S01.E03: The Dog

[Sakura12]

The parents seem to have no survival instincts, the kids have some since they both ran from the rotting corpses while the parents walked towards them asking if they were okay.

 

No, they are not okay, can't you see their dead eyes and the fact they look like a freaking corpse! Travis was even dumber since he actually saw Joe eating a dog. 

 

Normal person: "Hey, hey are you okay? Why don't you stay right there buddy, you're not going to stay put. Okay. I'm going to back away then run away screaming, k, bye"

Edited September 14, 2015 by Sakura12

[Bad Example]

Let me ask a question about Walker cuisine.  Whenever we've seen a walker happily dining, the arrival of a principal cast member makes them turn away from their meal to try to bite the above-the-line talent.  Are they that finicky, as in only the first few bites are the best?  Why wouldn't the walkerneighbor just finish the dog on his plate instead of turning to bite the family?

This has bothered me for years.

 

 

I think because they are just walking primal urges, they are easily distracted and see the next meal without any thought of the previous.  They don't function like an animal does, to hide their food - they just are driven by hunger; if they see their next meal, the one they are eating is forgotten.

 

I agree with English Teacher.  "Find Food!" is slightly higher on their priority list than "Eat Food!" ...and so it goes.

I wonder if it's also that once the victim is dead, he starts to turn, and Walkers aren't interested in each other.  Perhaps the meal gets less palatable with each bite.  

[JackONeill]

If they're dead, can they even taste?

 

(that's asked sarcastically. I know to say that because if I don't then people are going to start wondering why we don't see some really fat walkers.)

Edited September 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[xaxat]

We all do this. People in their mid-twenties and up have seen things we never thought we'd see, from the attacks of 9/11 to the power outage of 2003. These events can be shocking but you get through them by assuming that eventually things will get back to normal. That's what Travis is doing. He just doesn't know incorrect that assumption is.

 

And on the exact opposite end we have Daniel. His mention that they were from Guatemala explained everything he does. He grew up in a Guatemala that was going through a decades long civil war.  Human rights abuses were common and tens of thousands of people were killed or "disappeared" by the government. Plain clothes death squads killed with impunity.

 

So his comfort with firearms, seeing Travis as weak, remarking that good people die first and believing that the family has survived worse situations all make sense based on what he experienced growing up.

 

ETA: I was mistaken. Daniel is from El Salvador, not Guatemala. Unfortunately they share a similar history with civil wars, so the point is still the same.

Edited September 14, 2015 by xaxat

[Boofish]

After seeing the back of the truck and noticed the survival gear included "pillows" I have now dubbed this show The New Coke. And we probably all remember how that worked out

[Omar G.]

I'm not gonna lie. Even if it's the apocalypse, I'm gonna need a pillow.

[rab01]

There's a difference between the characters being ignorant of what mess they're in and them acting stupidly.  It's stupid to leave your door open (no matter how fast you want to move) and stupid of Maddie to not keep Alicia in her sight at all times, especially since you haven't told her the truth,  But, it's not stupid for Travis to look at the neighbor and see a dangerous sick person rather than a corpse.  It's also not automatically stupid to hole up for the remainder of the night and travel during the day.  If you knew the military blockade was coming down, then sure you decide whether you prefer tanks to desert air - but if you don't know what's coming, driving at night during a blackout and riot sounds like a recipe for disaster.  So long as they keep stupid to a minimum, I can live with plots hinging on ignorance.

 

As for the army noticing Griselda's injury, I doubt they care much.  If they found it or were told of it, they might deal with it but mainly they need a headcount, mark out houses that need to be decontaminated, clear out active walkers and establish a perimeter -- that's already a HUGE job. I doubt they want to interfere with people other than to keep them indoors any more than they have to.  The second stage - getting all "respect my authoritah" and turning into that hospital from the mothership can happen in week two or month two, rather than day one.

