S05.E11: The Distance

[kikismom]

Unless the whole compound is just gay men, sashaying and chantaying at their fab-u-lous Friday night dance parties, they might need a women or 4.

 

 

Chill, it was just a joke. Besides, I never said gay men couldn't be fabulous and masculine.

 

Although, the idea of Daryl and Abraham could lead to some interesting fan-fiction...

 

Some of your best friends are gay men...

Edited February 24, 2015 by kikismom

[minamurray78]

Some people were confused about the chain of events, this is how I understood it:

Eric broke his ankle on his own (well, apparently there were walkers involved) I didn't quite catch how, but he was alone in that place they all got reunited (near the water tower). He shot the flare, which was meant to be a distress signal, and that's when Aaron freaked out. He knew Eric was in trouble and bolted out of the car, hands restrained and all.

Rick tries to stop Michonne from going after Aaron, in order to go find the rest of their people, but she quickly realizes they must've seen the flare and assumed Rick fired it (he had kept Aaron's flare gun). So following Aaron towards the flare is the best way to find the rest of their gang.

Michonne was right, and since the RV driver was smart enough to not drive through a road full of walkers, they were first to arrive and found Eric. They tended to his ankle; he must have told them he shot the flare, and that Aaron would most likely try to steer his companions back to him, so they decided to wait for Rick & CO.

 

ETA: The way I see it, in order  to repopulate by creating more humans, first you would need a lot more adults, not just for reproduction, but also protection: babies and little children cannot fend for themselves, and it makes the whole group more vulnerable. Tyresse, the girls and Judith were almost toasted right before Carol showed up (yeah I know, Lizzie and all but still).

Regarding Carl's size/age, I've decided to ignore it. Chandler Riggs is going to grow up, no way around that, so I'm just going with "he's young".

Edited February 24, 2015 by minamurray78

[Nursejen]

Some people were confused about the chain of events, this is how I understood it:

Eric broke his ankle on his own (well, apparently there were walkers involved) I didn't quite catch how, but he was alone in that place they all got reunited (near the water tower). He shot the flare, which was meant to be a distress signal, and that's when Aaron freaked out. He knew Eric was in trouble and bolted out of the car, hands restrained and all.

Rick tries to stop Michonne from going after Aaron, in order to go find the rest of their people, but she quickly realizes they must've seen the flare and assumed Rick fired it (he had kept Aaron's flare gun). So following Aaron towards the flare is the best way to find the rest of their gang.

Michonne was right, and since the RV driver was smart enough to not drive through a road full of walkers, they were first to arrive and found Eric. They tended to his ankle; he must have told them he shot the flare, and that Aaron would most likely try to steer his companions back to him, so they decided to wait for Rick & CO.

Aah, thanks for that. I was way confused. I thought the RV group was already with Eric in that building.

[AngelaHunter]

Yes, CDB are good folks.

 

Yes, better than I, since they continue to support and feed useless deadwood like Eugene and Father Pee who do nothing but drain resources. I have a feeling I might  say something like, "Glenn, take those two out in the car and just...leave them somewhere. Put a few acorns and worms in their pockets."

[Ocean Chick]

Actually I'm all for keeping Eugene around.  After all, if the group gets stuck in a herd of walkers, I can at least out run Eugene.  And it's like the old joke - you don't need to be fast during the zombie apocalypse.  You just have to be faster than the person next to you.  There's a lot of meat on that man, and that should keep the walkers busy while I find a good place out of their reach.

[kikismom]

I deleted due to comments containing spoilers. sorry.

Edited February 24, 2015 by kikismom

[BrokenRemote]

Yes, better than I, since they continue to support and feed useless deadwood like Eugene and Father Pee who do nothing but drain resources. I have a feeling I might say something like, "Glenn, take those two out in the car and just...leave them somewhere. Put a few acorns and worms in their pockets."

Hey, boys, how'd you like a drive out in the country?! Who's a good boy?

[diebartdie]

But Eugene is NOT useless, he is far more skillful than FPP, Eugene taught them how to filter silt from water, I bet he knows 20 different ways to make fire, he was trying his damnedest to make a small explosive charge to open the container they were trapped in in Terminus, he's the guy who knows how to make a bottle rocket lethal, I mean to say he's like a super awkward (yall are going to kill me for saying this but) Macgyver...sort of....I mean just squint one eye and think about it for a minute. He's got scientific understanding that can be extremely useful. What FPP going to do but pray to a god that is letting the dead roam the earth, how helpful is that?

