7.01: The Walking Dead - The Day Will Come When You Won't Play

[Mister_Oy]

I don't believe for one second Rick is going to roll over and play for Negan's tune. It would totally destroy his character.

I agree - I think then I WOULD stop watching.

Maybe.

 

[Judderman]

Is that true? I wouldn't have thought that was the case at all. And I agree with your last sentiment!

At least according to Wikipedia entries on Game of Thrones and Walking Dead, and the stats per episode, you can see Walking Dead is generally double Game of Thrones. Not quite double last season though as Game of Thrones was still increasing. I think that is purely on some US cable channel viewing.

The Walking Dead season 5 premiere and then the Fear the Walking Dead premiere have held the records for most cable viewers for a TV series episode in the US (over 17 mill). Game of Thrones is still more niche.

 

[Judderman]

In the 90-minute Talking Dead that followed the episode, the cast and host Chris Hardwick (who also served as something a grief counselor this round) did their best to equalize the departures of Michael Cudlitz and Steven Yeun from the show, but everyone knew that Yeun would be the one most missed.

Personally I will miss Abraham more. He is more amusing and I was vexed that Glenn had absurdly survived incidents in the previous season.

 

[ctg]

A couple of fans in Arkansas went that exact route and gave Glenn a proper, newspaper goodbye.

Yes, it sounds like a bit much, but the words of the obituary were actually quite accurate. It was a moving piece that will even make you laugh a couple of times.

Take a look:

The Walking Dead Fan Runs Newspaper Obituary For Glenn

 

[ctg]

Poor man. Mr Yeun did fantastic job and he certainly deserves an Emmy for the work he did on playing Glenn. So, it very understandable it's going to be hard to deal with all stuff that comes with the death of character you've been playing for seven plus years.

I feel for him.

Saying goodbye is always tough. This week, The Walking Dead and its fans said goodbye to one of the series' most beloved characters, Glenn Rhee.

Glenn was always the heart, soul, and voice of reason for Rick and the group, and his departure is going to leave a huge void for audiences going forward. It was an emotional moment for fans of the show, but it seems to be even harder on the actors themselves.

Lauren Cohan, who plays Glenn's wife Maggie on the show, broke down in tears when asked about the premiere back at New York Comic Con. The emotion of losing her fictional husband became so real that she struggled to hold it together.

If you ask Steven Yeun, leaving the show as Glenn himself has proved equally as difficult.

Steven appeared on the most recent cover of Entertainment Weekly, and he opened up to the magazine about how Glenn's death has affected him.

At one point, Yeun noted that he wouldn't be over this for a long time. After playing a character, and being part of a family, for so long, just dropping the persona can be extremely emotional.

The Walking Dead: Steven Yeun Says Glenn's Death May Affect Him For Life

Instead Andrew Lincoln has now an open petition for an Emmy: @TheEmmys: Nominate Andrew Lincoln For An Emmy

 

[REBerg]

Personally I will miss Abraham more. He is more amusing and I was vexed that Glenn had absurdly survived incidents in the previous season.

Abraham did get increased attention last season -- patching things up with Eugene to become the show's "odd couple"; deciding to dump Rosita for Sasha; talking baby with Sasha. He got to deliver funny lines, like picking a turd up by the clean end.
The showrunners had really begun to fill in Abraham's character, making viewers like him and maybe get comfortable with the idea that he would be around for a while.
Killing him in season opener is just another example of how diabolical the writers are.

 

[Gnrevolution]

Finally got round to watching this (and having avoided all spoilers) I thought it was an ok episode. The first 15-20 mins were just filler to build tension before the inevitable 'axe' swing, but served no real purpose. From then on in it was one of the darker episodes, I wasn't phased by Abraham or Glenn (I had always assumed it was Abraham, and I think they were building Glenn up as unkillable (literally) last season) but the bit with Carl got me. I really didn't know which way that was going to go, given the run up anything was possible, and maybe that was the real reason behind the extenuated gore from the earlier scenes.

