TWD Season 11-B & 11-C discussion... **ROLLING SPOILERS**

[facestabber]

OK! Up to date and enjoying it at the moment I guess I’m an episode ahead with 11-19 Variant so I won’t speak of it. Many moving parts. Many story lines. Some interesting, some not. I really liked the idea in “variant”. Adds more danger and that’s awesome. As long as they don’t take it too far.

[Neil]

I guess I’m an episode ahead with 11-19 Variant so I won’t speak of it. Many moving parts. Many story lines. Some interesting, some not. I really liked the idea in “variant”. Adds more danger and that’s awesome. As long as they don’t take it too far. How are you an episode ahead? That one isn't out until this weekend?

[MinionZombie]

How are you an episode ahead? That one isn't out until this weekend? AMC+ shows new episodes a week early - although when it comes to the finale there will be a two week gap so AMC and AMC+ will be viewing it at the same time.

[Neil]

AMC+ shows new episodes a week early - although when it comes to the finale there will be a two week gap so AMC and AMC+ will be viewing it at the same time. Hmmm... Surprised no sign of the episodes on yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sources then.

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm... Surprised no sign of the episodes on yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sources then. Except they are there (although it should've been there yesterday - t'was delayed for some reason). I'll be catching up with 11x19 tonight. Will have to wait two weeks for the finale, though, so I'll just check that out on Disney+ (which is showing the episodes in-pace with AMC not AMC+). - - - Updated - - - Okay, watched 11x19...   The "variant" walker is a tricky thing to get into at this point in time. We've gone all this way into the ZA without ever seeing any kind of variant of walker, and then now out of the blue one shows up? Why? How? What? Obviously they're wanting something to spice things up a little, and I think I read something about there being talk of a 'variant' in that World Beyond horse shite towards the end, right??? Fortunately, the way they did it in the episode wasn't too bad and worked a lot better than I'd feared. It actually felt like a bit of a Hinzman zombie in many ways - they even had it pick up a rock to use as a weapon/tool - but at the same time, we've gone all this time without any variants. Sure, the first few episodes - particularly "Guts" had some ... ... 'inconsistent' walkers (climbing a fence, for instance) and some shots had them going a bit too brisk, but the show was in its infancy and they hadn't quite settled on their vibe fully at that point and certain details, like climbing over a ruddy fence, were ditched entirely never to be seen again. Also - it was well funny when Eugene was getting all ballsy with Daryl, who just stood there doing absolutely nothing.

[Harleydude666]

Except they are there (although it should've been there yesterday - t'was delayed for some reason). I'll be catching up with 11x19 tonight. Will have to wait two weeks for the finale, though, so I'll just check that out on Disney+ (which is showing the episodes in-pace with AMC not AMC+). - - - Updated - - - Okay, watched 11x19...   The "variant" walker is a tricky thing to get into at this point in time. We've gone all this way into the ZA without ever seeing any kind of variant of walker, and then now out of the blue one shows up? Why? How? What? Obviously they're wanting something to spice things up a little, and I think I read something about there being talk of a 'variant' in that World Beyond horse shite towards the end, right??? Fortunately, the way they did it in the episode wasn't too bad and worked a lot better than I'd feared. It actually felt like a bit of a Hinzman zombie in many ways - they even had it pick up a rock to use as a weapon/tool - but at the same time, we've gone all this time without any variants. Sure, the first few episodes - particularly "Guts" had some ... ... 'inconsistent' walkers (climbing a fence, for instance) and some shots had them going a bit too brisk, but the show was in its infancy and they hadn't quite settled on their vibe fully at that point and certain details, like climbing over a ruddy fence, were ditched entirely never to be seen again. Also - it was well funny when Eugene was getting all ballsy with Daryl, who just stood there doing absolutely nothing. Variant Walker was explained in World Beyond at the end of the last episode and it did makes sense. And I guess that’s why Daryl is going to France

[shootemindehead]

Hmmm... Surprised no sign of the episodes on yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sources then. Ye aren't sailin the proper seas ye scurvy swine. Untitled-1.jpg

[JDP]

TWD is not really "ending" with this season, it's just splitting into three separate shows. This is the producers just "milking the zombie cow" still further.

