S05.E13: Forget

[Sofie Fatale]

Why are blondes like magical unicorns in the ZA?

[peach]

Because all the hair dye is gone.

[paigow]

Because all the hair dye is gone.

Abe got all the orange......

[tennisgurl]

*Insert blond joke here* 

[Dodginblue]

Why are blondes like magical unicorns in the ZA?

 

Good question.  Sightings are rare, except not really, not if you count Andrea and Beth.  Andrea's sister? She was blonde, I think, I don't remember. Anyway, seldom seen, few and far between.  

 

A soon-to-be extinct species, the pretty blonde woman.  And when one is found we must adore and cherish her.  Because she is blonde and cute and can cut hair and make owl sculptures.  

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Call me a creep, but that? For me, hot as hell.

 

Creep!   :P

 

No but seriously, that was kinda hot.  But for my money?  Not as hot as watching Laurie Holden shake those sweet cheeks into her pants following the sex!  Right up there with the other sweetest 5 seconds of TV I've seen.

Edited March 13, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Nashville]

Which makes me wonder if the opposite is true---the longer some people (ASZ?) have not been out there, the more they can not be who they truly are.

 

This thought had crossed my mind as well.  Given the cloistered nature of the community, I'm certain long-term ASZhats accumulate increasing layers of artificiality to maintain peace in the ASZ's tight quarters (both geographically and socially).

 

I admire your restraint. My dad threatened to lock me out of the house during an ice storm if I didn't give him my bag of Funyuns. Of course, I threatened to poison him because he wouldn't split a Slim Jim with me. We now blame it on a lack of coffee.

 

It's amazing - and maybe more than a little scary - just how much this makes perfect sense to me.

 

Exiled people now know where your camp is and what your weaknesses are; can't believe no one has come back for revenge. That's the first rule of Zombie Camp - keep your location a secret. Is that not the reason they wanted kill Randall in Season 2 because he knew where the farm was? I bet my big toe nail something is off. And I don't read the spoilers but I have a bad feeling that pickle making, need a boar leg, chocolate and gun security guard Olivia is not long for this world.

 

Still considering my earlier statement about "exile" being a euphemism for something else....

[AndySmith]

On a side note, his dedication to Judith is wonderful

 

Especially now that her primary babysitters are both dead.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Especially now that her primary babysitters are both dead.

 

"Yeah, we have a vacant spot in our group that has opened up fairly recently - twice now, actually - and from what I've seen so far, you would be an amazing replacement.  Doesn't take much.  Just hold her and keep her from getting upset, change diapers and maybe crush up some acorns occasionally. Full disclosure clause states I have to tell you that no weekends off or vacations.  Sorry, but we're understaffed. *cheek kiss*  You have been given the official 'Ricktator's Stamp of Approval'.   .....  So, when can you start??" 

Edited March 13, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[paigow]

It's 2 AM in the ZA and ....

... Eugene could pass for a GQ cover model.....

[Dodginblue]

... Eugene could pass for a GQ cover model.....

 

Blue Steel! 

[kj4ever]

"Yeah, we have a vacant spot in our group that has opened up fairly recently - twice now, actually - and from what I've seen so far, you would be an amazing replacement.  Doesn't take much.  Just hold her and keep her from getting upset, change diapers and maybe crush up some acorns occasionally. Full disclosure clause states I have to tell you that no weekends off or vacations.  Sorry, but we're understaffed. *cheek kiss*  You have been given the official 'Ricktator's Stamp of Approval'.   .....  So, when can you start??" 

A cheek kiss is a Ricktator's stamp of approval?  I thought it meant that he was going to force you into a sexual situation and kill your husband...ha!

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

A cheek kiss is a Ricktator's stamp of approval?  I thought it meant that he was going to force you into a sexual situation and kill your husband...ha!

 

Not quite.  His line for ensuring sexual submission is pulling out the Python and "its sorta cute how you think this is the biggest loaded weapon  I'm carrying on my person at all times;  and neither one shoots blanks".