Unfortunately this whole setup is ruined for me by the simple fact of 'Why not just kill Rick?' Would make more sense to me. Also, wasn't Maggie in the middle of a medical emergency at the end of season 6. Well she seems just fine now. That's odd. If she was really having medical complications from the baby, wouldn't she be incapable of doing anything? Oh dramatic licence, how kind you are.

 

[ctg]

6. Well she seems just fine now. That's odd. If she was really having medical complications from the baby, wouldn't she be incapable of doing anything?

She said, "I need to go to Hilltop. You need to go Alexandria," several times. She was also limping as if Maggie was in great physical pain. Yet, she did like so many females do as Maggie coped with the pain and get on with the business, rather than dropping on dirt and wishing to be dead.

 

[svalbard]

Finally got round to watching this (and having avoided all spoilers) I thought it was an ok episode. The first 15-20 mins were just filler to build tension before the inevitable 'axe' swing, but served no real purpose. From then on in it was one of the darker episodes, I wasn't phased by Abraham or Glenn (I had always assumed it was Abraham, and I think they were building Glenn up as unkillable (literally) last season) but the bit with Carl got me. I really didn't know which way that was going to go, given the run up anything was possible, and maybe that was the real reason behind the extenuated gore from the earlier scenes.

Unfortunately this whole setup is ruined for me by the simple fact of 'Why not just kill Rick?' Would make more sense to me. Also, wasn't Maggie in the middle of a medical emergency at the end of season 6. Well she seems just fine now. That's odd. If she was really having medical complications from the baby, wouldn't she be incapable of doing anything? Oh dramatic licence, how kind you are.

I thought it was quite clear in the closing moments of the episode that she was far from ok. She emphasied she need to get to hilltop was willing to go it alone to allow the others to get back to Alexandria. Once again she was showing the exceptional character and leader she is becoming.

 

[nixie]

Maggie I think will emerge stronger and more ruthless. Not an out and killer but a strategist who will plan most of their future moves with devastating results.

I feel for Maggie she seen her home and family destroyed, her father beheaded, thought she had her sister back only for her to be killed. Then Glen, they never had an easy ride. He went missing on a number of occasions presumed dead then finally he gets bludgeoned with a bat. I hope they let her keep the baby.

 

[Gnrevolution]

She said, "I need to go to Hilltop. You need to go Alexandria," several times. She was also limping as if Maggie was in great physical pain. Yet, she did like so many females do as Maggie coped with the pain and get on with the business, rather than dropping on dirt and wishing to be dead.

I thought it was quite clear in the closing moments of the episode that she was far from ok. She emphasied she need to get to hilltop was willing to go it alone to allow the others to get back to Alexandria. Once again she was showing the exceptional character and leader she is becoming.

In the last episode of Season 6 she was in so much pain she couldn't even walk (they were carrying her on a stretcher), not sure what is supposed to be wrong with her, maybe the pain abated somewhat, or maybe she's just toughing it out, I just don't buy it unfortunately.

 

[REBerg]

Well, just look at how much pain the walkers are experiencing, what with many of their body parts maimed or missing, yet they carry on with their business. They are clearly the most tenacious characters in the show.

 

[svalbard]

Well, just look at how much pain the walkers are experiencing, what with many of their body parts maimed or missing, yet they carry on with their business. They are clearly the most tenacious characters in the show.

They are martyrs to their cause.

 

[Judderman]

Good points. Time to cheer the walkers!

 

[Gnrevolution]

Good points. Time to cheer the walkers!

Yeah man, at least you don't see them f*ckin each other over for a goddamn percentage.

 

[ctg]

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kirkman told the site that Glenn’s death was ultimately too pivotal to overlooked.

“It’s just that there’s a lot of material that comes from Glenn’s death in the comics,” Kirkman explained. “And while we do try to change things up to keep things interesting for the audience, and for me, this is one that there’s so much that comes from Rick, there’s so much with Negan, because that character is someone that he killed, and definitely Maggie is someone that kind of gets put on the trajectory that affects a great number of stories and a great number of characters moving forward. So it was kind of essential that that part of the scene at least remained intact, unfortunately.”