[rose711]

Zombies don't exist in the TWD universe. On TV, literature or anywhere else. The creator already confirmed this so them not first thinking "Zombie!" makes sense.

This is a very stupid creative decision. Zombies have been in fiction for ages. It's impossible to believe that the idea of the walking dead has never once come up in popular culture.

The reason it's a terrible idea is that the people in the show seem stupid and very unlikable.

I also do t believe with all the earthquake preparedness of people living in LA, that no one thinks to fill the bathtubs, or has a crank emergency radio, or realizes that it's best to get o it and come back later.

I admit I'm not enjoying this show or any of the characters.

Why they thought a heroin addict would be compelling tv is beyond me.

I'm sure it will continue to be popular. But, so far, it's a really bad show.

[Brooke0707]

In the TWD universe Zombies don't exist in fiction or legend like vampires and Zombies do in our world.

The concept of the dead rising as monsters is completely foreign to TWD characters.

It is like the difference between not believing in Santa Claus and never having heard of him.

I get it, but you don't have to hear about people eating people to know not to approach someone feasting on flesh. It is common sense, not something you have to hear about.

[Sakura12]

If I saw my neighbor chowing down a dog in my house, I would've called the police not try to get his attention. If saw a guy with a bullet wound in the chest get up after being hit by a car multiple times, then saw police taking head shots at slow moving people, saw one cop eating another cop, then saw my neighbor chowing down on a dog. I would've backed out of my house and gone somewhere else or stepped aside while someone else shot him. Mostly because he was eating a poor doggie and if it was my dog I would've shot him myself. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Sakura12

[Bryce Lynch]

I know the producers have told us this. They have been insistent on it. Yet, that doesn't explain why the Rueben Blades character seemed to have a different, and one would argue, more accurate under the circumstances read as to what was going on. For instance, he seemed to know to shoot for the head. Not the body!!!

Also, he (wisely) knew to burn the bodies (which is something the people in TWD came to realize). Is it because of his Hispanic heritage, and the day of the Dead, and voodoos? The producers can't have it both ways. That's not a zombie, Night of the Living Dead knowledge per se, but a general walking dead knowledge that's found in some cultures. So, producers: What is it?????? I think some of it is just pure common sense, frankly. (they burned people who died of the plague)

Not sure how he knew about the headshots. Could be he saw the police or military kill them only with headshots or maybe he heard people talk about it. Could also be that he just went for the surest way to kill a person.

Burning bodies of those who died from highly contagious diseases is common sense and some that has been done for centuries. Daniel wouldn't need any sort of special insight from Latin American culture or religion to figure that out.

I think Daniel has probably lived a far less sheltered life than Travis and his families which makes him a more self sufficient and have keener survival instincts.

[Boofish]

Yup. If "the desert" is full I suspect their second choice is "the ocean", and if that doesn't work out, "Earth".

Wasn't there a little girl next door? Couldn't they have killed her instead of the dog?

I'll make my own way to hell.

I just wanted to say I love you. This post is full of so much win in just 3 short sentences. But I had to make a decision and "Wasn't there a little girl next door? Couldn't they have killed her instead of the dog" is the clear winner of this challenge

[ghoulina]

Why has no one turned on the radio?  Not even in the vehicle were they shown to be listening to the news.  That would be one of the first things we'd do at our house and then keep it on in the background.

 

I think Nick turned on the radio in the first or second episode. But he never found a station reporting anything, IIRC. But yea, check the news, online, something. 

 

As for Travis's truck being the only one that rioters didn't destroy after being on the streets for hours - his wasn't the only vehicle not to be overturned or burned. When he peeled away there were a few other cars and even a motorcycle that where still untouched and parked at the curb.

 

Didn't he bump one of the motorcycles? I was instantly afraid that the biker gang from PeeWee's Big Adventure was going to show up. 

 

I know the producers have told us this. They have been insistent on it. Yet, that doesn't explain why the Rueben Blades character seemed to have a different, and one would argue, more accurate under the circumstances read as to what was going on. For instance, he seemed to know to shoot for the head. Not the body!!!

