Ok, I really love this show. But...

[Cykotic]

Am I the only one who is kinda disappointed that they don't follow the storylines of the comics? I get the Trade Paperbacks (from the place Andrew Lincoln did his research for the show (http://www.megacitycomics.co.uk/)) and so far, i haven't seen that much that goes along side the tv series. Am I wrong?

[Ghoulman]

I think you're not entirely wrong. It has followed the comics fairly faithfully but has changed a little bit of stuff up (not seeing a zombie until Rick gets out of the hospitol, the return to the city to get guns, covering themselves in guts, the exclusion of Allen, Donna & sons Billy and Ben, not killing Shane before leaving the camp etc) and of course they have added some things to the story that were not in the comics (Daryl & Merle, Vato's & CDC arcs etc). All in all the first 6 episodes of the show has had pretty good pacing and has still only managed to take us through the the first six or so issues of the comic, the point where the group leaves the camp. With the exception of the Vato's arc I am incredibly pleased with this series and really dig most of the new additions and believe it does not detract from Kirkman's great story and does manage to keep the show fresh for the diehards out there (myself included). And what better proof of these points than the new badass character Daryl who is, next to Rick, my favorite character in this series and Merle, who Kirkman has said will work him into the comics. Anyway, to each his own, I can certainly respect folks who don't like the inclusion of all the additional scenes and characters. Peace. :)

[MoonSylver]

Eh, I was a bit surprised, but not 100% disappointed, that they wandered a bit off the reservation. I think they struck a nice balance between following the comics for the most part enough the still be regarded as "faithful" while still throwing in enough new elements to keep die hard fans guessing as well. :)

[JDFP]

Wouldn't it be boring if they just did the exact same story as the comics though? If you've read the comics (I've read some of them, but I just can't get into graphic novels at all) wouldn't you find it drab to just see the same story told exactly the same way without any changes/add-in's/additions?

Personally, I would have held it against the show if they had left Atlanta without anyone posing: "Hey guys, isn't the CDC here in Atlanta?" and go from there.

j.p.

[Ryan]

I think they have found a great balance between following the comic and adding new ideas

[shootemindehead]

Am I the only one who is kinda disappointed that they don't follow the storylines of the comics?

No. You're not.

[bassman]

Eh, I was a bit surprised, but not 100% disappointed, that they wandered a bit off the reservation. I think they struck a nice balance between following the comics for the most part enough the still be regarded as "faithful" while still throwing in enough new elements to keep die hard fans guessing as well. :)

Agreed. It was nice to have surprises. A frame-by-frame translation, while i'm sure interesting, would grow old after a short period of time. You would always be one step ahead of the characters rather than living the experience with them.

I actually fail to see how its that much different from the comic series. With the exception of the CDC episode, which was a great way to end the short season, the rest of the show followed the comics quite closely. Even improving in some areas like Morgan and Duane.

[Rancid Carcass]

I'm sure it goes for fans of any film/TV franchise, but sometimes they have a tendency to talk themselves out of liking something because it's a little different from what they expect/want. Just enjoy it for what it is – a damn good TV show – with zombies! (shamblers to boot!). Rather than what it isn't. As others have basically said, a comic is a comic, a TV show is a TV show – two completely different ways of telling a story so there has to be some sort adaptation done on some level just to make it work. The only other option is to film each panel of the comic book and add sound effects to it, sure you'll get a faithful recreation but it'd be boring as hell to watch!

[AcesandEights]

I think they've struck a decent balance. The main, albeit little, problems I've had were mainly to do with scripting and direction and I don't even think they've had all that much trouble there, just a bit uneven.

[MoonSylver]

I'm sure it goes for fans of any film/TV franchise, but sometimes they have a tendency to talk themselves out of liking something because it's a little different from what they expect/want.

There's just no pleasin' some folks. http://www.smiley-faces.org/smiley-faces/smiley-face-whistle-2.gif:rolleyes: :lol:

[kidgloves]

I'd have been bored silly if i knew every twist and turn. Its bad enough as it is. I really regret having read the comics now although who was to know it would be a tv show years later

[rongravy]

Ha, another time I guess I can say I didn't read the source material. I was just stoked that they had a good FX quality weekly show on about zombies. I will say I didn't like the rubbing guts on themselves and shambling through the zombies part. I would think they would just know you ain't one of them, regardless of what you do to mask it. They always even seem to find where you're hiding. Forget smelling you, they just KNOW...
So, hey, it doesn't bother me they're veering off a little then. Take your time, get oodles of seasons out of this.