Of course, many fans had hoped Kirkman and the folks at AMC would alter the show from the comics given Glenn’s popularity. It wouldn’t have been the first divergence of the series. On the show, it was Hershel who was beheaded by the Governor rather than Tyreese. Abraham lived too see another day on the small screen when he died in Denise’s place in the comics. And let’s not even get started about Andrea.

Ultimately, Kirkman felt that Glenn needed to go for the show to move forward into more complex storylines. He did admit that other options were discussed, but they were of little use. “At the end of the day, we were like, pulling the thread on this sweater just pulls too many things apart and it’s too difficult to get back on that trajectory without that death.”

Kirkman did say the final decision was a difficult one, especially since Glenn’s death in the comics was inked after Steven Yeun had been cast as the character. “Glenn was actually the first death in the comic that happened after the person was cast,” he said.

“Abraham died in the comic book before Cudlitz had ever been cast as Abraham. There are a lot of other big deaths that happened, but they were all done in the comic before the person was cast, so Glenn was actually the first time while I was writing the comic where I was like, ‘Oh, geez.’”

The showrunner continued, saying, “Glenn was the first time there was an actual human being type to it in such an intimate way so it does make things a little weird and more difficult, but at the same time I can’t allow that to change the way that I write stories. I just push through it and stay the course, but I do find myself very hesitant to do character deaths on the show. Especially these days, just because you miss these people and it’s just not a fun process. But it’s something that we all agree the story needs, and it definitely makes the show better and it makes things heightened and cool. It’s tough but we gotta do what we gotta do.”

The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman Reveals Why Glenn Had To Die

“So I’ve been in denial,” she wrote. “The thought, the notion of losing Glen as a character in the show and Steven Yeun as a colleague is something I am yet to fully wrap my mind around. Steven was to me, from the very start, that deeply specific indicator that I was in the right place as I entered the TWD realm. The minute I was cast, he was in touch, inviting me to a lunch he and Lauren organized and trying to come watch my play The Convert which was then in production. Once I made it to GA, he helped me figure out where to stay, even letting me crash in his place over a weekend as I scouted out this new terrain called Atlanta.”

“His kindness, his passion, his purity of heart, his genuine goodness and his amazing sense of humor makes him one of the best people I know. His dedication to our show, to this family, his deep concern with all things concerning the story we strive to tell, his utter commitment, his outrage, provokes me to be better, to dig deeper. The heart he brought to every frame he occupied inspired us all to never be complacent. One of my favorite things in life is to make Steven laugh. He has one of those laughs that revives the dead, that fills you with inexplicable joy. His ability to make me laugh, that deep belly laugh that makes life a little lighter, is something I am pained to accept I won’t have daily access to. Over the years I have grown to learn how similar Steven and I are, from our migrant families, to our college majors to our faith. He’s my brother. I’ve been in denial, and remain so.”

The actress continued her tribute when she wished Yeun well on his future projects. Gurira wrote, “I am so excited, however, to watch his journey continue to unfold, he is designed to break barriers, to fill the world with stories that must and have yet to be told.”

“He is built to transcend and will forever be my friend. And that makes me thankful to know him and to start to accept that painful truth, that our work relationship has sadly, at this time, come to an end.”

The Walking Dead: Danai Gurira Pays Tribute To Glenn

 

[Marvin]

I think I'm done.

Not because of the gore (surely we're all used to that by now and not just in this show) or the offing of the main characters, which I have always 'enjoyed' its boring when characters are totally safe (red wedding Game of Thrones anyone.) There is of course the potential of heading into 'Triggers broom' territory (apologies if the pop culture reference is lost on some.) If everyone at the beginning is no longer in it - is it the same show anymore - its like a soap opera, just endlessly going on. We have Rick, Karl, Daryl, Carol are there any others? and should Daryl count; was he there right at the beginning? and according to the source material he should be long gone now (haven't read the comics, just what I have heard on these boards.)