Also, he (wisely) knew to burn the bodies (which is something the people in TWD came to realize). Is it because of his Hispanic heritage, and the day of the Dead, and voodoos? The producers can't have it both ways. That's not a zombie, Night of the Living Dead knowledge per se, but a general walking dead knowledge that's found in some cultures. So, producers: What is it??????  I think some of it is just pure common sense, frankly. (they burned people who died of the plague)

 

I don't think it would take people that long to figure out the head shot thing. When you go to target practice, you aim for the head or the heart. Outside of just bleeding out from a wound, those are the surest ways to put someone down - alive or undead. Daniel shot the male neighbor in the face, it didn't work. Shot him again where the actual brain is, down he goes. He's a quick learner, so he figured that's how he'd dispatch of Susan as well. 

 

The burning thing - they do know that there is some sort of infection going on. Maybe they don't know all the details, that people die and get back up, etc. But he said that burning the body would be the surest way to prevent the infection, whatever it may be, from spreading. They burn bodies during plagues, war, etc. to stop disease. 

 

I don't think any of that is far-fetched or necessarily points towards one having specific zombie knowledge. 

[Boofish]

Not sure how he knew about the headshots. Could be he saw the police or military kill them only with headshots or maybe he heard people talk about it. Could also be that he just went for the surest way to kill a person.

 

When they were passing by the hospital "The Barber" saw the police taking shots at the walkers and there he saw they only thing that stopped the approach was a head shot. Unlike the Shady Bunch, he is paying attention

[Statman]

I know the producers have told us this. They have been insistent on it. Yet, that doesn't explain why the Rueben Blades character seemed to have a different, and one would argue, more accurate under the circumstances read as to what was going on. For instance, he seemed to know to shoot for the head. Not the body!!!

 

It doesn't take special forces training to know that a head shot is more likely to permanently put down someone vs. a shot to the body.  Coupled with the fact that Blades character is from El Salvador and is hinted to have survived something "worse" (perhaps the Salvadoran Civil War) than what they are currently experiencing, leads me to believe that he has experience is killing things.

 

 

Also, he (wisely) knew to burn the bodies (which is something the people in TWD came to realize).

 

Humans have been burning bodies for thousands of years to prevent the spread of disease. 

[High Ewe]

As for taking out the trash showing a bit of trying to keep things normal - I disagree.  If you know you are going on a long trip - you don't want to tip potential robbers that you are away by leaving such a tell tale sign as empty rubbish bins on the lawn day in and day out.

I'd absolutely agree if they were thinking clearly. But the way I read the scene suggested they're not; they were just on autopilot.

 

I got permission to repost this from a poster on another board. I really liked his read of the situation:

 

"My favorite moment thus far was the intentional surrealism of Travis dragging out a corpse and burying it in one scene, and then putting the blood soaked carpet into the trash receptacle, and dutifully taking it out to the curb. The juxtaposition of this absolutely all-rules-have-changed scenario of a zombie shot in your house with the everything-is-just-fine scenario of the automatic behavior of taking the trash out to be collected was a perfect encapsulation of what the writers were trying to convey...as in the first step of dealing with the grief of society's death is a denial of that fact.

 

"I also like how both Travis and the neighbor taking his trash out at the same time looked at each other with suspicious expressions. To me, this was a sign that they are beginning to change, but don't realize that about themselves yet."

 

I hadn't thought about the characters' actions (in the show as a whole) in terms of grieving before, but after reading this I think he may be onto something. His point about people starting to change but not realizing it was spot on as well, IMO. Part of the reason why they aren't talking neighbor to neighbor may be because they don't know who to trust anymore. For me it doesn't excuse intentionally keeping the familial characters in the dark (I mean, come on), but it's a reasonable explanation for keeping your cards close to the chest with outsiders, neighbors notwithstanding.