[BrokenRemote]

Warning, commenters there have posted comic book spoilers. Don't read the comments if you don't want spoilers. (I'm not bothered.)

I'm surprised at the people there wishing Judith was dead. And at the genius asking if a different baby's playing Judith now. As opposed, I guess, to them finding a magical non- growing baby.

ET remove link. It does make me kind of annoyed that people post spoilers on pages others might stumble across. Also someone could comment days later on a link that was ok at the time.

Edited February 25, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[kikismom]

deleted due to comments containing spoilers. sorry.

 

 

Warning, commenters there have posted comic book spoilers. Don't read the comments if you don't want spoilers. (I'm not bothered.)

I'm surprised at the people there wishing Judith was dead. And at the genius asking if a different baby's playing Judith now. As opposed, I guess, to them finding a magical non- growing baby.

I'm sorry; didn't read all the comments I just liked the photos. Ooops. never mind. Fixed now...Thank You Broken Remote!!!

The "magical non-growing baby" made me laugh hard tho.

 

 

But Eugene is NOT useless, ..... he's the guy who knows how to make a bottle rocket lethal,

I thought Carol was the guy who knew how to make a bottle rocket lethal. She's the Man!

Eugene is the guy who knows how to make a church bus (almost) lethal.

[diebartdie]

Damn you know when I wrote that I was thinking about something totally different so yes Carol is the bottle rocket guy, Eugene is the science-ish person and as far as Im concerned he has proven his worth so much more than FPP who is utterly useless.

[BrokenRemote]

I'm sorry; didn't read all the comments I just liked the photos. Ooops. never mind. Fixed now...Thank You Broken Remote!!!

The "magical non-growing baby" made me laugh hard tho.

I thought Carol was the guy who knew how to make a bottle rocket lethal. She's the Man!

Eugene is the guy who knows how to make a church bus (almost) lethal.

Oh, I'll take the link from mine then. It was no biggie for me :)

[Madding crowd]

Those pictures just reminded me of something; when Carl was supposed to be holding Judith outside in a blanket, she looked the size of a preemie newborn. Can't they just make a bigger doll for people to hold under the blanket?

[kikismom]

just because I liked this.

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8451811584/hD7D011BE/

[AngelaHunter]

when Carl was supposed to be holding Judith outside in a blanket, she looked the size of a preemie newborn.

 

I know. Those kinds of things really irritate me. Do TPTB think we're a bunch of mouth breathers who don't notice glaring goofs like that? I can overlook a lot, but not something as lazy and sloppy as that. Really, you'd think even someone in the cast would say, "You've got to be kidding with this shit."

[Haleth]

Yes, better than I, since they continue to support and feed useless deadwood like Eugene and Father Pee who do nothing but drain resources. I have a feeling I might  say something like, "Glenn, take those two out in the car and just...leave them somewhere. Put a few acorns and worms in their pockets."

But Eugene is NOT useless, he is far more skillful than FPP, Eugene taught them how to filter silt from water, I bet he knows 20 different ways to make fire, he was trying his damnedest to make a small explosive charge to open the container they were trapped in in Terminus, he's the guy who knows how to make a bottle rocket lethal, I mean to say he's like a super awkward (yall are going to kill me for saying this but) Macgyver...sort of....I mean just squint one eye and think about it for a minute. He's got scientific understanding that can be extremely useful. What FPP going to do but pray to a god that is letting the dead roam the earth, how helpful is that?

 

 

And Father PP has lovely handwriting (as we saw in the church.). Hey, it's something.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Haleth

[candall]

 

And I always thought that there was nothing wrong with Lori that a few quaaludes couldn't fix.

'Ludes.  Hee.  Someone my age!

[looksee]

From my own experience rebuilding a city and recruiting people in a post apocolyptic world (anyone else play the Rebuild game app??), you want more people in your group to fight off attackers, zombies, work on the farm to make more food, and reclaim and secure buildings/lands. Throw in a few scientists and engineers to find ways to grow more food, treat diseases and build better security. Repopulation is nowhere on the list of things to do. Basically the more people you have, the safer and better off everyone is.

 

Aaron refusing to eat the applesauce annoyed the heck out of me too! If you're trying to convince people you are the nice guys, you suck it up and eat that applesauce!

[Bec]

Carl has aged 5 years in the span of less than 2 years. But Rick has aged 50 years. So. (But it would de-age Rick a lot if he shaved.)

