S05.E11: The Distance

[mandolin]

If anyone comes across the gif recap (like last week's) I'd love a link. I'm apparently reddit-dumb.

[HalcyonDays]

I was impressed Glenn managed to run into all those walkers and not flip the car. Lori encountered one walker on the road and she turned things into a frickin speedway crash.

Yeah, but it was a old school 70s or 80s Cadillac - you know, the ones where the Mafia can lay out four bodies in the trunk with room to spare...That car is solidly built - can plow through anything!!

 

I thought it was weird too to leave the motor home and car outside the compound. Anyone could steal it. I guess it was done for suspense, because we don't know what's behind the walls, but still. They should have drove in.

[widespreadpanic]

Hi, widespreadpanic!  Love your clever screen name and am so happy you finally decided to de-lurk!  WELCOME.

Thank you for the warm welcome!  It took a bit of convincing and me pulling up my big girl panties to finally de-lurk!  :)

[walnutqueen]

Thank you for the warm welcome!  It took a bit of convincing and me pulling up my big girl panties to finally de-lurk!  :)

 

You are most welcome - and the fact that you wear panties of any kind just endears you to me all the more!

 

On to the WHY of choosing THIS group to join in to the new enclave.  Surveillance tells them Rick et al are basically decent people, and really good fighters.  But if you are trying to rebuild civilization and already have a brilliant surgeon, what about Rick's group adds to your society?  No engineers, scientists, etc. - their only distinction is their ability to fight off walkers cohesively and form a "family".  Does this new place need warriors (aka cannon fodder) that much?  Or do they need babies?  Or wimmen?  SO many questions!!!

[TigerLynx]

I like the idea that after all the psychos they've met up with, the group has finally found some more people who are good, want to survive, and aren't trying to kill, eat, hold hostage, kidnap, rape, etc. other people.

 

Aaron and Eric as ambassadors or whatever they are supposed to be were a bad choice.  I don't see how those two are still alive which means they fit right in with so many other dumb people in this ZA.

 

Alexandria wanting slaves is an interesting idea to, but I would think they would want people like Eugene or Gabriel if they found them on their own.  Sure these people don't know that Rick ripped a guy's throat out with his teeth so they might think if they get their weapons they will have the upper hand.  However, Michonne's arms alone would make me think twice about tangling with her.  Rick, Darryl, Michonne, Abraham all look dangerous.  Then there are the surprise sleepers in Glenn, Maggie, Carl, and Carol.

 

A thought that occurred to me was Alexandria also might be looking for people who can repopulate.  Rick's group has a baby, Carl looks like he is 14 or 15, they have young men and women in their group.  If you are going to rebuild and repopulate after a ZA, young people who will have babies, and take care of them would be a demo the would be sought after.

 

I wonder if there will be rules in Alexandria that some of the group will have a hard time following.

[kikismom]

Plus it's been a number of years...

Not even 2 years. It has just taken all these years to tell this much of the story.

 

A thought that occurred to me was Alexandria also might be looking for people who can repopulate. 

I can't see anyone thinking of repopulating now; they haven't got enough to feed people--including babies-- right now. They need to make life safe for the decent humans who are already there before thinking of creating lots more people.

[NorthstarATL]

Not even 2 years. It has just taken all these years to tell this much of the story.

 

I can't see anyone thinking of repopulating now; they haven't got enough to feed people--including babies-- right now. They need to make life safe for the decent humans who are already there before thinking of creating lots more people.

Well, then, that might explain the prominence of Aaron and Eric, who don't present a danger of adding to the scarcity. Perhaps there's sterility in the group's future. (You might tell that I tend toward paranoia in my approach to ZA groups. I watched a British series called "Survivors", and they also ran into a variety of sketchy "new" social groups.)

[BrokenRemote]

Not even 2 years. It has just taken all these years to tell this much of the story.

I can't see anyone thinking of repopulating now; they haven't got enough to feed people--including babies-- right now. They need to make life safe for the decent humans who are already there before thinking of creating lots more people.

If they really have a decent setup, they might think that the larger the group, the more stability they have. Heck, this group might be far enough along that that are ready to think of repopulating. They might have started out right after things went down and have been building up infrastructure for two years.