Edited September 14, 2015 by High Ewe

[peach]

That 30 yard blank stare of Madison's is just not conveying anything to me except a question mark. When the ex-wife starts talking to her in the kitchen she didn't even move or respond, just more staring. I'm just not seeing some acting nuance there. Ideally we should be rooting for these people, but they aren't making it easy. JMHO

 

She always looks like she's wondering if she left the coffee pot on.

[JackONeill]

Many people have noted that head shots are the surest way of dispatching someone. True. However, it's also true that the best way to HIT someone is to shot for the body. Most of us aren't Annie Oakley (which is good since I don't look good in a skirt with cowboy boot). So aiming for the head, except under close quarters, is a foolish waste of ammo (unless you're a competent shot, and even then, there'll be misses).(I don't think, in our group, we have any competent shots. But we'll see.)

 

Yes, I understand the Blades character (I'll get their names in another 5 years) would shoot for the head since he was standing within three feet of the walker. But -- now I could be mistaken -- in his eyes I seemed to see him thinking "I NEED to shoot the head." It was like he knew. But even the first shot doesn't do the trick. (Which sort of belies the "shot to the head always puts them down theory." How many suicides don't succeed because the bullet goes ricocheting off a bone fragment?)

 

* * * * *

Oh, crap, I left the coffee pot on!!!

If I turn, will you kill me so my husband won't have to? Thanks. You're such a dear.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[morgankobi]

I'm just frustrated at the "everything old is new again" or should it be "everything new is old again"

 

I don't like guns; these people are just sick and can be helped - Travis/Herschel

If I get like that put me down; I don't want Travis to do it - Madison/Lori

Smart survival guy with bad attitude who continues to help idiots (he don't like) and who don't deserve it and becomes the most likeable one - The Barber/Daryl

Kid/teenager who fills you with rage - Alicia/Carl

Apocalyptic booty shorts - Alicia/Rosita 

Band name, I call dibs!

 

 

 

Didn't he bump one of the motorcycles? I was instantly afraid that the biker gang from PeeWee's Big Adventure was going to show up. 

Right there with you.

[tessa]

OK - my son, as did the poster above, clued me in that Zombies don't exist in this realm - which to me is hard to believe because even if we hadn't become the Zombie junkie society we are today- Zombies or the undead have been part of history for a long time. African tribes referred to zombies. When Africans were brought here - they brought their religion which integrated with Christianity and became an actual faith " voodoo" in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The word zombie was first introduced in 1819.

 

But OK - there is no such thing as a Zombie in this realm. I'm sorry but the disbelief of these people when dead people rise and try to bite you is unreal. In the real world as stated - we'd be huddled around TVs and radios, we'd be reaching out to friends  - people would react. Heck - we reacted when the threat of Ebola came to our country a couple of years ago. People are not that disengaged - at least the ones I know.

 

And as stated - the barber knows or suspects something - heck the chubby kid at the school had more intuition than these folks. We saw people attacked on the TV - one comes after you in a tunnel - you kill one at a school - you see someone attacked and chewed during the riot - you see your 2 neighbors killed, the military is swarming your neighborhood and yet they still carry on as normal - you take out the garbage - you play Monopoly. Sorry but in any sort of crisis especially with these extreme conditions - you react. You pack and buy essentials - you get in touch with friends and family - you find something to protect yourself and your family.

 

Maybe it's a good thing that I didn't pay too close attention to the back story of TWD because I would have missed out on a great show.

[Slider]

 

I'm not convinced that Nick was living with Madison & Company before all of this began, so he might not have any of his own clothes at her house.

 

In the pilot, there's a shot in the hallway that showed a door with the initials NC on it.  And they were all acting like he hadn't come home.  I'm pretty sure he was living there, though I'm on the bandwagon of "Why the f@$& haven't you changed your disgusting clothes Nick!"

