Fear the Walking Dead - Official discussion thread

[Kaido]

wait, what, 2nd hour?

1 or 2 hour premiere?

1.5 hour premiere.

Encore is on now if you want to watch!

 

[dmoney1980]

First episode was jus OK for me. Really slow first hour, the disappeared dead bodies in the abandoned church, and the unbelievable lack of response by the parents at the end. "Hey a zombie just attacked me and my junkie son ran him over twice to no avail ".....what's going on here?

 

[Kaido]

This is so different compared to the original... Cast chemistry seems better. Feels higher budget too, but they should be printing money at this point.

Really? I wasn't feeling it. I also don't really care for the cinematography or color grading so far. It seems like they're shooting on cheaper cameras, and some of the shots I didn't really like (camera movements etc.). Just being picky as a wannabe filmmaker tho

They are nailing it when they get serious, like when the stepdad is talking to the son in the hospital where he's recounting what went down in the church. Not that I really like the son's character, but that showed you how good of an actor he is. If this show can get its groove on, it's going to be really good.

I think the writers said they're not really going to explain why things happened, and while I'd really like to know, I think it would actually take away from the show, especially TWD...it's not about the cause, it's about dealing with the situation they're in. I don't really feel that knowing why it happened is really all that relevant, as much as I'd like to know.

 

[Kaido]

First episode was jus OK for me. Really slow first hour, the disappeared dead bodies in the abandoned church, and the unbelievable lack of response by the parents at the end. "Hey a zombie just attacked me and my junkie son ran him over twice to no avail ".....what's going on here?

Yeah, that & not shooting him in the head when he came back to life jawless...why were none of them freaking out?? I know they're confused, but come on...they just ran over their son's friend, who they were on good terms with, and they just kind stand around like ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[Kaido]

I have a feeling that it's going to be a bit of a disaster movie layout...family gets scattered, have to find out each other & ride things out. Main characters being the mom, dad, son, daughter, ex-wife, her son, and the chubby knife kid from school. Principle & boyfriend are definitely going to be the first to go.

The mom reminds me of the lady from Medium crossed with Hilary Swank. Almost feels like she's going to walk into a lawyer show or something. I think some of the creepier shots are when they show the city & all of the people living their lives...very foreboding because you know exactly what's going to happen to them. What will be neat to see is the disaster response in close quarters, i.e. how they handle things in a big city.

I don't really feel like it has its has that cohesiveness that TWD has. Of course, it's the first episode, but the first episode of TWD totally grabbed me...the shootout, waking up in the dead hospital, learning what the world's situation was. Rick is a really strong character too...I don't really feel like any of the characters were very strong out of the gate, so we'll see if things pick up & where they want the focus to be.

 

[Charmonium]

The acting was ok but definitely not great, just competent. And didn't it look the mom got bitten? I was surprised to see here looking fine in the previews but that could just be a head fake.

And interesting part of the episode for me is that Calvin turned w/o being bitten. So this looks like it's following the formula of TDW where everyone is infected and even dying normally can bring out the infection. That has always been a big part of the mystery in TDW which I hope that they explore here. It will be disappointing if they don't get into some of the mechanics behind the plague in this show.

 

[Kaido]

Eric Draven, is that you?

Seriously, kid looks like Brandon Lee, or actually anyone who's plaid the Crow.

Yeah, mixed with Johnny Depp. I see some Scissorhands in there sometimes, like at the truck scene at the end.

 

[Kaido]

The acting was ok but definitely not great, just competent. And didn't it look the mom got bitten? I was surprised to see here looking fine in the previews but that could just be a head fake.

And interesting part of the episode for me is that Calvin turned w/o being bitten. So this looks like it's following the formula of TDW where everyone is infected and even dying normally can bring out the infection. That has always been a big part of the mystery in TDW which I hope that they explore here. It will be disappointing if they don't get into some of the mechanics behind the plague in this show.

Yeah, I think the dad whacked her away before she got bit. I'm not sure if they're going to fully explain everything or not. Feels like they won't. The chubby kid had the right idea - safety in numbers, carrying a weapon, being worried about the government being mum on everything with infections in multiple states. So somehow everyone on the planet is infected, which would be really hard to do with chemical warfare, unless they developed a flu-like sickness that could spread from human to human instead of something like Agent Orange. I don't think they're really going to explain it much because again, it's not really about answering the question of the root cause...it's about how people live, and survive, post-event.

 

[RossMAN]

Starts on the west coast in less than an hour.

How is the cast chemistry compared to TWD?

 

[Kaido]

Starts on the west coast in less than an hour.

How is the cast chemistry compared to TWD?

I don't really find any of the cast very interesting at all, except for the son when they're doing serious sequences of him, but actually, I think they'll work together as a team. Whereas TWD is Rick & Co., this I think is more about teamwork as a family. They have their issues as a family, but they're going to have to overcome them & work together to make it through the change.

It hasn't started yet? I thought it aired across the U.S. at the same time?