 

The pictures looked to me like the kind you take with a homemade box camera. The exposure on those are lengthy and tricky to use. Getting a person in the shot means them standing totally still for 30 minutes or more

High-five, fellow photography geek! I still don't get why he couldn't have gotten a tablet and fuel it with a solar or hand-crank battery charger. No futzing with exposures and developing then. And photos in full color! But from a storytelling perspective I get why the photos had to be crappy and enigmatic.

 

what is the point of surviving if humanity dies with them

That's a larger philosophical question, isn't it? What is the point of surviving? Even today, without any zombie apocalypse going on (as far as we know), some people already ask themselves this, and some have come to the conclusion that this world is too messed up to bring children into. The purpose of their survival is not reproduction. But they still go on living. So there has to be a purpose to survival other than reproduction. But don't ask me to tell you what it is, that's like trying to answer "what is the meaning of life?" for everyone else.

 

The difference in the Walking Dead world would be there actually might be a chance of humanity dying out, unlike today with humans at 7 billion strong and estimated to hit 11 billion by 2100. But another significant difference is that you would be more certain than ever any children you create will suffer.

 

Now, some might say the fact that the children will suffer would be utterly unimportant when humanity dying out as a species is on the line. I don't know, "our species might die out" is a somewhat abstract concept, but the idea of my own flesh and blood offspring suffering is intensely personal. Would I conceive children knowing the extreme hardships they will face? Is the fear of the human species disappearing strong enough to drive me to make my children suffer when I can save them from this world by not birthing them in the first place?

 

If I have to watch humanity die out, so be it. It'd be less painful than watching my hypothetical children suffer. But I doubt humanity will actually die out because there will most likely always be fertile people who don't share this particular opinion of mine. People who feel humanity dying out would be the worst thing ever.

 

if you are fertile and in a safe place, it is everyone's responsibility to make more humans

This is making me picture a world like the one in The Handmaid's Tale. Where any fertile women are imprisoned, repeatedly raped, and forced to reproduce over and over again for the Republic. (*shudder*)

 

I realize society collapsed and all that. Concepts of human rights along with it. But does humanity deserve to thrive if it goes back to treating others like chattel? Can that really even be called "humanity"?

[TexasChic]

This is making me picture a world like the one in The Handmaid's Tale. Where any fertile women are imprisoned, repeatedly raped, and forced to reproduce over and over again for the Republic. (*shudder*)

 

I realize society collapsed and all that. Concepts of human rights along with it. But does humanity deserve to thrive if it goes back to treating others like chattel? Can that really even be called "humanity"?

You're right, that does sound like something straight out of The Handmaid's Tale! I think I my philosophy would go more along the lines of Cabin in the Woods;

if keeping humanity alive requires inhuman behavior, maybe humanity shouldn't survive.

Edited February 25, 2015 by TexasChic

[BrokenRemote]

Carl has aged 5 years in the span of less than 2 years. But Rick has aged 50 years. So. (But it would de-age Rick a lot if he shaved.)

High-five, fellow photography geek! I still don't get why he couldn't have gotten a tablet and fuel it with a solar or hand-crank battery charger. No futzing with exposures and developing then. And photos in full color! But from a storytelling perspective I get why the photos had to be crappy and enigmatic.

That's a larger philosophical question, isn't it? What is the point of surviving? Even today, without any zombie apocalypse going on (as far as we know), some people already ask themselves this, and some have come to the conclusion that this world is too messed up to bring children into. The purpose of their survival is not reproduction. But they still go on living. So there has to be a purpose to survival other than reproduction. But don't ask me to tell you what it is, that's like trying to answer "what is the meaning of life?" for everyone else.

The difference in the Walking Dead world would be there actually might be a chance of humanity dying out, unlike today with humans at 7 billion strong and estimated to hit 11 billion by 2100. But another significant difference is that you would be more certain than ever any children you create will suffer.

Now, some might say the fact that the children will suffer would be utterly unimportant when humanity dying out as a species is on the line. I don't know, "our species might die out" is a somewhat abstract concept, but the idea of my own flesh and blood offspring suffering is intensely personal. Would I conceive children knowing the extreme hardships they will face? Is the fear of the human species disappearing strong enough to drive me to make my children suffer when I can save them from this world by not birthing them in the first place?

If I have to watch humanity die out, so be it. It'd be less painful than watching my hypothetical children suffer. But I doubt humanity will actually die out because there will most likely always be fertile people who don't share this particular opinion of mine. People who feel humanity dying out would be the worst thing ever.

This is making me picture a world like the one in The Handmaid's Tale. Where any fertile women are imprisoned, repeatedly raped, and forced to reproduce over and over again for the Republic. (*shudder*)

I realize society collapsed and all that. Concepts of human rights along with it. But does humanity deserve to thrive if it goes back to treating others like chattel? Can that really even be called "humanity"?