[Neil]

The variant walker reminds me of the cemetary zombie in NotLD. It was far more 'with it' than traditional Romero zombies. The other thing I've noticed about recent TWD episodes, is when they now 'gore up' to walk through zombie herds, in the old days they had to gore up all over, alot... Now? A couple of dabs on their arms, and they're seemingly good to go EDIT: A good episode BTW!

[MinionZombie]

The variant walker reminds me of the cemetary zombie in NotLD. It was far more 'with it' than traditional Romero zombies. The other thing I've noticed about recent TWD episodes, is when they now 'gore up' to walk through zombie herds, in the old days they had to gore up all over, alot... Now? A couple of dabs on their arms, and they're seemingly good to go They still put on more than FearTWD was doing at some points, where it was literally a couple of thin smears - and they did it so often on that show that it was just really silly. Speaking of gore - there's been a lot more gore in the gory moments on TWD lately. Season 9 ramped it back up again and we've had some really good moments here in season 11 as well - yanking off the variant's facial mask was pretty darn awesome. Also - I've noticed they've dropped a couple of "fucks" in the dialogue, too. Does this get censored out on AMC (as opposed to AMC+), either by using an alternative take or dipping the sound, or are they actually putting the fucks in on the main broadcast, too? The aversion to "fuck" on mainstream American TV is just baffling to me, like, grow up already. Blood and guts everywhere, but for so long nobody could say "fuck"? You might say what the fuck?

[Neil]

Also - I've noticed they've dropped a couple of "fucks" in the dialogue, too. Does this get censored out on AMC (as opposed to AMC+), either by using an alternative take or dipping the sound, or are they actually putting the fucks in on the main broadcast, too? The aversion to "fuck" on mainstream American TV is just baffling to me, like, grow up already. Blood and guts everywhere, but for so long nobody could say "fuck"? You might say what the fuck? I seem to remember we had that strange situation in the UK a while back where I think the 9pm showing would risk cuts, but then the showing immediately after at 10pm wouldn't?

[MinionZombie]

I seem to remember we had that strange situation in the UK a while back where I think the 9pm showing would risk cuts, but then the showing immediately after at 10pm wouldn't? Yeah, Fox would air it at 9pm, but if there was any major gore in the first 15-30 minutes it'd get cut. I recall seeing one such clip that took place in the opening minutes of an episode, where Rick and Carl are in the woods, and there's some random guy staggering about who attracts the attention of a bunch of walkers, and he gets torn apart while Rick stops Carl from trying to help save the guy - on Fox in the UK, at 9pm, that was cut to absolute ribbons, and the edit wasn't done well either. Then at 10pm it was Talking Dead, then at 11pm it was the re-showing of TWD, at which point it was uncut. Really daft. Despite the 9pm watershed, you can't just jump straight into fucks, cunts, and splattery gruesomeness at 9:01pm - there's a degree of 'easing in' that is required, apparently, in case any dawdling kids see something 'too much' as they're trudging off to beddy-byes. Of course, with TWD now being on Disney+ in the UK, there's no such issue - but also no Talking Dead either.

[Moon Knight]

Three episodes in and zero sense of urgency. You wouldn’t think the show is ending.

[MinionZombie]

Three episodes in and zero sense of urgency. You wouldn’t think the show is ending. Hmmm ... I somewhat agree, but somewhat disagree as well. I think less time bothering with the cookie cutter religious zealot soldier leader guy and more time on the Commonwealth would've helped explore that whole new community more. I feel as if the Commonwealth hasn't quite had enough screen time to really explore it enough. We could have done with it being introduced properly in season 10, come to think of it, say mid-way through, and tightened up the Whisperers storyline. We've only got five episodes left, so I am kinda wondering where things are leading ... where's the big stuff, you know? It kinda needs to feel a little bit bigger as these are the finale episodes of TWD (the main show) and not just another back-half of a season. That said, there's still a lot going on and we're getting more juice out of the Commonwealth politics, but I do think it could've been overall integrated better over more time, first at a distance and then pulling in closer and closer as the communities get seduced into the collective, then you start peeling back the layers of artifice and sewing seeds of discontent with recently joined-up communities. TWD's various communities and sprawling cast has given scope, but it's also brought about its fair share of problems trying to juggle all these balls flying about.

[Moon Knight]

Definitely not bad episodes, to me, just doesn’t feel like the endgame. For sure agree with MZ about the scope of cast and locations, it’s a double edge sword.