AMC's "The Walking Dead" Season 2 Discussion (Spoilers)

[Guardsman Bass]

Rick's Truck WAS carrying the most vulnerable, meaning the children and the woman least likely to fight back effectively. When Rick got out, Andrea could have gotten in, and the truck was behind the RV, and had successfully woven in and out of the traffic to that point. Backing it up a few hundred feet to give it a clear path of egress wouldn't have been the end of the world. In fact, they could have had the RV parked outside the mess in the first place, though admittedly the hose may have blown at the first sign of trouble, depending on how bad off it was.

Moving the truck back the way they came would have separated the group even further, and put the truck closer to the zombie swarm. I'm not sure what you mean by "keeping the RV parked outside the mess", since they didn't choose when it stopped, and when there aren't any other alternative paths to drive on (the area off the side of the road descended into forest almost immediately).

Firing guns is not ideal obviously, and a more mobile, capable group probably wouldn't have had too, simply sprinting back at the first sign of trouble. They could have siphoned gas off from the first couple of cars to ensure they had enough to continue, and really should have. if things worked out scavenging, awesome, if not

That's assuming that the first couple of cars have the parts they need to fix the RV, as well as the gas they need. If they don't, then they have to spread further out if they want to keep the RV going longer.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? How long have they been using THAT nugget? Again I just watched them clamber over a few hundred dead soldiers in front of the CDC, none of them grabbed a working radio? they would have been handy coordinating between the group on the road and the group in the forest.

You've seen "TS-19", but have you also seen the episode preceding it? Their arrival was rushed and almost panicky, with them trying to get inside before it got dark, and before the zombies waking up around the CDC got to them. I doubt any of them stopped long enough to think clearly and get a radio from one of the corpses lying around.

[FSTargetDrone]

Newest episode... Okay, I think Shane and Otis (man who accidentally shot Carl) should have pocketed a few extra flares (assuming they didn't) to create a distraction as they opened the trailer door. I also hope we see the survivors create some sort of emergency noise makers (find some fire crackers, maybe?) to use in a similar and perhaps more effective way. We haven't seen how the Walkers react to fire. Perhaps Rick & co. can rig up some Molotov cocktails or other fire weapons/defense.

[Guardsman Bass]

I thought they got the flares out of the police car, so that might have been all the flares there were.

I liked most of this episode. It's clearly a lower-budget "slowdown" episode after the premiere, with zombies not appearing until late in the episode (although it looks like we're going to get that "Shane alone being chased by a bunch of zombies" scene from the preview shots for Season Two next episode). That works, and it allowed some focus on how the characters are reacting to their situation.

About the only thing I didn't really like was the opening flashback scene. I think it's just too slow an entrance into the episode after the "Holy shit!" moment last episode when Carl got shot. They should have started with the next scene: Rick running across the field with Carl in his arms.

Some other thoughts:

• Darryl continues to impress (good thing he kept his brother's Drug Stash!). He's one of my favorite characters on the show.
• We still have no idea what happened to Sophia. I wonder if she's going to appear next episode (as a new zombie or normal, or possibly normal-and-bitten). The tv preview for Episode Three didn't give any clues.
• That zombie that attacked Andrea was really goddamn quiet. Was it just approaching the group in a straight-line, blocked by the tree?
• I've been wondering about this since the first episode, but how did all the people in the cars die? Many of them don't seem to be zombies - they're just dead, like something killed them at the wheel before they could get out or move.

EDIT: The trailer for Episode Three at AMC.com is definitely worth watching. Aside from a back-story about Darryl's survivalist skills, they come across a zombie hanging from a rope around its neck. Did the guy hang himself after being bit, or did he hang himself, then transform?

[FSTargetDrone]

Yes, Shane and Otis pulled the flares from the trunk of the police car, I just lost track of how many they used before going into the trailer.

I think you are right about the scene in the season preview of Shane being chased while alone as being the one coming up soon. Question is, does Otis survive, or not? I wonder if Otis is killed, they somehow get separated, or perhaps Shane somehow makes himself into a decoy to let Otis return to the farmhouse with the gear. I was under the impression that Otis was the only one to know how to build the makeshift respirator, so if he doesn't make it back, I will be surprised. He seemed to be in most of the previews for the next episode (I have to remember to stop watching previews!).

Hopefully no serious walker threat presents itself at the farmhouse for however long the main characters stay there. That's a sort of contrived incident one might expect to see. We don't need to see zombie combat everywhere.

