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>'the sequence in the bar was one of the best things the show has done.'
For a moment I thot I wuz watching 'Justified', which has great stuff like that every week.
Hey stevehauk,
Please don't discuss the comic. And NO SPOILERS!!!!! Sure you put some of it in inviso-text, which is good enough, but we DO NOT discuss the comic in this thread, nor the events in the future of the comic that may or may not happen. IF you MUST talk about the comic then put ALL of it in the spoiler text.
I didn't find this episode much better than the rest, which is to say -- I thought it was pretty good. Part of enjoying this show now is just acknowledging that it is glossy entertainment, not high art. It's never gonna get to the level of something like Breaking Bad or Mad Men, so judging it with those standards is pointless and ruins your enjoyment of the show. The writing isn't "bad" -- for TV, it's competent. The characters aren't two-dimensional -- they've done some nice work with them, if nothing spectacular. Part of the problem is that the pedigree of the show indicates a level of sophistication it's just never going to reach, leading to frustration. This is a cut-and-dry case of "enjoy it for what it is."
35 minutes of The Walking Dead, 12 minutes of an above average television drama.
I had completely forgot the show was back on until I saw the thread bumped yesterday. Caught the episode last night and a standoff with the Philly group can't be something that will be too interesting since Rick just wasted one of the best guest stars the show has brought forth.
This show is like The Simpsons, everyone in Hollywood wants a half-assed one episode cameo to add to their resume.
And, JMulder, no snark meant at all but how does that differ from "turn your brain off" and thereby garner the show a critical pass?
*EDIT* And I am still flummoxed by people saying the writing for this show isn't bad. Either the writing is bad or these actors are shit. The editing in the first half of the episode was jarring still as well. The whole "daughter goes into shock" scenes were flubbed. The dialogue between Lori and Andrea was stilted, the editing between the kitchen and the bedroom was choppy and the non-speaking actors in the scenes were standing around like they were in first year drama class wondering what to do with their hands because they haven't taken up smoking yet.
The dialogue on the farm was repetitive yet again with every paired off character rehashing what we just saw or just heard from some other paired off set of actors.
And the final scene, while the best of the episode and probably the season, was very, very minorly almost screwed up between the questioning about where Rick and his people were holed up. The Philly guy figures out there is a farm and there was no flinching or acknowledgment from anyone in the bar that the farm was the right answer until after a few more back and forths and then Rick just says there is no room. Even I, though, will admit this is a nitpick looking for something in that scene. Otherwise it capped off well but if I make it to the end of Season 2 I will be surprised.
And, JMulder, no snark meant at all but how does that differ from "turn your brain off" and thereby garner the show a critical pass?
Well, I don't think the show garners a critical pass by acknowledging it is not sophisticated and yet still exacting enjoyment from it. It works within a middling level of achievement, and an impressive (moreover, watchable) one compared to the rest of TV. I wouldn't encourage anybody to turn off their brains and become listless, passive sponges for banal entertainment, but surely there is a way to keep your brain active and enjoy sub-par entertainment at the same time? There's not this absolute binary between "intellectually active" and "braindead" as someone like Devin would have it.
I see nothing in Walking Dead that raises massive critical red flags like Fast Five or Transformers do, and unlike those movies, Walking Dead actually checks all the boxes for a "good piece of entertainment" -- it'll just never transcend them. I don't think there's anything overly objectionable about that, and certainly not to the extent that all the baffling scorn this show gets would indicate.
Dig it and I concur.
Good first half...still don't know if I like the characters enough to see the quieter talky moments.
These last two episodes are the first time the show's felt like it's had some momentum in a long time.
Does coma-lady at the farm have a name? I feel like they want us to care about her but that's one of the show's flaws - if it wants to not bore me during the quiet moments they need to give these people some characterization.
But I agree that these last two episodes have had some pep in their step. Though it looks like they are gearing up to get rid of Shane, and he's the only compelling character on the show IMO.
I hope they don't get rid of Shane, I'm thinking it's going to be more of a split group situation where you have team Rick and Team Shane.
I could see Andrea and T-Dog going off with Shane with possibly Darryl into another group that leaves the farm.
Even Lori didn't suck this week! That's significant writing improvement,
While they're busy fixing the mistakes of season one, they really need to get Lennie James back. He's still the best actor on the show, and he was only in one episode! Plus adding him would allow them to get rid of T-Oken without hurting their quotas.
