Chewing the Fat with Jeff Fisher - S10 E21 I Talking Walking Dead

Episode Date: March 29, 2021

TALKING WALKING DEAD: Season Ten Episode Twenty One TITLED: Diverged… WELCOME TO IT… With myself Jeff Fisher, Jason Buttrill & Maximus Fisher EPISODE DESCRIPTION ON IMDB Daryl and Carol come to a fork in the road and head their separate ways. Each going into their own type of survival mode, the easiest of challenges become much harder  Join us as we discuss the latest happenings and what the future has in store for The Walking Dead Universe… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 10, episode 21, titled Diverged. Oh, man, what an episode. Is that meant this? Talking Walking Dead. Welcome to it with myself, Jeff Fisher, and Maximus Fisher, and Jason Buttrill. What an episode, episode description on IMDB, Daryl and Carol. Come to a fork in the road and had their separate ways, each going into their own type of survival mode.

The easiest of challenges become much harder. It was much harder. It was much harder. It was much harder to get through it. You know, I have a few thoughts. I know that's what we do here. So we share a few thoughts.

I know that Jason was not a fan of this episode. No. So we could break it down. I didn't really, I didn't want to talk to Max about it. after I heard Jason's thoughts, or I should I say I read his thoughts on my feed. So, you know, we can just episode five of the extra six.

And Jason, we'll start with that. We can break it down. You go first, man. It was just, you know, I really tried to enjoy it. I really did. I really tried to enjoy it. So I'll pick out some good parts that, you know, that I enjoyed. But there were some real issues with the whole thing.

Yeah, I personally didn't think that they could do it. It was a monumental task. It was amazing, actually. But they actually were able to produce an episode that was dumber than the Morgan Zen episode. They did it. I didn't think possible, but they did it. Yes, Max, I liked it. It was so good.

He liked it, too. I know you guys liked the Morgan Zen episode. I did. I did like Morgan episode. A lot of people love the Morgan episode. But go ahead. I mean, we're with you. I know.

It seemed, you look. Okay, so this is what, episode number two or three, actually, of the day-to-day, mundane, walking dead living life, right? Now, we all know that that is the life, but that's not why we watch the show. Right. You can throw elements of that into another show that's got a larger plot point. That's perfectly fine. but like an entire episode dedicated to explaining that, we got it, right?

We've got it. We don't need any more of these. And I keep, I'm just shocked at the disconnect, really am, of the diehard fans, which I think that we're, so there's diehard fans that are fanboys that the show can never do any wrong. Then there's diehard fans like us that we're still going to watch it. Some people in Twitter are like, well, you don't have to watch it. I'm going to watch it to a diehard fan,

but that doesn't mean I turn a blind eye to their mistakes. If we're this far into the show and you stop watching, you're kind of making a mistake on yourself? Yeah, right. I mean, it's... We have invested quite a bit of our lives for the show. And so it seems that, you know, we're coming to an end now, right? We have 20 episodes left, something like that.

Yeah. And these six were supposed, you know, this added bonus of season 10 was supposed to give us some, extra love. Yeah. But it just seems like that extra love. All right. I mean, why even bother? I'm at the point now,

why didn't you just do a Negan episode and call it done? A one-off Negan episode, because that's all we're here for. It really is. Correct. And I was thinking last night that perhaps, even if you do the one-off Negan,

maybe you do a two-hour season, 10 wrap-up, where you throw in a lot of these little elements. that we've seen much better yeah and it's wrapped around here's an egan that'd be awesome i've been seeing the excuse of oh you know uh because i was hitting angela king hard last night because i think she is just driving the show into the gutter but um a lot of people are like they're doing good they're doing really good because you know they look what they had to do through covid and you know it messed up production and bull crap bull crap the production level on these

shows has been off the charts, right? That's something I can't criticize. The production level has been amazing. The cinematography, amazing. In many cases, the directors with the crap they've been given have been doing an awesome job. They really have. Yeah, I mean, the guy that directed last night, he's directed, I think, half of these six. Right.

He's done a really good job. So good, yeah, so good. My issue is not with how the show looks. My issue is what they're focusing on. You can focus on actual plot points. even if it's so hard through COVID, even though it's not, because the production level has been better than it has been in the past. Right.

The problem isn't the story, and whoever is driving the story, that is the problem. And, I mean, we've got to believe that as Angela, right? We have to believe that. I mean, what has, I got into a, like a kind of a back and forth with one guy that runs a Walking Dead fan Twitter or something like that. And he was like, yeah, she's done some really good job, done some really good things. That's what Max echoed right now. Really, what has she done?

Story-wise, it's been so great. They basically rewrote the Whisperer War, because someone pointed out the Whisper War. They put, I mean, really? Are you satisfied with the Beta Death? You're satisfied with that. Yes, because it's 10 times better than it was in the comics.