 

In regards to people posting about the Monopoly scene being silly and out of place, it's a fave of my friends and family during tornado season.  I live in Moore, OK, and since we get storms every other day, you do what you can for a distraction.  What better thing to do than play board games? Hell, we've done puzzles down in the shelter.  Before we got the shelter, my sister and I would play Battleship in the hallway, or sitting in the bathtub with the TV and radio on in the background.  I'm more bothered by the fact that these morons know somethings going on and don't even have a battery powered radio! 

[rab01]

I've decided to just blame the set designers, rather than the characters for them not having the TV on and radio on for updates.  I imagine a screen we can't quite see in the corner of the room tuned to a news channel that just has a "temporarily off air" notice from the cable box (or snow for an old TV).  I figure with the rolling power outages and phone failures, the cable is down.  (same for radio)   ... I find it a more relaxing way to watch.  

[ChipBach]

I've decided to just blame the set designers, rather than the characters for them not having the TV on and radio on for updates.  I imagine a screen we can't quite see in the corner of the room tuned to a news channel that just has a "temporarily off air" notice from the cable box (or snow for an old TV).  I figure with the rolling power outages and phone failures, the cable is down.  (same for radio)   ... I find it a more relaxing way to watch.  

 

Or....  If the news comes back on, you would be ready to watch it.  Those houses all had satellite dishes anyway, so DirectTV could have still been sending off some news as long as the homes had power.

 

These people are very irritating.  I guess I have to remember that I understand what is going on as a whole, they are only aware of a bad sickness, riots, and expect a return to order.  The people who are able to function while injured (dead) is thought of as a by-product of the sickness (they can't feel pain or whatever). 

 

I need someone to chop off a head and watch it snap around for a few hours.  That should bring the realization to those pesky optimists.

[peach]

My parents and a lot of extended family lived in a hurricane zone, and unfortunately had to go through Katrina, which was the be all, end all of hurricanes thus far.  Most people do prepare, make plans, think ahead, but the range of reactions really runs the spectrum.  There are always, always people who think they can ride it out, people who just won't budge.  In NOLA, there were people who wouldn't leave even after the storm, when the National Guard came in to rescue people after the flood. They just wanted supplies instead of rescue.  If you won't go, they make you write your SSN on your arm in Sharpie, so they can identify you later.  Sometimes that finally convinces people.

My parents are on the other end of the spectrum.  Always prepared, and also the first ones out.  Don't wait til you can't make it, because you can always go back if you overreacted.  These are the people that taught me never to have less than half a tank of gas, like, ever.  Just in case of...anything.  Most people think that somehow they can do whatever they need to, whenever they feel like it.  That somehow there will always still be time, the gas station will still be open, etc.  I swear, many, many people seem to think they are the only people in the universe. So, with something so vague going on, something easy to deny and think "the authorities will do something," I can see a lot of lukewarm reactions being realistic. 

 

But I cannot ever see leaving your sliding glass door wide open while in a situation so dire you are breaking into someone else's house to get a gun.

[islandgal140]

And on the exact opposite end we have Daniel. His mention that they were from Guatemala explained everything he does. He grew up in a Guatemala that was going through a decades long civil war.  Human rights abuses were common and tens of thousands of people were killed or "disappeared" by the government. Plain clothes death squads killed with impunity.

 

So his comfort with firearms, seeing Travis as weak, remarking that good people die first and believing that the family has survived worse situations all make sense based on what he experienced growing up.

 

ETA: I was mistaken. Daniel is from El Salvador, not Guatemala. Unfortunately they share a similar history with civil wars, so the point is still the same.

On small thing that I did like was when the South American family was together in a room, they actually started speaking Spanish to each other. They started out speaking English, which I rolled my eyes at, given that since they were alone just the 3 of them and mom doesn't appear to speak English. Why not speak in your native tongue? But then Daniel closed the door and started speaking Spanish and the show threw up some subtitles. It is always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine on shows so glad it was handled properly here.

