The Calm Before" episode discussion... **SPOILERS**

[MinionZombie]

Actually the comics and the show only shared one death with the pikes scene, but of course the comics and the show are in two different places and have different characters at that point as well. Frankly, they couldn't afford to kill off Ezekiel on the show as it'd leave a big hole when it comes to strong community leaders. I think overall the show's kills had more impact than those in the comics, which was more skewed towards cannon fodder or people you barely remembered/knew. Even the small supporting roles in the show had a bit of business to do here and there, even if some of them did get a bit shoved aside due to the sheer size of the cast.

[Moon Knight]

Just catching up on this now. I see they didn't have the balls to whack   Ezekiel. Sorry to see Tara go. Always liked her. And poor Enid. The rest were a bunch of nobodies I can't even remember the names of. But, it was largely the same in the comic. I think that's where I stopped reading it. Agree with everyone on Samantha Morton. She's a bit scary. After losing Rick and Maggie, Michonne next season, I don’t mind them saving a bigger character. Show needs em. - - - Updated - - - Actually the comics and the show only shared one death with the pikes scene, but of course the comics and the show are in two different places and have different characters at that point as well. Frankly, they couldn't afford to kill off Ezekiel on the show as it'd leave a big hole when it comes to strong community leaders. I think overall the show's kills had more impact than those in the comics, which was more skewed towards cannon fodder or people you barely remembered/knew. Even the small supporting roles in the show had a bit of business to do here and there, even if some of them did get a bit shoved aside due to the sheer size of the cast. Yeah, the show killed more people of importance than the comic.

[shootemindehead]

After losing Rick and Maggie, Michonne next season, I don’t mind them saving a bigger character. Show needs em. I don't disagree. The show is populated almost entirely by red shirts now. I honestly can't remember about 90% of their names.

[Moon Knight]

I don't disagree. The show is populated almost entirely by red shirts now. I honestly can't remember about 90% of their names. The comic is worse. That’s why I really hoped they switched direction after the Whisperers.

[shootemindehead]

I haven't continued the comic, so I don't know what comes after The Whisperers storyline. TBH I found them stupid in the extreme, both in the comic and the TV show. When I see them in the show, I just think of Slipknot.

[Moon Knight]

I haven't continued the comic, so I don't know what comes after The Whisperers storyline. TBH I found them stupid in the extreme, both in the comic and the TV show. When I see them in the show, I just think of Slipknot. Dude, I love Slipknot.

[MinionZombie]

The TV show Whisperers work way better than their comic book counterparts. I was really worried it wasn't going to work, but Kang & Co have dispatched a lot of silliness and bullshit and inserted more dread and mystery and developed the good that was already there and pulled it off. As for 'red shirts', every show has them, but I think TWD does a good job of giving minor characters a bit of something to chew on (most of the time). In this episode, for example, we get these two totally new characters who only survive as long as the cold open, but we get a nice bit of very efficient character stuff for them to do and, of course, their death has a very important payoff. The comics do have a problem with the cast of characters, though. I get the trade paperbacks, so I'm only reading once every six months (which is partly the problem), but because it's just B&W drawings on a page and character names aren't used enough it's a real struggle to remember who's who unless they're a really long-standing character or they have a distinct visual look. There seems to be too many minor characters in the comics who all kinda look alike or don't have enough to do. The TV show benefits from it being live action and each actor looking distinct, although you can't remember everyone in such a huge cast. I had to get myself reminded about a couple of the pike victims (e.g. the one who used to be a Negan wife). In the comics it was two big, recognisable characters (Ezekiel and Rosita) and a lot of "who's that again?" supporting players, but in the show we had a broader range. Sure, some of them might not have had loads to do lately (e.g. Enid) but the massive cast leads to this kind of issue, but the loss of characters like Tara come as a big whack in the gut while the fallout from Henry's death has major implications for both Carol and Ezekiel. I did rather enjoy how the show played with the expectations of comics readers and viewers alike. We need Ezekiel around because, as has been said, we've lost Rick to the movies and will be losing Michonne (most probably to the movies, so the case seems to be), and the Maggie situation is in flux (it feels as if she'll appear in some of season 10 at least), plus Jesus has been snuffed out (but he's still there in the comics). So we need to retain some of these big leader figures (and build up a couple of new ones).

[shootemindehead]

You're waaaay too positive about this show Mini...

[Moon Knight]

You're waaaay too positive about this show Mini... Not everyone jumps ship so easily. TWD is past its prime but I’ll still continue to support a prime time horror show. We ain’t talking Z Nation type of quality haha.

[MinionZombie]

You're waaaay too positive about this show Mini... Said the cup that's never more than 15% full. Not everyone jumps ship so easily. TWD is past its prime but I’ll still continue to support a prime time horror show. We ain’t talking Z Nation type of quality haha. Yeah, it's past it's prime, I'd agree with that, but the show has also bounced back with Angela Kang as the new showrunner and, incredibly, they've manage to not only weather Rick's departure but they've made The Whisperers work. The pacing has been miles better this season compared to seasons 7 & 8 with improved characterisation to boot, and they're utilising their cast much better than in the last couple of seasons. I do love TWD, but I do point out flaws when it's fair to do so, but at the same time I'm not gonna get my knickers in a twist and blow things out of proportion. When the news hit that Rick was leaving the show I was gutted and was not looking forward to season 9 much at all - but then I watched it and was very pleasantly surprised throughout the season and now I'm really excited for season 10 ... but at the same time, especially with the movies in the pipeline, I absolutely do want a proper wrap-up plan as the show does need to conclude and then once it's concluded then I'd want another spin off (that provides something new in the TWD universe, not just the same old civvie stories).