S05.E04: Slabtown

[RedheadZombie]

 

She wasn't in a situation where charisma was the goal, she was in a situation where fading into the woodwork was.

 

Charisma isn't really something you can turn on or off.  Beth lacks charisma because EK lacks charisma.

[Omar G.]

I think this episode should have been called "Everyone Hates Beth and Chris."  This thread should be called "Everyone Hates Beth".

 

Some of you, okay most of you are really picky. 

 

Welcome to the Internet.

[SoSueMe]

Charisma isn't really something you can turn on or off.  Beth lacks charisma because EK lacks charisma.

I would love to know what impressed the casting director. Ditto the writers who thought she could carry an entire episode. 

[kikismom]

I think this episode should have been called "Everyone Hates Beth and Chris."  This thread should be called "Everyone Hates Beth".

 

Some of you, okay most of you are really picky.

 

And why do you so many of you dislike her singing?  She sings fine.  Certainly could have made it to Hollywood.

There are some sites that are really fan-lovey; around here we love, we hate, we argue about it, we echo, we nit-pick, we hand-wave..but one thing we can't do is make a pact that every post will only be suited to each of the other post-ers standards.

 

Richmond isn't actually "near" DC.  It's about two hours in a car and on foot, might as well be Timbuktu.

Huh? It's closer than Atlanta, and the entire group agreed they would all go to DC from the Atlanta area, and if they were only two hours away by car they'd have been rolling like Mad Max as soon as Bob sighed his last breath.

[PunkyMouse]

Huh? It's closer than Atlanta, and the entire group agreed they would all go to DC from the Atlanta area, and if they were only two hours away by car they'd have been rolling like Mad Max as soon as Bob sighed his last breath.

I think she meant that Richmond is two hours from DC, not two hours from Atlanta.

[kikismom]

I would love to know what impressed the casting director. Ditto the writers who thought she could carry an entire episode. 

I know that they are given fake sides to read for their auditions; I suspect that EK's audition was for something depressed and numb to see if she could handle that first big scene for Beth Greene, the suicide attempt. She did so well she was hired. Only when it was too late did they discover that she plays every possible scenario as depressing and numb.

[ParadoxLost]

Richmond isn't actually "near" DC.  It's about two hours in a car and on foot, might as well be Timbuktu.

 

But if Snowmageddon taught us anything, its that in a car everywhere might as well be Timbuktu if the zombie apocalypse started during rush hour or didn't prompt people to shelter in place, so I cut everything some slack.

[kikismom]

I think she meant that Richmond is two hours from DC, not two hours from Atlanta.

Yeah, I know...I was comparing the description of going from Richmond to DC as so difficult, when CDB would think it was a piece of cake compared to the journey they are attempting.

Now Atlanta to DC, that would be like going to Timbuktu---which is why Rick's Roving Band of Yahoo's think they can pull it off.

 

On the other hand, Abraham and Rosita and Eugene (Eugene FFS!) made it from Houston to Atlanta... and they are idiots! So why not?

[SoSueMe]

But if Snowmageddon taught us anything, its that in a car everywhere might as well be Timbuktu if the zombie apocalypse started during rush hour or didn't prompt people to shelter in place, so I cut everything some slack.

Hummmm, begs the question of walkers in snow. If the ZA has been on for over a year (Noah's servitude) there has to have been some pretty snowy weather somewhere. I understand even NC has had snow this past weekend. :)

[TexasChic]

 

For Beth, what is her problem exactly? Why can she not just enjoy her stay there for a while, keeps her head down and relax? She has been on the road in high-stress high-alert condition for a while. If she escapes, then what?

Well, there is the whole 'putting her to work as a sex slave' business. 

[Malaprop cocktail]

I thought the ending was pretty brilliant. When Beth and Noah were outside, I kept looking for her rescuer--who would, of course, be the guy who was with her when she was captured, the guy who sped off in the car to go after her kidnappers ... the big strong *guy* rescuing the meek girl.