[shootemindehead]

I'd have been bored silly if i knew every twist and turn. Its bad enough as it is. I really regret having read the comics now although who was to know it would be a tv show years later

Um...I don't really buy this concept to be honest. No offence Kid.

First of all the Kirkman story is miles ahead of what has been written so far in the TV show and the comic characters have been much better than some of the cliches on offer from the screenwriters. Also, 'Game of Thrones' seems to be following the books to a very tight degree and that hasn't put fans off in any way. My creepy Sci-Fi Fantasy buddies LOVE it! Normal people...er...like me love it too!

Personally speaking, I would have prefered if the producers had stuck closer to Kirkman's excellent original. The odd deviation is perfectly fine and even new or composite characters are ok (provded they are well written), but the TV show is almost a completely different story. I understand completely the restraints of having to turn in a (hopefully) hit show in just 6 episodes, but I still think that the TV show (while good and I do like it) is greatly weaker than the comic. Well, so far anyway. Which, I accept, maybe a little harsh giving it's very short first run.

[AcesandEights]

Personally speaking, I would have prefered if the producers had stuck closer to Kirkman's excellent original. The odd deviation is perfectly fine and even new or composite characters are ok (provded they are well written), but the TV show is almost a completely different story. I understand completely the restraints of having to turn in a (hopefully) hit show in just 6 episodes, but I still think that the TV show (while good and I do like it) is greatly weaker than the comic. Well, so far anyway. Which, I accept, maybe a little harsh giving it's very short first run.

I can agree with this summation. Hopefully they will up their game in the next season, but I have a feeling we will see a lot of composite storylines, which would be okay by me if they craft a taut script, but I expect uneven scripting and direction, per the 1st season. I expect, however that it'll still be miles ahead of any zombie movie I've seen lately.

[MoonSylver]

My creepy Sci-Fi Fantasy buddies LOVE it! Normal people...er...like me love it too!


:lol:

http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/44746_geekchartbig.gif

No mention of horror or zombies, so you are good to go. :thumbsup: :lol:

[shootemindehead]

I can agree with this summation. Hopefully they will up their game in the next season, but I have a feeling we will see a lot of composite storylines, which would be okay by me if they craft a taut script, but I expect uneven scripting and direction, per the 1st season. I expect, however that it'll still be miles ahead of any zombie movie I've seen lately.

Yeh, we share suspicions Aces. Agree with you about being one of the better zombie efforts as well.

---------- Post added at 10:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 AM ----------


:lol:

http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/44746_geekchartbig.gif

No mention of horror or zombies, so you are good to go. :thumbsup: :lol:

Phew, thank Christ for that Moon!

I'm printing that out and it's going on the wall.

[BillyRay]

Phew, thank Christ for that Moon!

I'm printing that out and it's going on the wall.

You should know this stuff instinctively, Shootem.

Some Geek YOU are...

:poke:

[kidgloves]

Um...I don't really buy this concept to be honest. No offence Kid.

First of all the Kirkman story is miles ahead of what has been written so far in the TV show and the comic characters have been much better than some of the cliches on offer from the screenwriters. Also, 'Game of Thrones' seems to be following the books to a very tight degree and that hasn't put fans off in any way. My creepy Sci-Fi Fantasy buddies LOVE it! Normal people...er...like me love it too!

Personally speaking, I would have prefered if the producers had stuck closer to Kirkman's excellent original. The odd deviation is perfectly fine and even new or composite characters are ok (provded they are well written), but the TV show is almost a completely different story. I understand completely the restraints of having to turn in a (hopefully) hit show in just 6 episodes, but I still think that the TV show (while good and I do like it) is greatly weaker than the comic. Well, so far anyway. Which, I accept, maybe a little harsh giving it's very short first run.