Andrea seemed to be daydreaming or distracted when she got separated from the others. It seemed to happen very fast, too, unless I missed something. That is what happens when I decide to make popcorn at the wrong time!

[Guardsman Bass]

Andrea seemed to be daydreaming or distracted when she got separated from the others. It seemed to happen very fast, too, unless I missed something. That is what happens when I decide to make popcorn at the wrong time!

Distraction probably explains it, although it was still pretty quick. She literally just walked past a tree, and there was a zombie walking right beside her who then turned and lunged at her.

[Flagg]

Yes, Shane and Otis pulled the flares from the trunk of the police car, I just lost track of how many they used before going into the trailer.

I think you are right about the scene in the season preview of Shane being chased while alone as being the one coming up soon. Question is, does Otis survive, or not? I wonder if Otis is killed, they somehow get separated, or perhaps Shane somehow makes himself into a decoy to let Otis return to the farmhouse with the gear. I was under the impression that Otis was the only one to know how to build the makeshift respirator, so if he doesn't make it back, I will be surprised. He seemed to be in most of the previews for the next episode (I have to remember to stop watching previews!).

Hopefully no serious walker threat presents itself at the farmhouse for however long the main characters stay there. That's a sort of contrived incident one might expect to see. We don't need to see zombie combat everywhere.

Spoiler

THE BARN!

[FSTargetDrone]

Spoiler

THE BARN!

I glanced over the WD Wiki to see what the comic counterpart character to Hershel does. That sounds asinine. I truly hope they don't hold to that part of the storyline in the show's version.

[Dread Not]

Spoiler

THE BARN!

I glanced over the WD Wiki to see what the comic counterpart character to Hershel does. That sounds asinine. I truly hope they don't hold to that part of the storyline in the show's version.

Agreed, though at the very least they're trying to fake out the audience members who read the graphic novel with Hershel's "Everything will be alright, they'll find a cure," spiel. I did like that line though. When Jenner at the CDC was saying "This is our extinction event blah, blah," I wanted someone to shout up "We survived Spanish Flu, the bubonic plague and had comets dropped on our heads. We've been preyed upon by bears, jungle cats and crocodiles, and the thing that wipes us out is going to be a bunch of dimwitted slow-moving corpses with minimal thought of self preservation? Fuck you!"

Newest episode... Okay, I think Shane and Otis (man who accidentally shot Carl) should have pocketed a few extra flares (assuming they didn't) to create a distraction as they opened the trailer door. I also hope we see the survivors create some sort of emergency noise makers (find some fire crackers, maybe?) to use in a similar and perhaps more effective way. We haven't seen how the Walkers react to fire. Perhaps Rick & co. can rig up some Molotov cocktails or other fire weapons/defense.

I believe the walkers had lost interest in the flares by the time they opened the door again, and that at least one of them was looking right at the door already when the stepped out. The flares work as a distraction when the walkers have nothing better to pay attention to, but as soon as they get a look at some prey I don't think they're going to have much interest in some bright red glowing thing. If they were going to make it back out undetected, Shane would have probably had to stay outside and wait for Otis to signal him somehow so he could throw some more flares.

I think you are right about the scene in the season preview of Shane being chased while alone as being the one coming up soon. Question is, does Otis survive, or not? I wonder if Otis is killed, they somehow get separated, or perhaps Shane somehow makes himself into a decoy to let Otis return to the farmhouse with the gear. I was under the impression that Otis was the only one to know how to build the makeshift respirator, so if he doesn't make it back, I will be surprised. He seemed to be in most of the previews for the next episode (I have to remember to stop watching previews!).

I think Shane being chased might come later. IIRC, Shane is wearing his Sheriff's outfit in the preview, while in the episode he's wearing a black shirt.

[Flagg]

Spoiler

THE BARN!

I glanced over the WD Wiki to see what the comic counterpart character to Hershel does. That sounds asinine. I truly hope they don't hold to that part of the storyline in the show's version.

I think they will since Hershel seems to think that these are just people with super-AIDS or something.

[FSTargetDrone]

Maybe, but the man was screaming at Rick, asking him if Carl was bitten as Rick was running up to the house. Hershel definitely appreciates the seriousness of the way the infection is spreading. He can be devoutly religious and still believe humanity can survive the disaster as it's survived many others, but without behaving irrationally and thinking that he cannot kill in such extreme conditions. At least I hope so.

Agreed, though at the very least they're trying to fake out the audience members who read the graphic novel with Hershel's "Everything will be alright, they'll find a cure," spiel. I did like that line though.

