S05.E01: No Sanctuary

[TexasChic]

I actually found Eugene's story pretty believable. 

 

"I was part of a 10-person team at the human genome project that weaponized diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in D.C., we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of ‘em. Fire with fire."

 

What I would have a big problem with is him implying the ease it would take to administer a 'little tweaking' to a 'failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet'. Yeah, I don't think I would trust him not to kill off the remaining population, especially in a world where something similar has apparently already happened.

 

 

QUOTE
The watch that Carol picked up from the table was Rick's watch, which he gave to fruit ninja Sam.  Her old watch that Ed gave her was next to it.
Are we sure about that? I thought the last time we saw it was when Rick put it on the nightstand before lying down back in that house. I don't think he grabbed it before jumping under the bed. Pretty sure he left without it. It's probably still there.

Rick definitely gave Sam his watch, and when he didn't return, Carol gave him her watch to replace it. 

[CletusMusashi]

I can understand them taking out Rick first, since they know he's the "ringleader", but you'd think they'd butcher Eugene and Abraham with him, since they certainly have the most meat on them, while Daryl, etc. are pretty lean and stringy.

They were saving Eugene for Friday. Mullets are seafood.

[Turtle]

It's possible that Eugene, in his own head, believes he has the answer. Also possible that he is bat shit cray cray and doesn't realize that it was a video game in a dream.​

 

 

Seawolff, great point.  It had not occurred to me that Eugene may really believe he has the cure, and that brings up questions of whether he really thinks he has the cure for some reason (although probably wrong), or if he's in some delusion about having the cure.  Adds some new and interesting aspects to what I will now be calling MulletGate.  

 

Maybe that's what the weird looks between Abraham and Rosita were about - Eugene is nutso, and they know it, and they're indulging his fantasy so long as it doesn't hurt them?  Is that what Rosita was talking about when she said "we have to tell them"?  So. Many. Questions!!!

[NurseGiGi]

Something I've been wondering about.  When the group was at the CDC the doc there said the only people left, besides him, were the French, but he didn't know what was happening there because they lost contact.  So, why does Eugene and the group want to go to DC?

 

Oh, and something I just thought about.  Didn't the bad guys at the bar that Rick, Glen, and Herschel had to kill say something about having traveled through DC and nothing was there or is my memory off?

[kikismom]

Something I've been wondering about.  When the group was at the CDC the doc there said the only people left, besides him, were the French, but he didn't know what was happening there because they lost contact.  So, why does Eugene and the group want to go to DC?

 

Oh, and something I just thought about.  Didn't the bad guys at the bar that Rick, Glen, and Herschel had to kill say something about having traveled through DC and nothing was there or is my memory off?

Eugene just had to (IMO) make up a story about why he was important to add to a group and not be tasked with dangerous stuff like fighting walkers...because Eugene must know how hopelessly incompetent he is. Once you say you have important world saving info, you don't want anyone to counter with: "yeah, too late for that to matter, it's like knowing how to grow a money tree--no longer valid!" 

One lie begets another, tangled web we weave, etc.

DaveandFatTony said in the bar that they heard there was a refugee camp in DC but they couldn't even get near the place.

[kj4ever]

Oh and I keep forgetting to say that I am so glad I am on this board because I seriously thought Martin say "I want the kid's hide after he's bled out," which actually made the episode more creepy.

 

Am I the only one that has problems hearing things on this show?  Especially when Daryl talks.  I remember back when they took the prison and Carol brought him food saying it wasn't much he said "little Shane must be hungry" or something like that.  I think I rewound that about 10 times before I figured out what he said.  I have issues like that all the time with this show.

[ghoulina]

This talk about genetic cures makes me wonder if Judith might end up serving a larger plot point. Any chance that people born after the outbreak are clean, or at least immune? If she were scratched or bitten but didn't turn, her survival is even more highly prioritized. And even if they decided to kill her off because it's just too hard dragging a baby around in this new world, if she didn't come back, it tells them the same thing. Gives hope.

 

I had that same thought about Judith from the moment she was born. It would be very interesting if she had the cure, but how would you test that? You could never convince Rick to LET her get bit or scratched just to see. It would have to be a matter of an accident. But I think that could be really cool storywise. 

 

I actually found Eugene's story pretty believable.