None taken.
I suppose what im referring to is the plot twists. For example the reveal at Herschels farm that no doubt is coming up in the 2nd season. Having read the comic, it will have far less impact for me. It will be nowhere near as shocking and for me that takes a lot out of my enjoyment. Seeing a live action version of the comic is not what im looking for from the tv series. Darabont keeps referring to the zombie sandbox and how he will be playing around in it and that is a good way of terming what i would like the show to be. Not so much different storylines but different subplots and expansions of certain scenes like Morgan and Dwayne. On the other hand you get episodes like Kirkmans Vatos which i thought was terrible bar the last 10 mins. Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings is a good example where changes had to be made, scenes moved around and lines given to different characters.
This may upset people but i don't think that Michonnes character in the comic will translate very well to live action without coming over cheesy and over the top. Yeah, it may be cool in the comic but on tv?

[shootemindehead]

You should know this stuff instinctively, Shootem.

Some Geek YOU are...

:poke:

Can I be a nerd then?

---------- Post added at 08:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:48 PM ----------


None taken.
I suppose what im referring to is the plot twists. For example the reveal at Herschels farm that no doubt is coming up in the 2nd season. Having read the comic, it will have far less impact for me. It will be nowhere near as shocking and for me that takes a lot out of my enjoyment. Seeing a live action version of the comic is not what im looking for from the tv series. Darabont keeps referring to the zombie sandbox and how he will be playing around in it and that is a good way of terming what i would like the show to be. Not so much different storylines but different subplots and expansions of certain scenes like Morgan and Dwayne. On the other hand you get episodes like Kirkmans Vatos which i thought was terrible bar the last 10 mins. Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings is a good example where changes had to be made, scenes moved around and lines given to different characters.
This may upset people but i don't think that Michonnes character in the comic will translate very well to live action without coming over cheesy and over the top. Yeah, it may be cool in the comic but on tv?

I probably agree more than I disagree. Of course, if we had a simple live action version of the comic, including everything from the comic, then that could be a downer for some when the "reveals" are made known. But, my major problem withe the TV show is that it's SO different to the comic, it might as well be called something else entirely. But, in fairness, Series 2 may not reflect that.

My main bitching about the show is that there was some really poor writing, some rubbish (do nothing) characters introduced and it seems to be going off on a tangent that I don't want it to go on.

So far, it's been AMC's 'The Walking Dead: But it isn't really'

I'd like the producers to get back on the path.

You mention 'Lord of the Rings', well, for a film, that was remarkable faithful to the book. It was 'Lord of the Rings'. I had no problems with Jackson's cuts and additions there. But, so far, 'The Walking Dead' has been 70% different to it's source material and the more it strys from Kirkman's story, the more chance you'll end up with episodes like 'Vatos', or crap characters like "Southern Racist Stereotype No. 427", "Fat Black Homie Guy" and "Make up the Numbers and Die in the end Black Girl".

[MoonSylver]

You should know this stuff instinctively, Shootem.

Some Geek YOU are...

:poke:


Can I be a nerd then?

http://uploads.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/nerd-venn-diagram-20090915-092804.jpg

:lol:


But, my major problem withe the TV show is that it's SO different to the comic, it might as well be called something else entirely... But, so far, 'The Walking Dead' has been 70% different to it's source material "

Difference of opinion I suppose, but I don't really find it to be THAT different AT ITS CORE. 80% faithful + 20% added material maybe? *Meh* :|

[MissJacksonCA]

I love my Walking Dead comics... still remember the first time I heard about them from someone on this forum and walking out and immediately buying them up and similarly I remember when I heard they were making a TWD TV show and thinking wow its going to be awesome and how I hoped they would follow the GN's but really... the freedoms they've taken with the orig. story is one that bears a strong enough similarity to it to not betray the integrity of the characters or the story while providing us with new fodder and intriguing situations that are fresh and really the only word I can use is delightful. In hindsight I'd have been angered by something that was exactly the same as the comics because nothing would be new... it would be like the movie you vision in your mind as you're reading a book and you can see all the scenes play out. What they've developed through the series is new and tingly and pretty great. Sometimes I think they go a bit too far delving into the relationship between Rick and his wife and it drives me a bit crazy because I think she's nutzo and selfish and frankly I'm not watching the Walking Dead so I can see a marriage stand the test of the end of the world I'm watching it because I love horror but hey...

To me ...its like when they remade the Omen... it was EXACTLY the same... and therefore sucked... you know what's coming and its predictable... we may have a sense from the books of what's coming in the show but its just a sense because in the show you just don't know...