[Boofish]

This show makes me glad I don't know any of my neighbors.  No hesitation to take a head shot. No emotional attachment.

 

My boyfriend thinks I should spend just as much time preparing for a hurricane as I do the zombie apocalypse

Edited September 14, 2015 by Boofish

[nitrofishblue]

I am at the shooting range once a week target shooting. I shoot normally at nine yards. I can tell you that unless you are an expert marksperson, hitting the head is not that easy especially if you are in a stressful situation. TV shows do an injustice to how hard it is for an untrained person to hit something unless it is directly in front of them.

 

I can hit the body with ease at distances up to 20 yards, The head, not that good unless the distance is nine or under yards. I seriously doubt that any member of the Clark family has a clue on how to use a gun/rifle. Travis would probably shoot himself in the foot instead of the zombie in front of him.

 

The writers will use the typical stereotype for the women. The one where they all run around screaming and covering their mouth with their hands, waiting for the big strong man to save them. Sad thing is there aren't any strong men in this show except the barber. All of the others are weak weak weak.

[Helena Dax]

I thought the sister had hit that kid because she was very, very nervous. When my best friend gets really angry, touching her is a big mistake, even if it  has nothing to do with  you.

 

But anyway, they're all too dumb for words. They did  everything they could to attract that zombie. And "You know how I feel about guns" is the dumbest sentence anyone has ever said in a Zombie Apocalypse. 

 

I know the producers have told us this. They have been insistent on it. Yet, that doesn't explain why the Rueben Blades character seemed to have a different, and one would argue, more accurate under the circumstances read as to what was going on. For instance, he seemed to know to shoot for the head. Not the body!!!

Also, he (wisely) knew to burn the bodies (which is something the people in TWD came to realize). Is it because of his Hispanic heritage, and the day of the Dead, and voodoos? The producers can't have it both ways. That's not a zombie, Night of the Living Dead knowledge per se, but a general walking dead knowledge that's found in some cultures. So, producers: What is it??????  I think some of it is just pure common sense, frankly. (they burned people who died of the plague)

 

He wanted to burn the  bodies because he thought they had died from a very infectious disease. And he probably aimed at the head  because it seems a safer bet. Or maybe that wasn't his first walker; they've been around at least for some days.

[truelovekiss]

A little tardy to the party, but I'm ready to add in some thoughts!

 

I think this is really taking off.  Still miss regular, TWD and I will gladly say good bye to these losers in October, but I just have to remind myself that if I wasn't watching this, I would be watching Sister Wives on TLC.

 

Madison sucks a little bit less, but she still sucks plenty.  I get that she wanted to help Patrick, and that Susan babysat her kids, but it's frustrating as the viewer to see that they haven't gotten to the "I need to look out for my own" stage yet. Because now they're all going to be stuck with the military.  And she wasn't even able to tell Patrick in time, so way to be useless.

 

I kind of enjoyed the monopoly scene.  That's exactly what my mom would want to do if there was an apocalypse happening out side.  Play board games, drink hot chocolate and ignore everything. 

 

Sweet Jesus, Nick, change your damn clothes, boy.  I kind of want to go back and rewatch all three episodes, so that I can count how many times Alicia and Madison have changed their clothes, to get an idea of how long he's been wearing that stolen old man outfit.  I get it, costume department.  It's a little funny, and maybe they mean for it to be iconic in the way that Rick's police uniform was iconic to his character.  But let's get real, Nick stole that outfit from the hospital and ran home.  Since then, he's been sweating from detoxing, puking and had a seizure (and don't people sometimes have accidents during seizures?) He's back home at his mother's house.  Even if he moved out, and had NO clothes there at all (which I highly doubt, but whatever) I'm sure they could scrounge together a pair of Travis' jeans, and maybe Alicia has some oversized unisex tshirts for him.  Especially since they're all getting in the car together to go to "the desert." If I was Alicia and I knew I had to sit in the car with his rank ass for several hours, I would have either begged him to bathe before we left (or at least change clothes) or I would ask to sit in the back of Travis' truck. 

