Then came the scene when Rick walked down the pitch black stairway in the hospital, with only matches to guide him. Hell, that was one of the most horrific moments I'd seen on television in a long time. Even if the ultimate resolution contained no shock or surprises, man, the anticipation every time a match burned out and he lit another was intense.
Since then, the show has faltered a bit. The second season dragged with the search for Sophia and Lori continuing to mess things up with Shane. And though the third season regained some of the darkness in the first season, it still was hampered by attempts to created a sympathetic villain and a weak season finale.
But I continue to wait for the show to regain the energy of the first season. And then I found this trailer online and, well, it looks like this might be a return to form for the series. It looks brutal, bleak and full of zombie action. The group will fracture as the zombies become a threat once again (though it's implied someone is directing the horde against our cast) and it another big chunk of the cast might be lost.
I've been enjoying the show on a superficial level for the past two seasons, propelled by the zombie action and less by the human interactions. But this trailer, unveiled at the San Diego Comic Con, suggests that the show is starting to return to the sense of dread and helplessness that hung over the first season like a shroud. Here's hoping the trailer proves me right.
Last season got better, but Miss Bren's observations about female characters (on MoZ) were dead on; just when they get interesting, they get killed.
ReplyDeleteI distrust any plans to break a group up -- because that always seems like a gimmick to me. I also don't like stunt deaths and end-of-season deaths to add gravitas to the proceedings. (The finale of last year pissed me off.)
That said, I hope for better things this year. The first season rocked, and a return to form would be nice.
As to AMC's "best on cable" boast, well... No. And they won't be until they get Game of Thrones-level writing. But GoT has the advantage of being based on a well-written novel series, and therefore has a great blueprint.
(Nothing against comics (I've written comics myself), but from what I hear, they've strayed pretty far from the comic series -- which could be good ,if they actually knew where they were going. But since the first season, their direction has been pretty hazy.
i agree with your first point, and Miss Bren's comment, that the female characters on the show are getting the short end. Lori's arch was awful, as her attempts to deal with Shane were obviously included to drive the plot forward and weaken her as a character. Andrea's arch was pretty painful as well, as the show gave us a kick ass zombie slayer tripping over her hormones.
ReplyDeleteStill, I have hope. It looks like Carol is growing into someone who can handle the zombie apocalypse, rather than wait for Darryl to pull her out of harm's way. And I still hope Maggie will turn into the leadership role, with or without Glenn's support. And the writers need to develop Michonne beyond a simple badass with a katana.
I cling to my hope. I need my hope that TWD can become the show promised in the first season. As for the "best on cable" boast, it's a bit of a reach. But it has the potential.