Yeah, fake outs are fine. And I have to stop looking at comic summaries!

When Jenner at the CDC was saying "This is our extinction event blah, blah," I wanted someone to shout up "We survived Spanish Flu, the bubonic plague and had comets dropped on our heads. We've been preyed upon by bears, jungle cats and crocodiles, and the thing that wipes us out is going to be a bunch of dimwitted slow-moving corpses with minimal thought of self preservation? Fuck you!"

Funny that Hershel never said anything about the Black Death. I was sure he was going to mention it when speaking with Rick. Instead, he talked about HIV. Which is definitely serious, but not nearly as devastating. He was of course talking about an incident concerning a child he knew of with HIV and all that, but it really isn't as relevant. I can see how he may consider all of this as Super Aids, as Flagg suggests, but I think that's just too hard to swallow.

[JME2]

I'm a recent newcomer to the series and I need to get caught up on Season 1.

That having been said, I'm hooked and am looking forward to the rest of Season 2.

[Flagg]

I'm a recent newcomer to the series and I need to get caught up on Season 1.

That having been said, I'm hooked and am looking forward to the rest of Season 2.

Watch the pilot and then read about the rest of season 1 on wikipedia. I liked it, but it's not great.

[Stofsk]

The pilot actually was excellent. I will give it that much, at least. The rest of season 1 sucked in comparison, but the pilot was solidly directed, and it was mostly Andrew Lincoln acting as Rick Grimes all alone in a zombie apocalypse without anyone to help him and having no idea where his family is.

[Dread Not]

Funny that Hershel never said anything about the Black Death. I was sure he was going to mention it when speaking with Rick. Instead, he talked about HIV. Which is definitely serious, but not nearly as devastating. He was of course talking about an incident concerning a child he knew of with HIV and all that, but it really isn't as relevant. I can see how he may consider all of this as Super Aids, as Flagg suggests, but I think that's just too hard to swallow.

Yeah, I think a different reaction is warranted between "This kid in this high school has HIV" and "Everyone is fucking dead!" Not to mention that HIV wasn't the best example because, y'know, there's still no cure for that either, and it didn't even decimate the planet.

[Flagg]

Hershel seems to think that the planet isn't decimated. And it may not be in the series.

[FSTargetDrone]

By the way, the show has been renewed for a 3rd season:

Posted on Tue, Oct. 25, 2011

AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for 3rd season

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - "The Walking Dead" will live on for yet another year.

AMC network said on Tuesday that its hit zombie drama, just two weeks into a second season, will be returning for a third season.

Sunday's episode drew an audience of 6.7 million viewers for the early airing and another 2.1 million viewers for the same-night repeat.

That eclipsed the year-ago audience for the series, which emerged as a surprise hit by averaging 5.2 million viewers weekly during that first season.

Based on the popular comic book of the same name, "The Walking Dead" depicts the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse confronted by a group of survivors outside Atlanta. Its cast includes Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal and Sarah Wayne Callies.

JME2, season 1 is available on Netflix (in the USA, at least) for those who have it. I watched it all again before the new season.

There are lots of great parts to many of the episodes, but some parts just make me cringe (and not because of the zombies).

[Guardsman Bass]

That makes sense. Hopefully they won't screw too much with its budget again.

I just watched the latest episode:

1. The whole "Sophia and Carl" situation is still not resolved. Sophia is still missing (and she's probably going to be missing next episode). Carl seems to have stabilized, but he's still looking weak - and from the "next episode" preview, Rick's Group seems to be wearing out their welcome in the Herschel household. They'll probably have to move him, assuming the whole farm doesn't just get overrun by zombies.

2. Speaking of which, that farmhouse seems to be very safe from zombies. They've supposedly got a gate, but they still seem pretty blase about security. Otis was out hunting by himself before the accident, nobody is staying outside keeping watch regularly, and so forth. Rick's Group seems to have mostly learned their lesson, since they kept watch the entire time (although searching for Sophia at night wasn't a good idea).

3. It turns out I was wrong about the preview. Looks like the Hanging Zombie got bit first, then ended his life the wrong way (getting chewed upon by zombies before turning).

4. I think some of the budgetary limitations are showing. There was a lot of one-on-one talking in that episode, just like last episode. Some of it was good, but other bits made me wince (like when Glen was trying to pray out on the porch - at least we didn't have to sit through another prayer). There were still some good zombie scenes, but they were fairly short in length.

