So I watched last night's episode of "The Walking Dead" (3/3/2013) and, as usual, I felt it was excellent. It had all of the drama that the show usually brings, along with the usual zombie mayhem, although to a lesser degree than some of the other episodes. I watched it with my brother, and we both said the same thing. There were some commercial breaks that we were actually thankful for, because we had a chance to process what we had just seen. The episode brought back a character that we had not seen since Season 1, and this character's reunion with Rick brought the emotional level of the show to new heights. I won't give away anything else about the episode. You will just have to see for yourself.
So then, being the Facebook junkie that I am, I decided to torture myself by logging in to see what other people were saying. The reaction was basically what I had expected. People that I know who are fans of the show basically agreed with what I thought. Drama, action, emotion, and basically an all-around great episode. We basically all agree that the show consistently shows how great it can be, and why it remains one of the best shows on television. Hell, I know people who would never watch a horror film in their lives who are addicted to this show.
Then, of course, come "The Haters". I really dislike that term because it gets tossed around so frequently about everything and after a while it loses any semblance of meaning, but it this case, it really is applicable.
I read comments such as "This is the worse episode of the worst season so far," and, "That was a throwaway episode." What the fuck does that even mean? A throwaway episode? We have Rick unraveling and losing his mind, and he comes across someone who meant something to him, resulting in pure emotion and drama, and some people call this "throwaway"? Could it possibly be that I am so stupid that I simply don't see what they see? Is it possible that I am such a fan of the show that I am completely blind to any faults it might have? NO!
Over time, as this show progresses, I am becoming more and more convinced of a few things:
One, there is a contingent of people out there in the Net-O-Sphere who have convinced themselves that claiming to hate popular things make them appear edgy and cool. Guess what skeezix? It doesn't. It just makes you seem angry and bitter. Don't get me wrong. If you don't like the show, that's perfectly fine. Not everyone likes horror. Not everyone likes drama. Maybe you don't like some of the characters, or the pacing or whatever. Again, no one likes everything, and that's part of life. I personally don't care for romantic comedies, but that doesn't mean that there aren't good ones. I think some people just have a need to have their voices heard, and they think the way to do it is just to spew venom about everything. Well, so what? You just go right on hating everything.
Second, I think there's also a group of people that just don't "get" what the show is about. Don't get me wrong. I don't think these people are unintelligent in any way. I just think that their expectation of what the show would be about did not meet with reality. They think it's a show about horror and zombies, but it really isn't. "The Walking Dead" is a human drama, that just happens to take place under horrific circumstances. They just don't hold back on any of the violence and gore, which to me, just adds to the realism. Killing "people", whether alive or undead, isn't pretty. Once you understand what the show is really about, I think it will be more enjoyable if you're one of the people who just expected a straight-up horror show.
Third, I think there's a group that simply doesn't want any drama or emotion at all. Each week, they just want 60 minutes of zombie munching, gunfire and head shots. To these people I say this. Go and watch "The Expendables", because that's all you can handle.
Lastly, there's the group that considers and deviation from the original comics to be a blasphemy. Get over it. I don't understand why the TV show, and it's differences from the comics, could or would ever diminish your love of those comics. These are the same ultra-fans who committed suicide because there were differences between Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and the original books. Here's a news flash. Comics and TV are different mediums. Deal with it.
Now, please don't misunderstand me. Of course the show has it's flaws. There's no such thing as perfection. The seasons can be very uneven, and sometimes this happens within individual episodes. There are also times when I have to question some of the writing decisions and how some of the characters are written. I find myself saying, "Wow, would that person really do that?"
Folks, we live in an ocean of shitty "reality" TV, where shows like "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and "Hillbilly Hand Fishing" (whatever the fuck that is) can score millions of viewers. Is that what you want? It sure seems that way. A show like "The Walking Dead" comes along and all some people can think to do is shit on it? Like I said, if you don't particularly care for it, that's fine. It's not for everyone, but for as long as this show is on, I will consider it a gift. We horror fans are always screaming for something good to come along and when it finally does, we should support it, not tear it down.
Some people should just go back to watching "The Bachelor", which is the real horror show.
So then, being the Facebook junkie that I am, I decided to torture myself by logging in to see what other people were saying. The reaction was basically what I had expected. People that I know who are fans of the show basically agreed with what I thought. Drama, action, emotion, and basically an all-around great episode. We basically all agree that the show consistently shows how great it can be, and why it remains one of the best shows on television. Hell, I know people who would never watch a horror film in their lives who are addicted to this show.
Then, of course, come "The Haters". I really dislike that term because it gets tossed around so frequently about everything and after a while it loses any semblance of meaning, but it this case, it really is applicable.
I read comments such as "This is the worse episode of the worst season so far," and, "That was a throwaway episode." What the fuck does that even mean? A throwaway episode? We have Rick unraveling and losing his mind, and he comes across someone who meant something to him, resulting in pure emotion and drama, and some people call this "throwaway"? Could it possibly be that I am so stupid that I simply don't see what they see? Is it possible that I am such a fan of the show that I am completely blind to any faults it might have? NO!
Over time, as this show progresses, I am becoming more and more convinced of a few things:
One, there is a contingent of people out there in the Net-O-Sphere who have convinced themselves that claiming to hate popular things make them appear edgy and cool. Guess what skeezix? It doesn't. It just makes you seem angry and bitter. Don't get me wrong. If you don't like the show, that's perfectly fine. Not everyone likes horror. Not everyone likes drama. Maybe you don't like some of the characters, or the pacing or whatever. Again, no one likes everything, and that's part of life. I personally don't care for romantic comedies, but that doesn't mean that there aren't good ones. I think some people just have a need to have their voices heard, and they think the way to do it is just to spew venom about everything. Well, so what? You just go right on hating everything.
Second, I think there's also a group of people that just don't "get" what the show is about. Don't get me wrong. I don't think these people are unintelligent in any way. I just think that their expectation of what the show would be about did not meet with reality. They think it's a show about horror and zombies, but it really isn't. "The Walking Dead" is a human drama, that just happens to take place under horrific circumstances. They just don't hold back on any of the violence and gore, which to me, just adds to the realism. Killing "people", whether alive or undead, isn't pretty. Once you understand what the show is really about, I think it will be more enjoyable if you're one of the people who just expected a straight-up horror show.
Third, I think there's a group that simply doesn't want any drama or emotion at all. Each week, they just want 60 minutes of zombie munching, gunfire and head shots. To these people I say this. Go and watch "The Expendables", because that's all you can handle.
Lastly, there's the group that considers and deviation from the original comics to be a blasphemy. Get over it. I don't understand why the TV show, and it's differences from the comics, could or would ever diminish your love of those comics. These are the same ultra-fans who committed suicide because there were differences between Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and the original books. Here's a news flash. Comics and TV are different mediums. Deal with it.
Now, please don't misunderstand me. Of course the show has it's flaws. There's no such thing as perfection. The seasons can be very uneven, and sometimes this happens within individual episodes. There are also times when I have to question some of the writing decisions and how some of the characters are written. I find myself saying, "Wow, would that person really do that?"
Folks, we live in an ocean of shitty "reality" TV, where shows like "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and "Hillbilly Hand Fishing" (whatever the fuck that is) can score millions of viewers. Is that what you want? It sure seems that way. A show like "The Walking Dead" comes along and all some people can think to do is shit on it? Like I said, if you don't particularly care for it, that's fine. It's not for everyone, but for as long as this show is on, I will consider it a gift. We horror fans are always screaming for something good to come along and when it finally does, we should support it, not tear it down.
Some people should just go back to watching "The Bachelor", which is the real horror show.
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