"I was part of a 10-person team at the human genome project that weaponized diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in D.C., we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of ‘em. Fire with fire."

 

The problem with that is - it's not enough. Say they do kill EVERY single existing walker (are there enough people alive to implement this?), what about the problem of everyone being infected? Yes, if everyone KNOWS this they can take the proper precautions. But you can never be 100% safe. You'd have to live always looking over your shoulder. 

 

Something I've been wondering about.  When the group was at the CDC the doc there said the only people left, besides him, were the French, but he didn't know what was happening there because they lost contact.  So, why does Eugene and the group want to go to DC?

 

I've wondered the exact same thing. I, personally, think Eugene is full of crap and keeping this story going to give him protection. AND....I don't think he really wants to go to DC, hence him intentionally shooting their military vehicle and insisting Abraham go back for Glenn and them. He is delaying as long as possible. But, yes, I wonder why the others are even entertaining the idea of people still being in DC. Surely when things went bad the President was airlifted out of there to some secret location. How would they even know if anyone is there? Have we seen them carrying around satellite phones or anything? 

[JackONeill]

 

Carol had obviously traveled back to the prison to reconnect, but was the only one who was already on the road, not running for her life. She may have seen, from a point of safety, each person who escaped. She's already been banished, been alone, decided to go back and had succeeded in returning to her destination. Carol isn't even planning on staying at the prison once she helps Tyrese get there! (Maybe because she realizes Tyrese can't live with her?)The refugees of the prison, on the other hand, are desperate, nearly broken victims hoping to find others and find safety.

 

One thing I can't remember.  (I haven't been watching the reruns and have been relying on my somewhat dubious memory.)  How much time elapsed between Carol's banishment and the fall of the prison?  Wasn't it all in a matter of just a few days?  Only reason I bring it up is because I've seen a few people refer to Carol's banishment and being in her own as if it had gone on for weeks.  And, didn't she also hook up with Tyreese and the kids soon after the fall of the prison?  I'm just wondering about the timeline.

 

I think Carol picked up Rick's watch.  (I remember looking up that watch one time, but now I can't remember what I found except that it is a very nice watch, one you'd wonder how someone like Rick Griiiiimmmmes would be able to afford.  But what the hey.)

 

As much as I don't care for the addition of the cartoon characters (Abe's brigade), I kinda think Eugene is telling the truth.  I mean, though I don't think Abraham is a rocket scientist when it comes to smarts, I also don't see him being fooled into risking his life on what seems to be a suicide mission.

 

I thought, at first, when I saw the eight lucky winners in "What's-For-Dinner-Sweepstakes" that they were chosen because they were men and posed the greatest threat.  (Yes, I know there were other men NOT chosen.)  Of course, that's before I knew about the whole testes thing (thanks to kikismom) so I have really nothing left to say because I have to go out and get an industrial strength cup.

Edited October 16, 2014 by JackONeill

[The Mighty Peanut]

I'm sure of it, especially after his silly babble-speak in the boxcar. If it's true, why hasn't he explained it properly to anyone? I think he's not as dumb as he looks and knows if he proclaims to be the only person who has the answer, he can get other people to actively protect him.

We've seen that, without that protection, he'd probably last no longer in the world than it would take for him to meet his first zombie or marauder.

That cartoonish trio really takes an edge of enjoyment of the show away from me. Abraham? After all everyone has endured, still has the gel holding his perfectly coiffed hair in placed? Rosita is like some teenage boy's fantasy and I really get irritated just looking at Eugene, never mind listening to him. Some comic book characters needed adjustment to make them seem real before adding them to live action.

I agree. And I'm getting pissed that no one has mentioned the CDC exploded. D.C. is big; where does Eugene even need to go where he'd have the right equipment and supplies? I'm guessing his reply would be something to the effect of a mysterious classified location that makes Area 51 look like preschool, because he he is banking on pulling off a realistic Resident Evil cliche. This show has already had two geniuses who demonstrated a disconnect from social and societal norms -- Milton and Jenner. I don't mean to paint all scientific masterminds with a broad brush...but both showed an active interest in the disease and shared their knowledge/lack thereof. It speaks volumes that Eugene, twice now if memory serves, tells his peers that even if he felt like explaining things, they aren't smart enough to understand. In the train car he even used the term 'red ringed', which is xbox slang, and last season with Tara he segued into a dinosaur fight scenario. Eugene may be very smart, but he is a different breed of nerd.

