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Reviews
The Walking Dead: Warning Signs (2018)
The Walking Dead is getting better
I've watched this show since season 1. But after Hershel's farm the show slowly became worse and worse. The Govenor and the prison chapter were the last good episodes and after that I just stayed to watch it, because I had nothing better to do. I wanted to see how bad the writing could become and overall just to see this show go down the drain, because it amused me.
Last season I thought, this is the end for TWD, because that guy Scott Gimple did a HORRIBLE job as showrunner. I really think he identifies more with the actual zombies than the living characters of TWD, because the storyline and overall writing was so dumb, it made you feel like you are brain dead when you watched it.
But now, Angela Kang took over and season 9 of TWD really feels like a new beginning!
The first three episodes instantly brought back the season 4 feeling in me and I really enjoyed watching them. TWD doesn't feel like the trainwreck it was the last three seasons and it finally managed to create a somewhat plausible and interesting storyline.
I also think it is the first time, that the characters actually talk that much about events that happened in the past. In previous seasons it just felt like they all forgot what happened to them along their way and that previous events didn't have any impact, except that some of the group are dead.
Now I'm actually having a kind of payoff when Rick talks about Daryls brother or Maggie about Hershel, because I was there and know it all and I can relate to their feelings, which attaches me more to the character.
It is the first season where I think, that the characters havn't forgotten everything and it is the first time the past has an impact on the present. This makes it more easy for me to finally care about the characters and it reminds you of all the horrors they've been through.
At the end of season 8 I was like: "I don't care who dies next, I just don't, the story is just ridiculous, the character decisions are beyond crazy and I just want this show to end the worst way possible." but now, 3 episodes into season 9 I'm more like: "I really wanna know how this all ends and I somehow hope that it has a good ending but I also know, there will be blood."
All I want is, that this show doesn't ruin its momentum like Fear The Walking Dead did. FTWD started with an, to me, interesting concept of flashbacks and present moments and it really made me curious what happened at the stadium and how all of them ended up the way they did, but the execution was so bad (so really really really bad) that season 4 ended up beeing the worst season of the show so far. To be honest, FTWD never was any good character- or storywise. This Clark family who ends up to destroy every safe place they've been to just makes me laugh. And the 4th season was the closet they can get to beeing a total trainwreck, again thanks to Mr. Scott Gimple, the man, the myth, the legend. This guy really knows how to throw shows into the trash. I'm really wondering how he got the job in the first place. Scott, if you read this, please tell me your secret!
Fear the Walking Dead: Close Your Eyes (2018)
It is a great episode...
.. until the 15th minute.
You finally get the payoff you've been waiting for, after 10 Episodes.
I mean, let's be honest: The story telling is just bad. They had 10 episodes to explain what really happened at the stadium, and I actually liked the back and forth story lines. Sure, you knew who would die, but it wasn't about that. It was about, what really happened.
But then, the midseason finale just gave you a Madison, luring away zombies, that never needed to be lured away, because her daughter was stuck at a place she could have easily avoided by just driving for 10 more seconds. Anyways, the story about the stadium just ends there, without any explaination what happened afterwards and why the hell that piece of trash Naomi joins the group who destroyed and killed all those people. Honestly, I just wanted to see her get shot by Alicia, just give that to her... but no! They go on a crazy rampage (as three people), killing all those saviours (AS THREE PEOPLE) just for no real reason why Naomi did what she did but a Morgan, playing the moralizer again and again.
I mean, Jesus Christ!! What is this story telling?!? Where is the payoff for the viewer, who mourns the death of two of the main characters? Where is the reason why all this had to happen? Why the "bad" people always get away with lousy explanations, not even beeing able to express the feeling, that they know what they had done and it was the wrong thing.
But now, this episode comes along. And the first 15 minutes are really well shot and framed. A minimum of (bad) CGI and more or less good lightning causing some atmosphere in that broken house, where Alicia seeks shelter from the worst CGI storm in The Walking Dead history. And then she finds Charlie. You alreay know by then, that she won't kill her, the episode just started. It is clear, where this is going.
And I must admit, the speech Alicia gives is bone shattering. It is filled with the payoff you wanted from the moment you knew that Charlie shot Nick. Alicia verbally rips Charlie apart and it is, to me, by far the best moment of the whole show, from season 1 to now.
I mean, would this be a real life situation, Charlie would be emotionally and mentally damaged for the rest of her life, just sobbing endlessly in a corner.
But not on FTWD, no no no (BITCONNEEEECT, sorry, I had to do that). Instead of showing her breaking down on the other side of the door, the creators of this garbage train just show her NEARLY crying and then fade to black.."That's it guys, that's the payoff for 10 episodes, but we also have our bollocks story to continue with the horrible writing we have started, so yeah... We just take that payoff away now and fade to black, ok?"
And that's it. From that moment, the episode is just downhill. Alicia turning into Madison 2.0, forgiving Charlie for what she has done, seeing the best in people, no matter what. The whole speech Alicia gave just seems to have zero impact on Charlies behaviour. First she tries to get bit by a walker, just to tell Alicia afterwards that she doesn't want to end up like them and she doesn't want to die (boy oh boy...) and Alicia just motivates her and later even tells her about the beach like they are bffs now... Holy Cow!
It seems like the characters on FTWD are able to go through all the stages of mourn, loss, hate, revenge and forgiveness, practially nearly every human emotion, by just one night in a shabby cabin. Everything is forgiven now guys, Charlie is now part of the group, you don't even dare to ask about mental instability or her feeling of regret about what she has done.
But I've seen this on TWD aswell, when Carol went from badass superkiller to sobbing old I-don't-wanna-do-this-anymore-leave-me-alone-lady to badass turbokiller again without any real explanation. So I'm not surprised, about the poor quality of drama on this show, which is actually pretty sad for a show, that tries to center around human emotions, relationships and interactions in a post-apocalyptic world.
So, I'm rating this a 3 out of 10, because until minute 15 I was hyped and enjoyed the episode, but after that it just got washed down the drain (no phun intended).
Overall, the ratings of the latest episodes speak for themself. The people are done with this show and it gets worse and worse every week. Season 5 will be the last for FTWD, I call it now. I will still watch it, because I want to know how bad the writing will get.