Oh, see, no, I'm not at all for changing how it went in the original storyline. I'm not for that at all. Are we happy that the big Negan Beta Showdown did never, never happened? I'll admit that that was upsetting, but that got replaced with the Daryl beta showdown in that warehouse thing. Right, and then got replaced with Negan killing What's Her Face? Well, no, no, that's always been there, but...

Okay. All right, well, so then, I mean, they gave, they let Daryl have a kill and take away from Negan. I mean, all these six episodes have been, really, are, so far, really, are the push toward the new series, right? It's like they've given up on the Walking Dead. Yeah, we've got 20 episodes left. So what? Yeah.

We've got the new Daryl and Carol show coming up. Yeah, they're expanding. Well, no. No, we want that closure and we want the show. And I just don't understand. And on top of which, you know, we mentioned last week that, you know, we're at the point now where the audience, who's Rick? Yeah. If we're driving the movies and the new shows and the universe, where's Rick in all of this?

Because he's the guy that's the main force, right, especially for the movies. And what happened to him? Does anyone even know anymore? Yeah, the new audience. I don't know. Right. Yeah, they don't. Now, I will say that there were a few scenes that I, that I, you know, that I,

enjoyed in the episode, but I'm, I don't know. Max, go ahead. Tell your review. I know you all this thing. I thought I'll agree with Jason on it is my least, it is the least one out of these six, or five. I'll agree to this, and there were some scenes I actually did like. I'll admit I liked Carol chasing the rat because it reminded me a mousetrap. That was good

I mean that's what it was It was the Walking Dead Mousetrap scene, right? You know what that reminded me of? It reminded me of that Breaking Bad episode where it was like all about finding that fly Down in the Meth Lab I don't know if you guys watched that But never seen Breaking Ben

So it's so good But that is how you do an episode Where you're going to revolve around something small But there's more going on Like one of my issues with how these show creators now are There was nothing else going on Like you can do, like you can have these small little story-driven things like chasing the rat or Ozzie and Harriet out in the wilds, aka Daryl and Carol. Ozzie and Harry.

But it's got to be, there's something larger has to be like revolving around it. For those of you alive back in the 40s and 50s or Ozzie and Harriet. Hey, I know what you're talking about. I know what you're talking about. I might be young, but I know what you're talking about. Very funny. But that was a good scene, at least I think it was. Every scene with Jerry, done.

Great. Every scene with Jerry. Yeah, he needs to be more of a staple in the show. Yes, no question. And, you know, look, and the Daryl out of his own, you know, without Carol, the split up was cute with dog and, you know, Daryl out on his own and seeing the, you know, finding the military guys out, you know, walking so he finds some stuff.

with the military guys, which is going to end up being a bigger picture, right? He, you got to figure out why are there these military guys out in the middle of these woods, right? Really? Do you have faith that that's going to be part of something larger? I highly doubt it at this point. I agree with Jason on this one. They're just throwing darts at random. They're taking five darts in their hand, throwing them all at the wall and see where it lands.

And pretty much after that is just commonwealth, because we know that's coming. Yeah. See, don't start bogging me down with your little comic book facts. I will say one of my favorite things when Jerry came back at the end to see Carol and check on her and, you know, make sure she was okay. But he was really there for the soup. And that is fat guy thinking. Here's Jerry. Guys got a wife and 80 kids, right?

Everybody's starving. yet he comes alone to where the food might be. That, my friend, this fat guy thinks. And I am a fan of that. Okay, I want to be clear. I did laugh when Jerry's stomach growled, and it was like echoing throughout my entire living room. I was like, that's awesome.

Yeah, that's Jerry. I'm no doubt about it. Some of us have been there, and we understand the process. So we also had, and I know that we commented, you know, offline about the Carol setting up the kitchen again and the food storage

and man, how good is that solar, huh? Instant. I want some of those solar panels because they instantly charge that battery. No doubt about it. Yeah, and then they shut off like 10 minutes later.

Yeah, but she was using it right dead, man. It was up and running. Which is actually a good point, Max. I mean, it felt like Texas. No, really, they work. No, they don't. So one of the other things that I found interesting is that they were trying to say this was a continuation of the Daryl Carroll and what's her name, Lee? Yeah.

But if it was a continuation, I thought that took place a long time ago, right? No, a continuation from their argument. Yeah, but that took place a long time ago in the timeline. No, it didn't. Their argument didn't. Okay. Yeah, all right. And I will say that we were back to Alexandria, and the only person she sees is Jerry?