I've been wondering if the colder winters as you go north have slowed down the walkers during the cold months. If so, places like this one may have had an advantage of long periods of only needing to sustain and not defend so much.

My last thought on why add people is that if you want to keep out groups like the Governor's or Claimer Joe's or the Rapists that took over Terminus, then you need a bigger group. You need a defense force--an army.

I agree. It didn't seem natural to me. I think the kiss went on too long, it all seemed too awkward and forced to me. I felt the same way about Maggie and Glenn (and at times I still do) when they hooked up.

**BTW, I'm new...been a lurker for a long time and another poster finally convinced me to post :)**

I thought the kiss was fine, and I do think the idea was to put the audience at ease (as in, these two are relaxed enough for that, so they're probably not out to murder Rick's group).

I may have a differing take, but I'm super happy to welcome you :) You seem like you'll have lots of good insights!

Edited February 24, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[Raven1707]

Maybe it'll be an age thing. Maybe they only want young people (under 30?).

 

Remember that Michael York movie, set in the future, where everyone over the age of 20 (or whatever) was killed?  Wasn't it because they only so much in the way of resources?!?  Hmmm . . . .

 

That was "Logan's Run," written by the brilliant George Clayton Johnson (who I met, once upon a time).

 

I took it as Rick meaning "There aren't any cars waiting to take us all to a safe happy place" rather than meaning that Aaron didn't actually have any cars.

 

That was my impression as well. Which made me wonder how Rick broke the news to Carl about Santa Claus...

 

Flare-walker was awesome.

 

And clearly an outstanding candidate for the Zombie Hall of Fame!

Edited February 24, 2015 by Raven1707

[Diane M]

I wonder if there will be rules in Alexandria that some of the group will have a hard time following.

 

That's probably why they need to 'audition' them....to weed out those people.

[kikismom]

A thought that occurred to me was Alexandria also might be looking for people who can repopulate.  Rick's group has a baby, Carl looks like he is 14 or 15, they have young men and women in their group.  If you are going to rebuild and repopulate after a ZA, young people who will have babies, and take care of them would be a demo the would be sought after.

 

 

 

 

If they really have a decent setup, they might think that the larger the group, the more stability they have. Heck, this group might be far enough along that that are ready to think of repopulating. They might have started out right after things went down and have been building up infrastructure for two years.

I've been wondering if the colder winters as you go north have slowed down the walkers during the cold months. If so, places like this one may have had an advantage of long periods of only needing to sustain and not defend so much.

My last thought on why add people is that if you want to keep out groups like the Governor's or Claimer Joe's or the Rapists that took over Terminus, then you need a bigger group. You need a defense force--an army.

I believe the OP referred to re-populating in the sense of reproducing. Increasing the group and having an army might be good (or bad) but reproduction and having multiple babies around is not something they can handle right now, or even in the next few years.

Edited February 24, 2015 by kikismom

[Peanut]

Okay, I mostly liked this episode, but it REALLY bothered me that they decided to go to Alexandria AT NIGHT.  That set up the cool zombie kill, but the whole thing was just so STUPID.  At night. On an uncleared road.  STUPID.  Be paranoid.  Be careful.  But don't be stupid.  

[mandolin]

I wish Rick had the time to tell Aaron even a bit of what they'd been through. I mean, Aaron sees them as a cohesive unit, as survivors even, but he has no idea that they just escaped from CANNIBALS. I get the feeling that Aaron isn't very ZA worldly. Seems like he was rarely outside any walls. The worst story he has is his mom and her weird ideas.

[raven]

Rewatching and things I sorta missed because I was yakking it up in the chat thread:

 

Aaron really acted like a doofus about the applesauce, didn't he?  When crazy bearded guy holding a baby tells you to eat your own applesauce, jeez, just eat it!

 

The scene with Michonne & Rick outside the car - Rick asks her what she heard outside of Woodbury - she says she didn't hear anything - what she heard outside Terminus - same answer - and Rick says he has to decide outside Alexandria's walls whether or not to bring his family in & doesn't think there's anything he could hear that would convince him to do so.  At episode's end, we find out there is something.

 

Show actually played the RV breaking down scene for humor!  Rosita tells Abraham to look at the Washington skyline "cue heartwarming music" - asks him if they'll make it, he says yes - "more heartwarming music".  Next scene is the vehicles stopped on the road.  LOL, nicely done.