 

Then the very end, when we see that it's not Daryl who infiltrated the hospital, but Carol.

 

I thought this was a little subversive of the expected trope and I liked it a lot. In the time between Beth's attempted escape and Carol's admission to the E.R., what I think happened is Noah got away, ran into Daryl and Carol, and told them what was up. Carol agreed to play possum to rescue Beth, and Daryl returned to the church with Noah.

[madam magpie]

Why would Beth want to kill the doctor? I'd try to take out Dawn first. With Gorman gone, the rest would probably just fall apart.

I thought this episode was fine, not the best or worst. I'm really interested to see what the deal is with Carol! Loved Noah, glad he got away, but how would he hook up with Daryl? The odds of that are so slim. I know they're all heading north, but even if they all follow 95 the whole way, there's a lot of forest. And do we know for sure Rick' s group is south of Atlanta? I forget what direction they went in after the CDC blew up. All that said, though, I hope Noah does join our group. I love the kid who plays him.

Count me among those who are tired of one psycho after another. It's not so much that I find it unbelievable, though I do think there would be sane leaders left, but it gets tedious in a TV show. It's the same conflict again and again. I'd like to see our group on the road with some kind of plan and find out what they encounter along the way.

[Malaprop cocktail]

Loved Noah, glad he got away, but how would he hook up with Daryl? The odds of that are so slim.

 

Daryl was following the car with the cross on the back. We saw a fleet of those cars in the hospital lot when Beth and Noah were outside. So the car was probably going to the hospital. If it (and Daryl in pursuit) got to the hospital around the time Noah escaped, odds are good that they encountered each other.

[GreyBunny]

Semi-minor nitpick for me. When Beth was grinding up that tablet with the mortar and pestle, mixing it with water and injecting it - would that even really kill the doctor-patient? It was such a small dose. I mean, first of all, the Clozapine or whatever it was, was in pill format, which means it is most effective when absorbed by the stomach. Second, each pill contains a precise dose. Beth semi-ground up the pill, barely mixed it with water and injected a very small amount of it.

 

There is no way that amount of drug would kill him - he had the equivilent of small piece of the end of the pill injected into him. Nowhere near the strength of the pill itself. I can only think that that particular drug cannot be injected into a body, even in tiny amounts, or that Beth actually introduced an air bubble into the syringe.

 

For some reason, I was under the impression that the drug that Beth injected, interacted with what the patient was already on, which is what killed him. Anyway, just my nitpick.

 

Clozapine is an atypical anti-psychotic that is prescribed for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.  It can cause seizures for people susceptible to seizure disorders but, for Creepy Doctor's purposes, not reliably.  To the best of my knowledge it comes only as a tablet, there is no injectable form.  75mg is not a large dose though first time users are started at about 12.5 mg and work their way up, but that's moot since the teeny-tiny dose actually given thanks to Nurse Beth leaving almost all of it in the dish while drawing the mixture up into the syringe wouldn't have caused much, if anything, to happen, especially if she missed a vein (she probably did) when injecting it. 

 

Lorazepam, the drug Creepy Doctor tried to gaslight Beth with, is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.  Since the doctor-patient was unconscious he didn't have much to be anxious about. 

 

I'd be tempted to think she killed him with an air bubble, but since CD deliberately lied to her, the writers wanted the audience to think that he misled her into give the patient the wrong drug.

Edited November 4, 2014 by GreyBunny

[madam magpie]

Daryl was following the car with the cross on the back. We saw a fleet of those cars in the hospital lot when Beth and Noah were outside. So the car was probably going to the hospital. If it (and Daryl in pursuit) got to the hospital around the time Noah escaped, odds are good that they encountered each other.

Oh, nice! I missed that about the cars. Who actually took Beth at first? I don't remember. Wasn't it the rednecks? Do we think they're working with Dawn et al?