[babomb]

I've read alot of the comics. I don't really understand exactly why it would be better if the show was exactly like the comic. Everyone has a different perspective, I understand that. Go back and read Vol.1 again though. There just isn't enough substance there for a TV show. The audience for comic books is alot different than the audience for TV shows. You have higher expectations for TV shows. The series is also not made to cater to fans of the comic. There's not enough fans of the comic to justify the production of a TV show for such a small demographic. Same goes for fans of the zombie/horror genre. For this show to be made there had to be promise of appeal to a MUCH wider audience.
Kirkman produced the comic for people like us here. But AMC is not in the business of making horror films, they're a television network, and their business is all about ratings. The producers of TWD have no obligation to "stay on path" with the comics, and they aren't the ones responsible for the changes. They answer to the network in the long run. And the network wants as many viewers as possible in order to maximize profits. Which means the network has it's own ideas about the direction the series goes in. AMC and other networks don't just give the writers and the producers free reign over the whole process. They demand the most return on their investments. So they have certain stipulations that are negotiated long before cameras start rolling. They want non horror/zombie fans to watch this show every week. That means drama. Just like "Breaking Bad" wasn't made specifically for drug dealers and meth-heads, TWD isn't made specifically for fans of the comic. The comic book serves as more of a storyboard for the series than the definitive source material.
So ultimately the changes made to the series are a non-issue because they're necessary in order for the show to have a channel that we can watch it on.

[Ragnarr]

I guess it's like when my gf and I went to see the LotR flicks. She is a big Tolkien geek, and the changes Jackson made in the films had her spilling gummie bears and popcorn on the row in front of us. Even though, she still found aspects of the flicks enjoyable. So for those of you who have already read the comic, if you're careful with your gummie bears and popcorn, I think you'll enjoy TWD in general too.

[Danny]

You aint alone, thats why i dropped the show. I still watch clips now and again because anything thats ongoing can get better as easily as it gets worse but i fucking HATED the first season of the walking dead. The pilot? brilliant stuff. cheesy, but brilliant. the wife trying the doornob? that shit wasnt in the books but it was gold.

Then they went into the trope folder and started fishing for plot points.

The whole thing about the shopping store, and the guy on the roof? that was just fucking terrible writing and the fact that they out and out said 'oh yeah, no, its certainly a virus, here, have a powerpoint presentation of us out and out explaining away the mystery of it' in the finale like some bullshit wizard of oz deus ex machina.

Of course im still open to 'maybe it gets better'. However ive been reading the comics since the very start and i think they have wasted some opportunities and just outright wasted time on others when adapting a much stronger source material than the product we see on screen.

Still, there are folks who dont read the comics who dont know how much better this story can be who are going 'wow!, finally good zombie content!" and they are right i suppose. However the source material is just so much better than at least the first season of this that i watched.

Still, stargate universe got way better in its 2nd season so i probably will check it out when the seasons complete- or mid seasonish, but no you arent the only one preferring the comics. It keeps the mystery, its much more bleak and hopeless in tone and kept you reading for that.

Though if im honest, since the show started the writing in the comics HAS started to slip a little, maybe theres some kinda leaning more to the show now? like i said ill check it out when theres a sizeable chunk of episodes to dig into.

[bassman]

the fact that they out and out said 'oh yeah, no, its certainly a virus, here, have a powerpoint presentation of us out and out explaining away the mystery of it' in the finale like some bullshit wizard of oz deus ex machina.



Did you and I see the same episode? The doctor said he didn't know what caused it. Even to the point of acknowledging it could be the wrath of God....

As for it not following the comics, it's actually following it very closely this season. With the exception of a few things like Shane being around, the story of Hershel's farm is damn close to the comics. Any liberties they take with the story actually make it a more enjoyable watch to me, anyway. If they copied every bit of the comics it would be a bit boring. So far they've done a good job of telling the basic story of the comics while throwing in twists to keep it interesting.

[Danny]

Did you and I see the same episode? The doctor said he didn't know what caused it. Even to the point of acknowledging it could be the wrath of God....

yeah, see, the fact that they go into it being a virus is already showing too much of their hand for my liking. thats the difference between romeros flicks and most imitators. He intimates things like 'maybe you die of an infection from being bitten by a corpse' but its never clear what in any capacity causes the dead to walk.

The walking dead in its first season pretty much went 'oh yeah, we read the zombie survival guide too and thought solunum was a good idea'. they now only have 3 possible options.

