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The Key To the Walking Dead Is the Stupids
posted by jriddle73STAFFMOD on March 19, 2018 at 11:01 AM
Tonight on THE WALKING DEAD, everyone got stupid. That's nothing new, of course. TWD's writers have made nearly every inch of plot progression in the bulk of the show's run entirely dependent upon and occurring as a consequence of the characters being stupid. Typically not just run-of-the-mill stupid; we're talking profound cretinism so beyond the bounds of credible as to constitute an open, ongoing insult to and mockery of viewers. No one is this Stupid, and no one so unfailingly, relentlessly Stupid would survive very long in a zombie apocalypse. There are other problems with "The Key," tonight's installment, but this is the one that towers over all others.
Savior turncoat Dwight has cast his lot with our heroes. He's accepted that he'll be dead with the current war is over but he wants to help them win before he goes out. Last week, he was forced to return to the Savior fold to protect the denizens of the Safe Zone. A few eps ago, Dwight intentionally led his group of Saviors into an ambush and helped the Alexandrians kill them all, but one, a woman who witnessed his treachery, got away. When he went back to the Saviors last week, he learned that she is still missing in action but he has to figure she's going to turn up at any moment, and then it will be curtains for him. As tonight's ep opens, he's back at his apartment at the Sanctuary and the Stupids kick in really hard; Negan comes to visit him and Dwight doesn't assassinate the villain on sight. He doesn't do it while Negan stands around jawing. Negan is alone and would never see it coming but Dwight let's him talk for a while then leave in peace. Another victory for Negan's plot immunity and not even the only one this evening.
Negan's forces are going to attack Hilltop and Negan has come up with the idea of coating their melee weapons in walker grue in the hope that those cut by them will then die and zombify, so there's a sequence of the Saviors cutting up zombies and getting their knives and axes good and gooey. It's an idea that came from the comics but there, guns and ammo were, by this point, a lot more scarce and fighting with such weapons much more common. Simon barks Negan's orders to the troops: cut some of 'em and make 'em turn but don't kill them all--they're going to go back to work for us when this is over. How, exactly, are the Saviors, who are supposed to be getting low on ammo, ever going to get close enough to cut people barricaded in a walled fortress on a, yes, hilltop, particularly given that those people have guns--fully automatic weapons--to keep any attackers well at bay?...
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Reply by Bloodshot77
on March 19, 2018 at 12:51 PM
I agree. Rick shooting at the bottom of Negan's car was beyond stupid. Terrible writing and needless filler.
Reply by write2topcat
on March 19, 2018 at 2:17 PM
Yeppers, these people get dumber and dumber. I suppose the writers think the viewers are pretty dumb also, cause we keep watching, hoping that someone in this show will make an intelligent decision.
The shooting in this show falls in two categories; shooting at walkers and shooting at people.
When it comes to shooting zombies, our guys can hardly miss. They make head shots with amazing ease. In one scene a couple episodes back, some saviors opened up on some zombies on full auto, spraying a group of them. An ALL THE ZOMBIES WERE HIT AND FELL DOWN DEAD, well, really dead now. Think about that. It takes a head shot to stop a zombie. And these guys were able to make head shots on full auto, without aiming with sights. Just not credible, not worthy of being believed.
But when it comes to shooting people, they can't seem to hit the broad side of a barn, much less the person they're supposed to be shooting. Rick was a deputy sheriff. He has training, he had to qualify with weapons, meaning he had to be able to hit his target accurately, on a consistent basis. And since then he has had years of live fire experience. Anybody who has ever fired weapons knows you can't hit your target on full auto as easily as you can firing one shot at a time. Soldiers usually only use full auto in order to keep enemies from sticking their heads up and firing back, allowing them to move from cover. When shooting at the enemy, they fire single shots. And Rick knows this for sure. So why did he spray the bottom of the car, wasting a full clip of ammunition (which must be harder to come by in the apocalypse)? And when Negan is close by, and Rick fires at him with his service revolver, a weapon he qualified with, and can shoot accurately on a consistent basis, he misses every time. At least this time he did actually shoot at him. Often he merely lets Negan run away, or just talks to him, telling him how committed he is to killing him!
In fact, just about everyone who has the chance to kill Negan fails to really try to hurt him. For some reason they feel the need to give him a piece of their mind instead. "You're a big meanie, and I'm gonna really get you!" I half way expect them to stick out their tongues and make petulant sounds. Then Negan finds a way to gain the upper hand, or other saviors show up and chase them away, or something like that.
They are really good at talking about how much they want to kill him. I mean, when you see them talking about their resolve to kill him, they really act like they mean it. More than anything, they want to kill him; more than anyone they have ever wanted to hurt, they want to hurt Negan. They want to see him dead, dead, dead! When you watch those scenes, you believe them. "Wow", you think, "if they ever get the chance to kill this guy, he is a goner for sure."
Then when their chance arrives, they kill people near Negan, but they just talk to him! That is what Carl did when he stowed away in the back of that truck going to the Saviors camp. When the door opened he shot and killed the guy beside Negan. Then he pointed the rifle at Negan...AND STARTED TALKING TO HIM!!! NOBODY really tries to kill him.
Reply by P.
on March 19, 2018 at 4:59 PM
And Darryl gets fatter and fatter. For some reason...
Reply by Ray
on March 21, 2018 at 12:28 AM
LOL Darryl is getting fatter, it must be all those possiums In season 1 he looked like in his early 20's now hes pushing 45.
Reply by Bloodshot77
on March 21, 2018 at 12:30 AM
I think those were squirrels he was carrying. Anyway it shows what good money the actor is making as the show progresses.
Reply by Ray
on March 21, 2018 at 12:31 AM
Negan's forces are going to attack Hilltop and Negan has come up with the idea of coating their melee weapons in walker grue in the hope that those cut by them will then die and zombify, IT DOESN'T WORK How many times have we seen walker guts and gore and blood pour all over our heros bodys when they had open cuts and gun shot wounds and they were fine.
Are we going to have brand new rules for walkers now???
Reply by Bloodshot77
on March 21, 2018 at 12:33 AM
Negan basically took a bath in it when his car crashed. I guess it doesn't work anymore. We always had changing rules. Remember episode one, two, where the walkers were throwing bricks, and trying to turn door knobs? Your guess is as good as mine.
Reply by jriddle73
on March 21, 2018 at 1:31 AM
The sudden rules change occurred when Father Gabriel covered himself in zombie-gut camouflage and got sick but he hasn't turned and Negan knows it. We've seen characters covered in the stuff, both intentionally and as a result of combat with the critters--wounded, sporting injuries, it didn't matter. In fact, the first time Rick covered himself in zombie gore back when this trick was invented (in, I believe, the 2nd ep), he still had an open gunshot wound.
Reply by Ray
on March 21, 2018 at 2:49 AM
Oh..thats how he got sick....How did I miis that?
Reply by write2topcat
on March 21, 2018 at 1:41 PM
So does the virus transmit through all bodily fluids? Or is it just transmitted through saliva? As you've all pointed out, walker goo, blood, and guts have been plastered all over wounded people throughout the series without effect. They've inhaled small droplets of walker blood and goo, gotten it in their eyes, in their mouths, and in their wounds. And they have been just fine throughout the series.
I guess since Negan came up with the walker goo idea, the writers are going to make it dangerous now. They make it up, change the rules as they go along. I guess we are just supposed to nod our heads, and pretend not to notice.
Reply by Ray
on March 21, 2018 at 5:16 PM
In all the past shows the virus in only on the teeth.