Edited October 16, 2014 by The Mighty Peanut

[ghoulina]

One thing I can't remember.  (I haven't been watching the reruns and have been relying on my somewhat dubious memory.)  How much time elapsed between Carol's banishment and the fall of the prison?  Wasn't it all in a matter of just a few days?  Only reason I bring it up is because I've seen a few people refer to Carol's banishment and being in her own as if it had gone on for weeks.  And, didn't she also hook up with Tyreese and the kids soon after the fall of the prison?  I'm just wondering about the timeline.

 

I'm pretty sure the prison fell the day after Rick got back from banishing Carol. He came back, it was just he, Maggie, and Carl. They were trying to repair the fences. But Hershel had an outbreak inside, so Maggie went to go help him - while  Carl and Rick mowed down that giant herd that eventually took down the fence. Daryl and co. got back with the meds early the next morning. Michonne and Hershel went out on walker burning duty, where the Governor found them and kidnapped them. He came back a few hours later with his hostages and tank.

 

Carol must have gone almost right back to the prison, she apparently saw the whole thing go down from a distance. I think Tyrese spent one night alone with the girls in the woods - the night that Lizzie killed the bunnies. I think she ran across them the next day. 

Edited October 16, 2014 by ghoulina

[Boofish]

 

Second season, episode one, Carol pulls out the grenade she found in the wash and gives it to Rick who uses it to blow the window of the CDC facility...

Which also provided Shane with his best line for his entire arc on the show "Carol, I don't think a nail file is going to cut it"

 

In regards to Tyrese - I think because he is a big man people expect him to be all Rick and Daryl but he is just gentle and fights when he needs to which I can respect. As for him taking the time to save those girls and Judith when everyone else fled, in all fairness to the group they thought all the children were on the bus and saw the bus leave. This explains to me why no one would bother looking for them. Also Rick stumbled back to the prison looking for his kids which is how he found "Caw-roll" alone. They saw Judith's car seat and assumed she was dead. Not taking away from what Tyrese did but the rest had no reason to think they should go back looking for her

[mandolin]

Just to nitpick, the grenade at the CDC was actually the last episode (6) of season 1.

 

My favorite line of Shane's was "You're right, man, that IS enough" before he kills the barn walkers. Love it.

 

Back on topic-ish, it does seem that Carol pretty much immediately went back to the prison after being banished. I wonder what happened to her car and the supplies. Why not just drive back up? Would Rick have stopped her? That would've been interesting.

Edited October 16, 2014 by mandolin

[dannymoon]

I had that same thought about Judith from the moment she was born. It would be very interesting if she had the cure, but how would you test that? You could never convince Rick to LET her get bit or scratched just to see. It would have to be a matter of an accident. But I think that could be really cool storywise. 

Yes, I've been wondering this since season 3. Whether babies born post-outbreak might be immune in some way. I guess a way to start is to take blood and test it, if there are any places (like the CDC) left to do so.

 

What a fantastic first episode! I'm so ready to tackle season 5.

Edited October 16, 2014 by dannymoon

[NurseGiGi]

I think my point about the CDC is that what's left of the group that was there should have enough knowledge to doubt Eugene.  But really, no one has had much chance to question this because they were in a train car waiting to literally be turned into CDB.  And Eugene wouldn't have any way of knowing this so of course he would say D.C.

 

Yeh, I still think Eugene is full of crap.

 

Edited to add that I am really enjoying all the discussion going on.  When I rewatched I had everyone's comments in mind and realized I had missed a few things.

Edited October 16, 2014 by NurseGiGi

[Boofish]

 

Edited to add that I am really enjoying all the discussion going on.  When I rewatched I had everyone's comments in mind and realized I had missed a few things.

 

Ditto!

 

 

Back on topic-ish, it does seem that Carol pretty much immediately went back to the prison after being banished. I wonder what happened to her car and the supplies. Why not just drive back up? Would Rick have stopped her? That would've been interesting.

