What happened to the character flash backs?

[Neil]

I used to love those little flash backs...

Are we too far into the apocalypse and too far away from those earlier times now to be able to see flash backs to the characters a while ago?

[bassman]

Mazzara and Kirkman said before the start of Season Three that there wouldn't be anymore flashbacks. That of course may change now that Gimple is taking over for Season Four...

[Neil]

I guess we're too far into this now, and distant history is just that... Not fresh enough to flash back to :(

[MinionZombie]

I certainly did enjoy the little flashbacks we got, but I suppose they have to be pertinent to the story - e.g. in 2x13 where we see the source of The Herd and then gradually coming together en mass and then hearing the shot that ultimately brought down Hershel's farm.

Or another one I really enjoyed was the flashback to Lori picking Carl up from school - just an ordinary event - and then Shane turns up in his squad car and tells Lori, and then Lori has to tell Carl - we already knew how it worked out, but it was a nice moment to have in there, a little glimpse into the life before in a way that connected to the life now.

It would have to fit in and be necessary for the plot, but yeah, I think they're beyond flashbacks now - unless it was a flashback to something that happened earlier within this season or something ... who knows, but this show has never been heavy on flashbacks anyway (in Lost it was part of the fabric), so better to leave them out rather than shoe-horn them in.

What I would like to see is more time passing - little montages - all this action happening within 7-10 days (thus far in season 3) is a pretty hectic week. I would like to see a few small montages throughout a season that shows time moving on a little bit. A few days here and there and showing them getting on with certain tasks - be it scavenging for food, or setting up defenses, or thinning out walkers at the fences etc, or even little character moments that can't be slotted into the main thrust of the action, but would fit well in these sort of montages.

[AcesandEights]

I guess we're too far into this now, and distant history is just that... Not fresh enough to flash back to :(

To be fair, Kirkman was originally adamant in the comic about not doing flashbacks (don't know if anything has changed in the last year or so of comics, nor do I need to know). The idea has always been that the story is about the present condition of the characters. Sounds a bit of a stretch/circular logic, to me, but I think flashbacks are way, waaaaay overused lately. So I'm happy with that. They've turned into a bit of a storytelling crutch, if you ask me.

[Neil]

but I think flashbacks are way, waaaaay overused lately.

"Lost" was flash back/forward overkill, that's for sure!

[bassman]

I certainly did enjoy the little flashbacks we got, but I suppose they have to be pertinent to the story - e.g. in 2x13 where we see the source of The Herd and then gradually coming together en mass and then hearing the shot that ultimately brought down Hershel's farm.


I find that scene to be cringe worthy. It's just too coincidental. Out of all the dead people in Georgia, they're going to tell us this certain group travelled what would be an hour by car, on foot, and then just happened to end up next to the farm at the perfect time to hear the shot? Puh-lease.

[MinionZombie]

I find that scene to be cringe worthy. It's just too coincidental. Out of all the dead people in Georgia, they're going to tell us this certain group travelled what would be an hour by car, on foot, and then just happened to end up next to the farm at the perfect time to hear the shot? Puh-lease.

The herd has to come from somewhere - why not having originated as a group, that gradually grew, distracted by that helicopter from 1x01, and then eventually find their way to the vicinity of the farm. Had Shane's finger not spasmed when he was knifed by Rick - and shot off that round - the herd might have wandered by. The herd has to be created, and in being created, it has to start - we just got to see how it started and then how it grew.

I loved that flashback/reveal/whatever.

[Harleydude666]

The herd has to come from somewhere - why not having originated as a group, that gradually grew, distracted by that helicopter from 1x01, and then eventually find their way to the vicinity of the farm. Had Shane's finger not spasmed when he was knifed by Rick - and shot off that round - the herd might have wandered by. The herd has to be created, and in being created, it has to start - we just got to see how it started and then how it grew.

I loved that flashback/reveal/whatever.

THIS! I don't know why people don't understand this. It's simple and makes complete sense. Couldn't have said it any better

[Andy]

The herd has to come from somewhere - why not having originated as a group, that gradually grew, distracted by that helicopter from 1x01, and then eventually find their way to the vicinity of the farm. Had Shane's finger not spasmed when he was knifed by Rick - and shot off that round - the herd might have wandered by. The herd has to be created, and in being created, it has to start - we just got to see how it started and then how it grew.

I loved that flashback/reveal/whatever.


THIS! I don't know why people don't understand this. It's simple and makes complete sense. Couldn't have said it any better

Seconded :D

[bassman]

Perhaps it's because I've travelled that stretch of road. It's just too convenient for that specific herd to make it to that specific spot. I guess it's just one of those same ol story telling techniques. Like Hershel's unlimited ammo...

