Complete B.S. – The Walking Dead to Tone Down Violence

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Wow, two complete bullshit stories in one day! File this one under “ill-placed blame.” Variety is reporting that “The Walking Dead” producers toned down some of the violence in the first half of Season 7 after strong viewer backlash to a gruesome killing scene in the season opener.

“Walking Dead” exec producer Gale Anne Hurd acknowledged Wednesday that the negative response to the bludgeon slayings of two key characters in the premiere prompted producers to make adjustments in episodes that were still in production at the time of the October 23 season premiere.

We were able to look at the feedback on the level of violence,” Hurd said during a panel session at the NATPE conference. “We did tone it down for episodes we were still filming for later on in the season.

Hurd spoke on a panel with AMC Networks president-CEO Josh Sapan and “Fear the Walking Dead” star Colman Domingo, moderated by Michael Schneider, executive editor of Indiewire and editor at large for Variety.

Hurd made it clear that the response made an impact on the production team.

This is not a show that is torture porn,” she said. After the response to the finale, she said they gave strong consideration to making sure “we don’t cross that line.

Sapan and Hurd also noted that the extreme reaction to the season premiere underscored how deeply fans care about the show.

When something matters a lot and it has a universality, then you’re bothered by it and you care about it,” Sapan said.

Here’s the thing… it’s not the level of violence that’s to blame for the show underperforming, though that’s an easy scapegoat to take. If the scene they are referencing were not as violent as it was… as brutal as it was in the comics… it wouldn’t have had the same impact. Viewers should be uncomfortable witnessing man’s cruelty to man. If a strong reaction was garnered by viewers then you have done your job. What’s bringing the show down is its constant meandering and predictability. Fans are well trained to know when the big episodes where stuff goes down will occur… usually in the season premieres or finales. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan is the best thing going on the show, but he can’t carry the series on his back. Don’t point your fingers at the excessive usage of latex and corn syrup for the lower than usual ratings (which are still doing stellar numbers BTW), point your fingers at the showrunners and writers.

“The Walking Dead” returns to AMC in February with Episode 7.09. In the upcoming episode, Jesus (Tom Payne) leads Rick and company to the Kingdom in hopes of convincing King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) to team up with them and the Hilltop against a common threat.

“The Walking Dead” Season 7 stars Andrew Lincoln, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Sonequa Martin-Green, Alanna Masterson, Christian Serratos, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Xander Berkeley, Austin Amelio, and Tom Payne.

Season 7B kicks off on February 12, 2017.

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