I believe she did go right back. If you remember, Rick was telling Daryl what happened to her when they heard the first shot. Carol told Tyrese she was coming back from a supply run and saw him run into the woods. Tyrese was not alone with the girls for that long because Carol still had food and water in her bag. I believe it was the same day. I don't remember Tyrese ever spending a night alone in the woods with the girls

Edited October 16, 2014 by Boofish

[nodorothyparker]

If they're going to insist on shoving the cartoon trio and their ridiculous "save the world" mantra (I simply cringe every time Abraham says that) down our throats, I'm going to be seriously disappointed if one of the survivors of the CDC doesn't point out that they've been there and saw and heard firsthand that there was nothing.  Of the original group, that would be Rick, Carol, Daryl, Glenn, or Carl.  I'm optimistic that Sasha and Michonne already both look pretty skeptical.

[editorgrrl]

This talk about genetic cures makes me wonder if Judith might end up serving a larger plot point. Any chance that people born after the outbreak are clean, or at least immune? If she were scratched or bitten but didn't turn, her survival is even more highly prioritized. And even if they decided to kill her off because it's just too hard dragging a baby around in this new world, if she didn't come back, it tells them the same thing. Gives hope.

 

We might see a little more shagging then. ;)

 

I had that same thought about Judith from the moment she was born. It would be very interesting if she had the cure, but how would you test that? You could never convince Rick to LET her get bit or scratched just to see. It would have to be a matter of an accident. But I think that could be really cool storywise. 

 

Taken to Speculation Without Spoilers.

[kikismom]

I actually found Eugene's story pretty believable. 

 

"I was part of a 10-person team at the human genome project that weaponized diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms.  Take out every last dead one of ‘em.

 

 

The way I understand it, the human genome project maps chromosomes, pathogens are bacterial/viral/parasitic infectious disease vectors or something. On a really "The Black Plague For Dummies" level, the human genome project would be like every recipe in the world, and weaponizing pathogens would be the guys at Johnson&Johnson making stuff to get rid of salmonella on your food. They both have something to do with food needs and consumption, but Jacques Pepin and Lidia Bastianich wouldn't know crap about making Formula 409 or polymers for Tupperware.

I also immediately call fraud on Eugene saying relationships were formed after a few drinks. Not with him there weren't. There's not enough Jack Daniels in the world to kill that kind of pain.

 

 

My favorite line of Shane's was "You're right, man, that IS enough" before he kills the barn walkers. Love it.

 

Agreed. Classic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem with that is - it's not enough. Say they do kill EVERY single existing walker (are there enough people alive to implement this?), what about the problem of everyone being infected? Yes, if everyone KNOWS this they can take the proper precautions. But you can never be 100% safe.

The only cure would be something that eliminates infection in live people. Don't need to have a scientific genius to kill a walker, a baseball bat will suffice.

 

 

 

I thought, at first, when I saw the eight lucky winners in "What's-For-Dinner-Sweepstakes" that they were chosen because they were men and posed the greatest threat.  (Yes, I know there were other men NOT chosen.)  Of course, that's before I knew about the whole testes thing

Congratulations!---you've solved the question of where they got all those candles!

 

 

 

Am I the only one that has problems hearing things on this show?  Especially when Daryl talks.  I remember back when they took the prison and Carol brought him food saying it wasn't much he said "little Shane must be hungry" or something like that. 

Yes! He says "Little Shane must be developing quite an appetite" .

Did you know that when Lori comes up to Daryl's Fortress of Solitude asking for help finding out where Rick is, he does tell her it ain't his problem Olive Oyl and he's done looking for everybody. But there's a quick mumble when she first asks where Rick is, and he says "You're husband went window-shopping!" . I did not hear that till this year (lol) and I don't know if he was just being sarcastic or implying that Rick was looking for a bootycall or what. A lot of Daryl's lines come out of his nose.

Edited October 16, 2014 by kikismom

[The Mighty Peanut]

Edited to add that I am really enjoying all the discussion going on.  When I rewatched I had everyone's comments in mind and realized I had missed a few things.

 

I do too, and this is not intended as a personal dig at TWOP but I am very appreciative of the level of discourse here as well as the freedom to talk in-thread about comic spoilers and go OT within reason. Also, I like that I can act like these people are real and that the expansion of the definition of omnivorism to include human flesh might be reasonable in an apocalypse scenario without seeming creepy (or at least without anyone telling me so).