I'd argue that there's a yawning chasm of a difference between telling people that you think they have a duty to reproduce and throwing them in rape dungeon baby farms. That's a heck of a leap.

[kikismom]

High-five, fellow photography geek! I still don't get why he couldn't have gotten a tablet and fuel it with a solar or hand-crank battery charger. No futzing with exposures and developing then. And photos in full color! But from a storytelling perspective I get why the photos had to be crappy and enigmatic.

I agreed with your entire post; I can't imagine looking around and thinking, yeah things are good enough to bring babies into the world. WTF?

Not only The Handmaid's Tale, but if anyone remembers the pregnant woman with the two men in The Road novel...and the next day they find the bones and skull of the newborn infant in the ashes of the cooking fire...oh I can't even follow that thought.

 

But in more trivial unimportant issues, the photos aren't the only thing that looked weird...this is so who gives a shit...but that was not homemade applesauce in that canning jar. It looked like they took stuff off the grocery shelf and dumped it in a Ball jar. The real think looks so much better, and isn't bland it's great.

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion of horrible depressing stuff.

Edited February 25, 2015 by kikismom

[BrokenRemote]

You're so right. I mean, I guess you could make homemade look like that, but why would you?

I suppose that could mean he's lying about the apple tree they have. That's a real attention to detail in your evil con to lure people into your human puppet show or whatever sick thing they're up to in there, though.

What kind of growing season do they have in the DC area? How much of the year can you grow and harvest?

[TexasChic]

I'd argue that there's a yawning chasm of a difference between telling people that you think they have a duty to reproduce and throwing them in rape dungeon baby farms. That's a heck of a leap.

Very true, I didn't mean to imply that it was, only that it was reminiscent such things. I didn't mean to offend whoever made the original comment (sorry, not sure who that was). Edit: I worded my original post badly by saying that was straight out of The Handmaid's Tale. Very sorry about that.

Edited February 25, 2015 by TexasChic

[TexasChic]

just because I liked this.

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8451811584/hD7D011BE/

This part made me laugh hysterically when it happened on the show. 

[diebartdie]

Hey wow yall, Im not advocating for any Handmaidens Tale or rape camps or anything fucked up like that!!!!! NO!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!! That is a long longlonglong SUPER FUCKING LONG WAY AWAY from what I was saying. Damn. Gross. But seriously, at SOME point, more humans gotta start being born and if everything is safe enough, you really ought not be selfish/squeamish about having a baby. Ugh, I feel so skeeved out now.

[kikismom]

What kind of growing season do they have in the DC area? How much of the year can you grow and harvest?

Virginia is at the southern end of apple growing region; the apples are said (by the co-op) to be poorly colored, not great flavor, and due to the humidity in the Alexandria region they are very susceptible to pest problems.

Best place to try growing apples in VA is the western part of the state at 800 ft above sea level.

 

Still, better to have something fresh and edible, beggars can't be choosers.

But I have to think that either the prop people thought Musselmans in a Ball jar would pass, or that it's meant to be that way for nefarious plot reasons. We do know the show does bad things with farming (as in the prison farm with about 10 bean poles just starting to produce and Herschel saying that RIck was growing enough food to feed the whole prison group.)

Hey wow yall, Im not advocating for any Handmaidens Tale or rape camps or anything fucked up like that!!!!! NO!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!! That is a long longlonglong SUPER FUCKING LONG WAY AWAY from what I was saying. Damn. Gross. But seriously, at SOME point, more humans gotta start being born and if everything is safe enough, you really ought not be selfish/squeamish about having a baby. Ugh, I feel so skeeved out now.

But what is "safe enough"? There are people young enough to wait, at least 5 years of continous safety with those years proving successful food production, clean water, and definitely medical resources to prevent another Lori situation. 5 years is not, IMHO, so long to wait. Success is transient I had said but I should add that a child's life should not be.

[AngelaHunter]

the prison farm with about 10 bean poles just starting to produce and Herschel saying that RIck was growing enough food to feed the whole prison group.

 

I would have loved to have seen them all sitting around the table with one pea pod on each plate.

[diebartdie]

I dont know kikismom, plenty women get pregnant and give birth and raise children right now in war zones, I guess that would be a "Lori situation". Show world, until shit got stirred up, the prison was safe enough. The hospital would have been sort of. Woodberry (as twisted as Philip was) was...until shit got stirred up. Um maybe everyone should avoid getting pregnant when they are on the run hell I dont know I just did not mean to imply I think it would be a jolly good time if all the fertile people were forced into rape camps.

