The television discussion thread

[bearkg88]

Aside from the pilot, the show doesn't really get good until the third season.

It has moments for me during the 1st and 2nd season I enjoyed, but yes, the third season is by far the best so far

[Iron Ape]

It has moments for me during the 1st and 2nd season I enjoyed, but yes, the third season is by far the best so far

There are definitely some good moments sprinkled here and there, but they're pretty damn sporadic. And there's so much tedium to trudge through to get to said moments that I have a difficult time really recommending that sort of chore to people. I mean, the show just isn't like a Breaking Bad, or a Boardwalk Empire, or The Shield, where, yeah, they all manage to get even better as they go, but they're all still really damn good from the jump. There aren't any discernible lulls in the quality with those shows, whereas The Walking Dead only seemed to work in fits and starts.

The Shield-vet Glen Mazzara has worked a small miracle with the way he's turned the show around since taking control this season, though. Aside from some small niggling complaints (like The Governor being a watered-down version of his comic book counterpart, and Michonne's constant, almost comical, scowling), he's helped the show make significant strides towards reaching its full potential. It's not quite on the level of Telltale's masterful downloadable game series yet, but I think in many ways it has caught up to Kirkman's books.

[Iron Ape]

Boardwalk Empire's season finale >>>>>>>>>>> The Walking Dead's mid-season thingamabob

[wrestlingfan66513]

Ahh, I wish they push the Governor more like in the comics. I know he can be a much better villain but good mid season finale

[Iron Ape]

The way The Governor loses his eye is soooooooooooo much better in the comics. They sort of wussed out on that tonight.

[Kashdinero]

The way The Governor loses his eye is soooooooooooo much better in the comics. They sort of wussed out on that tonight.

Spoon>Shard of glass..

I guess Michonne never really had the incentive to actually torture him like she did in the comics.

I must say, though, I'm not really digging the actress who is playing Michonne, and I'm pretty disappointed with her on-screen incarnation. As you pointed out, all that scowling is doing her no favours whatsoever.

But, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season, and am mega pissed I gots to wait until February for my next TWD fix.

On the plus side..

Idiot Abroad III has started. Bringing Warrick along for the ride was a bit of genius.

[Wade Barrett 1979]

The mask party and 'pleasure chamber' were particularly funny.

As were the Gypsies rubbing Warwick's head for luck.

[Pumpkinhead]

Spoon>Shard of glass..

I guess Michonne never really had the incentive to actually torture him like she did in the comics.

I must say, though, I'm not really digging the actress who is playing Michonne, and I'm pretty disappointed with her on-screen incarnation. As you pointed out, all that scowling is doing her no favours whatsoever.

But, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season, and am mega pissed I gots to wait until February for my next TWD fix.

On the plus side..

Idiot Abroad III has started. Bringing Warrick along for the ride was a bit of genius.

Glad to see I'm not the only who thinks that, the Michonne made some idiotic decisions but I hope she get's better in the next part of the season

[Iron Ape]

Spoon>Shard of glass..

Yup.

I guess Michonne never really had the incentive to actually torture him like she did in the comics.

That's true. I'm not really sure why they decided to alter the story so drastically, though, as I felt The Governor's raping of Michonne in the comic made for much more powerful drama than his just making Maggie take her shirt off on the show. Taking away that added layer of sickness and depravity somewhat lessened the impact of Michonne taking his eye (which was additionally neutered by them not going the cereal utensil route).

I figure the change in direction might have something to do with the material being a bit too extreme to depict on television, but that's frankly ridiculous considering the level of extreme, gratuitous violence that the show already gets away with.

I must say, though, I'm not really digging the actress who is playing Michonne, and I'm pretty disappointed with her on-screen incarnation. As you pointed out, all that scowling is doing her no favours whatsoever.

But, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season, and am mega pissed I gots to wait until February for my next TWD fix.

Yeah, Michonne is one of the best characters from the books, and they're really dropping with her realization on the show (thus far, anyways). I mean, they got the aesthetics with her right, but the one-dimensional characterization of over-the-top anger and distrust is just off the mark. And it's like the concept of nuance is lost on the actress, so she just knocks that scowl home in every scene with a hammer.

Chad Coleman was fantastic as Cutty Wise on The Wire, so I've got really high hopes for him to deliver as Tyrese. I'll probably never stop being amused by the somewhat offensive tokenism of black guys on the show, though, because they seem to have to kill one black guy on the show off whenever another one shows up. It's almost like a running joke.

On the plus side..

Idiot Abroad III has started. Bringing Warrick along for the ride was a bit of genius.

Yeah, I really need to see this. Karl's probably the funniest dude on television at the moment.

[HeelTurn]

Just got done watching another few episodes from Season 3 of Boardwalk Empire and yet another surprising death has occured, what a show it is.

Some others shows I have been dipping in and out of or watching more regularly are Arrow, Perception and Hatfields and McCoys.