[MinionZombie]

The genesis of the herd is nothing like the unlimited ammo. The latter is a cheat to save screentime for more exciting things, while the former is an interesting little tale in itself that shows us what we usually don't get to see in these situations - you wonder "hmm, where did they come from?" - and in 2x13 we see where they come from. I enjoyed the cosmic irony of it as well, Rick gets into a mess of trouble because of chasing that chopper, and then ultimately it comes back to bite his arse a second time by the cruel hand of fate.

Kind of plays into a theme of The Walking Dead that decisions made often have negative consequences - sort of plays into that - while other decisions/mistakes lead to bigger problems (e.g. Michonne not managing to kill The Governor - or indeed putting down Penny-Walker, which opened a can of worms).

[bassman]

Either way you cut it, it's extremely convenient for that heard to travel days and make it in just the right spot. Hershel's farm is a good hour outside of Atlanta by car. They would have done much better to just have it be a random herd walking by rather than a herd specifically from the city.

[MinionZombie]

Either way you cut it, it's extremely convenient for that heard to travel days and make it in just the right spot. Hershel's farm is a good hour outside of Atlanta by car. They would have done much better to just have it be a random herd walking by rather than a herd specifically from the city.

But then how would a random herd be any different from the herd in the city? :confused:

By the looks of things they were wandering aimlessly for a long time - indeed in 3x01 they lay out a map and they talk about the movements of the herd(s) and it seems very random, doubling back on themselves, heading wherever they please whenever they please, going on whatever happens to distract the leaders of the pack at any given time.

[AcesandEights]

I agree wit Bass.

A well turned and thought out coincidence can draw interest or provoke the audience to think about the circumstances of the world the characters occupy, a gimmicky coincidence that outstrips the bounds of credulity tossed into a script to get "Ohhh"s out of the audience can easily come off as forced and contrived.

In short it seemed unnecessary and lazy.

Not a big deal, in my book, and I don't mind seeing how a large roaming horde can form, but they could have illustrated that without such a heavy hand.

[MinionZombie]

I really don't understand what you guys' problem with the 2x13 herd reveal is. :confused:

To me, just having any old random herd, that we never see form, just turn up out of the blue would be a lazy, poorly scripted coincidence. What is in 2x13 shows far more thought and has a bigger impact - I refer back to my cruel hand of fate comment.

Ach ... we're going round in circles now.

[zomtom]

I wish they would do a flashback which incorporates a winter scene. Something short. We always see the group hot and sweaty. I think it would be a kick to see them in a different environment. I realize they film during the summer but they could spray some of that white shit down and have them where coats etc. I would really like to see how the winter affects the walkers.

[Buzzbomb]

I would really like to see how the winter affects the walkers.

I'd like to see that too... Perhaps they'll do a Christmas Special!

[Tricky]

Rather than flashbacks at this stage (although I wouldn't mind them to be honest) I'd like to see more scenes that tell a story of what happened during the outbreak, like when Rick woke in the hospital in ep 1 and there was nailed shut doors, covered bodies all laid out & military gear strewn around all over, it told a story of what happened without actually being a flashback. More of that would be welcome. Since they've got out into the countryside its kind of lacking in back story to the area they are in. It's not a big issue, the series is doing fine as it is, but I just like little details like that.

[Andy]

The argument that it's too much of a coincidence to swallow is just dumb when your talking about the walking dead, the story is built on coincidences, the biggest of all is the fact that when rick gets stuck in the tank Atlanta he just happens to saved by Glenn who just happens to be part of the same group as Lori and Carl. Think about the odds of that for a second, it's statistically more improbable than the herd forming. Rick and Glenn just happen to be in the same part if the same city on the same day.. Glenn happens to have radio and knows military frequencies so he can talk to the tank, he saves rick and takes him back to the same group where Lori and Carl just happen to be.

Yet I haven't seen a single person whine about this, there wouldn't be a walking dead series unless all this happened.

So swallow it, like the others here I like to know the herd formed. It's a nice touch.

[MinionZombie]

A good point there Andy.

Tricky - I totally agree - I love that sort of storytelling where it's just seeing the after effects lying around. It says so much, but you're never looking backwards, if that makes sense. Yes, I'd definitely like to see some more of that too. :)

[Andy]

A good point there Andy.

Tricky - I totally agree - I love that sort of storytelling where it's just seeing the after effects lying around. It says so much, but you're never looking backwards, if that makes sense. Yes, I'd definitely like to see some more of that too. :)

Also.. thinking about this further, it isnt even that much of a coincidence that a herd would be following their general direction from atlanta out towards the farm, they are not exactly stealthy.

I Mean first there's the helicopter which would have walkers up and mobile all over the city, then the CDC explodes which would have most (if not all) of them heading in that direction.. then rick and co leave town in multiple vehicles including the RV and one loud as hell motorbike.

I can imagine a small group of walkers being in the right place at the right time to follow them and more latching on and forming a herd.