 

For all that they seem twee to some, Aaron and Eric must know what they're doing to be out scouting & rounding people up (unless they're lying of course).  Sometimes you work best as a couple (unless you're doing house projects).  I didn't see the scene as pandering, Aaron was legitimately worried because he saw the flare, handcuffs and the car door didn't stop him and his reaction to me on seeing Eric was natural relief.  The license plate gift - again, they must be confident to make even that much of a small game out of their scouting; I think their camp must be strong.  We see Rick watching them, and because it's genuine, I think it starts to convince him that these guys might be OK.

 

I didn't see the various discussions about going or not as threatening Rick's leadership - there seems to be a group approach to decisions, with Michonne and Glenn in this episode voicing theirs most strongly whether or not in direct opposition, and Rick listening.  I think if Rick trusts whoever is in charge in Alexandria (assuming it's safe) he would be glad to give up being the one people go to.  He would have to be very comfortable with whoever is in charge though, otherwise there'll be conflict.

 

 

At night. On an uncleared road.  STUPID.  Be paranoid.  Be careful.  But don't be stupid.

The point I think was to show how Rick's paranoia; he was so SURE Aaron's route was a trap; was leading to to bad decisions.  But like he says to Michonne later, how do you know when the rules keep changing?  

 

You make your best guess and hope for the best but expect the worst.

Edited February 24, 2015 by raven

[nodorothyparker]

By going at night, we also got to suspend our disbelief that anyone could see anything in Aaron's grainy pictures in a DARK car on a dark road.  I know the whole setup was so they could do the walker bugs on the windshield bit and show how Rick's paranoia was leading him to defy all common sense, but I just had to laugh when Michonne was asking where the people were.    I can never find a damn thing in my car at night without turning on the overhead and she's picking out details and critiquing Aaron's photography skills.  

[Timetoread]

Yeah, but it was a old school 70s or 80s Cadillac - you know, the ones where the Mafia can lay out four bodies in the trunk with room to spare...That car is solidly built - can plow through anything!!

 

Growing up my family had a 1971 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.  When I was about four on a family outing our car was rear ended.  I was asleep on the back seat with the dog.  The car that hit us was totalled, the impact, however, didn't even wake me up and the dog didn't even fall off the seat.  Later I was given that car to drive in high school when I got my drivers license.  At school the best space in the parking lot was the only space big enough to fit my car and the students were gracious enough to just leave it empty for me every day.  It was a great car, it had a V8 engine that could smoke ANYTHING on the road, smooth power steering and it seated 12 of your closest friends.  I didn't realize it at the time, but my folks gave me that car because it was a veritable tank.  Like that Subaru commerical, if I had been in an accident, they'd have said "She lived."

Edited February 24, 2015 by Timetoread

[nodorothyparker]

I learned to drive in my dad's '72 Dodge Polara (same car they brought me home from the hospital in, to give you some idea) and I had the same experience.  That car was solid metal front and back and crumpled more than one more modern counterpart with nary a scratch on it.  My parents still have it.  It's never occurred to me until just now how useful it might come in if I ever need to plow through a herd in the ZA.

[AngelaHunter]

QuoteIf anyone comes across the gif recap (like last week's) I'd love a link.

 

 

Mandolin, here you go, and I think you'll like it!

 

"Judith, shut up and eat your acorns!"

 

http://imgur.com/a/BXLyi

[CarpeDiem54]

I agree.  It didn't seem natural to me.  I think the kiss went on too long, it all seemed too awkward and forced to me. I felt the same way about Maggie and Glenn (and at times I still do) when they hooked up. 

 

 

**BTW, I'm new...been a lurker for a long time and another poster finally convinced me to post  :)**

Welcome!

As others have noted upthread, I think the sounds of kids playing is a recording and there's only a very few people in that compound. It's creepy and I wouldn't walk in there.

Note to self - stock up on flares. Most awesome walker kill yet.

[mandolin]

Mandolin, here you go, and I think you'll like it!

"Judith, shut up and eat your acorns!"

http://imgur.com/a/BXLyi

I haven't even gotten that far and I'm dying. "Carl, who the hell is that?" "Look at the cool space gun!"