1: man made, either some generic military black ops thing that leaked like captain trips or the usual 'terrorist' plot hole polyfiller.
2: god did it ala lost or battlestar galactica.
3: "an act of nature we will never truly understand"

the third however i doubt very much. Since they already started explaining its a foreign agent that jerry rigs the brain and the corpse like a cheap hotwired car.

If they can reveal that much of the mystery in the first season i dont have hoes for later, hence why it made me drop the show. They were willing to give up in the first season something romero and the comic the walking dead in 6 films and90+ issues respectively never revealed.

This has two conclusions. They either already plan to reveal it. Or they are writing themselves into a corner, and i don't care for either option.

[JDFP]

I guess I just attribute it to people acting realistically in many ways. If I was living only a few miles from the CDC my first reaction would be after this type of thing - "Hey, we need to try and make it to the CDC and figure out if someone knows something!" - it would be, honestly, a bit unrealistic and silly if people did not think this in this type of situation who were that close to it. My next goal would be to aim forward either Fort Benning or Robins Air Force Base (whichever one is closer0 which is what the characters are doing here until they were sidetracked by Herschel - and again I find that to be realistic given the circumstances of the show. Go where there may be safety and the military to protect you and where people "might have shit figured out".

I haven't read the comics but I just don't really care for comics. Nothing against them - just not my cup of coffee. Personally, where I'd like to see the show head is for them to get back on the road as soon as possible and have them reach Fort Benning and/or Robins Air Force Base to see what's there, if anything is still left, and to see what the military is up to (other than fire-bombing major cities). I don't buy that the entire system has completely collapsed.

j.p.

[Danny]

I guess I just attribute it to people acting realistically in many ways. If I was living only a few miles from the CDC my first reaction would be after this type of thing - "Hey, we need to try and make it to the CDC and figure out if someone knows something!" - it would be, honestly, a bit unrealistic and silly if people did not think this in this type of situation who were that close to it.

why?

If you didnt have dozens of zombie films with the cliche 'once youve been bitten, you are infected!' schitk what sane person in a world where the dead are walking and killing human beings would a rational mind go 'oh its a virus'? if you had never seen a zombie film and the dead walked, after you freaked out about this very fact, why would you assume a virus is even capable of this on any level?

again thats my problem, the presumption and explaining. They are backing themselves into a niche by revealing any mystery. In the comics all you know from issue 1 to issue 90 is "the dead get up and try to kill you, shoot them in the head' why? how? its never touched on at all.

It just seems to be relying on the viewer and their thought process and as such fails at world building. Its like what i said about the zombie diaries. that movie failed because it didnt break the romero mould, it was created following the rules of another universe'. The people in the walking dead do what we, the viewer, expect them to. Not what the character would do like they do in the comics. Do you get what i mean? its like the opposite of dumb teens in a slasher film. they say 'ill be right back' and we go "oh yeah, they die next" because we know 'the rules', we view it from the god perspective outside its universe and rules. In the walking dead its the opposite but no better.

We expect them to go to the cdc 'because its a virus' and the characters do. Why? What is the characters motivation for this other than 'we need a narrative function to point out this is a virus'.

Ask yourself. If the dead walked tomorrow, is your first thought a virus? hell id accept the devil or a mutant cordycepts fungus before the magic 'wizard did it' response.

[JDFP]

Ask yourself. If the dead walked tomorrow, is your first thought a virus? hell id accept the devil or a mutant cordycepts fungus before the magic 'wizard did it' response.

Probably, yes. Either virus or man-made pathogen (viral warfare). Why? Because it makes the most logical sense. The dead just don't get up and walk. I'd be more apt to accept it's some viral agent as opposed to: "God is mad at us all so zombies are walking the earth." You can't just jump to conclusions like that. I can understand that in a world where Romero and zombie films don't exist such as TWD you're not going to be as prepared for what is going on - but would you automatically think: "God did it!" without any other logical explanation? My first reaction to something like this would be some type of virus - and I think it would be for MOST logical people given a situation such as this. If all other logical explanations don't work then you can then jump to conclusions ("God of the gaps" as theologians call it) but I think most normal people would consider rational explanations for things first no matter how crazy something happening may be.