 

ETA: Regarding the Judith-as-potential-cure thing, I've been a zombie nerd for like ever and outside of the Romero-verse it is an extremely common trope to find a person who winds up having a cure in their blood or is immune somehow. There's nothing like this in the comics yet (Judith's comic fate:

she was smothered when Lori fell on top of her after being shot and killed) but I think it would be cool. Like, what if the termites had gone full Nazi and murdered babies from infected moms not realizing they had antibodies for the cure?

Edited October 17, 2014 by HalcyonDays
Extended spoiler tags

[RustbeltWriter]

I actually found Eugene's story pretty believable. 

 

"I was part of a 10-person team at the human genome project that weaponized diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in D.C., we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of ‘em. Fire with fire."

 

What I would have a big problem with is him implying the ease it would take to administer a 'little tweaking' to a 'failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet'. Yeah, I don't think I would trust him not to kill off the remaining population, especially in a world where something similar has apparently already happened.

 

I hope Eugene is telling the truth. Throughout the seasons we've seen our merry band roam, settle, get overrun, roam some more, settle again and get overrun. Terminus was a bit of variety but now we're back to roaming. I think the series is mature enough now that it needs an arc where a goal begins to take shape. Just running around the Georgian woods meeting crazy cannibals and fighting the undead isn't going to be any more compelling than hanging out on Herschel's farm. These folks are the remnants of humanty and the last that remember what a modern world looked like. Slowly watching them give that up by simply fighting to stay alive for one more day would be too depressing to watch.

[LilySilver]

The only cure would be something that eliminates infection in live people. Don't need to have a scientific genius to kill a walker, a baseball bat will suffice.

True, but "turning off" all the undeads' brains at once (and presumably curing the same virus within living people) with some kind of aerosolized cure would sure be nicer than having to be constantly looking over your shoulder, baseball bat at the ready, taking them out one by one (of at least tens of millions, presumably). Seems like it might be a little risky in the trial stages however. And finding the facility/system he referenced is one challenge, getting into it and getting it operational would be a whole other deal. These are questions that have come to us pretty much immediately--I certainly hope the writers are respectful enough that we see the characters asking the same sorts of things.

I'm appreciating a little wider latitude in the discussion here too--I get the need to stay on topic, but I also think conversations can organically range a bit and still come back to the general subject of the thread. I am ridiculously thankful for this place to land after the loss of TWoP, and even more thankful to see familiar faces. Thus I am not willing to go too far in making fun of Eugene's nerdiness.

Edited October 16, 2014 by LilySilver

[gaPeach]

Maybe Eugene is like that guy in the movie The Flight of the Phoenix.  After they crashed they tried to figure out how to fly the plane and he piped up and said he could rebuild a plane from parts of the crashed plane.  When asked if he had done it before (or knew how to build a plane) he said yes.  He presented himself as a airplane engineer?  Anyway, He was telling the truth and he did help build a new plane out of the old one.  He just did not mention he had only done it on MODEL airplanes. 

 

Maybe that is Eugene.

[North of Eden]

So is this officially it for Michonnes Samaria sword? Carol didn't grab that too right?

[Watcher0363]

So is this officially it for Michonnes Samaria sword? Carol didn't grab that too right?

Haven't you stayed up late at night and seen that knife guy selling every type of blade ever invented? I believe there is another katana just around the next dead walker for Michonne. Maybe one in black, although that white one never did become dingy.

[Boofish]

A lot of Daryl's lines come out of his nose.

 

And the ever classic Daryl and Dr. Jenner exchange:

 

D.J. - These walls were built to withstand a rocket launch

 

Daryl coming at him with an ax - Well your head ain't

Edited October 16, 2014 by Boofish

[mandolin]

I wish I could like your post multiple times, Boofish.

[Portia]

Am I the only one that has problems hearing things on this show?  

Nope, you're not alone. All those weird accents and dramatic whispers make for a lot of missed dialogue . . . which is why I just go ahead and turn on closed captioning for this series. I watch all my movies and several of my TV shows with captions. I'm not a deaf old lady--just a dialogue nerd who hates missing even a single phrase. 

[ghoulina]

I'm optimistic that Sasha and Michonne already both look pretty skeptical.

 

Sasha strikes me as the queen of skepticism. She always looks like she's ready to roll her eyes at someone. And she was the one trying to get some answers out of Eugene; I hope she comes at him a little harder when they have more time. 