So if it is a journey we are taking with Rick, or more interestingly Karl - where exactly are we heading.

I only got half way through this episode (after finishing the second half of season 6 in a couple of sittings.) I just stopped and thought, we have been here before, I'm not being shown anything new anymore. Whoopy a new way to die or be killed, but the story needs more than that? This is just another boogeyman, in what is becoming a long line - one ever worse than before. Now I'm no writer so I shouldn't criticise, but that doesn't seem like the hardest thing in the world to keep doing.

I need an arc - all the best series that have pulled me along to the end, seemed to have the end game in mind when they start (Breaking Bad springs to mind, if they didn't they did a good job of finishing.) Lost was the opposite, always felt like they made it up as they went along, or maybe it just had a weak ending from day one? The Walking Dead seems to be adrift. I understand the comics are still being written? are they heading somewhere, or is it all just a bit of gore porn really?

I read the episode posts on here for what has happened so far in s7 and nothing jumped out to make me want to jump back in. If anyone is up to date with the stories and wants to put a big fat spoiler in an answer telling me whats to come that might change my mind, I will happily read it and then maybe watch the show just to see how they get there. If 'there' still doesn't exist, I think I will spend my time on something else.

I will add, I have loved following the journey to now, it has been fantastic in places.
But I have a feeling I have seen the whole story already.

Now where did I leave that baseball bat...

 

[REBerg]

I think I'm done.

Not because of the gore (surely we're all used to that by now and not just in this show) or the offing of the main characters, which I have always 'enjoyed' its boring when characters are totally safe (red wedding Game of Thrones anyone.) There is of course the potential of heading into 'Triggers broom' territory (apologies if the pop culture reference is lost on some.) If everyone at the beginning is no longer in it - is it the same show anymore - its like a soap opera, just endlessly going on. We have Rick, Karl, Daryl, Carol are there any others? and should Daryl count; was he there right at the beginning? and according to the source material he should be long gone now (haven't read the comics, just what I have heard on these boards.)

So if it is a journey we are taking with Rick, or more interestingly Karl - where exactly are we heading.

I only got half way through this episode (after finishing the second half of season 6 in a couple of sittings.) I just stopped and thought, we have been here before, I'm not being shown anything new anymore. Whoopy a new way to die or be killed, but the story needs more than that? This is just another boogeyman, in what is becoming a long line - one ever worse than before. Now I'm no writer so I shouldn't criticise, but that doesn't seem like the hardest thing in the world to keep doing.

I need an arc - all the best series that have pulled me along to the end, seemed to have the end game in mind when they start (Breaking Bad springs to mind, if they didn't they did a good job of finishing.) Lost was the opposite, always felt like they made it up as they went along, or maybe it just had a weak ending from day one? The Walking Dead seems to be adrift. I understand the comics are still being written? are they heading somewhere, or is all just a bit of gore porn really?

I read the episode posts on here for what has happened so far in s7 and nothing jumped out to make me want to jump back in. If anyone is up to date with the stories and wants to put a big fat spoiler in an answer telling me whats to come that might change my mind, I will happily read it and then maybe watch the show just to see how they get there. If 'there' still doesn't exist, I think I will spend my time on something else.

I will add, I have loved following the journey to now, it has been fantastic in places.
But I have a feeling I have seen the whole story already.

Now where did I leave that baseball bat...

Maybe it depends on individual expectations.
Whenever a show stops being personally entertaining on a consistent basis, it's time to stop watching. That hasn't happened yet for me with TWD.

 

[ctg]

are they heading somewhere, or is it all just a bit of gore porn really?

I don't know how to satisfy you and not spoil at the same time, but I can say they're heading in a very specific direction. Sorry.

 

[Glaysher]

I think I'm done.

and should Daryl count; was he there right at the beginning? and according to the source material he should be long gone now (haven't read the comics, just what I have heard on these boards.)

...

Daryl was a new character for the show and not in the comics. Carol was supposed to have died a while ago. Some of the deviations from the comic are because Daryl is there.