 

I like the Salazar family, but I'm afraid the mom isn't long for this world. Eliza made it sound like her condition would only get worse.  While the daughter seems very sweet with her little dresses, I think she might turn bad ass.  She seems to have good instincts, but is kind of still stuck in the "obey your mother and father" mindset.  

 

Eliza for the win.  I love that she tried to put the ex-wife/new fiancee differences behind them, and try to communicate to Madison that as long as she was with Travis, that they would be a family.  And all Madison can do is ask if Eliza would kill her if she turns walker, because it would be too hard for Travis.  Eliza seemed like she was trying to figure out survival dynamics, while Madison was already mentally prepping for the worst.  I can see them butting heads over things like this in the future.  I'm afraid that Eliza might be a casualty though.  I fell like they might pull the trigger on her soon, because it would force Chris to be all in his new blended family, whereas it seems like right now he's really not that into them.

Edited September 14, 2015 by truelovekiss

[Sakura12]

A head shot is a kill shot, Daniel knew the guy was infected so he had to be put down. Because they still think this disease is contagious, they haven't learned that everyone is already infected. The CDC is probably close to figuring that out now. 

[bangs]

I'm also curious how Susan managed to get out of the house so quickly and track down Alisha in the garden maze -- I thought walkers moved kind of slow.

If I'm remembering correctly, Alicia got lost in the maze while Susan managed to shuffle through without a problem.

[GaT]

Lady with the crushed foot why are you so certain that your husband will get you through this when you have a daughter to protect as well?  There is no doctor for him to go get.  You may have dealt with bad stuff in the past, but nothing you've ever dealt with will be as bad as this will be. 

 

 

 

I know the producers have told us this. They have been insistent on it. Yet, that doesn't explain why the Rueben Blades character seemed to have a different, and one would argue, more accurate under the circumstances read as to what was going on. For instance, he seemed to know to shoot for the head. Not the body!!!

Also, he (wisely) knew to burn the bodies (which is something the people in TWD came to realize). Is it because of his Hispanic heritage, and the day of the Dead, and voodoos? The producers can't have it both ways. That's not a zombie, Night of the Living Dead knowledge per se, but a general walking dead knowledge that's found in some cultures. So, producers: What is it??????  I think some of it is just pure common sense, frankly. (they burned people who died of the plague)

When the daughter was trying to get them to leave, the mother said something about them being in a worst situation than the one they were in then, so I think they're going to give daddy Salazar some kind of fighting background from when they were still living in El Salvador, & it will probably be something like he saw a breakout of whatever the virus is, & that's where he learned stuff from.

[truelovekiss]

If I'm remembering correctly, Alicia got lost in the maze while Susan managed to shuffle through without a problem.

I think this might have to do with the walkers being "fresher," and more human. In TWD premiere, they could climb fences and even break into a light jog.

[Statman]

I was wondering why, if Alicia could see their front door from the neighbor's window, they didn't just - you know - go out the front door directly to their house instead of going through the grapevine lattice maze out back - especially considering they were supposedly in a rush to stop Travis from walking in that same front door and running into their unwelcome house guest.

 

I don't remember if this has been addressed or not, the Clark house is back to back, not side to side to the Tran house (i.e., the house with the maze garden).  Going back through the maze made sense because it would have taken longer to run around the block than to go back through the maze.

 

The back to back location of the houses is confirmed later when the Clarks/Manawa family drive away from the Clark house in the morning, Maddie sees the husband getting out of the car after they round the block in their cars. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Statman

[queenanne]

 I feel like this show could have been interesting if it followed people from different sectors like a reporter trying to find out what was going on, a doctor, someone in the military forces, and/or a politician, etc.  Two insular teachers who don't at all seem up on current events with one too many whiny teenagers just doesn't interest me all that much. 

