Open Letter to Scott Gimple
I did not write this. This was posted on tumblr and a forum, and I thought I would share it here:
Dear Mr. Gimple,
Hey there, Friendo! How were your Rice Krispies this morning? Mine were disappointing. A disappointing mess that start out full of promise with crispy, golden puffs that snapped and crackled, but then slowly deteriorated to soggy nothingness. I stirred around said puffs for 90 minutes only to realize in the last few minutes I wasn’t going to eat the Rice Krispies. Oh I wanted to. They were glistening. They were lightly sweetened and fizzling. I had promised myself and all those around me that I. Would. Eat. Those. Rice Krispies. I hyped. I buzzed. I brought all Rice Krispies fans to the brink. But for no logical reason, I just decided to put them back in the refrigerator. I’ll check on them again in about 7 months. By then the Krispies will just all be dissolved into a mushy glob and I won’t care about them at all. But that’s okay. I’ll just pour myself some Bitchnuts. Screw those Krispies.
I’m not a casual viewer. I’m not a so-called ‘rabid’ fan, either. I’m somewhere on the outside longing for good storytelling, intense performances, creative special effects and because of…reasons…I have a special insight into what’s going to happen on this show. I do not have difficulty grasping foreshadow or innuendo, I absorb details, am able to insert complicated, character puzzle pieces into place, and I understand implication. What I don’t understand is why you and your fellow writers continue to treat fans such as myself as starry-eyed, catatonic, fanboyz/gurlz, to such an extent that you become completely disconnected from your duty as a storyteller? You have no idea who your audience is anymore. Like Negan, you have become the star of your own movie. A movie that may have gotten good reviews on its first weekend at the box office, but continues to dream up more far-fetched and illogical contrivances that botch it every time a sequel hits the screen. You are the Batman v. Superman of the Justice League movies.
The purpose of a cliffhanger is so the audience will be excited for what happens next. Audiences crave resolution. However, in this case, the audience already knows what’s going to happen. (Remember the graphic novel?) We all know one of our favorite characters has been bludgeoned to death by a barbed wire bat attached to the hand of an alarmingly sexy psychopath. So why? What was the storytelling purpose of adding this tired, television ratings grabbing device to this episode? I just want an honest reason. If it’s ratings – just say it. Don’t wrap it in fluff. It would be better than wasting time listening to nonsensical comparisons to Lost and the mysterious hatch. (By the way, that comparison was not on point. That Lost finale left the audience excited to find out what wonderous things were in the hatch and set a clear delineation in the story. All you did is piss people off. All they have to look forward to is the bloody mess of a bludgeoned, beloved character that they know damned well has already been murdered, lying in the dirt in front of the RV.) Definitely do not compare yourself to the Game of Thrones showrunners. Their season ended on a cliffhanger at the same point the source material did. There is a world of difference there.
I don’t buy your whole “end of Rick’s story” nincompoop. The entire series is Rick’s story. In every single episode Rick ends up somewhere different than when he started. We all saw the defeat in Rick’s eyes, but you didn’t let him feel or emote the effects of Lucille and you didn’t let us see it either. That’s still part of this story arc. That is the comeuppance of this first meeting with Negan and you blew it. There was no conclusion. What you haven’t mastered is layering an arc to its natural precipice and then then designing the payoff to fulfill the audience while maintaining the story and character’s integrity.
Forget promising to deliver a story in a new episode that justifies a previous one. A good showrunner doesn’t need to justify or defend prior episodes, he or she only needs to progress the story further, develop characters and convince the audience to come along for the ride. How do you expect your audience to follow you down the rabbit hole when they have already spent months invested in a character’s journey only to find out you care less about it than they do? A show should not need an hour long talk show after each episode to explain what happened in it. It shouldn’t need website bios to fill in time gaps.
Get out of your own way, Gimple. Maybe it’s possible that you’ve forgotten who you write this show for. Is it to enlarge Kirkman’s ego? Is it to satisfy money-grubbing producers? Or is it for the audience? The better question is, do you write it this story in a way that does justice to the story? Because the story exists already. Like it or not, this show does have a basis in printed canon. (By the way, issue 100 didn’t end on a cliffhanger.) Your actors are doing it justice. Andrew Lincoln is Rick Mother Fucking Grimes. Danai embodies embattled but hopeful Michonne. Steven’s emotional performances are second to none. Melissa McBride’s portrayal of Carol is so understated and mesmerizing. Let’s not forget Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Just – wow. I’m giving him and the casting department credit for that one, though. He nailed the monologue that Kirkman wrote (yeah, Kirkman, not you). Everyone else on the cast has grown and improved due to the bar being raised by the actors working alongside them and I truly appreciate even the most minor of characters. Even Nicholas made me love to hate him. But you just kicked them all in the balls, Gimple. I feel really sorry for the cast who now has to feel the backlash of your decisions and whose performances are overshadowed by the sheer ego you have displayed.