That poor guy... "What do I do? I'm an actor. I'm on The Walking Dead. No, not as an extra. I'm a regular! Who do I play? Well, my character's motivation is... he's this guy from... fine, I play the black guy. I don't even have a real name. The writers put a fake scene with background story for me in every script as a sick joke. My only hope at this point is that my death is actually on-camera."
The Rick / Hershel / Glenn side-quest into town has been right up there with the most exciting stuff the show has done so far. Some nice work from Scott Wilson this week. Loved his horrified reaction as he watched the guy that he shot down get eaten alive. Also loved him asserting himself and telling Shane to fuck off.
Also loved him asserting himself and telling Shane to fuck off.
I actually cheered when he did that. It's about fucking time. Fun to see Scott Wilson with a bit of life in him. "Oh, I know how to shoot, I just don't like to."
Loved the zombies eating that guy's face, also the zombie tearing his own skin off trying to get in the car. Great episode for me, full of tension, just loved it. Glenn behaved like a moron when he got back to his girl, but these writers don't really understand human relationships very well and I'm okay with that.
Even Lori didn't suck this week!
Well it was humorous to see her literally as the red devil on Rick's shoulder egging him to do something about Shane.
So now Lori's Lady Macbeth? That actress has to be in a constant state of WTF.
Does coma-lady at the farm have a name? I feel like they want us to care about her but that's one of the show's flaws - if it wants to not bore me during the quiet moments they need to give these people some characterization.
This was also true of the first season. You'll get actual characters like Dale, or Daryl, then you'll get that random black woman, and Hispanic family. These background characters seem too grounded in reality, whereas everyone else feels like a character. It clashes. If we are introduced to someone new, they need to feel like they belong on this show, not on another show.
The Rick / Hershel / Glenn side-quest into town has been right up there with the most exciting stuff the show has done so far.
I hate to criticize the farm storyline since everyone does that, but it really has dragged this season down. Everyone would rather see Rick and co duke it out with zombies or people in that town and not just watch them chill out at the farm. In a way, the farm has become the DHARMA hatch from Lost. It provides relative comfort, has food and electricity, beds, etc. Even though the survivors are roughing it up in the field, they still have the safety of the farm.
What's with the young man who lives in the house? Talk about just standing around in the background. Is he Maggie's brother? He very rarely has any dialogue and action in the story. If this was Star Trek I bet he'd have a red shirt on. They've not been developing his character at all, and if something were to happen to him it would seem obligatory as we have no emotion invested in him.
As for Shane, I'd like to see him leave the group and go off by himself, only to re-appear a season down the road as a bad guy. Kinda thot that's what they were gonna do with one-handed Merle Dixon, but no sign of Michael Rooker yet.
Herschel's family was much larger in the comic, so it's actually good that they've made it smaller. Catatonic girl actually elicited a "who's she?" from my Dad when we were watching it yesterday. Then I explained she went into that state after the incident in the barn, and he remembered.
This last episode was good, and I was surprised at the zombie biting off the black guy's upper lip and nose. A nice return to seeing R-rated level gore on basic cable. Something that had been sorely lacking for a while.
Nice to see someone else mention the "Lady MacBeth" nature that seemed to come over Lori once her husband and her took their shirts off to reverse spoon. Add that up with the finally happened Shane and Lori "talk about things" chat (in an actually sitting room, no less) and the setting of a "Lori controls men" plot, they are actually giving her something to do.
Although had there been a two walkers AND a mountain lion at the crash scene, that also would be cool.
Evidently, much of what we're liking in this new batch of episodes can pretty much be laid squarely at Mazzara's feet.
Ok I did like Daryl using everything in his arsenal to get that kooky old bird away from his camp. Need to see this human make more ear necklaces and shooting things.
These last two episodes are the first time the show's felt like it's had some momentum in a long time.
Absolutely. I think the character work is still just okay, but improving, and I found the action riveting.
Even Lori didn't suck this week! That's significant writing improvement,
Andrea seemed to be morphing into an actual character as well.
Absolutely. I think the character work is still just okay, but improving, and I found the action riveting.
Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Character-o-meter:
Lori - seems to be getting a little bit more consistent
Daryl - regressing, which is disappointing
Andrea - definitely on the Team Shane side, but still seems to want to look out for the larger group, but it's a tenuous connection
T-Dog - ugh. Either give this poor guy something to do, or kill him off.