[Malaprop cocktail]

Oh, nice! I missed that about the cars. Who actually took Beth at first? I don't remember. Wasn't it the rednecks? Do we think they're working with Dawn et al?

 

No, it was also a car with a cross on it that drove off with Beth. Daryl saw it drive away, and that is why he chased off after the second car he saw with the cross on it.

[Irishmaple]

And, apparently, Gorman was driving the car that grabbed Beth since he insisted she should have been his.  Joe and Gorman would have gotten along so well.

[Milaxx]

Clozapine is an atypical anti-psychotic that is prescribed for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.  It can cause seizures for people susceptible to seizure disorders but, for Creepy Doctor's purposes, not reliably.  To the best of my knowledge it comes only as a tablet, there is no injectable form.  75mg is not a large dose though first time users are started at about 12.5 mg and work their way up, but that's moot since the teeny-tiny dose actually given thanks to Nurse Beth leaving almost all of it in the dish while drawing the mixture up into the syringe wouldn't have caused much, if anything, to happen, especially if she missed a vein (she probably did) when injecting it. 

 

Lorazepam, the drug Creepy Doctor tried to gaslight Beth with, is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.  Since the doctor-patient was unconscious he didn't have much to be anxious about. 

 

I'd be tempted to think she killed him with an air bubble, but since CD deliberately lied to her, the writers wanted the audience to think that he misled her into give the patient the wrong drug.

I thought it Clozapine vs Clonazepam. Still an anti-psychotic versus and seizure med, but the show made it seem like they were similar sounding.

[Iguessnot]

I thought it Clozapine vs Clonazepam. Still an anti-psychotic versus and seizure med, but the show made it seem like they were similar sounding.

Yes, those were the two. If you rewatch, the other bottle is visible when she mixing up her brew.

[TexasChic]

I just figured out the title of this episode isn't Slaptown.

[TexasChic]

I'm neutral on EK - not a fan, nor a knocker - but while I'm not overly fond of her frequent Barney Google imitations, I'm not going to fault her for weak writing. She's acting Beth the way the director tells her to.

 

I feel the same Nashville. I don't care much one way or another. I certainly don't feel the extreme hate some people seem to have, although I do find her annoying at times. Now Andrea was one I could barely tolerate watching, and I have no idea if it was the writing or the actress - she just irritated the hell out of me. I guess I can understand if some people feel about Beth the way I did about her.

[SoSueMe]

Clozapine is an atypical anti-psychotic that is prescribed for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.  It can cause seizures for people susceptible to seizure disorders but, for Creepy Doctor's purposes, not reliably.  To the best of my knowledge it comes only as a tablet, there is no injectable form.  75mg is not a large dose though first time users are started at about 12.5 mg and work their way up, but that's moot since the teeny-tiny dose actually given thanks to Nurse Beth leaving almost all of it in the dish while drawing the mixture up into the syringe wouldn't have caused much, if anything, to happen, especially if she missed a vein (she probably did) when injecting it. 

 

Lorazepam, the drug Creepy Doctor tried to gaslight Beth with, is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.  Since the doctor-patient was unconscious he didn't have much to be anxious about. 

 

I'd be tempted to think she killed him with an air bubble, but since CD deliberately lied to her, the writers wanted the audience to think that he misled her into give the patient the wrong drug.

I watched the replay with closed captions and I'm almost positive that the doctor named two similar sounding drugs, clozapine and another with maybe an extra syllable, maybe clonazepam?

 

ETA Sorry, I missed Milaxx's post above addressing the sound alike drugs. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by SoSueMe

[GreyBunny]

Was it Clonazepam?  Okay, thanks.  That makes sense.  I didn't see the bottle on the shelf and I just went by what Creepy Doctor said and it sounded to me like lorazepam.

[dohe]

I don't necessarily need her to be a bona fide hero but I need to see some urgency, desperation, determination to simply SURVIVE it.  I wanted to SEE on her face that she understood fully the deal there and was actively thinking, not only how she was going to get out but how she was going to get out of Atlanta. Beth apparently learned how to play dead, a la A Christmas Story, and like Randy, it's the best defense she's got.