5. That was a really cold-blooded decision by Shane, although understandable. They were almost out of bullets, and together they might not have made it back (but then again, they might have). Shane probably weighed Carl's life against Otis, and decided that he wanted to make sure that they got the medical equipment at all costs (it helped that Otis was the reason why Carl got injured in the first place). I like how the whole scene was set-up as a reversal; you start out thinking that Shane, once again, is going to have some good task he accomplished turn to ashes in his mouth . . . and then you find out the reason why they didn't show how he got back beforehand.

6. It seems to be Lori's turn to go through an existential crisis.

7. Darryl continues to be one of my favorite characters, although the decision to walk around at night with a flashlight (mostly because he couldn't stand listening to Carol's weeping) wasn't too smart.

[Block]

I found Shane's decision to be bullshit. He couldn't move any faster than Otis due to his injury, and then effectively kills the guy and adds more weight he has to carry, further slowing him down? He should be as dead as Otis. That or they were close enough to the truck to make it back, meaning it was completely unneeded. There's no reason for it other than to set the guy up as a psychopath, which is hamfisted writing, though that's been pretty common in this series.

[Moby Halcyon]

Unless he was operating under the (correct) assumption that the horde would converge entirely on the fresh meat? The old saying, after all is that you don't have to outrun the bear - you just have to outrun your buddy.

Darryl is easily my favorite character so far. Bass' post sums up most of my feelings about this episode, though I did have a question - what was up with the random scene of Dale going off on his own? I mean, yeah, Carol is annoying and her entire character is basically her crying but you didn't have to leave her like that.

[Block]

Unless he was operating under the (correct) assumption that the horde would converge entirely on the fresh meat? The old saying, after all is that you don't have to outrun the bear - you just have to outrun your buddy.

Darryl is easily my favorite character so far. Bass' post sums up most of my feelings about this episode, though I did have a question - what was up with the random scene of Dale going off on his own? I mean, yeah, Carol is annoying and her entire character is basically her crying but you didn't have to leave her like that.

They were fully 200 yards ahead, they were "outrunning the bear" just fine. It was just an unnecessary waste of time.

[FSTargetDrone]

Shane's actions pissed me off. It would have been much more interesting to have him say to Otis, "Go on, I'll hold them off!" Otis is able to drive back to the farm, telling everyone of Shane's noble sacrifice. Who knows, maybe Shane somehow survives and does what he planned all along, to go off alone so he wouldn't have to watch Rick, Lori and Carl be a family. Or not, I don't especially care. For a series that is supposedly not above killing off main characters, this would have been a perfect time to have Shane drop out of the story and have him atone for some of his ass-hattery. I really dislike the contrived way they set Otis up only to have him die horribly. He didn't have to go with Shane. He volunteered because no one else knew where to look for the supplies and he felt bad for shooting the kid.

EDIT: By the way, show producers, we don't need to see zombies every episode! It's going to get stale real fast if they are always picking off the off walker or two. We can see the group always be wary of the walkers, watching for them, but we don't always need to see the walkers. Especially in isolated, quiet areas.

[Stofsk]

I don't know where they're going with Shane, but it's obviously in uncharted territory. Spoiler

Per the comic book, Shane is dead by this point in the story

In any case, this episode was pretty decent. I felt that Shane and Otis struggle was desperate and tense, and I liked how Otis saved Shane but Shane decided to shoot Otis in the leg instead. I thought that was a cold thing to do, and I can understand his logic but I don't agree with it. The ute must have been too far away for them both to make it, but still shooting him and then struggling to get the pack off him was really cutting it close anyway.

They should have also packed themselves a melee weapon. Eventually, they're going to run out of bullets. Unless they come across a gun shop or something. Even so, a sturdy bat or axe could have helped out in a pinch. It's easier to do the noble 'i'll stay behind' thing if you've got something to swing. No-one needs to get shot in the leg and tossed to the zombies.

[Guardsman Bass]

I think Shane under-estimated Otis's strength. He shot him in the leg, and probably thought he could get the pack off and get away faster. Instead, Otis got a hold of him, and he ended up cutting it really close.

And Otis did have to go with Shane. Shane didn't really know what they were looking for, while Otis was an EMT who knew the area. Him feeling really guilty over accidentally shooting Carl was just another reason for him to go.

[JME2]

Great episode, if a little slow.

Now, the question becomes will Rick and the others find out what Shane did?

[Guardsman Bass]

Great episode, if a little slow.

Now, the question becomes will Rick and the others find out what Shane did?

I'm not sure how they could, unless Shane himself tells one of them. If Zombie Otis shows up, Shane could just say that he got bit and couldn't make it.