Thanks. I bookmarked the page in the hopes of finding it all by myself next week. :p

[Madding crowd]

And finally, long before there were car seats and baby formula and sunscreen and all kinds of conveniences we have now (and even now in third world societies) babies got what they got and they survived.  Guess what, if she had a three course meal of dog tail, earthworm and acorn, she'd still survive and grow.  Babies are much stronger than they look.

 

A lot of babies died before their first birthday in my grandmother's day, mostly due to disease and malnutrition. They didn't need sunscreen but there was less of an ozone layer and people didn't travel as much so they didn't need car seats either. It was pretty common for most families to lose one or more children in infancy. If a mother couldn't breast feed or the child was unable to suck, they were pretty doomed.

 

Of course, I have to just pretend Judith has formula or something that her stomach can handle. Babies do actually have very sensitive stomachs and she would probably be failing to thrive. I don't want to see that though, so I'm ok with Rick trying to feed her acorns, which would be terrible in real life.

 

I was kind of with Rick at reserving judgement on Aaron. Rick and his gang need to settle down for awhile, but it doesn't always have to be with another group. If they found a apartment building, set of clear houses or a hospital they could at least get some rest and regroup. And Aaron was all kind of suspicious between refusing the apple sauce, having the people less photos, and his general lack of real information. Heck, he could have left them a note when he dropped off the water.

 

I also thought the kids laughing was some kind of recording just to lure them in. If they truly have steel walls, doctors etc. I just don't see why they would need more people. If Aaron gave them a reason for needing them it would be one thing.

 

I agree that any type of non-emergency surgery would be pretty low on my list during the ZA.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

And speaking of Noah... YOU DON'T HAVE ELECTIVE SURGERY IN THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.  Just don't.  

 

That could be Noah's new character arc...... Dr Frankenstein's Monster.   Of course, technically all the walkers could be considered DFMs, in a way. 

 

Sorry Noah, you're not special.  You'll be just like the rest.  Cues up Alice Cooper's "(We're All) Clones".

[xls]

I'd be paranoid too if I were Rich. Look what happened with Woodbury and Terminus.

Plus Aaron was spying on them, listening to them, no pictures of the community people. Why did he travel so far from his community to find Rich's group? What for?

The whole night scene in the car was so fast I didn't see Erik and I don't understand how he got with Maggie and Co. And I thought they were still back at the barn or were they someplace else? Who shot off the flare?

Although I'm confused it was a good episode.

The only way they are going to have a safe place with one of these colonies is if they kill the leaders straight away and take over.

[AngelaHunter]

The whole night scene in the car was so fast I didn't see Erik and I don't understand how he got with Maggie and Co. And I thought they were still back at the barn or were they someplace else? Who shot off the flare?

 

I thought I was the only one utterly confused by that.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

You are most welcome - and the fact that you wear panties of any kind just endears you to me all the more!

 

On to the WHY of choosing THIS group to join in to the new enclave.  Surveillance tells them Rick et al are basically decent people, and really good fighters.  But if you are trying to rebuild civilization and already have a brilliant surgeon, what about Rick's group adds to your society?  No engineers, scientists, etc. - their only distinction is their ability to fight off walkers cohesively and form a "family".  Does this new place need warriors (aka cannon fodder) that much?  Or do they need babies?  Or wimmen?  SO many questions!!!

 

I got to thinking this earlier.  The community might seem safe and all that, and now they've moved on to the evolutionary path of "rebuilding" life; ie, breeding, etc.  And if that is the case, easy to see why Aaron & Eric were chosen as the "traveling recruiters" to get the group - a gay couple can't reproduce new live humans (not fair, but a crappy fact of life).  Maybe Judith was the reason for tracking/recruiting them?  "They are doing the same thing we are, or want to do, and they are protecting the baby and keeping it alive.".  Oh.  What about this... The community is all gay couples - as in that's all there really is.  CDB gets lured in and then forced to be babymakers because the homosexual couples can't do it and want children to raise and call their own?  I doubt that speculation, but its a minute possibility.

 

Whenever the feces compacts the oscillating blades for the group in this community - because it will, only a matter of time - I just hope its something new and not a rehash of Woodbury or Terminus.

[Turtle]

Not even 2 years. It has just taken all these years to tell this much of the story.

I can't see anyone thinking of repopulating now; they haven't got enough to feed people--including babies-- right now. They need to make life safe for the decent humans who are already there before thinking of creating lots more people.