Dale - if Shane shot him right now, I'd be OK with that.
Carol - the Susan Powter-coiffed equivalent of T-Dog
Hershel, Glen, and Rick have been pretty aces so far; not coincidentally, they're the guys we got to spend some serious time with. Hopefully the writing is starting to round into shape, and we get plot coming from well-drawn characters, as opposed to characters who conform to whatever the plot needs to happen.
Agree that the character work will take some time, but it does seem to be building in a way it hasn't before. I hope it keeps up. At the very least, Mazzara's choices (based on the article linked above) are forcing things into motion at a pace that I prefer.
EDIT: Kevin Matchstick, I agree that Lori's pretty much gone through every unlikeable character trait possible, but at least it seemed motivated this time.
I do like the tension going in the Rick vs Shane camp, but it'd help if the show (and the actor) wasn't portraying Shane like some psycho ready to snap. I really hope what happens is that the show allows these characters to split camps that we then follow to see what happens. It'd be really interesting if the camp that we're inclined not to "like" is the one that does a better job of surviving, which would explore the dynamic the show has been tip toeing around without gracefully saying anything about it. Shane might be a dickhead and a hard ass, but when it comes to survival, he's right. Rick's optimism is bound to get people killed. Time to split camps and enjoy it. If they bump off Shane, there goes the whole show in my opinion.
Also, I know these are new writers, but there were some serious character inconsistencies with this episode. Suddenly Hershel is okay with just popping a guy in the head? And Glenn is feeling cowardly, even though he saved his new girl friend just a few episodes ago?
Finally, the stuff about how they know about Otis is just ridiculous.
Finally, the stuff about how they know about Otis is just ridiculous.
After the Otis murder, Shane shaved his head, started acting very disturbed and angry, and keeps coming damn near to confessing when confronted. It's not like these people are all psychic.
Everyone magically knowing about Shane and Otis does bother me a little bit. That information could have come out in a more organic way than Dale just figuring it out because he hates Shane.
Dale saw Shane line up a shot to kill Rick, and Rick was his best friend. Shane is constantly suggesting either killing people, or leaving them behind. When Dale confronts Shane, he's guessing. But Shane doesn't deny it.
Lori doesn't believe Dale until Shane himself convinces her with his completely nutso speech about how true their love is. I was surprised he didn't sneak in, "You're the only woman in the world I'd ever try to rape!"
As we've noticed, Shane isn't exactly hiding his instability. That the writers picked the two characters most aware of his longer-term bouts with evil to suspect him makes it seem quite believable to me.
After the Otis murder, Shane shaved his head
I just shaved my head. Does that mean I killed an Otis?
Dale saw Shane line up a shot to kill Rick, and Rick was his best friend. Shane is constantly suggesting either killing people, or leaving them behind. When Dale confronts Shane, he's guessing. But Shane doesn't deny it.
Lori doesn't believe Dale until Shane himself convinces her with his completely nutso speech about how true their love is. I was surprised he didn't sneak in, "You're the only woman in the world I'd ever try to rape!"
As we've noticed, Shane isn't exactly hiding his instability. That the writers picked the two characters most aware of his longer-term bouts with evil to suspect him makes it seem quite believable to me.
What bothers me about all of this is the logic of it all. Dale saw Shane do that fairly early last season, but it wasn't until after Shane killed Otis that he actually spoke to anybody about how Shane was acting. That's awfully convenient. And Shane's speech to Lori and his instability are, to me, both problems too. Not that he shouldn't be fucked up in the Otis aftermath, but he's become a totally different character. It's one thing to slowly morph into more of a villain. Shane this season has full on Shining'd out.
Wow. Best episode yet this season. Lori's manipulation of Rick was masterfully written and acted - an incredibly huge improvement over most of the dialogue and interactions we've seen. I still loathe Lori, but at least she didn't come off as an utter moron this episode.
Poor Glenn. He's found love, but has no idea how to handle the stress of the Zombie Apocalypse and Farm Nookie. I thought that scene was a bit awkward, but as pointed out above, the show hasn't demonstrated a lot of understanding into actual human relationships. It's getting better, to be sure, but still has some work.
I'm finding people's dismay or disbelief over the group's guesses/conclusions re: Shane (and Otis) puzzling. The show's clearly demonstrated the line of reasoning and discussions leading to Lori telling Rick. I had no problems following or believing it.