[kikismom]

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.

Yeah, we need to remember that Aaron didn't know their terminology. Some people thought Aaron was being shady when he stumbled over the question How many walkers have you killed. but I thought he wouldn't know what "walker" means! We've heard all kinds of names just in Georgia...he didn't know what Rick meant. He also referred to them himself as "roamers" so that showed his people, evil or good, use a different term.

 

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.  I think after she rescued them from Terminus Carol may be considered in this group too.

What ever happened to Rick asking Carol "would you accept us into your group?

That certainly got dropped fast, didn't it?

[Raven1707]

Eric broke his ankle on his own (well, apparently there were walkers involved) I didn't quite catch how, but he was alone in that place they all got reunited (near the water tower).

 

Here's how that was explained:

 

Aaron: Eric!

Eric: I’m okay. It’s like a volleyball injury. It’s a broken ankle. At least that’s what Maggie said. I like her. (Aaron looks worried) It’s not a big deal. (Aaron takes a closer look at Eric’s ankle, which has been splinted and taped) I’ll just go to the infirmary when we get back.

Aaron: Oh... (He kisses Eric passionately) When I saw that flare go up, I–I thought...

Eric: You were worried, were you?

Aaron: Yeah.

Eric: This is your fault, you know.

Aaron: Is that so?

Eric: Because I love you. And because when I’m worried, I do stupid things. And when I do stupid things, I wind up underneath a rust bucket, surrounded by roamers, who roll a rear passenger tire onto my left ankle. (Laughs)  Hey, something good came out of today. While I was waiting for you, I searched the neighborhood. I found that.

(“That” is a license plate; Aaron looks a bit sheepish)

Eric: You lost the license plates.

Aaron: I lost the car.

Eric: Maybe it’s for the best. That monstrosity out front can run. It’s so ugly, it’ll scare the roamers away. (They laugh. Rick comes into view)

Eric: Hi. I’m Eric.

Rick: Rick.

Eric: It’s okay.

(Aaron gets up to go with Rick)

[AngelaHunter]

I think they should all have babies. After all, we see from Judith that in order to get fat and sassy, babies need only good wishes, blazing sun, acorns and a Doberman kabob as a special treat. Easy peasy!

[Bec]

Okay, I might watch Cabin in the Woods on Netflix later, so I won't read that spoiler yet. Thanks for hiding it.

 

I'd argue that there's a yawning chasm of a difference between telling people that you think they have a duty to reproduce and throwing them in rape dungeon baby farms. That's a heck of a leap.

So… no rapey baby farms. Just throwing judgy "when are you going to have babies? What's wrong with you? Our kind is going to die out because of you" pressure at the fertile people? Well, okay, that wouldn't be so bad. That's no different from what already seems to be considered acceptable behavior today. ;)

 

Though I rather wish humanity could get past this "obligatory breeding" mentality in the event of a zombie apocalypse and just let people decide for themselves whether they want to bring children into this world. I don't think it's all that selfish to consider what kind of life your hypothetical children will have. These children will have to live with your decision whether they like it or not.

 

Plus, it's kind of funny that unthread some people were saying how crazy it would be to have elective surgery in a zombie apocalypse, even if it can heal your limping leg. Yet pregnancy and childbirth are apparently no big deal even though we've already seen it kill Lori and we've seen her worry about her kid dying inside her and eating her guts from the inside out. I'd say it's not squeamish to pass on dealing with all that. Just reasonable. If you want to brave it with your own body, go for it, but none of this for me, thanks. Also I'll be standing away from you in case you start getting eaten from the inside out. Hee.

 

Anyhoos, in a world where dead people can reanimate into flesh eating monsters that destroy everything in their path, it's possible the human race going extinct might not be the worst thing that could happen. This might become the planet of the squirrels, but by the time it comes to that, we'll be too dead to worry about it.

[kikismom]

This part made me laugh hysterically when it happened on the show. 

Me too; although I laughed hardest when Rick is all They're commminng! They're in the treeeees!

 

I thought maybe he got so hungry he started eating mushrooms. Watch out! Snakes are flying a little low tonight! Duck and coverrrr!

[Nashville]

Welcome to our nightmare!

That's on the list: when the ZA hits, stock up on the little pink happy pills.

And I always thought that there was nothing wrong with Lori that a few quaaludes couldn't fix.