A few pages back I talked about a hierarchy of needs, for individuals and for a community. A group that is comfortable enough to give away water and have running vehicles and clean clothes is a group that has tended to basic physiological needs and then some, and so are likely to start doing some long term planning, including thinking about repopulating. In this harsh environment, people are likely to wear out pretty quickly and so young bodies will be needed to maintain the buildings, to find or make or grow food, to care for the older folks and so on. Rick's group isn't thinking about any of that because they are struggling just to find food and water - their focus is still on those basic physiological needs. It makes sense to me that a community like the one Aaron describes would be in a much different position and have much different attitudes than our group of (un)happy little campers. I also think they probably have been established for a while because those walls are no joke and can't have been built just in the last few months, and I also doubt that close shaves and clean clothes would have been a priority in trying to establish a safe place to live.

I've also been taking about why they would invite Rick's group to audition, whatever that means. If I was watching the group from afar, I would think the group members were mostly strong and smart and healthy. Judith is the only member of their group who will take more than she gives, but that will change in time. Possibly even more important to a closed community, they are seemingly diverse biologically and they have members ranging quite a bit in age.

But I could be wrong and they could all be murderous assholes or wanna-be slave owners. It's hard to know with this show.

ETA: is Judith a year old yet? I suck at keeping up with the timeline on this show, but she seems like she's moving around a little and has a lot of hair, so she's at least more than 6 months, I think. My one year old niece ate ribs on the bone yesterday and was just fine - babies' digestive systems can handle more than we may think. Although unblanched acorns is probably pushing it, for babies and for me.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Turtle

[CarpeDiem54]

I thought I was the only one utterly confused by that.

I was confused as well. And where was that place they were staying?

[RedheadZombie]

Mandolin, here you go, and I think you'll like it!

 

"Judith, shut up and eat your acorns!"

 

http://imgur.com/a/BXLyi

 

Remember on Lost when they met the "Others"?

 

Rick you punched a gay guy.  That's a hate crime.

[AndySmith]

Is it a hate crime if you don't know the guy is gay but you found him to be kind of annoying?

[AngelaHunter]

CDB gets lured in and then forced to be babymakers because the homosexual couples can't do it

 

Meh...all they need is a turkey baster and some dirty magazines. I"m sure they can scare up some of those even in a ZA and it's much less effort than trying to tame, scrub and delouse Rick and Daryl.

 

 

[Portia]

He was quiet for most of the episode, but when Michonne put her hand on Rick's, my husband said, "Rick, come down from your fences. You gotta let somebody love you before it's too late!" Tee hee, anofher shipper is born.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Remember on Lost when they met the "Others"?

 

Rick you punched a gay guy.  That's a hate crime.

 

Boner alert.  lol    (Yes, I'm 12) 

[bobbyjoe]

I think the loving reunion between Aaron and Eric served the purpose of letting us know that these are characters who love, and their camp is made of people who can, and do, love each other. The Governor's ability to love died with his daughter, the merry band of rapists clearly couldn't care less about each other, Gareth and Mary didn't seem to give a shit about their brother/son being just killed, the people at the hospital hated, resented and raped each other.

Up until now, CDB was the only group that we saw sticking together out of something more than convenience, or self-preservation, or just proximity. Aaron and Eric love each other; that doesn't necessarily make them good people, but it does mean something, in a world where indifference or outright hate and fear have become the easiest way to interact with people.

 

Particularly right after last week's episode, where Rick literally gives his "we're the walking dead" speech, and our cast is looking as degraded and dead as they ever have.  When Aaron and Eric have their reunion, it's particularly interesting that Rick is right outside the door.  The fact that they (Aaron and Eric) seem more romantic and human than our current cast has been degraded to is important.  That's part of the tension of that scene: we wonder how Rick is going to react to any of this.  The contrast seems as intentional as how Aaron's clothes are nice and clean or the kids' voices coming from Alexandria.  Who knows what will happen in the future, but if Alexandria is legit, even for just now, it stands in direct contrast to Rick's current paranoia and pessimism.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Meh...all they need is a turkey baster and some dirty magazines. I"m sure they can scare up some of those even in a ZA and it's much less effort than trying to tame, scrub and delouse Rick and Daryl.