 

The only cure would be something that eliminates infection in live people. Don't need to have a scientific genius to kill a walker, a baseball bat will suffice.

 

THANK YOU!

[Boofish]

The three stooges (Abraham, Rosita and Eugene) should be on Z-Nation. Also notice Tyrese, Eugene and Abraham on that T-Dog Zombie diet; haven't lost a pound. I don't know why I find that comical

[kj4ever]

The three stooges (Abraham, Rosita and Eugene) should be on Z-Nation. Also notice Tyrese, Eugene and Abraham on that T-Dog Zombie diet; haven't lost a pound. I don't know why I find that comical

Amen!  I haven't read the comics, but some of the characters like those idiots and The Gov'nuh just do not translate to TV.  They need to ditch the comic book crap and go in a totally original direction now.  You would think they would realize this, I mean the three of them seem like they are from a totally different universe than CDB.

[JackONeill]

I find it ironic that when our team had cars, they largely sat on their asses (at Camp Dinner Bell, at Herschel's farm and then the prison.)  Now that they're walking, where are the cars????

[Portia]

Sasha strikes me as the queen of skepticism. She always looks like she's ready to roll her eyes at someone. 

Gotta say I loved this comment. I'm friends with Sonequa Martin-Green's sister (worked with her for several years), and I always laugh when Sasha cuts her eyes a certain way because I know that look--I've seen it on her sis! I really enjoyed Sasha's questioning of Mullet.

[ghoulina]

At least one car is still functioning - the one that picked up Beth. 

 

Maybe Abe could lead them back the minivan? They could cram inside and strap Eugene to the top. See you in Washington, folks!

[JackONeill]

Maybe they can get Chevy Chase to drive them.  I mean, our team does need a vacation.

[kikismom]

Oh, we need the next episode to be National Lampoon's ZA Vacation!

 

Although personally, I wouldn't mind going through the ZA with Kurt Russell's Captain Ron.

 

Gareth: "None of this was personal".

Capt.Ron: "It shows!"

 

Terminus Mary: "They killed us and raped us and laughed...for weeks."

Capt. Ron. "Yeah, it shows!"

Edited October 16, 2014 by kikismom

[GaT]

At least one car is still functioning - the one that picked up Beth. 

 

 

And I hope it keeps going right through Canada.

[Irishmaple]

Hey, what did we do to deserve that?

 

ETA: sorry, Beth, I don't mind you at all.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Irishmaple

[TexasChic]

 

Oh and I keep forgetting to say that I am so glad I am on this board because I seriously thought Martin say "I want the kid's hide after he's bled out," which actually made the episode more creepy.

I only knew he didn't say hide because I had my captions on. I rewound it 3 times and it never stopped sounding like hide.

[Raven1707]

 

I don't remember Tyrese ever spending a night alone in the woods with the girls

 

He did, though. That was when Lizzie took the opportunity to kill those baby bunnies.

[diebartdie]

Also notice Tyrese, Eugene and Abraham on that T-Dog Zombie diet; haven't lost a pound. I don't know why I find that comical

Tyreese looks like he's actually gained some.....a lot actually...

[TexasChic]

It's true what Eugene proposed isn't really a 'cure'. However, the walkers running around eating everyone are the whole reason most of the population died and society broke down. If you could wipe them out, then they could begin to rebuild society. Even if future deaths would result in more walkers, it would be better than the millions they currently have roaming around.

 

And then there's the possibility that his 'cure' would also work on future walkers, which would actually have the same result as a cure. But like most of you, I question the truthfulness of his claim. And even if it is completely legit, who wants to let someone fool around with a virus that was created to kill everyone, on the the off chance it could be reworked to kill only walkers? If it doesn't work right, you could wipe out humanity altogether.

Edited October 16, 2014 by TexasChic

[TexasChic]

 

 

Also notice Tyrese, Eugene and Abraham on that T-Dog Zombie diet; haven't lost a pound. I don't know why I find that comical

 

Tyreese looks like he's actually gained some.....a lot actually...

 

I think you have to suspend belief about a few things. I find it annoying that the women all have perfectly arched eyebrows and find time to shave their underarms even though it looks like they haven't bathed in weeks. Abraham's trimmed mustache, everyone's expertly barbered hair and uber white teeth… you could go on and on.