 

You're probably right; if I were to pop enough, I'm sure even Lori's voice would fade to nothing more than a faintly annoying whining sound....

 

I would have loved to have seen them all sitting around the table with one pea pod on each plate.

And they would be thankful for that pea pod....

[RedheadZombie]

But if you don't repopulate then, obviously, society dies out. Granted, I'm a newer viewer, but have marathoned through the other mistakes, but I think this is a good place. Doesn't mean it will be perfect, there may be rules they don't care for, etc. but I think Aaron is alright and I think there are many reasons  why he would want to add this group. For the most part, the men and women (in fact, at this point all the women)  are damn resourceful warriors.  Although I have a bit more trouble figuring out how two guys have really been close enough to observe much, the fact is this is a loyal group. They all have each others backs. The core group, at the very least, is a real family in every sense that matters. They must be reasonably smart (Ricks insistence on traveling at night aside,) they are still alive and have managed to keep a baby alive. No small feat in a ZA. 

 

However, I also think this will go all kinds of wrong, because if it doesnt, the show will get boringl.  Somehow, they will be overrun by a herd, in spite of the fences, or some other bad guys will attack, whatever, something bad will happen. I'm just casting my vote that Aaron is a basically good guy.   

 

I thinks it's still a little too early to be concerned about re-population.  First, has there been enough time to even determine if life is sustainable in this new world?  It's confusing because, unlike The Road, we see that the environment seems to be intact, everything is green and lush, birds chirp, and there's still wildlife.  But contrary to that, our gang was just on the verge of dying of dehydration and starvation, and the only baby was about to be unintentionally tortured with raw acorns.  The only known pregnancy ended in the mother dying of complications.  Every group of survivors they've met have been either non-sustainable, the Vatos and Greenes, or partially/fully homicidal sociopaths - Woodbury, Claimers, Termites. 

 

Things may change depending on this new town in Alexandria.  At this point, I see absolutely no incentive for our women - each of them pretty damn good fighters, and stronger than at least two men in the group - willingly making themselves vulnerable and even risking their lives to re-populate.  And all of our women have seen what Judith has gone through, who will be the first to volunteer to bring a child into this world, and watch it suffer?  Every community they know of has fallen.  There may be a doctor/surgeon in this new town, but obstetrics is a specialty that not every doctor is well trained in.  Women still die in childbirth with modern medicine.  Beyond that, all medical people die quickly on this show.  Doctors still die suddenly of the flu, are decapitated, or kill people to ensure their own value.

 

In my opinion, doctors should be providing OC, inserting IUDs, and giving stern safe sex lectures.  STDs are still alive and well, while antibiotics are becoming extinct.  If all goes well in the new world, the population will survive a few years without children being born.  Then the population can explode just like it did after WWII. 

[Mindymoo]

So… no rapey baby farms. Just throwing judgy "when are you going to have babies? What's wrong with you? Our kind is going to die out because of you" pressure at the fertile people? Well, okay, that wouldn't be so bad. That's no different from what already seems to be considered acceptable behavior today. ;)

 

Though I rather wish humanity could get past this "obligatory breeding" mentality in the event of a zombie apocalypse and just let people decide for themselves whether they want to bring children into this world. I don't think it's all that selfish to consider what kind of life your hypothetical children will have. These children will have to live with your decision whether they like it or not.

 

Plus, it's kind of funny that unthread some people were saying how crazy it would be to have elective surgery in a zombie apocalypse, even if it can heal your limping leg. Yet pregnancy and childbirth are apparently no big deal even though we've already seen it kill Lori and we've seen her worry about her kid dying inside her and eating her guts from the inside out. I'd say it's not squeamish to pass on dealing with all that. Just reasonable. If you want to brave it with your own body, go for it, but none of this for me, thanks. Also I'll be standing away from you in case you start getting eaten from the inside out. Hee.

 

Anyhoos, in a world where dead people can reanimate into flesh eating monsters that destroy everything in their path, it's possible the human race going extinct might not be the worst thing that could happen. This might become the planet of the squirrels, but by the time it comes to that, we'll be too dead to worry about it.

