What caught my attention was Rick and Shane's conversation about winter. Human flesh freezes, living or dead. It would make sense, come winter, to gather up some jeeps and a plow truck an head north to make the most of it. Georgia is know for it's winter and a long period of ice and cold would be a natural defense.

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"A mad person thinks there's a gateway to hell in his basement. A mad genius builds one and turns it on." -CaptianChewbacca

I would definitely be leaning towards some type of immunity. They've been pretty damn casual about their exposure to bodily fluids so far and I would have expected someone to become infected as a result. Shane should be a walker within the next few episodes just from his exposure alone. Masks may not be practical as they are not conductive to physical labor. Simple exam gloves would be a must for me and are readily available in quantities in any grocery or drug store. Eh, I guess I'm just being nit-picky there.

Mobility would be really important in combat with the living dead. I feel like medieval armor would weigh you down too much. If you become surrounded, you're dead. I think my protective gear would be limited to thick, heavy clothing like leather or jeans that would be resistant to the random bite and/or casual scratches.

I think that they would do really well if they could acquire a .22LR Rifle. The gunshots are pretty quiet. You can easily carry hundreds of rounds in your pocket. It should be adequately lethal on relatively slow moving targets. Even if they weren't, you'd be able to carry so much ammunition that you could afford to double tap targets.

It actually might be more devastating if they had a winter that had alternating stretches of above- and below-freezing temperature weather. The repeated freeze-thaw cycles would turn the zombies into flesh with the consistency of hamburger, unless they have magic anti-freeze in their blood (like World War Z zombies).

I think we have some Walking Dead comic readers on the board. Has Kirkman ever talked about this in the comics? He made a "winter is coming" joke in the interview I linked to up-thread.

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"You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean that tin is worthless."
-Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones

"I prefer my history dead. The dead sort is written in ink, the living in blood."
-Rodrik Greyjoy, A Song of Ice and Fire

Wow, I didn't see Dale's death coming. I figured somebody was going to get bit by that zombie that Carl found, but I didn't think it would be Dale.

I suppose it makes sense, though. Dale's been portrayed as the "conscience" of the group throughout Season 2, trying to keep them from drifting towards what Shane's ideas represent. Sooner or later, it was probably going to get him killed. The only real consolation for the group is that he died human, and not after being turned into a Walker.

Speaking of which, the group is getting careless about the Walkers again, just like in Season One before the night attack. They're wandering around at night, alone, and with no watch. I'm still thinking that we'll get a significant zombie attack on the farm, after the ramifications of Dale's death play out in the next episode.

Poor Carl. He's just a kid, but he still got careless even after both Shane and Rick tried to warn him to be more careful.

EDIT: I just watched the preview for episode 12 over AMC.com. It looks like the group is finally taking measures to really secure the farm after the zombie attack, including the storage of food and water. On the other hand, they still seem determined to release Randall, which might blow up in their face in episode 13.

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"You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean that tin is worthless."
-Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones

"I prefer my history dead. The dead sort is written in ink, the living in blood."
-Rodrik Greyjoy, A Song of Ice and Fire

So exactly how easy is it to tear someone's stomach open with your bare hands? Also, how does a zombie sneak up on you in a open field?I guess it could have been laying down.

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Brotherhood of the Monkey @( !.! )@
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. ~Steve Prefontaine
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

No, Dale took his stupid pills, or more accurately the writers.

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-A.L.
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence...Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." - Calvin Coolidge

"If you're falling off a cliff you may as well try to fly, you've got nothing to lose." - John Sheridan (Babylon 5)

"Sometimes you got to roll the hard six." - William Adama (Battlestar Galactica)

Yeah, the actual attack was a pretty forced scene. As soon as Dale walked up to the gutted cow, I immediately thought, "He's behind you, and won't attack until you conveniently turn around."

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"You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean that tin is worthless."
-Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones

"I prefer my history dead. The dead sort is written in ink, the living in blood."
-Rodrik Greyjoy, A Song of Ice and Fire

Yeah, it was entirely predictable and in the bad way. I mean really? An open field? Shit, maybe at least make it two zombies (one chewing on the cow distracts him, while another gets the drop on him).

For those who haven't/are not reading the comic:

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-A.L.
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence...Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." - Calvin Coolidge

"If you're falling off a cliff you may as well try to fly, you've got nothing to lose." - John Sheridan (Babylon 5)

"Sometimes you got to roll the hard six." - William Adama (Battlestar Galactica)

Well nice job breaking it, Carl.

The fallout from Dale's death is going to be interesting. As pointed out, he's been the group conscience and moderate voice. With him gone...it isn't going to be pretty.

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"A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification; he can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely... a legend, Mr. Wayne."

-- Ducard, Batman Begins --

Mister Cow and Dale are not the only ones who got there guts ripped out in the last scene. D: Stupid Carl this is why we don't play with dead things.



What exactly do you mean by Georgia is known for it's winters? I live here, (and near where the show is set at that) and except for last years the place has relatively mild winters as long as I can remember with the number of times we've gotten any real snow fall countable on two hands. Hell if we are known for anything it's for completely losing our shit if the temperature even gets close to 32 degrees.

Didn't like the manner of Dale's death one bit. The only way I can see a Walker managing to gut a large cow and then Dale they way it did is if its fingers were worn down to bony fingertips.

And what is with the suddenly-silent Walker behavior? Since when do they conveniently stay quiet? How did it get behind Dale? He seemed to be walking towards the edge of the field with open space around him? I was thinking back to the second episode when the Walkers were using rocks to smash glass doors. How "dumb" are these Walkers? They aren't always exhibiting "mindless" behavior.