Daryl: yes, the character is "regressing" but it feels real and organic. Daryl's trying to figure out his place in the group and the world. Not naturally a reflective type, we've seen the kinds of warring voices/factions inside his personality. Part of him knows Rick and the others are good people; part of him thinks they're all worthless and weak. He doesn't know what to do; so he's not leaving, but he's not doing their bidding, either. I really liked the scenes with him and Carol pretty great: a shit-ton of stuff going on. Carol's both taking the high road AND falling for the bad guy, again. Daryl's not her POS late husband, but he's also not a Sensitive 90s Guy, either.
This may be heresy, but it seems like Darabont's departure was the best thing for the show.
Evidently, much of what we're liking in this new batch of episodes can pretty much be laid squarely at Mazzara's feet.
From the article:
This echoes what we read in the Mazzara interview earlier. It sounds like Darabont simply did not have a good grasp of the rhythms of a TV show. I know we have some folks who disagree, but the pacing and choices of the show to let the Shane/Lori/Rick thing sit (not even simmer) for so long simply didn't work and was actively hurting the show.
I'm genuinely excited about the rest of S2, and am really hopeful for S3.
"Fairly early last season" was what, six episodes ago? And in the show's world, a couple weeks ago?
Shane has seriously contemplated murdering his best friend and raping the woman he claims to love. He's been unstable since scene one.
Considering the shakeup we know occurred in the writer's room, I'm impressed that they've so quickly managed to course-correct so many characters into more interesting versions of themselves. The show's not "fixed" by any means, but it's on a path that should work for it.
This echoes what we read in the Mazzara interview earlier. It sounds like Darabont simply did not have a good grasp of the rhythms of a TV show.
I think that's the most accurate way to put it. We know Darabont is talented as hell, but this show just wasn't working under his watch. That aborted S2 premiere may have sounded interesting, but it was the opposite of what the -show- needed. You don't kickstart your listing narrative by ignoring it for some side-story that interests you.
Just caught the first episode back, with Herschel taking a gin sabbatical in town. I fucking loved it. I always had a weird soft spot for this show - hey! zombies on TV! - even when it was at it's absolutely shittiest. And it got absolutely shitty. I'm looking at you, vatos. I remember feeling actively embarrassed during that one. But I love it, and I'm loving the direction it's going in. I'm predicating a very strong finish this season leaving us all, even the haters, awaiting the third with baited breath.
"Fairly early last season" was what, six episodes ago? And in the show's world, a couple weeks ago?
I run into this with Sons of Anarchy all the time - "oh man, that was like early last season" which is 10 mos real time, but about 2 wks show time.
"Fairly early last season" was what, six episodes ago? And in the show's world, a couple weeks ago?
Shane has seriously contemplated murdering his best friend and raping the woman he claims to love. He's been unstable since scene one.
Considering the shakeup we know occurred in the writer's room, I'm impressed that they've so quickly managed to course-correct so many characters into more interesting versions of themselves. The show's not "fixed" by any means, but it's on a path that should work for it.
No, six episodes ago was the third episode of season two. And Shane hasn't been unstable since scene one. In the beginning of the series he was fairly normal. He developed somewhat in season one (beating the awful redneck, drawing on Rick, pushing himself at Lori) but the transition from last season to this season is jarring. I understand that killing Otis had a profound effect on him. That doesn't mean I have to find his performance (or the writing) believable.
The first season was short, but considering how many episodes passed between Shane drawing on Rick and the Otis stuff (I'm thinking something like six) it's a pretty big character oversight. Also, it would only matter if The Walking Dead were real life. Since it's a narrative show that should be having consistant characterization, Dale's growing concern about Shane should feel natural rather than forced. And, I'm sorry, it still doesn't excuse Dale suddenlly looking at Shane all weird saying, "He shaved his head. I bet he killed Otis." There are fucking zombies everywhere. It's a post-apocalyptic universe. Otis was fat. This. Makes. No. Sense.
And I'm sick of seeing all this "writers room shake-up" bullshit as an excuse to sidestep criticism. The bottom line is, if the show has flaws, you don't dance around them and say "well, it's not really their fault." Nobody champions something like WATERWORLD as underrated, forgiving flaws because of its vast production issues. All we can do is take the thing for what it is. Yes, it's improving, but for Christ's sake, lets be honest about what flaws still exist rather than bend over backwards to make excuses for a stupid TV show.