Yeah. No Maggie, no Nagan, no, nobody else? Oh, okay. Yeah. And you're going to tell me, okay, so it's a continuation, but it's not. I don't, I don't know, I just, you're right. They're throwing darts at the board. And they're clearly, you can tell, if I will say one thing for, like, their COVID restrictions,

they're clearly trying to keep the amount of people on each set to a minimum. Yeah. Even when they interact with each other, everyone's like pretty, you know, everyone's away from each other. Like, did Carol get very close to Jerry at all? I don't think so. The hug. Just the hug. Yeah, just the hug.

And we saw some shots of them shooting the Walker kills when they were wrestling with Daryl, the Army guy and the ditch and stuff. and they made such a big deal about the COVID restrictions, and they showed the Walker during the filming with his mask on. And I'm like, these people are on the same set every day, getting tested multiple times. Yeah, that's stupid. You don't need that.

And I know that I got there following the rules, but the rules of COVID restrictions in Georgia or the filming or the unions or whatever, but it's just silly. Yeah, they're doing what they're doing. they can to... I know, and they have. And their production have been great, as we said. They really have.

You know, we've seen some really cool stuff. So that's my issue, and that's why I will not give them a pass for these filler episodes, because they have it within them to produce something that's great, you know, visually great. The problem is not that. The problem is the storyline. That's the problem. I'll admit, so far my favorite episode was episode three of these bonus episodes. That was the one with Gabriel, Aaron, and Mays.

Fine to me. Yeah. I love that episode. Or was that one more? One more. That was one more. Yeah, one more. I mean, I got the same issues.

I've already voiced my issues on that. Right. I mean, that's just the day-to-day drudgery. And it seems we certainly didn't need that. Now, we can look forward to next week, which is what we're here for to begin with. Right. I stated earlier. I mean, next week's show is the show that we started episode one waiting for.

Yeah. I'm just saying this, we've wanted this episode since season. seven episode one yeah we've been and we've been talking about it since then like man I hope they do one you know

something like this like they've done with other characters but we have the backstory with the Zen and the sick and the doctor but we don't have the Negan one yet I mean it's really sad

right yeah and we were right I will say that predicted out this very show about Negan finding Lucille and how he finds it we saw in a sneak peek promo last night. We see the tree. The actual promo, he was at the tree of the fight.

Yeah. And we also saw a sneak peek on the show that follows Walking Dead. That shows him actually finding her. Oh. That's going to be really good. Not the fake Lucille he was given by Brandon, the one he passed the head in with the brick. But no, wait, that was a rock. But no, it's the real Lucille.

Now it's old. It's busted and rusty because it's been laying out in the... Well, it's buried. It's been under a tree for over seven years, but... Yeah, but he gets it back. I'm going to have to break out my loose seal again. Yeah, you are. You're happy, baby.

Come on. I'm excited. It should be good. Now, you know, and that may be at the very end, right? I mean, they give us that clip that could be the very end of the show, right? Because the rest of it is him struggling with his wife being sick and struggling with becoming, Negan. Yeah.

Right. Before that, he was just, you know, oh, that's Mr. Negan, the teacher from the high school. We love him. Man, we had to, we had to be prepared. We might, this could be a sign-off.

I know. I don't think this is a sign-off for Negan, honestly. I don't hope not. And why do you feel that way, Maximus? I watched this one interview with, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It was recent.

And he said he is in Georgia right now, shooting. And they're all shooting for season 11 right now, so I don't think he's gone. Which would be interesting to see how he interacts with the Commonwealth. See, because I think that if that's true, where he's shooting, I think we're going to get flashback episodes. It's not going to be a new naked. But it's going to be he disappears and we get flashbacks of him. Could be either.

Yeah. I mean, look, I am not a professional writer like some of us in the room. but true just the thought off the top of my head how it could possibly work out I will say that I appreciated

our communication offline or online last night and you know we have we have

the one of my favorites is we should start, this is from Jason by the way, we should start a petition to get Angela King kicked off the team. Hey, it worked for Justice League. Only took four years.

Yeah, they'll probably already be done with the last season. Yeah. Hey, I mean, it depends on how these new shows, you know, go. I mean, maybe if she wasn't there, a lot better.

Since we mentioned the movie, I actually have an idea. I mentioned this idea a while ago, but I think it holds true here. So whenever the first movie comes out, we don't know when, apparently it's in, like, late pre-production right now.

Yeah, it better be... Because I remember watching an interview with Andrew Lincoln saying, if everything goes well in April, he should be in Georgia filming. So that's a plus. I mean, they better hop to sing on that, man, because people are forgetting.

I know we're in those dead universe, but the one thing I'm saying is, I have said this before, throughout the three movies, the third movie of Rick's trilogy, that's going to be the end of dead. Like, that is the end of the dead universe. That's going to be the end of fear.