 

Should have been one of Aaron's sales pitches.  "Rick, I think you might like this.  We've got many things, like big bottles of shampoo and conditioner.  You can wash your face and get rid of the dandruff (for a bit), and then restore a sleek and healthy shine to that lovely facial Rogaine commercial you got going on."

[SometimesBites]

 If Aaron's field partner had been his girlfriend and he'd have gone in and kissed her, no one would say boo about how he was written or complain that he was being reduced to his sexuality.

If it was played with treacle I would elbow my way to the front of the line to say boo. Now that Beth's dead, I'm hoping for LESS of that sort of scene-building. ;)  BTW, I'm happy to announce that Beth's still dead.

[CletusMusashi]

How did that happen? Damn you, Bob! I told you to look at the road while you were driving!

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

How did that happen? Damn you, Bob! I told you to look at the road while you were driving!

 

I sure hope Bob wasn't one of those drivers who needed one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake, to drive.......

 

"Uh guys, we got a small problem, maybe should have mentioned it before climbing behind the wheel.  No brakes.  Stump can't reach the pedal."

 

 

[yes, I know he was whole and had both shins/feet during Tyrese 'dying dreams' sequences, but don't ruin the funny moment with facts, please & thank you.  ;)]

Edited February 24, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[kikismom]

 A group that is comfortable enough to give away water and have running vehicles and clean clothes is a group that has tended to basic physiological needs and then some, and so are likely to start doing some long term planning, including thinking about repopulating. In this harsh environment, people are likely to wear out pretty quickly and so young bodies will be needed to maintain the buildings, to find or make or grow food, to care for the older folks and so on. Rick's group isn't thinking about any of that because they are struggling just to find food and water - their focus is still on those basic physiological needs.

ETA: is Judith a year old yet? I suck at keeping up with the timeline on this show, but she seems like she's moving around a little and has a lot of hair, so she's at least more than 6 months, I think. My one year old niece ate ribs on the bone yesterday and was just fine - babies' digestive systems can handle more than we may think. Although unblanched acorns is probably pushing it, for babies and for me.

According to The Walking Dead Timeline (TV show) it is day 535 since the outbreak, Judith was born on day 310. She is 225 days old, so approximately 7 and a half months old.

 

In the past, Rick's group did find or grow food, maintain buildings, care for old folks. Etc. More than once. Then it turns to shit, they focus on basic survival, get another place, find or grow food, maintain buildings, care for old folks etc. till it turns to shit, rinse and repeat. Heck, even the Vatos found or grew food, maintained building and certainly cared for old folks. That didn't last; thank God they didn't have babies. Rick's group, the Greene's, the Vatos, took people in gave them food and water, and.....Success can be a transient thing.

[kj4ever]

A guy I work with is one of those "homosexuals are not natural" type people.  He isn't full of hate for them, but has no bones talking about his opinion on it, even with some of the gay people we work with.  Anyway, someone said something about the kissing scene being all "look we are progressive and have gays!" and he was like "The dude ran out of the car with his hands tied into a herd of zombies.  He thought the guy was in big trouble obviously.  He was just relieved that someone he loved was alive!"  Knock me over with a feather.  TWD changing peeps ideals...

 

Speaking of that, I need to rewatch because I have no clue how he ended up with the other half of the group or how he broke his leg.

 

I'm really torn about the group going.  I can totally see Rick's point.  Every group they've met have not been how they seem and it turned into a nightmare.

 

I can understand the children playing noises stopping....If kids were out there playing when they pulled up they would probably round them up and take them inside before they let strangers in.

 

I'm really interested to see how this is going to play out.  I had an Uncle that was in Vietnam and he had such a hard time when he got back and there wasn't danger around every corner.  These people have been on alert for so long that not only is having downtime from self preservation is going to feel unnatural, but they will have time to think about things they have been through and done.

 

I can understand both Rick and Michonne's opinions in this episode.  If Andre were still alive I think Michonne wouldn't have been so easily led to the new community.  I think because she didn't have that child she was able to access the situation for what it was, for how what Aaron was doing was smart, and how he could have already hurt them if he wanted to do so.

 

Our group has gained a world of experience, good and bad.  They need to be proactive like Terminus with their outposts with fireworks to deflect zombies from their home.  They need rules like The Claimers so you don't get any Carol type murders going on.  They need to just fucking kill people like the Gov instead of trying to reason with him.  

