The Walking Dead. the finale.

[LennG]

 Has anyone been watching the conclusion to The Walking Dead series?

As I have said many times, I usually copy the entire thing and then watch as I please so I can remember everything that has happened. I did this over the weekend, thinking on Sunday was the finale, but I was one-off. There is one episode left and the entire run wraps up this Sunday.

So, just my take on these last few episodes. Like the previous couple of years, it hasn't been terrible, but it really hasn't been that good either. I can't think of any way they could make this great ever again, but just passable would be OK--and it is passable. The storyline is sort of interesting, but like several seasons before, they really do not know where to go with this, and the story is stale and predictable. The cast tries hard, but what really ails this series (and there could be a list), is that nowadays we have absolutely no fear that any character will die. To me, that is what made TWD so great (as well as GOT), no one was safe. I know we used to have threads here basically asking who is safe and the only real characters were Daryl and Carol (maybe Rick for a while). Everyone else was fair game and they used that to perfection. We lost countless characters, some who we liked and others who we were glad were eaten and eliminated. It would take me an hour to recall many of them, but faithful watchers know what I am talking about.
So fast forward to now. I don't think we have lost a major character in maybe 3 years. We lost Mishonne, but not to death and we gained Maggie back. Otherwise, the cast has been pretty much intact for a long while now and that has hurt the show, IMVHO.
I mentioned when Maggie returned that her scenes with Negan were great and I longed for more of them but, as with this show, for just too many seasons, it forgets characters for weeks on end and that really bothers me. Even now, I watched and wondered where the hell is Carol, Ezikial, and Aaron, as they have, shows basically dedicated to them, and then we don't see them for 2-3 weeks. Again, they have done this for way too long (I think this started when they escaped the prison, many years back).

 Then we have storylines that have been completely dropped. Like where is and what happened to the garbage dump lady, the other woman who appeared in the helicopter and gave plans or something to Maggie. For sure we don't even have a definite conclusion about Rick as he left with the garbage dump lady in a helicopter (and what about these helicopters). I have always said that our heroes have no idea if there even is another world outside of their own realm and seem to have no desire to even find out.

Anyway, one episode left and we are done. To say I am sad to see it end is just not so. it really should have ended years ago, when it was on top, instead of trying to squeeze every last drop of whatever out of it. Does anyone really care that it is finally over?

[Ed Vette]

There's a 30 minute WD episode called Red Carpet at 8:30. Then the 90 minute finale. Even though there will be spin-offs they've been promoting and Fear still is coming back next year, I will miss the series. It's the characters that have become like old friends.

As to how it winds up? Will Rick or Mishonne come back? Will Negan lose his wife and child? I doubt they kill off Judith. Will Negan and Maggie hook up? Will Eugene die an honorable death?

[LennG]

There's a 30 minute WD episode called Red Carpet at 8:30. Then the 90 minute finale. Even though there will be spin-offs they've been promoting and Fear still is coming back next year, I will miss the series. It's the characters that have become like old friends.

As to how it winds up? Will Rick or Mishonne come back? Will Negan lose his wife and child? I doubt they kill off Judith. Will Negan and Maggie hook up? Will Eugene die an honorable death?

 I will vote NO on all your questions.

I simply do not believe Eugene will be killed off.

[weeze]

 It saddens me somewhat that it is ending. On the other hand, they lost their mojo along the way and continued on playing it by the seat of their pants.
Those first 6 seasons were in my opinion the finest tv drama ever done. I see the "attitude" the whole effort setting a standard that several programs have adopted, the main one being forget about the cost of production.
 The show earned its spot in television history that's for sure. Regularly beating out Sunday Night Football in these days of recording equipment is certainly something that hasn't been done before or since.
 One other thing about this show, the freaking organizations that give out those "awards", boy they sure stiffed that group. I think it was that they saw the threat, correctly, that TWD was the show that really did signal the end to the Monopoly thinking of the major networks.
 I wish everyone involved with that production the best of luck in the future and hope they come back, probably without "walkers' in the future with all new material.

[LennG]

It saddens me somewhat that it is ending. On the other hand, they lost their mojo along the way and continued on playing it by the seat of their pants.
Those first 6 seasons were in my opinion the finest tv drama ever done. I see the "attitude" the whole effort setting a standard that several programs have adopted, the main one being forget about the cost of production.
 The show earned its spot in television history that's for sure. Regularly beating out Sunday Night Football in these days of recording equipment is certainly something that hasn't been done before or since.
 One other thing about this show, the freaking organizations that give out those "awards", boy they sure stiffed that group. I think it was that they saw the threat, correctly, that TWD was the show that really did signal the end to the Monopoly thinking of the major networks.
 I wish everyone involved with that production the best of luck in the future and hope they come back, probably without "walkers' in the future with all new material.

 Nicely said John.