[NoWillToResist]

 almost everyone from the show runners to the audience are acting like this is a huge breakthrough, having a gay couple in the story arc. Helloooo … Tara is an out lesbian, and she had a relationship going on with what's-her-name in Philip's camp. I think that TPTB made a good call in not making a big deal about that, so I'm rolling my eyes that they're making a big deal out of Aaron and Eric. I don't know; I suppose the story calls for it in order to have that bonding moment with Daryl. Maybe. I just know that speaking for myself as a lesbian (and not for all lesbians), I like how Tara is treated as just a person.

 

With all due respect to Tara - whom I like - I have to say that I don't find her to be a very fleshed out character though. She's occasionally there, but that's about it. She's a lesbian and a little clumsy. Her family is dead and she used to be a cop. She's friends with Maggie and Glenn. All of those facts were gathered last season, IIRC. I honestly can't remember the last time she even had a line.

 

Also, while I agree that gay people/couples should not be a noteworthy event and it shouldn't be the character's only real characteristic, I sadly do think it's naive to think that lesbians aren't more accepted in society than gay men. There are literally people (often men, I find) who will be all "that's hot" about lesbians and then be all "ewww" about gay men. It's a shitty double standard but boy does it exist. So I am not at all surprised that Tara was introduced without much kerfuffle, but people lost their shit over a gay MALE couple (even when they are cute as a button). :D

 

Awesome job, everyone but please tell me someone reported that post just to be funny :)

 

The post sounded very "boards on boards' discussion to me, which is usually a no-no. ;)

[paigow]

Blue Steel! 

He only has one look...Am I taking crazy pills?

[peach]

Still considering my earlier statement about "exile" being a euphemism for something else....

 

It's okay, we sent them to live on a farm, where they can run free.

[Michell3]

 

Why are blondes like magical unicorns in the ZA?

 

on the show, yeah, cute blondes abound, but i meant in the general ZA population, i'd bet that pretty blonde women in general are pretty rare.  People make a big deal out of hot blondes now because there's not tons of them; statistically speaking, with a large part of the population eaten or zombified, they'd be even more rare. i'm assuming.

[kj4ever]

on the show, yeah, cute blondes abound, but i meant in the general ZA population, i'd bet that pretty blonde women in general are pretty rare.  People make a big deal out of hot blondes now because there's not tons of them; statistically speaking, with a large part of the population eaten or zombified, they'd be even more rare. i'm assuming.

What about hot old blondes?  I'm natural blonde and would be sure to go white ass Marilyn blonde with all that sun and no stylist to put dark in my hair...I could be an old magical unicorn!

[Boofish]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because there is no way I would refer to Jessie or Beth as a "hot blonde" Beth was doe-eyed and cute in that "trapped in a tower by my evil stepmother after my loving father died sing to birds until a man comes and get me" sort of way, Jessie is more basic than Lauren Conrad if that's possible, Amy was the Amyest Amy that ever Amied (not a compliment). I did think Andrea was pretty.  

[HalcyonDays]

This thought had crossed my mind as well.  Given the cloistered nature of the community, I'm certain long-term ASZhats accumulate increasing layers of artificiality to maintain peace in the ASZ's tight quarters (both geographically and socially).

 

This is a really good point, Nashville. There are people out there that really cannot handle a situation like this and literally go into denial. I'm not sure I could, but I think some people may try to convince themselves that the world really hasn't ended out there. That by keeping up the pretense of cocktail parties and a normal community, then they can convince themselves that the horrors of "out there" don't really exist and they are not in any threat.

 

 

The post sounded very "boards on boards' discussion to me, which is usually a no-no. ;)

 

True, but morgankobi was responding directly my post and the response really made me laugh, so I think I'll let it pass....this time. *grin*

[AngelaHunter]

Quote

I certainly don't see Rick attempting to kill his best friend (Daryl, I guess?) or attempting to rape Jessie.

 

I never in a million years would have seen that before, but now? Not saying he would, but after these last two eps,  I wouldn't be willing to stake my life on it.

 

As he walks around Alexandria, he reminds me of a hyena patrolling a wildebeest herd, looking for weakness.

