More issues I have with Black Summer in a general sense

in tv •  2 years ago 

I get upset when there is a show that looks as if it could really be great if the makers of it just gave a bit more of a crap about whether or not it is actually any good.

Black Summer was already entering a very tired cinematic experience because almost every possible avenue of zombie apocalypse has been done to death. It wasn't that the subject matter was at all unique it was the fact that the presentation was different and fresh. Unfortunately the allure of that aspect of things really wore off very quickly when it started to appear as though the writers, producers, and really anyone other than the actors actually cared if this was any good.

THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD


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How long does it take to "turn?"

Early on in episode one of season one we are gradually introduced to what will end up being the main characters. One of them is this guy, who is just the husband of Rose and he probably has a name but I don't remember what it was. Rose ends up being the main character of sorts and this is evidenced pretty early on. Anyway, when they are trying to evacuate the city the military are checking people for wounds or bites from zombies. Husband here actually has one and apparently has had it for quite some time. He tries to hide it but the soldiers notice it and will not allow him to go with them. Rose decides to not abandon him and instead they just go home.

For what might have been days for all we know the husband is obviously dying, but it takes him a very long time before he turns into a zombie and of course, attacks Rose.


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Later on in the same season people will get bit by zombies and just the act of being bitten, not killed but just bitten, is enough for them to IMMEDIATELY turn into a zombie themselves. This lack of continuity is outrageous and there is no way that it wasn't noticed by the people making the show. This happens time and time again in the show. Sometimes people turn within seconds of being bitten, other times it takes days.

Everyone knows headshots are the only way to kill zombies... right?


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All throughout both seasons of Black Summer we are constantly meeting people who are extremely well armed. Most of them apparently have some sort of military training. It is established very early on that headshots are the best way to go but 16 episodes later people are still going for body shots, even on a downed zombie. There is this one sequence where there are dozens of armed individuals who are aiming at a single approaching zombie and they fail to take him down because nobody is going for the head. They continue to go for body shots all through both seasons and it is just maddening. In other melee fights a single person will take out half a dozen zombies with a crowbar through the head but other times 8 people with machine guns and attached scopes can't handle just a few of the guys. It's just so annoying and it does nothing for the show other than to make you mad.


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I don't know how many times this group of flunkies shot zombies in the chest and legs but it was most of the time

Shaky camera to avoid spending money on actual zombies

There really isn't anything to set the zombies apart from regular humans in this. None of them are missing limbs or all screwed up like they were in Walking Dead. The zombies in Black Summer just have some blood on their face and if the camera gets close enough, some white contact lenses. The camera rarely gets close enough though and to compensate for this laziness the cameras appear to almost always be handhelds that are intentionally shaky in a Hurt Locker or Blair Witch type of way.


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They didn't even bother with the contact lenses this time... everyone just squint!

most combat situations are what I would call nausea inducing because most of the time I think the camera operators were getting more exercise than the actors were. It's terrible.

Zombies CAN break windows


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I think it was first noticed in episode 4 of season one. A big group of armed people end up in a Diner that is windows all the way around. There is also a glass door that you can see above. It was established in the very first episode that zombies actually are capable of breaking glass. One of our first encounters with a zombie in this show was of them breaking glass. Then later they get a running start and break through wooden fences and even walls inside of a house.

In the Diner episode, and many many other instances in the remaining episodes, zombies are completely incapable of breaking glass. They'll lightly pound on it but never break though it. Our idiot heroes inside are so confident in the strength of this glass that they all take a load off for something like 20 minutes to formulate a plan even though the zombies are literally right outside the window.

I've put a few spoilers in there and if you were planning on watching this show I apologize. I'm gonna go back and put a spoiler warning at the start of this but honestly... the only reason why anyone should watch this show is to make fun of it and to revel in just how terrible everything about this production is. It actually makes me a bit mad because it is too late for them to fix it now. The end of season 2 wasn't really a cliffhanger, I think it may have been an admission that there is no reason for the to continue. I would be surprised if there was a season 3 but hell, worse shows have gone on for longer I guess.

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