Plus, you have to consider proximity. They are only literal MILES away from the CDC in Atlanta. You don't think it's reasonable to go somewhere where someone might have some type of answers? I don't understand that.

j.p

[Danny]

Probably, yes. Either virus or man-made pathogen (viral warfare). Why? Because it makes the most logical sense. The dead just don't get up and walk. I'd be more apt to accept it's some viral agent as opposed to: "God is mad at us all so zombies are walking the earth." You can't just jump to conclusions like that. I can understand that in a world where Romero and zombie films don't exist such as TWD you're not going to be as prepared for what is going on - but would you automatically think: "God did it!" without any other logical explanation? My first reaction to something like this would be some type of virus - and I think it would be for MOST logical people given a situation such as this. If all other logical explanations don't work then you can then jump to conclusions ("God of the gaps" as theologians call it) but I think most normal people would consider rational explanations for things first no matter how crazy something happening may be.

Plus, you have to consider proximity. They are only literal MILES away from the CDC in Atlanta. You don't think it's reasonable to go somewhere where someone might have some type of answers? I don't understand that.

j.p

because even in the universe of the story there is no precedent for a virus causing it and still none of them have any idea if thats the case. the writers of the show add nudges to push them that way specifically. Might they have thought of it? perhaps. But this is not a story of 'rick finding out what caused it and saving the world' robert kirkman started the walking dead with one idea and one goal he himself set out in his introduction to the series:

"Whilst the scientists and soldiers are all in that bunker from day of the dead trying to save the world the walking dead is the story of the poor bastards who just try to survive whilst the main characters do that"

How is going to the cdc after its clearly been abandoned every going to help them survive? They have no idea what is happening. they are two cops and some random civilians. Are they expecting some vaccine with a genetics and virology for dummies guide on how to save themselves?

Thats what i dont like, not that its a virus. That it so clearly goes against the ethos of the walking deads sole idea as a story. It is a story where the dead walk now. dont know why, how or when if ever they will stop. but that is the world rick lives in now. watch them deal with it. badly. Only thats not the tv show. the tv show already shows what causes the bodys to move. so either they reveal what the source of that is or dont and then what was the point of that to begin with? a season finale to establish the 'if you are bitten you are dead' rule? comics did that just fine without the cdc.

Thats why i didnt like it. it was pointless, and inferior to the end of the comics first volume that was literally ending on a whimper rather than a bang but it was so much more effective, so much more human and so much less spectacular. and that at the end of the day is the walking dead. what i saw in that finale was not. Hence why i did not like it compared to the comic.

[JDFP]

because even in the universe of the story there is no precedent for a virus causing it and still none of them have any idea if thats the case. the writers of the show add nudges to push them that way specifically. Might they have thought of it? perhaps. But this is not a story of 'rick finding out what caused it and saving the world' robert kirkman started the walking dead with one idea and one goal he himself set out in his introduction to the series:

"Whilst the scientists and soldiers are all in that bunker from day of the dead trying to save the world the walking dead is the story of the poor bastards who just try to survive whilst the main characters do that"

How is going to the cdc after its clearly been abandoned every going to help them survive? They have no idea what is happening. they are two cops and some random civilians. Are they expecting some vaccine with a genetics and virology for dummies guide on how to save themselves?

Thats what i dont like, not that its a virus. That it so clearly goes against the ethos of the walking deads sole idea as a story. It is a story where the dead walk now. dont know why, how or when if ever they will stop. but that is the world rick lives in now. watch them deal with it. badly. Only thats not the tv show. the tv show already shows what causes the bodys to move. so either they reveal what the source of that is or dont and then what was the point of that to begin with? a season finale to establish the 'if you are bitten you are dead' rule? comics did that just fine without the cdc.

Thats why i didnt like it. it was pointless, and inferior to the end of the comics first volume that was literally ending on a whimper rather than a bang but it was so much more effective, so much more human and so much less spectacular. and that at the end of the day is the walking dead. what i saw in that finale was not. Hence why i did not like it compared to the comic.

In all fairness, as I've mentioned, I haven't read the comics. I'm just saying from my perspective if something crazy like this was going on my first thought would be to go somewhere where someone MIGHT have some type of answers to what is going on. If someone is sick they go to a doctor - not because they automatically think that the doctor will cure anything wrong with them - but because they know a doctor can give them (usually) some type of answer as to what is wrong with them. The issue of the CDC is the same. I don't think anyone expected to go to the CDC and automatically discover doctors furiously working around the clock and a "magic" cure to be there - but in the small chance that there might be someone there who can give them some type of answer as to why what is happening is happening. This is why I would have been insulted if they hadn't tried for the CDC with it being so close by to where they were. I could understand if it was 200 miles out of the way, but it's like 20 miles instead. Why is it difficult to imagine going somewhere where someone might have some type of answer for what is happening or have knowledge of somewhere safe to go (i.e. the CDC communicating with the government) to be safer as a group?