You’re not Abrams, man. I don’t think you’re the visionary you think you are. You’re not learning from your previous mistakes. During this writing, I was blessed to read your press conference responses regarding your creative decisions. You all but insulted the entire fan base. Stop talking down to your audience and telling us that how we feel about your storytelling is just our cynical minds. The so-called skeptics that you are condescending to have given you ratings season after season. Insulting us does not exemplify your “caring” about the audience. It’s the exact opposite. We gave you the benefit of the doubt during the Governor’s two-week pity party, we gave you the benefit of the doubt that the Grady Hospital of Sadists actually had a purpose, we gave you the benefit of the doubt when you presented the mid-season finale as a cliffhanger, just to gloss over the aftermath and the grief of the characters in the following episodes. And we’re supposed to think that’s all going to change now? The script is written already. How long are we supposed to wait to grasp your brilliance? Stop telling us you’re going to make it great. It should be great, or at least understandable, to begin with.
Gimple: “The hard thing about it is you can’t say why you do some of the turns you take because you’ll wind up telling details of the story. I do know the writers and producers and cast and crew know why we do what we do. We know our intentions are good. We care about our audience and we’re just trying to deliver them an experience.”
Sorry, but the writers and producers are not the people you need to make believe in your story, it’s the audience. The audience should know the details of the story. They shouldn’t have to watch a talk show to get them or have to listen to endless pleas of “trust me.” If you can’t convey your “why,” in your episodes (which is part of the experience), then you’re just not a good showrunner.
Didn’t someone, somewhere along the line say, “Uhh, Scott? Yeah, ummm, I was just thinking…. ummm….the fans already know Negan’s coming because you know, it’s a book and all, and because we’ve been doing all these interviews and stuff and telling them how shocking it’s gonna be and how the actors can’t sleep and were sick to their stomachs and all, and so…. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be lying to our fan base and let our entire audience fester in anger for six months because you know that the spoilers are gonna leak during filming anyway so what’s the point? And by that time, they won’t even care who died.” Yes. Yes, I’m sure someone said that to you. Maybe a production assistant? Somebody in Craft Services?
Although I am someone who dedicates countless hours to this show, albeit not in the same way any of the cast or crew do, I don’t necessarily feel entitled to this opinion nor do I expect you to even give it one ounce of consideration. You’ve made it clear that this “intelligent” audience just doesn’t ‘get you.’ But I am compelled to voice this opinion on behalf of thousands of fans just like me who have been loyal and steadfast, discerning, and deserving of those promises you casually hand out, but never fulfill.
~ A Fan of The Walking Dead
Here's the post: http://carl-greyems.tumblr.com/post/142302351440/open-letter-to-scott-gimple/embed
Comments
Cringey as fuck tbh
People just need to let this go. As much as the cliffhanger sucked, the other hour of the Episode was great stuff. We will know who died in a month or two anyway, it's not like we will actually wait seven months.
You can always make it short, sweet and to the point:
Dear Mr. Gimple,
Your cliffhanger sucked
Sincerely, a concerned fan
Or you could be more theatrical, and write him a haiku:
Dear Mr. Gimple,
Cherry blossoms fall / Like ratings for finale / Stupid cliffhanger
Sincerely, a lyrical miracle
Thats why it dumb tbh since we'll know in may
I'm glad to see people standing up against this absolute butchery of a pretty decent comic book. Not only is it a butchery of the original, but it's terrible writing by any standard. Scott Gimple's subpar writing made me quit the show less than halfway into season 5 due to lack of xcitement, soap opera like drama, and stupid cliffhangers. When I saw the season 6 finale, I honestly couldn't be happier that I quit the show earlier instead of being blue balled every single episode.
Yeah, I mean the outcome is still gonna be the same whether you write a novel long or 3 line long letter.
EDIT:
just like a telltale game
Why do people nowadays feel the need to make a drama out of everything? This has nothing to do with 'standing up' to something, this is just people flipping their shit at some thing or another, as usual. Happens every time anything at all happens in the world now, it's so sad really. I think they got the message, cliffhangers suck.
It's also far from a butchery, almost every scene except for the last thirty seconds was very well done. The suspense slowly building up with each road block, Morgan killing again to save someone he cares about...I'm probably going to get shot by comic fanboys for saying this, but the entire build up was much, much better than in the comics. Everything about the final 20 minutes, except for the cliffhanger.
People who say stuff like 'glad that people are standing up to this', I just don't get it. That is the attitude someone should have when they resist going to war, or fight for their rights when they are opressed in their home country, like women in Saudi Arabia. When has it become a thing to portray the most minor thing as if you're about to catch a bullet for your country? It's a disappointing finale to a TV show. While you watched said show, 10 000 children probably starved to death miserably. Get your shit together, society.
I just think people as well as the writers misunderstood what the scene was about. It wasn't written for the sake of a shitty cliffhanger to draw attention to future installments of the series. It was written to present what a dangerous and strong force Negan and the Saviors really were. An ending is a key point to most stories and this one just plain left a bad taste in a lot of viewers mouths. Mine included
Well, first of all its like, my opinion, man. I'd say you're being even more dramatic in your defense of the show.
Second of all, I CLEARLY stated that I stopped watching the show during season 5. I also gave several reasons for why this show SUCKS now, asides from the season 6 finale which I only watched on youtube.
Stop defending this poorly written garbage by getting angry at me. I LOVED LOVED LOVED season 1 and 2. But the show writers changed hands too many times and it ended up turning into a melodramatic, predictable piece of crap that pales in comparison to the comics and even season 1.
And you don't even know me, how do you know that I'm NOT standing up for women in Saudi Arabia or any other injustice in the world? I'm a good person who does what he can to seek the truth and do good and for you to make assumptions based on the the fact that I think TWD show sucks is both immature and illogical.