Edited March 13, 2015 by AngelaHunter

[HalcyonDays]

Right up there with the other sweetest 5 seconds of TV I've seen.

 

You can't say that and not tell!

 

Small Talk people. Go finish this in Small Talk.

[AndySmith]

 

I honestly can't remember the last time she even had a line.

 

She went out on the run with Glen, Noah, and Deanna's son and his friend.

[paramitch]

I think Alexandria is fascinating, but this episode once again, for every profound or brilliant moment (Rick leaning against the metal, listening to the walker outside), there were plenty of others that just felt forced or unbelievable to me.

 

My biggest WTF came when Deanna YELLED at Sasha. A woman who has barely escaped with her life and sanity in a Post-Apocalyptic world populated by mindless flesh-eating monsters, who has survived all the brutality humans and non-humans could muster, only to be faced by a roomful of people whose worries were cocktail snacks and pasta makers.

 

I just didn't buy it. I don't buy that the room wouldn't have been instantly sympathetic, that the Alexandrians wouldn't have been immediately kind and apologetic to her about it. I didn't buy that these people wouldn't show more evidence of being survivors themselves. I didn't believe that they wouldn't have been more visibly appreciative of the lives they have now. And I don't buy that Deanna would yell at Sasha for harshing everyone's party buzz. That moment should have played so differently -- Deanna should have in fact been more of a politician and been far more consoling and sympathetic to her (even just on the surface).

 

I don't understand why Rick would rather the group look insane, rather than have a little sit down with Deanna.  You see it all started with these guys named Dave and Tony.  Then we met this guy calling himself Governor, running a town called Woodbury.  We stumbled upon a sanctuary named Terminus, where the cannibals almost killed us all.  Luckily we escaped, but they managed to eat Bob's leg.  And if that wasn't bad enough, Grady is now run by a rapey group of former cops, who run people over before bringing them in for treatment.  There is no reason that I can fathom that they're keeping these things secret.

But then that's my other problem here. I wish they'd taken longer to show them getting acclimated in Alexandria. I especially wish we'd had an episode that showed us how honest the CDB folks are being on those taped interviews. I wanted to see them talk about what they'd been through -- I wanted to see them go through the litany of failed 'civilizations' they've survived -- from the farm (which looks pretty idyllic now in retrospect) to Woodbury, to the Prison, to Terminus, to the hospital, the attacks and rape attempts, cannibalism, etc.

 

I wanted to see some respect given to the CDB people, an awareness for what they have survived. Instead, the Alexandrians seem to be written like some kind of absolutely unbelievable soft "Let them eat cake" society in which they are barely aware of the walkers outside their walls or of what Rick and his friends have survived. I didn't buy that Deanna would not formally introduce and toast the CDB party attendees and then raise a glass to the fact that they have ALL survived. It would have been a moment that bonded them all. Instead... grr.

 

I just don't buy it. It's bad writing to me. I don't buy that even these sheltered soft people wouldn't have 24/hour lookouts precisely in order to protect what they have. I don't buy that they'd think that laughably thin "fence" (not a wall) is enough. Why aren't they reinforcing and doubling it even as we speak? Reinforcing that barrier with concrete and then another inner wall is not only good protection, it would help to further soundproof their area as well.

 

I don't hate Jessie. Jessie doesn't exist. She's a walking, talking cipher. She's basically just a collection of body parts for Rick to notice. 

 

I hate the idea that in order for Rick to "move on" from Lori, it takes nothing more than a handful of appearances by a non-character that he automatically trusts implicitly with his family and his own safety (letting her come at him with scissors).

 

I also hate that Rick behaving in an inappropriate way with a married woman, a woman he barely knows, a way that comes across as more than a little predatory and unbalanced to me, is being sold as a "connection." Many, many women have these "connections" with men - it's called feeling unsafe and being treated as property.

 

It's cheap and it's lazy and the message is scary as hell.

 

I love absolutely everything you've written about the "Jessie" character, and you said it so much more eloquently than I was able to. I actually felt sorry for the actress on TD, having to talk at length about "Jessie's life," "Jessie's character," "Jessie's motives," when this character is paper-thin and has absolutely no personality at all beyond being young and pretty and there for dramatic reasons. She was simply shoved onstage to be force-fed to viewers as Rick's new girlfriend (for whom he is evidently already so hot that he will act inappropriately toward her at a  party also attended by her husband, and for whom he will later visibly think about drawing his gun).