 

Really I think the ones that can not only survive but thrive in this new world are the ones that say goodbye to the old way of life, stop doing runs, and figure out how to hunker down and be sustainable in this new world.

[LadyMustang65]

Great episode, but I am still suspicious of this new camp. If they really are a 'community,' then why no pictures of people?  I know his explanation - he took one group picture.  But why make sure there are no people in any of the pictures of the buildings?  Wouldn't you naturally expect to see people walking around or working?  That just strikes me as so very odd. 

 

Also, for the ones who were talking about Aaron saying no one would hear Judith outside the walls and then hearing the children playing, what Aaron actually said was that they could find somewhere in the community for Rick where no one would hear Judith outside the walls.  I took that to mean more in the center than along the outside walls.

 

I am also confused as to how one could "clear" a highway.  It's a long stretch of road accessible from both sides through the woods.  Zombies don't stand still.  Zombies don't read and obey "keep off the road" signs.  So they may have "cleared" the road once, but it would only stay cleared until the next herd of walkers came through.  So I just don't see how that highway would have been any safer than the one they took.  That herd could just as easily have shown up on the designated road. 

 

Loved the call back to Dale and the RV.  Seems like a million years ago.  I was also glad to see Glenn reverting more to his former self.  He was one of my favorite characters at the beginning, and I'm glad to see him getting to be strong, smart and capable again.  And I agree with Carol, although I think it's still too early to decide Rick was wrong.  But his cautious approach was still right, I think.  The worst they could do in any situation is let their guard down too quickly.  If everything's on the up and up, no harm no foul.  If it's not, that extra caution and suspicion just might save their lives.

 

I assume the community wants Rick's group because they are good people capable of working and living together in miserable conditions without turning on each other as well as strong and capable fighters.  I don't care how secure they think their community is - there is still strength in numbers.  And it would be a lot of work to keep the compound secure, grow and harvest food, build stuff, etc.  Many hands make light work!

[Haleth]

I think when anyone talks about clearing a road they mean removing dead vehicles, fallen trees, etc.  Sure they may run into a herd anywhere, but on a cleared road they can more easily plow through without getting stuck by an overturned Chevy.

[ghoulina]

Okay, I mostly liked this episode, but it REALLY bothered me that they decided to go to Alexandria AT NIGHT.  That set up the cool zombie kill, but the whole thing was just so STUPID.  At night. On an uncleared road.  STUPID.  Be paranoid.  Be careful.  But don't be stupid.

 

And it didn't work. And they showed up in the daytime anyhow. Typical CDB. 

 

 

Mandolin, here you go, and I think you'll like it!

"Judith, shut up and eat your acorns!"

http://imgur.com/a/BXLyi

 

This is the best thing ever! 

 

Rick - "Tough titties", "You can't sit with us". Rick is the ZA's Regina George!!!!

 

 

"Holy crap we should totally cook meth"! We've been waiting for a BB-TWD crossover ever since Merle and his bag of crystal!

[ghoulina]

Judith is the only member of their group who will take more than she gives, but that will change in time.

 

I thin you forgot about Father Pee Pants. 

 

Is it a hate crime if you don't know the guy is gay but you found him to be kind of annoying?

 

I think Rick punched Aaron because he has PTSD from Terminus and Aaron had just said some line about "more people make us stronger" - it sounded VERY Gareth. 

[JasonCC]

I feel like while Rick still has this leadership role as commander-in-chief of the forces there has developed a bit of tight group who--while not publicly vetoing Rick in any way to undermine him--are viewed as leaders too. If Glen, Michonne, or Daryl voice reservations Rick is seriously going to consider it. I think after she rescued them from Terminus Carol may be considered in this group too. They still all clearly want Rick as the titular head of the group and the general on the ground. Yet I feel he's not an ultimate dictator anymore. 

 

At the end of Season II when Rick went all ABSOLUTE POWER I couldn't blame him. His best friend was dead, Dale was dead (who was never quite a leader but a consulting figure for sure) and Glen, Carol, & Daryl were most definitely not yet who they have become now. There is now a loyalty/bond there Rick trusts is as thick as his own from the inner core of this group.