Some side notes. Andrea and Shane weren't plotting so much as lamenting over the situation. Daryl is still hurting over the loss of Sophia, but he is still out for the good of the group. He cares about the group. Andrea is not in lock step with Shane. Shane is starting to horde ammo. Randall's group probably raided military hardware.

What I didn't get about Dale's death is what was he doing with his hands while the walker ripped his stomach open? Holding on to the walker's shoulders? Was pretty obvious and lame death setup, though before that I thought Carl losing Daryl's gun would be what got someone killed.

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Phil Ken Sebben: Birdman, this is Dvd, our new efficiency expert.
Harvey Birdman: Interesting name. Norweg...?
Dvd: Was "David". I eliminated the vowels to save time.
Phil Ken Sebben: Brllnt!

Regular people, under the influence of adrenaline, can do things like lift up cars and other such feats of strength because the brain is not inhibiting muscles to prevent damage to them and because of increased usage of the various energy-producing compounds in the muscle. Given that zombies' brains probably aren't doing much regulating anymore, it can be assumed that muscles are being used at their strongest capacity, rather than being inhibited to prevent damage. So, if the zombie got enough leverage with its hands, it could probably tear open an old man's stomach.



Dale was trying to keep the walker from eating his face by holding onto the shoulder/neck region. He's probably not the strongest fellow around, so I could see where that would be a big struggle for him.

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SDNet: Unbelievable levels of pedantry that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet!

I'm wondering if Carl's role in Dale's death is going to come out.

With Shane and Otis, we knew it was only a matter of time given his downward spiral. With Carl...it's indirect, but he's still ultimately responsible. And Rick won't exactly shoot his own son or cast him out.

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"A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification; he can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely... a legend, Mr. Wayne."

-- Ducard, Batman Begins --

...yet another Apocalypse in which NH is the right place to be. Then again running from a walker might not be feasible in 18 inches of snow...



The zombies aren't necessarily "mindless", they seem to have an ability to access some kind of primitive muscle memory. Remember the woman in the first episode who could not only open doors, but find her house?

Maybe the rock bashers were hoodlums in their youth, and Dale has been killed by a zombie ninja

Pure speculation: Remember when the CDC showed zombie brain activity and normal brain activity? Most of the Zombies brain activity was in the lower brain area, but showed sparks into the Cerebrum. Maybe this explains how the Zombies will show intelligence spikes; like knowing how to use a ladder or sneaking. That or just my lack of familiarity with brain scans.

it's a zombie show, pretty much everything's on the table. I'm still trying to figure out how these things shit. If they just poop as they go, there's no WAY their sense of smell is any good.

Have none of these people ever heard of the buddy system? How can they possibly NOT know that running around in the freaking dark is a very very bad idea? And just what the hell was Carl thinking, playing with a flesh-eating, contagion spreading monster??! I knew as soon as I saw the walker in the mud someone was gonna die - did not expect Dale. That being said...foggy moor. Moaning mutilated cow. Hmm. I second the question regarding how the zombie got behind Dale in the middle of an open field, when Dale was coming from the direction the zombie appeared.

I have a sneaky suspicion that when they release this Randall fellow he will turn on them at the earliest opportunity. I can't say I'd blame him after the tender reception he has received, and I figure it will only end poorly for our intrepid adventurers when the "30" come back to take whatever they like.

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“I prefer Gary,” the Centurion said. - Centurion GRY-237427, "The Hunted"

“This sucks,” Gary said, as the Land-Rams to either side exploded. “I will request a transfer from your command in our next life, Commander.” - Centurion GRY-237427, "The Hunted"

Give a man a match, you warm him for a day. Set him on fire, you warm him for the rest of his life - unknown

I just realized that it doesn't really make sense for a single zombie to take down a whole cow. Couldn't the cow just run away once the zombie tries to bite it?

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"You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean that tin is worthless."
-Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones

"I prefer my history dead. The dead sort is written in ink, the living in blood."
-Rodrik Greyjoy, A Song of Ice and Fire

There's a lot about this series that isn't well thought out and depends on the stupidity of the characters.

A cow being killed by a zombie doesn't depend on the stupidity of the characters.


As for how a lone zombie killed a cow: it could have already been sick or injured. Plus, even cows sleep, and the zombie did show itself to be quiet enough to sneak up on a human. If it just latched on with its teeth and managed to get a large wound opened, it could have killed the cow.

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SDNet: Unbelievable levels of pedantry that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet!

I've always seen him as the dinosaur, the guy crying for the old way, the old life. It's fitting that he should die right before a major act that proves once and for all that civilisation is gone.

Honestly I'm glad he's gone. It's one thing when he didn't fix the car to stretch out the search, there was some tangible benefit to that, but for all of the episode he was moaning without ever providing a solution, basically he was a delusional idiot who didn't want to do what was necessary and tried to run as far away from it as possible, making it difficult for everybody else for no net gain. Honestly they should have just killed the guy when they had the chance, but if they did it wouldn't be a zombie show would it?

Also, a slow zombie can somehow track a running kid back to his camp, good to know.

You guys have a problem with a zombie taking down a cow? In the episode where they gutted the walker (while looking Sophia) they found some sort of small mammal inside said walker. Maybe animals don't sense the walkers as a threat till to late?

That's not so far fetched. If the kid just ran straight to camp in a straight line the zombie would have just shuffled toward the general direction it saw the kid running. It didn't even need to actually be looking for the kid, just get started in the direction and then just continue walking. It wasn't like it was that far away from the house.

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Brotherhood of the Monkey @( !.! )@
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. ~Steve Prefontaine
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.