 

[Charmonium]

Yeah, I think the dad whacked her away before she got bit. I'm not sure if they're going to fully explain everything or not. Feels like they won't. The chubby kid had the right idea - safety in numbers, carrying a weapon, being worried about the government being mum on everything with infections in multiple states. So somehow everyone on the planet is infected, which would be really hard to do with chemical warfare, unless they developed a flu-like sickness that could spread from human to human instead of something like Agent Orange. I don't think they're really going to explain it much because again, it's not really about answering the question of the root cause...it's about how people live, and survive, post-event.

I think they alluded to it by referencing flu shots a couple of times. My guess is that's what turns out to be the cause. If so, then we should see some people who die but don't turn - unless of course it's some sort of influenza that's the cause.

 

[clamum]

Eh, it was decent. Slow, but I expected some exposition for a first episode. I like the dad as an actor... I think he'll turn out to be a great character. Looking forward to the next episode.

 

[RossMAN]

It hasn't started yet? I thought it aired across the U.S. at the same time?

Nope, just double checked.

 

[Imp]

Really? I wasn't feeling it. I also don't really care for the cinematography or color grading so far. It seems like they're shooting on cheaper cameras, and some of the shots I didn't really like (camera movements etc.). Just being picky as a wannabe filmmaker tho

I like the casting, but they're supposed to be a family, so they're supposed to have good chemistry. In the original, it's supposed to be a bunch of random people and it comes off that way.

The slower first hour was probably about setting the scene: hey kids, everything's normal, nothing going on yet, people everywhere. Compare this to Rick's first ride into an abandoned Atlanta.

 

[Kaido]

I think they alluded to it by referencing flu shots a couple of times. My guess is that's what turns out to be the cause. If so, then we should see some people who die but don't turn - unless of course it's some sort of influenza that's the cause.

I'm watching the encore (while doing the dishes...whee!) & in the classroom, he's talking about how "nature always wins". And some stuff about the story character cutting open the animal to get his hands warm, so he can survive, which is what the point is. He mentioned nature always winning a couple times. I think the flu shot is in response to the outbreak...people getting the zombie fever, the outbreaks in different cities, etc. I think that's a post-infection treatment, not an infection causation.

 

[Charmonium]

I'm watching the encore (while doing the dishes...whee!) & in the classroom, he's talking about how "nature always wins". And some stuff about the story character cutting open the animal to get his hands warm, so he can survive, which is what the point is. He mentioned nature always winning a couple times. I think the flu shot is in response to the outbreak...people getting the zombie fever, the outbreaks in different cities, etc. I think that's a post-infection treatment, not an infection causation.

Not sure what you mean by 'nature always wins.' Are you saying that the cause of the outbreak is something like a natural reaction to over population - as an example. IDK. I'm not really invested in the flu shot explanation but I think they need to throw us a few bones since the cause was completely ignored in the original series.

 

[pontifex]

So how did gloria become a zombie? Did she OD? Or was the knife in her chest how she died or was that afterwards? They alluded to bad things happening in that area...

 

[RossMAN]

Starting now.

 

[Kaido]

Not sure what you mean by 'nature always wins.' Are you saying that the cause of the outbreak is something like a natural reaction to over population - as an example. IDK. I'm not really invested in the flu shot explanation but I think they need to throw us a few bones since the cause was completely ignored in the original series.

No no, that's what the dad was saying when he was teaching class. He repeated that point a couple times iirc - "nature always wins". I think they're alluding to the fact that the virus is not man-made, that it's more like the plague, and we have to do what it takes to survive.

With the flu shot thing, I think people are getting sick & then running the high fever right before they die & turn into zombies. So they're getting the flu shot & outbreaks are reported. I don't really think we're going to get much explanation other than this.

 

[Kaido]

So how did gloria become a zombie? Did she OD? Or was the knife in her chest how she died or was that afterwards? They alluded to bad things happening in that area...

imo she OD'd, then went after people, and someone stabbed her in self-defense. But we know in addition to her own death, she killed at least two people (the dude in the hallway & the one she was chewin' on when the guy found her).

 

[ghost recon88]

Looks like the zombification originated from a bad batch of drugs :hmm:

 

[Kaido]

Looks like the zombification originated from a bad batch of drugs :hmm:

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Overall I approve, I really liked the music.
I admit nobody bothering to check out the Church is silly. Especially after the adult guy goes in & there is a huge pool of blood but no body or parts left over, where did she go?
What was up with the panicked guy who disappeared?

 

[alien42]

I liked the ending up until the last bit, I think they should have taken out the dealer with a headshot like they saw on TV, but I'd assume that's how they're going to open the second one.

only the daughter saw the headshot with her friends on a phone, both parents missed that part, they left the room before the headshot. the dealer zombie was run over twice and probably isn't getting up, i don't think they'll need to kill him and they don't know how yet.

i thought it was a great premiere.

 

[Kaido]

only the daughter saw the headshot with her friends on a phone, both parents missed that part, they left the room before the headshot. the dealer zombie was ran over twice and probably isn't getting up, i don't think they'll need to kill him and they don't know how yet.

i thought it was a great premiere.

Oh right, that's a good point.

It was weird that they weren't freaking out more about #1, killing him, and #2, half his jaw missing but him still being alive.

I'd love to see this develop into a gripping store like TWD, especially those first couple of seasons. The intense parts were good & I hope they do more of them!