Edited February 24, 2015 by JasonCC

[Timetoread]

A lot of babies died before their first birthday in my grandmother's day, mostly due to disease and malnutrition. They didn't need sunscreen but there was less of an ozone layer and people didn't travel as much so they didn't need car seats either. It was pretty common for most families to lose one or more children in infancy. If a mother couldn't breast feed or the child was unable to suck, they were pretty doomed.

 

Of course, I have to just pretend Judith has formula or something that her stomach can handle. Babies do actually have very sensitive stomachs and she would probably be failing to thrive. I don't want to see that though, so I'm ok with Rick trying to feed her acorns, which would be terrible in real life.

 

True true.  Lots of babies died.  People in general are very breakable and until we invented workarounds for common dangers, most never died of old age.  But my point wasn't to condone laying out babies to burn in the sun, or playing football with them in moving cars or feeding them poisoned birdseed and asphalt.  I'd hoped to  make a bigger point about how life finds a way.  It always has.  Even in the worst of situations.  50 percent of babies may have died in infancy, but 50 percent lived and went on to make their own babies - hopefully in better circumstances.  What's going on in TWD is not ideal by any means and I have no doubt that Judith's big brother, when he was a baby, was privvy to all the protection that love and technology could afford him.  Judith doesn't have tech but she has love.  She may die anyway but she has just as much a chance of living.  In the larger debate about whether Judith's survival is realistic or if her death is a forgone conclusion, I tend to digest the story with the belief that the human spirit is indomitable.  That SOMEBODY, be it Rick with Judith or a future child of Glen and Maggie or even a child made by Carl one day, will figure out how to nurture a baby until it is a viable adult even in this horrible world.  This is as important a task as their finding food and a good group to form because what is the point of surviving if humanity dies with them.  Judith is the test subject and may very well be the first generation of human to adapt to being able to digest raw acorns with a chaser of dead frog.

 

I think Rick punched Aaron because he has PTSD from Terminus and Aaron had just said some line about "more people make us stronger" - it sounded VERY Gareth.

 

I think Rick punched Aaron because he was sending two messages:

1.  that they are SO over the okie doke, therefore he can drop the promises of a blissful colony of perfection somewhere over the rainbow, and,

2.  that running a fuse line toward a trap is not going to work in his favor. 

 

I totally understood and agreed with Rick's use of force.  

[Timetoread]

According to The Walking Dead Timeline (TV show) it is day 535 since the outbreak, Judith was born on day 310. She is 225 days old, so approximately 7 and a half months old.

 

So wait a minute Carl has grown like that in the span of two years?  Next "year" he'll be married with children!

 

Edited because. Math.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Timetoread

[Boofish]

So wait a minute Carl has grown like that in the span of two years?  Next "year" he'll be married with children!

 

Edited because. Math.

The can continually cast a baby to fit the timeline but can't stop Carl from growing. He was only in the 3rd grade when the outbreak took place and now he looks like a high school freshman!

[AngelaHunter]

I think Rick punched Aaron because he has PTSD from Terminus and Aaron had just said some line about "more people make us stronger" - it sounded VERY Gareth.

 

Exactly. Also, unlike the  others, Rick has two children to worry about and can't just think of himself. But he should trust Michonne. After her, her amazing antennae picked up that Woodbury was a lie and that the Gov was evil about 9 milliseconds after laying eyes on him and the place.

[diebartdie]

... The community is all gay couples - as in that's all there really is.  CDB gets lured in and then forced to be babymakers because the homosexual couples can't do it and want children to raise and call their own?

I know you probably didnt mean it like that but I really have to say (again) that homosexual couples can and occasionally do make babies the same way heterosexual couples do. Ou sexual orientation is different, our biological needs and abilities are not. If our species is facing extinction (whether the zombie apocalypse of BattleStar Galactica scenario), if you are fertile and in a safe place, it is everyone's responsibility to make more humans, not sit one out because dicks are gross (Tara) or poonani are gross (Aaron and Eric), take one for the team literally.

[AngelaHunter]

Something that annoyed me: Aaron refusing to eat the teaspoon of applesauce, saying "Eww, I don't like it", like a big baby and expecting Rick to trust him. If someone who looked and acted like Rick were standing over me saying "EAT IT", I'd swallow just about anything that was on that spoon. Well, except a worm.