 

I mean, this is the apocalypse, there's plenty of angst and drama without having Rick clumsily and uncharacteristically (and immediately) drawn to some married chick. I just found it completely laughable. As was his almost pulling the gun at the end. I rolled my eyes and threw things at that point.

 

And speaking of which -- I thought Rick, Daryl and Carol were pretty dumb to fly right past the issue of what had happened to the previous gun planted at the abandoned shack (in the blender) while discussing stealing MORE guns and hiding them at that very same location. Shouldn't they be more worried that those guns too would be in danger? Shouldn't they have addressed who took the previous gun?

 

Aaron seemed to be doing to Darryl that thing people do with animals where you let them smell your hand first so that they can get used to you and won't attack. It worked. I actually loved all of their scenes together. Aaron acquitted himself nicely in the attack scene. I thought it was interesting how well they worked together and decided, without a big discussion, that they were going to save this horse. I kind of thought Aaron was assuming Darryl was gay when he was talking about being an outsider, like Darryl. Later I realized that he was probably just likening his situation to Darryl's.

 

I kind of thought it was a dick move for Sasha to shoot up the pictures of that happy family. Those pictures are probably the only proof that these people ever existed and she shot it up just to ring a bell for walkers. Not cool. But it looks like she has a cute new love interest. I liked him and maybe Sasha being a hyper vigilant crazy person will actually have a good effect on him. I think he was Deanna's older son who was the only person in this entire little development to think that someone should be in a watch tower at least part of the time.

 

I don't know what to say about Carol. She's crossed a major line. I know her back was against the wall, but I don't see Rick or Darryl doing that to a child.

 

If Rick and Sasha get love interests, why can't Michonne? Michonne is hot as hell. Don't tell me that no one would want to get with her. There probably isn't a world catastrophe that would be so bad that one person wouldn't be like, "Damn!" about Michonne.

 

Great post. I like Aaron very much, so I'm crossing my fingers he's not a bad guy. I really like the actor, and I like what he brings to the show -- there's a vulnerability and humor to Aaron that made me care about him quickly, and I really liked all of his scenes with Daryl here. I was very surprised at how quickly Daryl seemed to warm to Aaron and Eric but I also really liked it and found it believable that they would be so kind to him as a survivor and fellow outsider.

 

I also found Sasha's shooting of the images really cold-blooded and sad. Those images are all that remain of those people -- there are plenty of other things for her to use as targets. For me it was just clumsy writing -- one more way to turn the subtext into text when the writers really didn't need to. But I did think that Sonequa was sensational in this episode -- I loved her visible tension and intensity.

 

I'm very interested in Alexandria, and wish I didn't have the feeling the show was going to blast what was built there for more "tension" -- there are plenty of ways watching these people realistically navigate this world than having Rick & Co simply go walking endlessly through the countryside again (which I find far far far more deadly boring than any location like the Farm or Prison or Woodbury could ever be, and far more likely to wipe them out). But I hope I'm wrong. It would be really interesting and cool to see CDB actually help these people become survivors.

 

Fingers crossed, because Rick edging to the dark side right when they've found so much to celebrate just isn't working for me. 

Edited March 13, 2015 by paramitch

[AngelaHunter]

I don't know what to say about Carol. She's crossed a major line. I know her back was against the wall, but I don't see Rick or Darryl doing that to a child.

 

Well, this is the woman who shot a little girl in the head. I can't imagine anyone else in CDB being able to bring themselves to do that.  Little Stamp Bastard is lucky she didn't tell him to look at the cookies.

[kikismom]

For future reference, the pantry chalkboard above the freezer indicated that it contained 10 portions of  fish; 11 portions of duck; 6 portions of deer; 5 portions of rabbit; and 8 portions of chocolate. The portion size of the various types of meat is unknown, but the bag of chocolate was labeled as containing 1/4 bars.