 

Absolutely!  After 7 seasons of Buffy, 5 seasons of Starbuck and 7 seasons of Gabrielle (XTWP) - I don't just want to see it, I EXPECT to see it.  But for the record I didn't witness clever, tough OR resourceful.  One of the three would have sufficed.

 

 

Let me just tell you how much it is pissing me off that to address this point, I'm going to have to think of the mechanics of this horribly told storyline.  How could she possibly fade into the woodwork when she basically walked from room to room and had each and every character vomit exposition all over her.  Dawn told her about the past, present and future.  Joan told her of her misery.  Officer Rapey made her feel like there was simply no other woman he wished to rape more than her.  The doctor fed her, worked with her, saved her, used her as part of his evil plan.  Noah, undercover for over a year, divulges his brilliant escape plan to the new girl.  It was like a Perry Mason trial with all the confessing.  No fading into the woodwork when you are everything to everybody.

 

 

I don't see it as an evolution of badass killers but I do see it as the evolution of soldiers fighting a war.  Not all of them are badasses but all of them have to fight to stay alive.  They all suffer traumas that change them forever.  And even when they hate each other, they are bonded in ways that stick with them forever.  Weak links aren't just pathos, they are dangerous.  If Beth is nothing without the group acting like her bodyguards then she is a liability.  Rick, who is carrying around a toddler, wouldn't throw her out for that, but that doesn't mean that I as a viewer accept that.  I don't.

 

 

Richmond isn't actually "near" DC.  It's about two hours in a car and on foot, might as well be Timbuktu.

Just because a young female character is not a machete wielding super hero does not mean they are a weak link or a liability.  Also Beth is a young character.  Growth seems likely.  I am not comfortable rationalizing away what occurred in this episode in terms of Beth trying to escape due to a predetermined hostility towards the character. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by dohe

[dannymoon]

 

I thought this was a little subversive of the expected trope and I liked it a lot. In the time between Beth's attempted escape and Carol's admission to the E.R., what I think happened is Noah got away, ran into Daryl and Carol, and told them what was up. Carol agreed to play possum to rescue Beth, and Daryl returned to the church with Noah.

I like this theory, I do. I just can't imagine Daryl leaving behind Carol and Beth no matter what. Aside from Rick, I'd say Carol and Beth are the most important people to him. He's lost them once, and I don't think he would risk it a second time.

Edited November 4, 2014 by dannymoon

[peach]

That's the thing isn't it?  In the end, Beth is going to be rescued, just like always.  Sure she can miraculously become Annie Oakley on demand or stand up to the biggest meanies in the ZA.  But Beth's purpose is TO BE RESCUED.  So she can bat her eyelashes and give one of her winsome smiles.  There's a reason why Disney is still in business and still churning out princesses in the 21st century.  That shit sells.  And it sells to women.  The most fanatical and aggressive Beth-lovers I've encountered are grown ass women. 

 

I don't know what this means, even though I have my ideas.  But I say it's time to lock this princess back in her tower and throw away the key. 

 

This doesn't seem a fair characterization.  She isn't waiting to be rescued.  She tried to escape and is the reason Noah made it out.  She sneaked around, stole a key from the leader, tricked a rapist into getting eaten by a zombie, stole his gun, climbed down an elevator shaft, blew away a bunch of zombies, only to fail at the end, but still smiled that at least Noah was successful.   Then she went back, confronted the doctor, and stole a pair of scissors to do...something.  Maybe she was going to kill him, maybe she was going to try to force that wimp to help her get out.  Now Carol is there.  Maybe Beth is going to rescue Carol instead of the other way around.  Or maybe they're going to fight their way out together. 