I'm already getting shit from my mom because I am getting a hysterectomy next Wednesday and that definitely means she is not getting any grandchildren. (My brothers are definitely not producing any, and I am not adopting.) The added pressure of reproducing in the zombie apocalypse is just insane to me. Yes, people gave birth in dire straits before. Women gave birth without proper medical facilities for millennia. But you know what? We also had a very high maternal mortality rate. And a very high newborn and infant mortality rate. Look at old cemeteries. You will see entire families of children who died who are under the age of ten, wiped out from stuff like diptheria and the measles. In the zombie apocalypse, repopulation would be the last thing on my mind. No vaccines, constant fear of zombies trying to kill you, not to mention the roving gangs of people who will rob, rape and kill you... It just sounds like a complete and total nightmare. In this situation, with everybody infected with the zombie virus, I'd personally hold the belief that it was better if humanity just died off and we gave the land back to the animals. Besides, with the health problems I have, and the machinery I have in my body due to those health problems, if the power grid went down and I wasn't able to charge this battery pack I have that powers this stimulator that sends electrical impulses from my spine to stop horrible pain that not even the strongest narcotics can touch, I'd have just checked out and eaten a bullet on day one.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Mindy McIndy

[BrokenRemote]

I should put it out there that I wasn't offended, honest! Just a little whiplashed from the quick change in gears :) My sense of humor is far too weird sometimes.

It sparked an interesting discussion, though. My personal feeling on procreating in the apocalypse is that you're never going to stop people from having sex, which means that just playing the odds there are going to be unplanned pregnancies (which the show got right with Lori, j think). People have kids in pretty dire circumstances today--ok, not Armageddon, but still in situations where it's hard or even dangerous to have kids around--and I don't see that stopping.

(P.S. Mindy McIndy Spinal Stimulator brigade unite! Us bionic people are definitely gonna be in trouble when the zombies take over!)

Edited February 25, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[AndySmith]

Some of your best friends are gay men...

 

Well, yes! How did you know that? I mean, being gay myself, I suppose some of my best friends would be gay men :P

 

Rick tries to stop Michonne from going after Aaron, in order to go find the rest of their people, but she quickly realizes they must've seen the flare and assumed Rick fired it (he had kept Aaron's flare gun)

 

Why would she assume Rick fired it? Didn't she see Rick fire the flare into a zombie's face?

 

Some people were confused about the chain of events, this is how I understood it:

 

Maybe next weeks episode, to put off showing us Alexandria for another week, will be from both Eric and the RV crew's POV?

Edited February 25, 2015 by AndySmith

[RedheadZombie]

Yes, CDB are good folks. REPOPULATE does not mean add new adults to your adult social/work group or whatever. It means increase the population by reproduction. I am all for humans that are decent folk with something to offer being teamed up with other people like them. I am not in favor of this baby-making idea (which, in fairness, has been suggested since season1. There was a lot of talk about "breeding stock" . Puh-leeeze.)

 

I have to admit that I was creeped out at the suggestion that Tara should, "take one for the team". 

 

Some people were confused about the chain of events, this is how I understood it:

Eric broke his ankle on his own (well, apparently there were walkers involved) I didn't quite catch how, but he was alone in that place they all got reunited (near the water tower). He shot the flare, which was meant to be a distress signal, and that's when Aaron freaked out. He knew Eric was in trouble and bolted out of the car, hands restrained and all.

Rick tries to stop Michonne from going after Aaron, in order to go find the rest of their people, but she quickly realizes they must've seen the flare and assumed Rick fired it (he had kept Aaron's flare gun). So following Aaron towards the flare is the best way to find the rest of their gang.

Michonne was right, and since the RV driver was smart enough to not drive through a road full of walkers, they were first to arrive and found Eric. They tended to his ankle; he must have told them he shot the flare, and that Aaron would most likely try to steer his companions back to him, so they decided to wait for Rick & CO.

 

Somehow this confuses me more.  As unlikely as it was that the RV group would have noticed running over Eric, it at least made some sense.  So if this didn't happen, how did the car lose the RV - is it that difficult to follow the only other vehicle on the road?  This means the RV somehow lost the car, yet was clever enough to track a flare to its source.

 

Damn you know when I wrote that I was thinking about something totally different so yes Carol is the bottle rocket guy, Eugene is the science-ish person and as far as Im concerned he has proven his worth so much more than FPP who is utterly useless.

 

Well, Eugene's not super helpful but he did save Tara once.  Now that he's not deliberately sabotaging the DC trip, by shooting up trucks and exploding buses, I think he could be an asset.  FPP is completely useless at this point.  He's not even very good at providing spiritual comfort.  Let's not forget he also lead a hoard of walkers back to a child and baby.  I say since the women in this group are good strong fighters, Eugene and FPP can take on the so-called women's work.  They can keep busy caring for Judith, cooking, and laundry.

[Mindymoo]

(P.S. Mindy McIndy Spinal Stimulator brigade unite! Us bionic people are definitely gonna be in trouble when the zombies take over!)