From the article:
This echoes what we read in the Mazzara interview earlier. It sounds like Darabont simply did not have a good grasp of the rhythms of a TV show. I know we have some folks who disagree, but the pacing and choices of the show to let the Shane/Lori/Rick thing sit (not even simmer) for so long simply didn't work and was actively hurting the show.
I'm genuinely excited about the rest of S2, and am really hopeful for S3.
To defend Darabont slightly; the single best episode of this series remains the pilot, which is the one he arguably had the most control over. Maybe he was an awful show-runner. I'm not going to disagree with that. But based on the strength of the pilot alone, I'm not sure it's fair to criticize him for not having a good grasp of what makes good TV. I wouldn't be surprised if he got canned simply because he wasn't a good manager when it came to the writers room. I don't think it's fair to blame him for a lot of other people's shitty writing. Sure, he co-wrote a few lousy scripts in season 1, but he wrote virtually nothing in season 2, so I don't quite understand why everyone keeps insisting he's the only problem. It seems a bit unrealistic to me.
No, six episodes ago was the third episode of season two. And Shane hasn't been unstable since scene one. In the beginning of the series he was fairly normal. He developed somewhat in season one (beating the awful redneck, drawing on Rick, pushing himself at Lori)
Dale suddenlly looking at Shane all weird saying, "He shaved his head. I bet he killed Otis."
And I'm sick of seeing all this "writers room shake-up" bullshit as an excuse to sidestep criticism.
I was referring to there being about six episodes between the events we were discussing. Shane didn't kill Otis or first get confronted by Dale this week. Don't move the bar.
The events you listed all happened in season one, something like episodes 2, 4, and 5. That's close enough to scene one for my tastes.
Or Dale looked at Shane like, "I saw him about to kill his best friend to steal his life, and his story about Otis wouldn't have fooled Inspector Gadget. I bet he killed Otis."
Personally, I'm sick of using a shaky start as an excuse to prop up shaky criticism.
The show still has plenty of flaws. That doesn't mean every critique has to be accepted as valid.
Daryl: yes, the character is "regressing" but it feels real and organic. Daryl's trying to figure out his place in the group and the world.
I HOPE you're right on this - I agree that it LOOKS like that's the direction they're taking Daryl, which would be fine (it's would certainly be an understandable reaction if he was getting feelings for Carol, and got wrapped up in the search for Sophia, and is really, really hurting over finding her in the barn but doesn't know how to express it); I would say that based on the series UP TO THE LAST TWO EPISODES, I'm wary of saying "hey, this makes sense!"
It COULD, but the writers have been extremely capricious with character so far, so I'm going to hold off on the applause until I see for sure.
To defend Darabont slightly; the single best episode of this series remains the pilot, which is the one he arguably had the most control over. Maybe he was an awful show-runner. I'm not going to disagree with that. But based on the strength of the pilot alone, I'm not sure it's fair to criticize him for not having a good grasp of what makes good TV. I wouldn't be surprised if he got canned simply because he wasn't a good manager when it came to the writers room. I don't think it's fair to blame him for a lot of other people's shitty writing. Sure, he co-wrote a few lousy scripts in season 1, but he wrote virtually nothing in season 2, so I don't quite understand why everyone keeps insisting he's the only problem. It seems a bit unrealistic to me.
The pilot was also all set-up; helping us see what happened and what the situation is post-ZA. It has an entirely different purpose and feel as a "regular" episode and likely, other than a finale, is the most like a film.
I was under the impression, from Mazzara's interviews and other things I'd read, that Darabont was deeply involved with the show, even if he wasn't doing the actual directing or writing. The biggest proof seems to be marked shift in quality of the two episodes that had no Darabont input on them at all, compared to the rest of the shows.
Dunno. I continue to love Darabont as a film director. Given the really uneven nature of TWD so far, I'd say the jury is at the very least still out on his ability to effectively tell stories in a long term format like an ongoing TV series.
I wouldn't be surprised if he got canned simply because he wasn't a good manager when it came to the writers room.
Darabont's firing seems to boil down to his being unable to hold his tongue when it came to complaining about the reduced budget and AMC execs consequently deciding that the only way to make some dogs heel is with a bullet. There's also the story about the original premiere (the filmed one, not the backstory idea that recently surfaced) having to be largley tossed due to its director turning in "unusable footage" that Darabont might have taken the blame for after already being on thin ice with the brass. The lost (or mostly lost) episode was the only teleplay for season 2 written by Darabont, incidentally.