 

I don't see anything Disney princess about the girl who shrugs her shoulders at dead boyfriends, who shoots to kill to defend the prison, or who douses a house with moonshine so she can burn it down just for kicks.  I know she's not popular, but she interests me because she's still a wild card. 

 

So far on this show, it seems like Glenn needs the most rescuing, and believes in true love.  Maybe he's the Disney princess.

[Malaprop cocktail]

I like this theory, I do. I just can't imagine Daryl leaving behind Carol and Beth no matter what. Aside from Rick, I'd say Carol and Beth are the most important people to him. He's lost them once, and I don't think he would risk it a second time.

Not even to get Noah (who Beth wanted to help) to a safe place and bring back reinforcements to get Carol and Beth out? I'm not arguing, just having fun filling in the missing pieces.

[Milaxx]

Not even to get Noah (who Beth wanted to help) to a safe place and bring back reinforcements to get Carol and Beth out? I'm not arguing, just having fun filling in the missing pieces.

Only if the church wasn't super far away.More than a days journey out and I think Darryl would have tried to get them out himself. The only exception to this would be if Noah was gravely injured and was at risk of dying if he didn't get him some help. Because then I think he would reason that Carol is pretty tough and could handle things while he gets Noah to safety and bring reinforcements back.

[Turtle]

There are gas-powered generators.  If they have gas for cars, no reason why they couldn't get it for a generator.

There is no way that ANYONE would have gas. It goes bad, unless you add an additive to preserve it longer. It's one of the biggest plot wholes in this entire series. One of the more annoying ones. At least for me.​

 

 

Within the Walking Dead universe, they *do* still have gas for cars, and so it follows that they could also keep gas-powered generators running.  I'm not arguing that gas goes bad.  I was just noting that solar or batteries weren't the only options for generators.  That said, gas can in fact last for a couple of years.  It may cause damage to the engine in its degraded state, but it can still fire, depending on the original quality and freshness of the gas, whether it's kept in a sealed tank, the environment, whether the car has a carburetor, etc.  Atlanta would be a lot friendlier to old gas than Maine.  And a lot of high-end gases have additives that act as stabilizers.  So, yeah, you shouldn't use year-old gas.  But you *can*.  

[Pixel]

I hate to admit this, but I never winterize my lawnmower. I live in a Chicago suburb, and I have easily started up my lawnmower every single spring with what's left in the tank from the last time I used it in the fall. Now, I realize that's not a full year, but since my mower has lasted 15 years despite my piss poor maintenance, it's not hard for me to believe there are plenty of gasoline fueled items in the ZA working just fine.

And as a cardiac nurse, I also know it takes more than a bubble of air to cause a problem. That's a myth, or at least an exaggeration, except in pediatric (like neonate) populations. You'd be surprised how much air you can introduce that the heart can manage to disperse back into the bloodstream if the patient is monitored and positioned properly. I only mention it because if that was remotely what they were going for, a needle stuck so far into the AC that it almost came out the backside of his elbow wasn't going to introduce air or a med into anything.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Pixel

[Raven1707]

 

That said, I am extremely wary of hatred of a female character on a show on the net being representative of the majority of a viewing audience.

 

The viewing audience for this episode was 14.5 million, and there are how many viewers here (or elsewhere on the net) commenting on Beth? Not representative at all, I'd wager.

 

 

I think fans tend to be tougher than critics with TWD. To some fans, this will be the worst episode ever, because it was about Beth. And the show knew that going in. They made the choice, so I don't know if they care about the backlash.

 

As others have said, you'll never satisfy everyone. It's a fool's errand to even try. People who enjoy the show will continue to watch and those who don't will probably fade away over time. I suspect that viewer reactions to a given character or storyline have less impact than we might think.

 

 

I don't think this episode had a prayer of being liked by viewers because most people dislike Beth.

 

Most people? They've taken surveys? Why do I never get called?

 

 

How, after 5 years with Rick and Company

 

It would be nice if we had an actual timeline for this, but given Judith's apparent age (8 months or so) at the beginning of Season 5, I'm thinking it's been more like a year and a half, give or take.