I have a fellow cyborg on PTV! Awesome!

[Nashville]

I thinks it's still a little too early to be concerned about re-population. 

Echo that. We're only two years into the ZA Plague, and for all anybody knows this particular nasty little bug's burn is just starting. It could easily be a decade before it burns itself out - IF it ever burns out completely - and its undead victims disintegrate enough to no longer be a viable threat.

[CletusMusashi]

Yeah, because there are no typically masculine, macho gay men in the Zombie Apocalyse, until we find out that Daryl is gay or Abraham. 

Abraham can't be gay. He has a mustache!

[Nashville]

Abraham can't be gay. He has a mustache!

Yep. Reminds me of Freddie Mercury's more than a little bit.

[kikismom]

Well, yes! How did you know that?

Because no one else would have even attempted posting that?

***************************************************************************************

One last thing on the baby issue: these people are eating what they can get now just based on hunger. They aren't worried about nutrition.

Lots of women in poor countries are having babies all right...and those women aren't getting folic acid etc. in their very limited diets. Hence the number of children with birth defects. So, besides all the other reasons, just think: what would become of a child born with disabilities in the ZA?

We've already discussed on this forum ( some time ago ) that there are lots of other ways to have sexual pleasure with another person, and we were in favor of sexual relationships for several reasons. But sex that is most likely to result in pregnancy should be down the list until at least a few years of continuous reliable safe environment and renewable resources have proven out. JMO.

Abraham can't be gay. He has a mustache!

So did everybody in Cruising.

Including Karen Allen.

[tennisgurl]

There seem to be a decent amount of survivors running around, I don't think its quite time to start re-populating. I mean, people are probably going to do that on their own eventually, more or less. I still wonder if other parts of the country might have more actually societies built up. Even with the walkers, I don't feel like its impossible for some semblance of society to come back. Its only been around two years. 

 

And there have got to be SOME encampments of people, other than our guys, the Greens, and the Vatos are aren't totally coco for coco-puffs. 

[Nashville]

Someone ate the baby.

What a funny thing to eat!

Why would they eat the baby?

I mean - it couldn't have been very sweet.

I wonder who... <BURRRP>... ate the baby.

-- Shel Silverstein

[AndySmith]

Because no one else would have even attempted posting that?

 

Wow, people really need to lighten up. Or at the very least, attend one or two of Aaron & Eric's Super Fabulous Friday Night Dance Parties.

 

There seem to be a decent amount of survivors running around, I don't think its quite time to start re-populating

 

Re-populating would be tough without a solid homebase of sorts...you'd need lots of security, food, medicine, etc. And the security would have to been non-stop, actually.

Edited February 25, 2015 by AndySmith

[minamurray78]

Why would she assume Rick fired it? Didn't she see Rick fire the flare into a zombie's face?

No, what I meant was, the people in the RV lose sight of the car because they didn't follow them through the walkers, and when the flare went up in the sky, the RV occupants would assume Rick fired it (cause he had Aaron's flare gun) and go after it. Michonne believed following Aaron and the flare would get them straight to the rest of the gang.

She was right, they were already there and had found Eric.

Edited February 25, 2015 by minamurray78

[Bec]

I laughed when Rick said "they know our plan! This isn't safe!" And then the car ran smack into a horde of zombies. It's not safe all right, but that's not because "they" were listening to your brilliant plan, Rick.

 

you're never going to stop people from having sex, which means that just playing the odds there are going to be unplanned pregnancies (which the show got right with Lori, j think). People have kids in pretty dire circumstances today

I would think people who are educated enough to know how pregnancies happen would be much more careful in a zombie apocalypse. If I'm in a zombie apocalypse, for instance, I'm not suddenly going to forget everything I've learned about sex, STDs, and pregnancy. I'm not going to forget there are sex acts with no pregnancy risk.

 

This is different from, say, a third-world war-zone where people never had the luxury of sex ed (or the ability to read scarleteen) in the first place. They have to contend with things like people going around believing raping a virgin will cure AIDS, for crying out loud. It's not like all the women having children in these places got a chance to decide whether they want to.

 

Okay, back to the show, Lori wasn't that careful with pregnancy prevention, but she was always a special snowflake. Plus she had access to RU-486 (or whatever those were) and threw it away, so she did get a chance to make a conscious choice to stay pregnant.

 

They'll probably be hard pressed to find any more of those pills since stupid Lori threw them out (and they're probably expired by now, who knows?). So I sure wouldn't wish an accidental pregnancy on any of the ladies trapped in this hellscape.