5 portions of rabbit. So that will be about 5 ounces each portion? Duck, same. Fish, same. Deer might be interesting to see a portion but anyone who considers 1/4 bar of chocolate a portion? We all know the whole bar is always one portion. :-D

Not to be rude but how the f@&k are they feeding 30 people plus 15 more? Self-sustaining my ass.

 

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because there is no way I would refer to Jessie or Beth as a "hot blonde" Beth was doe-eyed and cute in that "trapped in a tower by my evil stepmother after my loving father died sing to birds until a man comes and get me" sort of way, Jessie is more basic than Lauren Conrad if that's possible, Amy was the Amyest Amy that ever Amied (not a compliment). I did think Andrea was pretty.  

Dear Boofish, I apologise in advance for my ranty mood on this subject.

For the mood. But not the rebuttal.

Oh no. The "basic" again. Some feel that way; I think it's absurd that people are criticized in this story (women at least) for not being curled, styled, bejeweled, made-up and garbed in hot-chick attention-getting glamour.  Oh...and her tattoos didn't pass the test. Cause that's what matters.

 

Nobody said Maggie was too "basic" for Glenn, or Sasha was too "basic" for Bob to go for. Not too "basic" not to have strength and power and female power.

I've just seen multiple posts on another site bitching about how Michonne's cop uniform looked before she worked on it, and oh how could the show do that to her and they could have at least given her a form-fitting uniform in better colors.

WTF?!

Deanna said there were some uniforms left over from someone who was a cop. Someone male.With hand-me-downs in the ZA you don't get Tilted Kilt Cop costumes. Jeez, Her clothes fit (or didn't fit) realistically, and gave the character a chance to show her own wish to style it. A better scene to me than MIchonne unfolding the uniform and saying Oh goody goody! Spandex!!.

The men can just be who they are, but the women are downgraded if they are living in the ZA and are everyday level looks and trying to deal. Not trying to build their hipster cred. Oh, the horror.

 

I would throw up if they showed any actresses cast because they looked like Taylor Swift and Rihanna At The End Of The World. Working in the pantry.

Funny that it is so many WOMEN who throw the just Basic around,

It rips me right out of the story when I see the cartoonish-comic shit (like Abe and his hair); I am happy when I see women that can be female without having their tits hanging out and MTV awards show hair. Amy was pretty and normal living in a camp, not fabulous. She was also a teen, All of that is part of uncomplimentary, an insult. She would have been better to look and talk and walk and act like Club Queen on a reality show.

Seriously, would someone please explain how a world with people eating dogs and scrabbling in the sand for water to survive is a world where anybody should be worried that they are Basic Becky and visually inadequate? 

 

Well, this is the woman who shot a little girl in the head. I can't imagine anyone else in CDB being able to bring themselves to do that.  Little Stamp Bastard is lucky she didn't tell him to look at the cookies.

*sobs* Toss your cookies kid, just keep tossing your cookies.

Edited March 13, 2015 by kikismom

[AngelaHunter]

I also found Sasha's shooting of the images really cold-blooded and sad.

 

Sad, yes, but I understand it perfectly. Anger is an easier emotion to deal with than grief, and she - who has lost so much - took out that anger on happy looking families.

 

I've just seen multiple posts on another site bitching about how Michonne's cop uniform looked before she worked on it, and oh how could the show do that to her and they could have at least given her a form-fitting uniform in better colors.

 

Ha! This is why I stay away from other sites. Some of them could actually kill your brain cells.

[Ocean Chick]

I used to rant about Andrea, and how she looked like she just stepped out of a salon, but in the Woodbury days.  I mean, back at the quarry her hair was rather straight and just hung there.  But by the time she got to Woodbury she had all these fabulous curls going on.  And her hair always looked sooooooooo clean.  And she managed to find and keep lip gloss!  And let's talk about her mascara, nearly a year into the za.  Anyone who was that blonde naturally, was not going to have black lashes.

 

So I appreciate the women on the show who are willing to look a bit war torn, dirty and plain.  Even though I know they're really all wearing makeup.