[weeze]

 Thank you. I have these intermittent flashes of clarity sometimes.
  Hey Lenn, I had my 6th and final "hose job" this [past Monday. Second time to go through the six treatments. Boy do I miss that! xxxx.
 So now I get a month off and then its back in for a  "hose job ' where they knock you out and stick some sort of little camera that also throws light along with a scalpel.  Take some of the old bladder skin off the wall and examine it for cancer cells. If it comes back "negative" then hooray and then I don't know what. If its positive I go to whatever is next. I think that's Kemo but I do not know for sure and I am not seeking info regarding this. Better to just take it one step at a time.
  For now though, no treatments for a month and a chance to heal up a little.
 Living through natural disasters sucks the big linguini too. Still haven't shook the trauma from the tornadoes that hit my house.
 I know I know, just felt like shooting my big mouth off.
 So how do I watch the Giants this weekend? Where's the free site on the net?
 That is all, hope all is well, just be glad you don't live in Buffalo.

[LennG]

Thank you. I have these intermittent flashes of clarity sometimes.
  Hey Lenn, I had my 6th and final "hose job" this [past Monday. Second time to go through the six treatments. Boy do I miss that! xxxx.
 So now I get a month off and then its back in for a  "hose job ' where they knock you out and stick some sort of little camera that also throws light along with a scalpel.  Take some of the old bladder skin off the wall and examine it for cancer cells. If it comes back "negative" then hooray and then I don't know what. If its positive I go to whatever is next. I think that's Kemo but I do not know for sure and I am not seeking info regarding this. Better to just take it one step at a time.
  For now though, no treatments for a month and a chance to heal up a little.
 Living through natural disasters sucks the big linguini too. Still haven't shook the trauma from the tornadoes that hit my house.
 I know I know, just felt like shooting my big mouth off.
 So how do I watch the Giants this weekend? Where's the free site on the net?
 That is all, hope all is well, just be glad you don't live in Buffalo.

As we all say, John, one step at a time, one day at a time. Not to get sentimental on you, but you will always be in my prayers.

Just think how miserable you could be if the Giants weren't doing this well.

Seen any good war movies lately?

[weeze]

Well, I MUST say I have a formidable selection of War movies and stuff on the old dvds. For those 9 days I hung out with no electricity or phone, I DID in fact imbibe.
 I had the generator running the fridge, freezer, a couple fans a lamp and the TV. Now no phone and a satellite dish pointed towards Mars results in no tv. I even went up on the roof and loosened up the bolts and took my faithful compass and re-aimed it.All the meters for reception showed zero reception of anything. So...................... I says to myself, "Self, what would Santa DRAKE do? So out comes the "Collectors edition of Band of Brothers and The Pacific" which includes hours of related material. See Kimmie and the Drake had sent me that for Christmas years ago, made for great viewing!
 See the whole county is out running chains saws on their downed trees or trying to cover their roofs, Im inside with a fan watching The Pacific" all the way through. I only lost this 30 ft Maple I planted about 17 years ago, it didn't hold up against 150 mile an hour winds and at least 2 tornadoes hit my block.
 Speaking of this, I MUST say, I used my neighbors cell phone and called the Drake because there was no way to get ahold of me just to check in and say I am ok. He asked about "Betsy" the worlds oldest Labrador Retriever who I had put down the day before the cane as it turns out, Still very sad. He then asked me if I needed anything. I said "BATTERIES"!!!! Lota batteries. no one has them and everybody's flashlights and stuff are going soft. So Santa Drake sends me these super duper 50 packs of AAs,AAAs. c cells and 9 volts ones so now I have enough batteries to last me more then the rest of my life. That Drake guys a good feller!
 You know what I just thought of LENN? The last time I got hit by a cane my buddy Ron and I went over to the baseball park aid station and loaded my truck with like 6 cases of water. We went down to a area say 10 miles south of me that took the direct hit and delivered it to MONTANA GIANTS mom! I just remembered that.
 Ok Ill top boring you all with elongated, chatting away, stories which are actually true.
 Then I wrestled a gator in my pool and.........
 

[LennG]

 I need to rewatch The Pacific. Only saw it once. Wasn't as good as Band of Brothers, but that IMVHO is the best-ever war movie.

So what is that handsome guy with the big blue tie, up to these days? We haven't seen hide nor hair of him for, what seems like, ages. Glad you are in touch with him. Tell him I was thinking of Gabes the other day and thought of him also.

[weeze]

next time I talk to him, which will prolyl be tomorrow, Ill tell him to stop in and say hello and all that kind of stuff.
 You know what the main difference is between the Pacific and Band of Brothers is? IN Band of Brothers  you follow the same group of guys from boot camp through the end of the War. You can't do that with the Marines because if you were on Guadalcanal the chances of you still being active when the bomb dropped is pretty much ZERO. I think Okinawa, or maybe it was Iwo Juma, for sure one of the two, a full 35 % were taken off because of "battle fatigue" or whatever you wish to call it. Actually kind of hard to keep your sanity when its impossible to ever sleep. Theres only so long you can get zero to very little sleep before you start hallucinating. Thats just medical fact. Add the very real high % of KIA and MIA and there is just no way anyone survived the whole war.
 As a matter of fact, the only person in the PACIFIC that might have been present for the whole War was the fellow that played Freddie Mercury. All the rest were sent home with injuries, KIA or entered after Guadalcanal.