 

 

Any microscopic, subatomic, indication that she has become even slightly less useless than she has always been and that the world has changed her at all - good or bad.

 

Hmm, I consider someone who properly cares for an infant; has rudimentary nursing skills (talking about taping up Michonne's ankle injury at the prison, not necessarily what happened at Grady Hospital); is able to keep up with Daryl while running from the prison; knows enough to collect items like a broken sideview mirror which she later uses to light a campfire and hubcaps for a walker early-warning system; and learns to shoot a crossbow as relatively useful. But that's just me.

[peach]

Hmm, I consider someone who properly cares for an infant; has rudimentary nursing skills (talking about taping up Michonne's ankle injury at the prison, not necessarily what happened at Grady Hospital); is able to keep up with Daryl while running from the prison; knows enough to collect items like a broken sideview mirror which she later uses to light a campfire and hubcaps for a walker early-warning system; and learns to shoot a crossbow as relatively useful. But that's just me.

 

Judith would probably agree.

 

Edited November 4, 2014 by peach

[morgankobi]

I love the bit where Rick uses a different whistle at the church to gather the others...and then later, at night, Sasha hears that distinctive two-note whistle from outside...before Bob's maimed body is left by the entrance. It just underscores how long Gareth and his finks were spying on our group.

 

I must pause for a minute to appreciate your use of the word "finks," as it is, sadly, not used enough.

 

 

 

Carry on.

Edited November 4, 2014 by morgankobi

[Boofish]

I dont think most of us HATE Beth but from what I'm reading (myself included and I could be wrong about others) people are indifferent. They just don't care. If she's there then fine if she's not that's fine as well. Indifference to me is worst than hate. I hate the comic book 3 but I will be damned if I miss their story next week because although I HATE them, I care if that makes any sense.

[RedheadZombie]

I can't believe it's taken me so long to catch it, but why would doctor #2 still be carrying his wallet?  This is why most people have a wallet:

 

• It's against the law to drive without it - no longer matters.
• If you have an accident, you can be id'd and they can call your family - no phones, address has changed.
• If you die, it's evidence that you're an organ donor - no more transplant surgeries.
• If I stop somewhere, I can buy something - walkers don't care about your money.  Nobody cares about your money.

 

I realize the guy only had a wallet so Beth would learn he was a doctor.  But unless he carries around an AMA card, I don't see how she would know - it's not marked on your license.  And believe me, I've attempted to make my scrubs obvious in my picture (cops don't like to ticket nurses), but it was virtually impossible.

[CarpeDiem54]

Finally got to watch this mess after reading your eleventy billion posts.

Most fucked up episode ever. It didn't even seem like an episode of TWD. Meh.

[AngelaHunter]

Just watched. I alternated between boredom and puzzlement. The only acting I found acceptable was that of the doctor. All the others were like cartoon villains - evil, cracked and rotten to the core -  and a cartoon good guy - too good to be true, even willing to take a terrible beating for Beth, of all people, who he didn't know for more than a day or so. Oookay then.

 

Beth spent a lot of time grimacing and staring but I couldn't help but laugh at the thought that if she stays there much longer getting slugged by Dawn every other day she's going to have a face sewn together like Frankenstein's monster.

Edited November 4, 2014 by AngelaHunter

[NoWillToResist]

 

I also am suspect of the story that she was being attacked and they saved her.  If she got cut across the face during a zombie attack then wouldn't she be doing the whole fever/turning thing?  I think she may have been killing one, and they came along, saw she was hot, and knocked her out.

 

Yeah, I gotta say that this episode did not deliver story-wise. I was really interested to know who had taken Beth and why etc. I did not like the answers to any of the questions. Of course they're a bunch of abusive, rapey douche-nozzles! Silly me. I don't know why these people are out driving in the boonies of Georgia looking for fresh meat for their rape and nursing factory. I was fine to assume that their cover story of how Beth got there was a lie until Beth seemed to be remembering a bit which matched what they were saying, so...I don't get it.  *sigh*. They'd been doing this shit for over a year? And Dawn was still thinking help was coming? Ugh.