 

Come the za, we'll all be sporting the natural, laid-back hippie look.

[AndySmith]

Actually, much like Lost...shouldn't the women have been looking a bit more, shall we say, beat up? Or at least, they should have been more like Daryl before they arrived at ASZ.

 

Michone spend 20 minutes alone brushing her teeth. I shudder to think how nasty the showers and bathrooms must have been after all of them (the guys and the girls) were done cleaning up...

Edited March 13, 2015 by AndySmith

[Nashville]

Also, while I agree that gay people/couples should not be a noteworthy event and it shouldn't be the character's only real characteristic, I sadly do think it's naive to think that lesbians aren't more accepted in society than gay men. There are literally people (often men, I find) who will be all "that's hot" about lesbians and then be all "ewww" about gay men. It's a shitty double standard but boy does it exist. So I am not at all surprised that Tara was introduced without much kerfuffle, but people lost their shit over a gay MALE couple (even when they are cute as a button). :D

 

So, you're saying the general societal impression is more along these lines...? :)

[kj4ever]

Am I the only one who wishes they release the "tapes" as a Web special or something?

[kikismom]

You know when I re-watch that cocktail party, I can't help thinking there's times like this I really wish Merle was still in the show.

[TigerLynx]

Come the za, we'll all be sporting the natural, laid-back hippie look.

 

 

 

Speak for yourself.  I fully intend to run around the ZA in full makeup, four inch spike heels, and a leather mini skirt.  I'm kidding.

 

So who is going to go off the deep end first Rick or Sasha?  Carol is so cold and calculating now, she passed the deep end months ago.

[English Teacher]

I also looked askew at the aftermath of Sasha's meltdown. The two teenage boys were more understanding and thoughtful of Carl's feelings and discomfort than the adults.

And regarding the videos? Nothing and I mean NOTHING was better than Daryl pacing back and forth with that possum hanging from his belt. Hilarious.

[kikismom]

  I fully intend to run around the ZA in full makeup, four inch spike heels, and a leather mini skirt.

I'm going around the ZA like this so no one will eat me, shoot me, rape me or hunt me.

Edited March 13, 2015 by kikismom

[BrokenRemote]

I have to stand up for Boofish here. That was a reply to all the posts about hot blondes being the unicorns of the Apocolypse. It wasn't about them being styled and made up, just a commentary that "hot" is in the eyes of the beholder. At least that's how I read it, anyway.

[Pete Martell]

I think Alexandria is fascinating, but this episode once again, for every profound or brilliant moment (Rick leaning against the metal, listening to the walker outside), there were plenty of others that just felt forced or unbelievable to me.

 

My biggest WTF came when Deanna YELLED at Sasha. A woman who has barely escaped with her life and sanity in a Post-Apocalyptic world populated by mindless flesh-eating monsters, who has survived all the brutality humans and non-humans could muster, only to be faced by a roomful of people whose worries were cocktail snacks and pasta makers.

 

I just didn't buy it. I don't buy that the room wouldn't have been instantly sympathetic, that the Alexandrians wouldn't have been immediately kind and apologetic to her about it. I didn't buy that these people wouldn't show more evidence of being survivors themselves. I didn't believe that they wouldn't have been more visibly appreciative of the lives they have now. And I don't buy that Deanna would yell at Sasha for harshing everyone's party buzz. That moment should have played so differently -- Deanna should have in fact been more of a politician and been far more consoling and sympathetic to her (even just on the surface).

 

It was heavy-handed, but I wasn't surprised at Deanna's reaction. She's a Congresswoman and therefore immune from real life - members of Congress are increasingly isolated from the everyday. She also has her family intact, which makes her immune from reality. Even the Greenes, who were deluded about being able to bring family members back from zombie status, were more grounded in reality than most of Alexandria, because they've been entirely sheltered and focused on the mundane, with only a few in the town like Aaron and Eric, who are "othered" anyway, risking their lives. 

 

Sasha being a reminder of the horrors of the real world is something they can't handle and can't understand. And Deanna is more worried about danger to the order than about knowing how to handle a distraught person, especially since pre-ZA she likely had aides to deal with Sasha types.