That's going to be the end of whatever spin-off they're making. The third movie is going to be the end of everything. dead. Wow. I don't know. That that universe brings in an awful lot of money. And unless they've stopped making, unless the cash register is closed, I doubt that. I mean, they may start again. You know, it might be a new version because, I mean, fear looks pretty good. The promo I saw for the beginning of fear starting in two weeks looked pretty good again. Because, I mean, we see some of the results of them following our direction

and uh you know so the show's been pretty good right they always do that with fear though they always tease I know great you know promo and everything we're like oh what's good and then we're like ooh maybe the promo team should start doing the actual shows

that happened with suicide squad it didn't go that well I think the biggest issue with this show is it's it's running the same problems that any other show that's been on for like 20 years how long this has been going on run into. Eventually actors don't want to do the show anymore.

They get sick of it. So you lose, you know, your main guys, you know, like three and a half men, stuff like, you know, eventually, you just lose your headliners. And that's the problem now is that's why we fell in love with the show or the headliners. And zombie shows and movies

are a dime a dozen. There's a reason why there's only a few that are considered great. Yeah. And, and, and, And it's, you know, if you don't stick to the plot lines that work, then you end up being just like one and a million others that are all the same. Which dead isn't yet. Dead isn't yet, especially with at least with season 11 when they bring in the Commonwealth, it definitely won't. I mean, we hope that to be the case, but it certainly seems to be headed down that direction. Well, that could be a revival.

I think it is now. It's one of all the others right now. Right. I'm hoping that what Maxis described is, you know, that brings it back to its glory. I mean, we had The Whispers, which really has that ever been done in any other zombie thing, with specifically stuff like The Whispers? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's what I, that's, and that is original canon.

You know what I mean? Like, that's exactly my point. Like, you stick to those plot lines, and I think you, got a good show. The problem we were running in now is like fear. It's just watering it. Really, it's just no matter how good it looks, you're just watering down the main plot points.

It's really all you're doing. And the people that you fell in love with on the main show, you know, you've been moving them around to keep those other shows alive. Right. And drive it back to the other show. On top of which, you say actors, you know, get too big for their their britches and they don't want to do the

character anymore. Let's say, like you use an example, and this is just off the top of my head. Someone like a character of Maggie who decides that they're a great actress and going to go do some other TV shows and those shows bombs so you come back with the tail between your legs to the

main show that made you a star and say, I want to do this character again, I want to love this character again and they count out to her and bring her back. Yeah, because they know that they're in trouble. Right. I have to. Right. I will say

one of the people that to comment with me during the show, Jeremy. I didn't watch last night, but he texts me at 1231 a.m. Have not watched. But I predict. Carol goes to Alexandria, talks to Maggie in a long, boring scene about Negan,

Daryl gets in a bind alone fighting walkers, and dog shows up and saves the day. Wow, Jeremy, are you an idiot? Wow. I mean, nothing could be far. Arthur from the truth. That's pretty dark good. That's pretty good.

You know, we didn't even, yeah, I just realized we didn't even, that's pretty good. We didn't even talk about Daryl trying to fix his bike. I mean, that's with him on the run, though, right? I mean, that was the deal, right? I mean, that's why he went to, you know, scavenge cars, and he ended up finding the military guys because he was out looking for a part for the, for the motorcycle. What would have been even more interesting when he left the bike on the train tracks if a train came by and just wiped the whole damn thing out.

Well, where did that come from? We didn't talk about it because there's no need to talk about it. I mean, it was just, and it was as good as good as it was, it was just another, Daryl out in the woods, killed a couple of walkers, found some stuff, came back home. Yeah. Okay.

And Carol was back home with the dog saying, oh, he always comes back. It's okay. I had a bad day. I knew we were in trouble when the first chance dog took. You know, a chick shows up and he just jumps shit. I was like, this is going to be a really crappy episode. We already right off the bat.

Because the dog's known Carol for a while now. Not as long as he's known Daryl. Right. He just like chooses. Like, hey, I'm going with her. Like, what? What? I was like, what's going on here?

Daryl should have put an arrow in him right then. Yeah, totally. You're going with her, we're eating you. That's ridiculous. Take him home and feed the gang with you, okay? Put that in your stew. Stone soup with dog. We all want that.

All right, so next week is here's Nekin, which is something we are all looking forward to. I'm excited about the episode. I just hope that we don't get 50 minutes of and 10 minutes of good. Yeah. Well, I'm fine with 50 minutes of character development of Negan, honestly. I love that character. I know. Even without having seen hardly anything,

it's already guaranteed to be the best one of this. Yes. Whatever this has been. I think so, too. So thanks for listening to Talking Walking Dead, Jason Bunchel, Maximus Fisher. Be sure to subscribe to Chewing the Fat. You can do that link. If you're listening to this right now and you're not a subscriber,

what are you doing with your life? Change your life, turn your life around and subscribe to this show. So you know when the show gets uploaded every week. Thanks. We'll see you. And next week after here's Nagin on Talking Walking Dead.