The Walking Dead
After starting strong with an excellent six episode first season, The Walking Dead suffered greatly in its second. Series showrunner Frank Darabont was fired/quit before the season began and the budget was cut drastically. Audiences were given 22 episodes with plot that felt like it could have properly filled out 13. Characters were forced to spend so much time bickering and spinning their wheels that it quickly became difficult to find a single one who could be described as likeable. Though things improved slightly in the last five episodes, it never returned to season one levels. The season three premiere mostly continues in this positive direction. There is definite progress made by the characters and, with the exception of Lori, none of them come off as too irritating. There are still poor scenes which drag on interminably, most notably the campfire scene, but they were in the minority.
Stay, Skip or Give it 4: This is a difficult one to rate. If you’ve been watching up to this point, I think you should Stay. The show seems to be taking steps in the right direction, so hopefully our patience will be rewarded. On the other hand, if you haven’t watched yet, I’d have to go with Skip. The first season is good, but the deterioration that happens after that point make it impossible to recommend, at least at this point. If this season turns things around, then it could easily move back onto the recommended list, with viewers just having to endure a weak second season.
Walking Dead Season 3 trailer
Comic Book Men
Spawned from the hilarious Tell ‘Em Steve Dave podcast, Comic Book Men is a reality show which takes place in a comicbook shop in New Jersey. Though its first season had some issues, mostly the forced feeling “activity” for each episode, it was enjoyable and captured the spirit of the podcast in a safe-for-TV version, focusing on the camaraderie of the shop staff and watching the appraisal process for some very interesting (and some worthless) comicbooks and memorabilia. The second season premiere is very much in the same spirit as the first, and just as enjoyable. The running time has been reduced from one hour to half an hour, and unfortunately they chose to trim some of the buying/selling instead of some of the special task (this week a birthday party in the store). Nonetheless, it’s still great to see the TESD guys back on TV.
Stay, Skip, or Give It 4: Definitely a Stay for this one. If you’re a fan of the podcast or comics in general, you’ll find a lot to like here. Even if you’re not, the staff is funny enough to keep even viewers with no knowledge of the comic world entertained. It’s the rare show that allows viewers to laugh with geeks rather than at them. The reduced runtime and later timeslot this season don’t bode well for the show’s longevity, so enjoy this one while you can.
Comic Book Men season 2 trailer
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