The men can just be who they are, but the women are downgraded if they are living in the ZA and are everyday level looks and trying to deal. Not trying to build their hipster cred. Oh, the horror.

 

People are constantly talking about how awful Daryl looks.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Pete Martell

[Rosiejuliemom]

I used to rant about Andrea, and how she looked like she just stepped out of a salon, but in the Woodbury days.  I mean, back at the quarry her hair was rather straight and just hung there.  But by the time she got to Woodbury she had all these fabulous curls going on.  And her hair always looked sooooooooo clean.  And she managed to find and keep lip gloss!  And let's talk about her mascara, nearly a year into the za.  Anyone who was that blonde naturally, was not going to have black lashes.

 

So I appreciate the women on the show who are willing to look a bit war torn, dirty and plain.  Even though I know they're really all wearing makeup.

 

Come the za, we'll all be sporting the natural, laid-back hippie look.

 

I could handle most of that with Andrea (and, indeed, the rest of the ladies in the cast). Suspension of disbelief and all. However, Andrea's perfect pedicure finally pushed me over the edge. I also never understood why Lori never pulled her hair back. In that particular situation, I'd have my hair in a ponytail/braid or cut short a la Carol.

[BrokenRemote]

I still think Deanna was trying to get Sasha angry enough to let out some of the inner grief she's been carrying. Like Michonne was trying to do a few episodes back.

[AngelaHunter]

Come the za, we'll all be sporting the natural, laid-back hippie look.

 

But don't forget - NO unshaved female pits allowed. That is an atrocity that cannot be tolerated and must not be inflicted on audiences. I'm sure we'll be able to scrounge up the "No No" somewhere, since clean-shaven armpits appear to be a priority that takes precedence over everything else, apocalypse be damned.

[BrokenRemote]

It was heavy-handed, but I wasn't surprised at Deanna's reaction. She's a Congresswoman and therefore immune from real life - members of Congress are increasingly isolated from the everyday. She also has her family intact, which makes her immune from reality. Even the Greenes, who were deluded about being able to bring family members back from zombie status, were more grounded in reality than most of Alexandria, because they've been entirely sheltered and focused on the mundane, with only a few in the town, who are "othered" anyway, risking their lives.

Sasha being a reminder of the horrors of the real world is something they can't handle and can't understand. And Deanna is more worried about danger to the order than about knowing how to handle a distraught person, especially since pre-ZA she likely had aides to deal with Sasha types.

People are constantly talking about how awful Daryl looks.

People are also talking about how horrible Rick's filthy beard is, how awful Abe's hair and mustache are and how ugly Eugene's mullet is. I don't see the men getting a pass at all.

[maystone]

With all due respect to Tara - whom I like - I have to say that I don't find her to be a very fleshed out character though. She's occasionally there, but that's about it. She's a lesbian and a little clumsy. Her family is dead and she used to be a cop. She's friends with Maggie and Glenn. All of those facts were gathered last season, IIRC. I honestly can't remember the last time she even had a line.

 

Also, while I agree that gay people/couples should not be a noteworthy event and it shouldn't be the character's only real characteristic, I sadly do think it's naive to think that lesbians aren't more accepted in society than gay men. There are literally people (often men, I find) who will be all "that's hot" about lesbians and then be all "ewww" about gay men. It's a shitty double standard but boy does it exist. So I am not at all surprised that Tara was introduced without much kerfuffle, but people lost their shit over a gay MALE couple (even when they are cute as a button). :D

 

I think that Tara has much more of a back story than, say, Glenn or Sasha or Shane. I like Tara a lot, and for me, she represents the average person who manages to survive horrific occurrences like wars or natural disasters without achieving the level of badass like a Michonne or a Carol. She's competent, courageous, good-natured, bright: I'd hang with her during the ZA.

 

Naive isn't usually an attribute ascribed to me, so that's kind of fun. As Nashville humorously pointed out, lesbians are hot (to some folks) only if they're attractive and usually femme. If you're plain or "masculine" in dress or manner, not so much. You don't get invited to the neighborhood coffee klatsch, or, in TWD speak, you don't get to hold Judith :)  Neither Tara nor Aaron are played as stereotypical (yay!); my guess is Eric comes in for most of the inappropriate remarks.