 

On to the rapid-fire questions:

 

Please, can someone tell me what this group called the walkers? Sounded like it started with an R...

 

Her reaction to Noah being beaten off-screen was terrible. Way over the top.

 

So, they have to use resources scarcely and only when necessary but the doctor can play his fucking records? Really?

 

Carol turning up at the end was a surprise, so I'll give 'em that, but I don't think she's a mole. I honestly can't imagine Daryl being fine with leaving her vulnerable to these people...

[Boofish]

I agree. Besides, I only had one shit left to give and I gave it to Father Pee Pants, the patron saint of adult diapers - in spite of him being afraid of everything, he is good looking. So sorry Bethie Lou; if I get an extra, you can have it

[Maverick]

I can't believe it's taken me so long to catch it, but why would doctor #2 still be carrying his wallet?

 

 I wondered about this too.  I also wondered how did the cop know he was a doctor (there's no other reason she'd be so adamant about saving him) and how Beth final figured out he was a doctor (I thought  doctor #1 would ask her this).  I know the whole hospital crew was effed up, but if they'd kill doctor #1 just because they had another one they're worse off than I thought.  Why would you kill a doctor who's obviously meek and pliable just because you have another one?  A doctor is something good to have a spare of, and you don't know if the other doctor is going to have more of a backbone.  Also, presumably the cop didn't know the other doctor's specialty--which we learned was oncology.  While he would have had full medical training, he probably didn't have as broad practical experience as a general doc working in a hospital (unless they mentioned he was a specialist and I missed it).

[Janimo]

NoWillToResist, I believe they were referring to the walkers as "rotters."

[shanndee]

@NoWillToResist

They called them "Rotters"

[Nashville]

It would be nice if we had an actual timeline for this, but given Judith's apparent age (8 months or so) at the beginning of Season 5, I'm thinking it's been more like a year and a half, give or take.

 

Actually about 14 1/2 months.  CDB first arrived at the Greene farm on day 68; the Beth timeline is currently on/around day 510.

I realize the guy only had a wallet so Beth would learn he was a doctor.  But unless he carries around an AMA card, I don't see how she would know - it's not marked on your license.  And believe me, I've attempted to make my scrubs obvious in my picture (cops don't like to ticket nurses), but it was virtually impossible.

 

It wasn't his driver license Beth found; it was his staff squirrel badge from St. Ignatius Hospital, where he was an oncologist.  I could see him keeping that kind of ID on his person, if for no other reason than convincing captors a doctor might be an asset best kept alive.

Please, can someone tell me what this group called the walkers? Sounded like it started with an R...

"Rotters".

[AngelaHunter]

I also am suspect of the story that she was being attacked and they saved her.  If she got cut across the face during a zombie attack then wouldn't she be doing the whole fever/turning thing?  I think she may have been killing one, and they came along, saw she was hot, and knocked her out.

 

I think they probably knocked her down in their car, (unless there was another explanation for her broken wrist?) and then drugged her.

 

 

[Pete Martell]

I know that they are given fake sides to read for their auditions; I suspect that EK's audition was for something depressed and numb to see if she could handle that first big scene for Beth Greene, the suicide attempt. She did so well she was hired. Only when it was too late did they discover that she plays every possible scenario as depressing and numb.

 

Yet I also see people say she plays every scene happy and smiley.

 

I think Emily's fine enough when they write for her range. I don't think she's a big dramatic actress and I don't think she can carry an episode, but I think she has her moments. I thought she was better here than in "Still," where they decided to do things like have her try to play drunk. I thought she really added a lot to certain scenes, especially the scene where Beth watched Noah running off.