I'm not saying writing room drama didn't exist as well, just that I don't think it had anything to do with his being given the axe. The impression I get about Darabont is that he is a very passionate person, and in the context of a TV show this probably led to a degree of micro-management - I believe every script of season 1 got a "treatment" by him after being turned in and that he freely gave direction to the actors. On the flipside, he laid a super-strong foundation for the show, clearly engendered fierce loyalty from the cast and crew to the point where people wanted to follow suit after his exit, and apparently his refusal to drop the budget issue had as much to do with compensation for the team as anything else. (The show doesn't seem to have taken a dip in production values, but I'm betting everyone's working for scale throughout those brutal summer shoots so that all the money shows up on the screen - not exactly a Mad Men type situation.)
...The show doesn't seem to have taken a dip in production values...
I would argue that the number of episodes set at the farm was a direct result of budget cuts. Whether that's perceived as a dip in production values can be debated, but it certainly seemed to be a momentum-killer. The zombie FX have remained top-notch, however.
Does anyone remember the opening of this season, when the group can be seen driving out of Atlanta, and the show used some awful CGI imposed over the shot of all the cars blocking the road into Atlanta? Really awful. I'm not saying they needed that shot, exactly, but considering that they had the original one in the first season, it seems like they should be able to get something similar in the second.
I wonder if AMC came at them and requested the same budget for twice the number of episodes (or something similar along those lines). Based on what we've seen how they treat shows (especially, oddly, hits) that seems likely.
Speaking of the seasons (both current and upcoming) here are some pics of a deluxe Blu-Ray case for Season 2 Complete Set due mid July. Nice call back to the "RV Zombie" and Andrea's slightly weaker state. Not sure who would actually want this case but if the discs popped out with a turn of the screw driver, then it might just be feasible. Barely but feasible.
There are also some other toys and a pic of Camp Shane all sweaty and ripped (no bottle of comfort shower booze though).
http://comics.ign.com/articles/121/1218692p1.html
Agreed, that idea sounded intriguing, but not as the second season premiere of a story already lacking in momentum.
Interesting SPOILER for the next episode from Herc at Aintitcool:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Funny thing about the next #TheWalkingDead: Half the cast got the week off. No Hershel, Carol, Carl, Daryl, Dawg Glenn or Dale.
Just caught up last night, and I'll agree that the positives are beginning to outweigh the negatives. In fact, Dale's psychic powers are beginning to be charming (when everyone asks "Where's Lori?", it's Dale that intuits specifically she went to town to fetch the men back)-- I know, I'm just being silly, but that kind of expositional shortcut, while sometimes unavoidable, too often just feels like lazy writing: if you want Dale to be a detective, then take some time away from the endlessly repeated arguments among the principals and devote some time to showing us, not telling us, about it... or maybe spend the time giving T-Dog something to do.
I also agree that Lori's quick morph into Lady Macbeth is another example of that sort of laziness, but at least it promises to be more entertaining than anything they've given her so far.
I think my favorite part, though, might be the incredible series of wordless eye movements that Lincoln offers us as the episode ends: Lon Chaney, call your office.
But there's roughly an hour this year (from the moment that Dave and friends turn up in the bar last week to when Rick pulls the kid's leg off the fence) that has been some damn fine television.
I don't know. This ep started strong but then devolved into more boring psychodrama. Of that section, I thought Daryl's guilt-fueled diatribe was good, and Lori becoming Lady Macbeth is acceptable because at least we're not expected to empathize with her anymore. I must say though I was rooting for the zombie to chew through that glass. Hershel was also good in this ep. His character is developing more how I like to see characters develop in TV shows, as opposed to the writers trying to impart a character by navel-gazing speechifying. With Hershel, his actions speak louder than words, and his quips make sense in terms of what we've seen.
Yeah, bizarrely Hershel's become one of the more interesting and prominent presences the show has going for it. I think by not paying attention to his development that closely, the showrunners inadvertently allowed him to grow organically into a believable and fleshed-out character. While the rest of the characters get twisted and confused by writing that mismanages and obsesses minutely over their conflicts, without actually finding much depth in them, Hershel is allowed to just sort of be. I'm sure the acting has a lot to do with it too, of course.
Herschel was lucky enough to not be in season one. Hence the writers haven't had to course-correct him.
I must say though I was rooting for the zombie to chew through that glass.
As were we all, yt. As were we all.