[Boofish]

Eugene is full of crap. How did he manage to communicate with the people in D.C. if he was nowhere near the place? Why wasn't he with those scientist but instead ended up with a random group? He has only survived because he realized they would protect him at all cost if he lied about knowing a cure. There are so many holes in his story but I guess all Abraham and Rosita have is hope and like Darly looking for Sophia - at least it gives them a purpose and something worth surviving for; I just wish Eugene wasn't so cartoonish

[kikismom]

http://i.imgur.com/28lWQ04.jpg

[NoWillToResist]

 

What he did say about using chemical warfare against the walkers, to create some virus that could kill them instead, made sense to me. And it would definitely change everything. Imagine arriving at a city and spraying some airborne chemical that is harmless to humans, but would make all the walkers just drop dead.

 

I was very bothered that no one said "that's all well and good to get rid of the CURRENT walkers but that doesn't prevent everyone else on the planet from becoming a walker upon their death so that's not much of a cure..."

 

Defensive strategy? Sure. Cure? Not so much, IMO.

[LilySilver]

If it cures the virus that causes the brain to reanimate the body, then it would kill the virus. In the living and the dead. That's not the part I find implausible.

[klarsonovsky]

When the group was at the CDC the doc there said the only people left, besides him, were the French, but he didn't know what was happening there because they lost contact.  So, why does Eugene and the group want to go to DC?

So glad Sasha finally asked the question. IRL I'm the type that questions any article in the NYT that relies on studies or polls where I don't know the design parameter and can't assess the data myself, so I hate when people just take the word of an "expert". But I thought Eugene's explanation was fairly acceptable for a tv show. He mentioned getting rid of all the dead people, but if his solution was a virus (fire with fire), that would presumably also destroy the virus currently affecting the living. More info would have been useless to people who didn't have the scientific background to understand it.

 

We don't know what's supposed to be in DC (top secret research installation and computers, I assume), but regarding the CDC-- a) if the top-secret DC installation is real (in show terms) the average CDC staff member wouldn't necessarily know about it, and b) in any case most of the CDC staff were apparently wiped out within a week-- so all that collective brainpower and knowledge never had much of a chance to brainstorm a solution before communication was down and everyone died.

 

Even if Eugene's theory is wrong, if I were in that position I'd still be ALL ABOUT protecting the guy with the bioscience background. Seriously, I'd save him over Judith. Can make more babies. Cannot make more biochem PhDs.

Edited October 17, 2014 by klarsonovsky

[Raven1707]

 

How did he manage to communicate with the people in D.C. if he was nowhere near the place?

 

Apparently, Eugene had a satellite phone that he used to contact D.C.; he mentions it in "Claimed."

[GreyBunny]

I think my point about the CDC is that what's left of the group that was there should have enough knowledge to doubt Eugene.  But really, no one has had much chance to question this because they were in a train car waiting to literally be turned into CDB.  And Eugene wouldn't have any way of knowing this so of course he would say D.C.

 

Yeh, I still think Eugene is full of crap.

 

Someone needs to ask him if the Pasteur institute means anything to him.  It's the premier infectious disease center in the world and would have been the French people working with the CDC.  If he were really involved in microbiology at any level, he'd know about the PI.

I like the idea that he is sincere but delusional, but, based on his stall tactics, I think he's sane and full of it. 

 

I really hope someone confronts Eugene about what happened at the CDC.  Even though Jenner was a lower level employee, it looked like he had pretty much full access to the CDC.  Jenner's wife would have given him access when everything hit the fan.  He also knew enough to be able to communicate with France before they lost contact.  It's annoying that Jenner and TS-19 seem to have vanished from Camp Dinner Bell's memories.

Edited October 17, 2014 by GreyBunny

[raven]

Well the only one who has spent much time with Eugene and was at the CDC was Glenn, who was more occupied with finding Maggie and the destruction of the prison and didn't seem to really care what Eugene's story was.  Then everyone was locked in the boxcar and didn't get into each other's backgrounds.  

 

I thought everyone who wasn't Abraham or Rosita was looking at Eugene like "yeah right whatever" (especially Michonne & Sasha) when he was giving his science talk. Nobody was really in the mood to argue details I think.  They will all look ridiculous if they don't question it further though.