[Pete Martell]

Maybe it's because the men are more objectified on forums and social media, so that means it seems like they get a pass? I agree I've seen plenty of criticism as well. Maybe it seems more lopsided because we talk about hair or makeup or what have you in a negative way with women, but are less likely to do the Joe Sixpack reaction of, "Hey look at those tits on Tara and Rosita!" as there would be talk of sexism and objectifying women?

 

(although I think even I ended up saying something around the relaxing in the rain scene...)

[AndySmith]

Rick's beard was the ASZ for insects.

[Pete Martell]

I think that Tara has much more of a back story than, say, Glenn or Sasha or Shane. I like Tara a lot, and for me, she represents the average person who manages to survive horrific occurrences like wars or natural disasters without achieving the level of badass like a Michonne or a Carol. She's competent, courageous, good-natured, bright: I'd hang with her during the ZA.

 

I like her a lot too. I wish they did more with her, but I always feel like her lack of role is somewhat overly exaggerated. I see people say she hasn't spoken in months - she had a decent supporting role just two episodes ago. I also feel like we know a lot about her personality and she has some interesting relationships, especially compared to the days of supporting characters like Jacqui (who barely spoke even in the episode where she died), or T-Dog (who was on the show for over 2 seasons with a smaller cast than we have now). 

 

I feel like some fans (I don't mean people here) project a lot of their issues about women or lesbians or what have you onto Tara. For instance, the fans who insist Tara is no longer gay and is in love with Glenn. If Tara isn't looking for some cookie, then she's turned straight. It's pretty ignorant, yet this is how society often sees lesbians, it seems.

[kikismom]

I have to stand up for Boofish here. That was a reply to all the posts about hot blondes being the unicorns of the Apocolypse. It wasn't about them being styled and made up, just a commentary that "hot" is in the eyes of the beholder. At least that's how I read it, anyway.

 

 

People are also talking about how horrible Rick's filthy beard is, how awful Abe's hair and mustache are and how ugly Eugene's mullet is. I don't see the men getting a pass at all.

This wasn't about dirty. I was talking about "basic" used in the vernacular as a "Basic Becky" someone who is pedestrian and doesn't have style. It's used in a way of looking down on someone for not being ahead of the curve. Not about dirt.

If Boofish meant it in the old regular literal way, I misunderstood.

Edited March 13, 2015 by kikismom

[Jordan27]

Remember, Deanna made everyone "give them some space" when they first arrived. Meaning, she didn't let anyone see them enter the gates except a few guys. It might feel good, for a man or woman, to meet someone who never saw you at your worst. It might feel good that they smile and don't wrinkle their nose or roll their eyes. Or to meet someone who hasn't spent 6 months watching you pick deer ticks out of your armpits and grab a hunk of barnyard grass telegraphing your need to take a shit in a ditch somewhere.

 

With Daryl never cleaning up, it didn't matter with him.  I think the armpit deer ticks are his friends anyway. 

[morgankobi]

I had totally forgotten Tara was a lesbian...

 

I have only watched this one once, so can anyone recall between the Ladies Who (Make) Lunch Porch Meeting and the cocktail party, were most of the other women brunette, or was it a mix? 

Edited March 13, 2015 by morgankobi

[Watcher0363]

One thing to keep in mind about the Walking Dead is that it is based on material already printed. Most of the characters on the show have well established back stories. I think from the beginning this show was never about not knowing where they were headed. But the journey. When characters, names, locations come up on the show. Most fans know the relevance. As for the looks of the women on the show. It is pretty safe to say up to this point none of them have been method actors.

[AngelaHunter]

the fans who insist Tara is no longer gay and is in love with Glenn.

 

What? Wait...They're not saying that Glenn turned her around, are they?

 

You know when I re-watch that cocktail party, I can't help thinking there's times like this I really wish Merle was still in the show.

 

I would have actually paid money - at least 2.99$ - to see Merle at that party. It would have been the best thing ever.