Of course none of them know for sure if it's a virus. But it's a damn good guess - far more realistic than "God did it!" in jumping to conclusions. So if it's a good possibility why not investigate it where there may be answers for what is happening? If I was sick I wouldn't automatically think: "Oh, Satan is making me ill! It's a demon inside of me!" because living in the 21st century (as these people in the show do, their world is not much different from ours being that the only distinction I can really see is that Romero zombie films never existed there) we as MOST rational humans just don't think this way. We tend to think in rational ways (for the *most* part). If I'm sick go to the doctor. If something is happening for zombies to come alive and eat people - and we're only a few miles away from the CDC where there are doctors and scientists - go see if they are there and they can tell us something/anything.

I can understand your appreciation for it all being "a mystery" as opposed to understanding why it happened - but I personally appreciate the fact that they give us some type of understanding for what is going on - I think the fact that they know what is happening but they can't do anything about it (it's too late, there aren't the resources available, etc.) if even more menacing. If you were there in that situation wouldn't you want to try to find some type of answers for what is going on and try to seek out places where you knew you might get some answers?

j.p.

[Danny]

I can understand your appreciation for it all being "a mystery" as opposed to understanding why it happened - but I personally appreciate the fact that they give us some type of understanding for what is going on - I think the fact that they know what is happening but they can't do anything about it (it's too late, there aren't the resources available, etc.) if even more menacing. If you were there in that situation wouldn't you want to try to find some type of answers for what is going on and try to seek out places where you knew you might get some answers?


I might, but i wouldn't write it as such, that way lies the beginnings of mary sue meets larry stu territory. Like i said. ive read the comics from the start and when the focus is the zombies the lack of any information is part of the stories appeal. My gripe is by revealing it they narrowed the aperture, so to speak, of possible future story paths for no reason other than a literal explosive season finale. It was cheap and not as good as the source material. Thats just my personal reasons for not liking it. I read the walking dead for people in a horrible situation barely keeping it together. Not people doing the things the audience yells at the screen for them to do. Thats bad writing.

[kidgloves]

You have to remember that the final episodes underwent extensive rewrites especially TS-19. The goal was to NOT leave the final episode on a cliffhanger because they didn't know if they were going to get another season and wanted to leave some form of ending that could be interpreted either way. The ending of volume 1 was a massive cliffhanger and would have been a huge cock tease

[babomb]

I might, but i wouldn't write it as such, that way lies the beginnings of mary sue meets larry stu territory. Like i said. ive read the comics from the start and when the focus is the zombies the lack of any information is part of the stories appeal. My gripe is by revealing it they narrowed the aperture, so to speak, of possible future story paths for no reason other than a literal explosive season finale. It was cheap and not as good as the source material. Thats just my personal reasons for not liking it. I read the walking dead for people in a horrible situation barely keeping it together. Not people doing the things the audience yells at the screen for them to do. Thats bad writing. Why is it bad writing to interject some logic into things? I read most of the comics too. Not all of them, but I read enough to know what the differences were between the books and the show. And I was always a little put off by the fact that they never touched on an explanation, not even a half assed one. I always assumed that they beleived it be a virus because that's the only assumption that makes any sense to me. If you're living in that world, you're gonna wonder what's causing it. That can't really be argued logically. And the only conclusion a rational mind would come to is that it's a disease of some sort. What else could you possibly assume it to be? Even Herschel, a disturbingly irrational and religious man assumes it's a sickness. There's just no other conclusion to come to. And since that's the case, then going to a nearby CDC is just the logical thing to do. They're desperate! They have no interest in keeping things a mystery. They're trying to survive not make fanboys of the comic happy.
And they aren't writing it according to what the audience yells at the screen for them to do. That's just silly. That's the typical "it's different from the way I saw things in my mind while reading the comics" so I'm gonna complain alot and not watch. It's a strange thing how people form these emotional attachments to arbitrary ideas from books and comics. There's a specific type of person that becomes so emotionally invested with their stories of choice that any deviation from the very specific nature in which they see it will always be a disappointment. They always have their own specific reasons and justifications for it, but in the end it comes down to the fanboy mentality.
You say that you read the comics for "people in a horrible situation barely keeping it together". Well that's exactly what's going on in the show. Instead you're focusing on specific details of the show that aren't the same as the comic. So while that may be what you read the comic for, it's not what you wanted out of the show. What you wanted out of the show was a frame by frame recreation of the comic. You wanted exactly what you got from the comic. Which is impossible for a whole bunch of reasons. Many of which are covered in the "chupacabra" thread.

