My Spoiler Free Review of the pilot

[DjfunkmasterG]

I'm definitely tuning in. Also got it set on my DVR. This was just wetting my beak, so to speak. I'm still totally excited to watch it on Halloween and will support the show the best I can. Watch each episode, buy the blu ray, etc etc. This little adventure has in no way stopped me from participating in the broadcasts. In fact, it may have made me more excited! Thats good to know... lets hope everyone else in the US and UK follows suit.

[bassman]

They damn well should. Judging by the pilot episode alone, this looks like it's going to be "movie" we've been waiting for since Day.

[Ghost Of War]

Oh I'll be tuning in alright. I'll be Sky +ing it and watching it as much as possible.

[bassman]

Spoiler tags to discuss a few things with those that have seen it...   Someone mentioned before that they didn't find it very scary...WTF? This is the first time i've actually been scared of Zombies since Day. When Rick and his horse gets taken down and he's being surrounded, I almost tore a hole in my couch armrest because I was squeezing it so hard. Even knowing that he can't die yet. And the "I'm sorry Lori and Carl" line only to look up and see a hole in the bottom of the tank? Hilarious. As for the "tearing up" parts mentioned before....i'm not gonna lie, I straight up shed a few. About three times throughout the pilot, actually. The first is when rick comes home and his family is gone. I just couldn't help but put myself in that situation and it's scary as fook. The second was of course when the mother comes up to the door at the house and the son starts crying. Moving stuff. And the way that mother zombie looked and moved was freaky. Unlike any zombies i've seen before. Then the third was when the husband was trying to put down his wife. Totally cried for that one. And we still don't even know if he did! The whole time I was thinking "DUDE! You're attracting them all to your house!!" Hopefully we'll see these two again as they were a high mark for the pilot. And the music at the end? Anyone know what that song was? I definitely wasn't expecting a song like that, but it definitely worked with the material. Great ending with the sort of CB "hope".

[AcesandEights]

Lets get this out of the way straight away THIS WILL BLOW PEOPLES SOCKS OFF. Stopped reading there, just in case (I know you said spoiler free, but I have a quarantine 1st, ask questions after the pilot attitude at this point ). I'm psyched you still seemed psyched, sir! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I look forward to reading all the way through them the Monday after next

[ProfessorChaos]

@ the man of bass:   gotta agree with you about the bits that pulled at the heart strings....the first, when rick comes home, not so much, since i don't have a wife/kids, but i can imagine that for a guy such as yourself with a new family, it'd be an intense scene. secondly, yeah, when duane broke down and started crying when he saw his mom, that was rough to watch. and goddamn, when morgan was upstairs trying to lure his wife into the street, i shed a couple of tears... another part you didn't mention that put a lump in my throat was when they head to rick's house and morgan has to sit down when talking about his wife packing photo albums... and then when rick went to the park and put down the most epic-looking zombie ever on film, bicycle girl, i was actually feeling really sorry for the poor thing...only bub has ever made me feel pity for a zombie prior to this, but that poor fucked up woman dragging herself was a sad sight. this scene was playing out the same time morgan was trying to convince himself to put his wife down, so i was already all choked up, but damn...those two scenes running together had me really messed up. probably the most powerful moments i've ever seen in any zombie film. and the acting was so superb...from rick, shane, lori, morgan, duane, and especially the lady playing morgan's reanimated wife, i was blown away by how convincing all these characters were. and there is more of morgan and duane down the road in the comics. if you've not read it, i'm not gonna ruin it for you....almost wanna add another spoiler here, but we'll just leave that for another time. *that part above about a spoiler within a spoiler reminds me of last night's south park: "it's like a eating a taco within a taco that you order inside of a taco bell inside of a kfc inside a mall in your dream!" (making fun of inception)

[SuprJoinT]

I got this HOURS ago, and have held off long enough. I'm going to transfer it to my PS3 and watch...still won't stop me from watching the TV show, IF it's any good.. I am a HUGE fan of the comic, and have downloaded EVERY issue so far (#75 was kinda strange at the end), as well as bought the hardcover's...so I will support this!

[bassman]

I haven't went too far into the comics, prof. The most i've seen were the first couple of issues that a buddy had. Good to know that will happen, though. Their scenes really made the episode for me. But fuck South Park. That show should've been taken off the air years ago. They only make fun of popular things in an attempt to get media coverage. They call themselves satirists, I call them a one trick pony that should accept they're has-beens.

[ProfessorChaos]

yeah, SP has been on a downhill slide in recent years, and last night's episode was rather lamesauce after blowing my entertainment load over TWD pilot, but even without having seen inception, i still got a few chuckles out of it. i take it you're offended due to your love of nolan and inception? did you actually watch SP last night? again, nothing great, but still had it's moments. i will agree though that it's getting pretty stale. i actually have every season to this point on dvd, though, and still watch it weekly...but i can admit that it's not getting much better and probably peaked a few years back. they still have some good moments here and there, though.

[Mike70]

i must take a moment to chuckle at how the "spoiler free review thread" has turned in a mass of spoiler tags.

[bassman]

i take it you're offended due to your love of nolan and inception? did you actually watch SP last night? again, nothing great, but still had it's moments. i will agree though that it's getting pretty stale. i actually have every season to this point on dvd, though, and still watch it weekly...but i can admit that it's not getting much better and probably peaked a few years back. they still have some good moments here and there, though. I do like Nolan and Inception, but that's got nothing to do with it. I'm all for a good laugh at things I like, but I caught onto these guys' trick long ago. It's the same shit every episode. Can't stand it. It's worse than Family Guy's "like that one time..", fighting chicken, etc.

[ProfessorChaos]

it's only 3 so far, mike. and jp's wasn't really a spoiler at all. i've actually been wanting to reply to bassman's spoiler since i was rushing to brush my teeth and get out the door to class this morning, had to wait 3 freakin hours to do it. there's just so much to say about TWD though. and holy fuck, the characters have such a rough time ahead of them if they are sticking to the basic outline of the comics. my anticipation levels are through the fucking roof for this show. i honestly wish that the 2nd episode would get leaked, too. AMC is such a stellar network for original programming. mad men, breaking bad, and now TWD (not following rubicon yet) all have that same vibe...their shows are better than probably 95% of big-screen films out recently. and bass, i'm not sure of the song used in the closing scene, but it was perfect. that's another mad men/breaking bad trick. they always get obscure songs that fit perfectly with what's going on on-screen. and all leave you with that GIMME MORE! feeling as the credits roll.

[bassman]

Couldn't agree more, prof. This show is better than more than 90 percent of movies out in recent years. Definitely better than any zombie movies. And it actually feels like a movie. As you can tell from the trailers and clips. The entire show plays out like a movie. I'll put money on it now that TWD kills during the awards season. Even KNB will probably get an award. And to think.....people were afraid they would have to hold back on the gore. hehe... Speaking of KNB....anyone else notice that Nicotero has a credit that doesn't involve special effects? Something about a consultant...

[Mike70]

it's only 3 so far, mike. and jp's wasn't really a spoiler at all. huh. it is only 3. funny the damage looked worse from out here.

[MoonSylver]

i must take a moment to chuckle at how the "spoiler free review thread" has turned in a mass of spoiler tags. Isn't it ironic...no wait... Speaking of KNB....anyone else notice that Nicotero has a credit that doesn't involve special effects? Something about a consultant... If I had to guess, maybe as "zombie coach, To direct the extras on how to move & act? huh. it is only 3. funny the damage looked worse from out here. Ah, now isn't THAT ironic? No, wait...