 

Just watched. I alternated between boredom and puzzlement. The only acting I found acceptable was that of the doctor. All the others were like cartoon villains - evil, cracked and rotten to the core -  and a cartoon good guy - too good to be true, even willing to take a terrible beating for Beth, of all people, who he didn't know for more than a day or so. Oookay then.

 

If we get silly caricatures of villains I don't mind the occasional caricature of a good guy. This isn't a normal world, so I can see where someone in such a high-pressure situation might be willing to protect her that way.

 

To be honest I also think they had that scene because they knew some fans would hate on him for leaving Beth behind (when he had no real choice in the matter). If they hadn't had that beating scene then fans would be even more likely to trash him or hate him than they already were.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Pete Martell

[kelnic86]

 

The viewing audience for this episode was 14.5 million, and there are how many viewers here (or elsewhere on the net) commenting on Beth? Not representative at all, I'd wager.

That average is actually higher than last week's episode btw. Some people talk as if Beth is the most hated or least popular character ever on the show. I don't think that's true at all. It's clear to me that she has a lot of fans and there are obviously viewers out there who do care about her as a character. I think her haters are just very vocal in some parts of the internet.

 

 

I don't necessarily need her to be a bona fide hero but I need to see some urgency, desperation, determination to simply SURVIVE it.  I wanted to SEE on her face that she understood fully the deal there and was actively thinking, not only how she was going to get out but how she was going to get out of Atlanta. Beth apparently learned how to play dead, a la A Christmas Story, and like Randy, it's the best defense she's got.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying here. But I thought we did see that. I thought she was kind of wary of the place from the start. She spent a good portion of the episode getting a feel of the place, observing the going on's, and getting a vibe from the people there. When she realized the hospital was not a place she wanted to be any longer, she made an active plan to get out. I didn't see her playing dead. She told that lady cop to her face that she believed she was strong and not a burden to anyone. To me, that sounded like someone who wanted to survive. By the end of the episode, I thought the show made it pretty clear that she was over everyone at that hospital and was going to do what she could to get out. Now that Carol's there, hopefully they can put together a successful plan.

Edited November 4, 2014 by kelnic86

[JenMcSnark]

I found Beth's singing annoying in previous seasons but I don't mind Beth herself. I find all the characters on this show benefit from having episodes where they are part of a small group/pair or on their own. I find the ensemble episodes are the ones that drag for me, maybe because so many of the characters I just don't care about, and seeing them in smaller groups and giving them more individual focus makes me invest in them more.

 

I wanted to agree for the most part with the bolded.  I don't think EK is a great actress but I do think Beth has a place on the show.  With the group.  But, it's not the best way to further an underdeveloped character's story by giving that character an entire, underdeveloped and underwhelming episode. 

 

For the italicized part, I feel the complete opposite.  I watch this show for the group dynamic.  That's what it has always been and it's where it shines.  MMV of course.  But seeing each person at different points in their "journey" in the ZA and how the others affect that and help them is what I want to see.  The evolution of them as individuals is nothing to me without the evolution of them as a group. I guess to me, that is better expressed on television in a group setting.  

 

For example, I actually enjoyed Beth's suicide arc.  I understood where she was coming from.  I also got where Andrea was coming from.  I enjoyed seeing Beth realize that she might want to live.  And like someone upthread said, this episode was a reaffirmation of that.

 

Beth has her place in the group.  And I don't mind her in it.  As long as she doesn't sing.  

 

ETA:  I agree that the group as a whole with the DC crew is too much.  But you can still have the group together and then focus on just several at a time in the context of the same things happening. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by JenMcSnark

[CarpeDiem54]

How the hell did Bethie Poo climb down that sheet rope with a broken wrist?

[AngelaHunter]

Beth has her place in the group.  And I don't mind her in it.  As long as she doesn't sing.

 

This couldn't be worded better. 

[CarpeDiem54]

I couldn't agree more. Let her be second in command at Tyrese's Day Care.