[bassman]

You have to remember that the final episodes underwent extensive rewrites especially TS-19. The goal was to NOT leave the final episode on a cliffhanger because they didn't know if they were going to get another season and wanted to leave some form of ending that could be interpreted either way. The ending of volume 1 was a massive cliffhanger and would have been a huge cock tease

QFT.

I've been saying that for a while now. While the CDC storyline was a big departure from the comics, it makes perfect sense in giving the series "closure" in case no further episodes were to follow. This is a much larger audience than the comic series. The comic fans could deal with the open ending if the story never continued, but a world-wide tv audience might not handle it so well.

As you mention, Kid - They did massive rewrites to the CDC episode. So much so that the actor who played Jenner signed on for a totally different role to the one he ended up playing. While they don't go into too much detail on the special edition dvd set, I have the feeling that the episode was actually much more of an ending to the series and they changed it in the eleventh hour because they knew about the high ratings. The "whisper" was probably a direct result of that change.


And just to toss it in there - I don't believe Jenner ever actually classifies the phenomenon as a virus. He only says it invades the brain like meningitis, iirc. He could only see how the brain restarted and what part came back. He didn't know what caused it to come back. So in that sense these are still very much the Romero style zombies. If Jenner did in fact suggest it was viral, it wouldn't be anymore revealing than the Venus Probe theory in Night.

[kidgloves]

QFT.

I've been saying that for a while now. While the CDC storyline was a big departure from the comics, it makes perfect sense in giving the series "closure" in case no further episodes were to follow. This is a much larger audience than the comic series. The comic fans could deal with the open ending if the story never continued, but a world-wide tv audience might not handle it so well.

As you mention, Kid - They did massive rewrites to the CDC episode. So much so that the actor who played Jenner signed on for a totally different role to the one he ended up playing. While they don't go into too much detail on the special edition dvd set, I have the feeling that the episode was actually much more of an ending to the series and they changed it in the eleventh hour because they knew about the high ratings. The "whisper" was probably a direct result of that change.


I think Ferland mentions in the commentary that the episode was originally written from the CDC's viewpoint AS the apocalypse happened.

[MissJacksonCA]

While I'm glad its veering all I can say is really... WTF with all the drama? What I don't like about where they're going with the show vs. comic is the drama. Granted... that can add to the atmosphere but I feel like they're taking a horror and making it a drama. Its thirtysomething but with zombies. Anyone else?

[Thorn]

In all fairness, as I've mentioned, I haven't read the comics. I'm just saying from my perspective if something crazy like this was going on my first thought would be to go somewhere where someone MIGHT have some type of answers to what is going on. If someone is sick they go to a doctor - not because they automatically think that the doctor will cure anything wrong with them - but because they know a doctor can give them (usually) some type of answer as to what is wrong with them.

I can respect that and appreciate the logic behind it.

I am one of the people who was not a fan of the CDC episodes, not because it was not in the comics, a lot of things not in the comics that made it into the show are fine, it is what is in the spirit of the comics. I want a live action show that is not, as some have said "a frame by frame panel to panel recreation of the comic". I want the source material to be respected by the writers, and while I agree completely I would want answers if I were in the shoes of our survivors... the episodes themselves were such a stark change from both the comics, AND from the show itself it felt like watching another show not the Walking Dead.

I did not care for them at all, and to me they just feel, sound, and look different so much so seem feel foreign and out of place.

I disliked them a lot more than Vatos which everyone seems to hate and I honestly had few problems with those episodes I could not dismiss. Was it in the comics? Nope. Still felt like the same show though.

As to others saying they hated not knowing what the reason was behind it, to me this is not an issue either. Romero never gave us answers.The movies gave us theories, but never conclusive proof and they spawned an entire genre of movies that have been very meaningful to well.. just about everyone on this site.