 

That sounds great to me!  Maybe eventually we will meet that type of ensemble person.

 

I also feel like it would be harder to get anywhere due to a massive amount of traffic jams. I was laughing when miraculously his was the only car not overturned, on fire and with no busted window in the midst of a riot. Not only that but he could just get in and drive away as pretty as you please with no stop and go traffic whatsoever. It would be not just a driving nightmare in and around that area but a frigging parking lot on the freeways and offramps and when traffic gets diverted even the side streets become a mess with motorists trying to find alternate routes. LA traffic is hell on earth even without massive widespread panic, rioting in the street and hospital shootouts. 

 

Yes that was hilariously unrealistic, and also a cop-out.  I know TPTB clearly wanted to get to the "actual cops"; er, the army; but that's really low stakes and trashing the car ups the dramatic stakes.

 

Also I'm wondering if the clothing choices were Frank Dillane's.  Maybe they're simply meant to establish Nick's lack of vanity which will stand him in good stead as their threads continue to fester; but unless the actor cares about it, that seems like a really weird means to a character-setting end.

 

Any body else find themselves fighting the urge to tell Alicia to enjoy that iPod (?) while she can? 

 

I think we're clearly being signaled that Alicia and Chris are a future "thing", as are Travis and his ex (the part where the latter was checking out his ass as he took the clothes out of the dryer (?!), and them nearly holding hands in the kitchen sink as they washed dishes, tipped me off; unless I made that up last night in a myaclonic jerk).

 

I thought that even though I haven't developed much more fondness for the characters, TPTB have at least by now discovered how to creep us out with plot.

 

ETA on Susan navigating the maze better than Alicia:  Well, to be fair, zombie or no, it is her maze. :)

Edited September 14, 2015 by queenanne

[phoenix780]

I thought the sister had hit that kid because she was very, very nervous. When my best friend gets really angry, touching her is a big mistake, even if it  has nothing to do with  you.

 

Yeah, of all the things that irked me her hitting him didn't, because she had just been fighting off a weird-looking, diseased neighbor...after going on a quest for shotgun shells.  I think I would have been annoyed if she didn't keep flailing, 'cause shit was weird and sometimes people react that way.  

 

I thought of one positive thing: they didn't keep the family separated for some near misses or a build-up to a melodramatic reunion a few episodes from now.  I feel like we can skip that step now, and I appreciate it.

[magdalene]

As soon as I saw the military and the government coming to the "rescue" I knew they were all doubly fucked. But our main characters probably have never watched THE STAND.

[JennyMominFL]

I assumed we were getting references to the brutal civil war in El Salvador.  I can truly believe that the begining of the Zombie Apocalypse was not as bad as the things he saw or did in El Salvador .

 We didn't always have clean hands either, which I assumed was why he made the comment at the end, when he saw the military roll in.  

Edited September 14, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[nodorothyparker]

My parents and a lot of extended family lived in a hurricane zone, and unfortunately had to go through Katrina, which was the be all, end all of hurricanes thus far.  Most people do prepare, make plans, think ahead, but the range of reactions really runs the spectrum.  There are always, always people who think they can ride it out, people who just won't budge.  In NOLA, there were people who wouldn't leave even after the storm, when the National Guard came in to rescue people after the flood. They just wanted supplies instead of rescue.  If you won't go, they make you write your SSN on your arm in Sharpie, so they can identify you later.  Sometimes that finally convinces people.

My parents are on the other end of the spectrum.  Always prepared, and also the first ones out.  Don't wait til you can't make it, because you can always go back if you overreacted.  These are the people that taught me never to have less than half a tank of gas, like, ever.  Just in case of...anything.  Most people think that somehow they can do whatever they need to, whenever they feel like it.  That somehow there will always still be time, the gas station will still be open, etc.  I swear, many, many people seem to think they are the only people in the universe. So, with something so vague going on, something easy to deny and think "the authorities will do something," I can see a lot of lukewarm reactions being realistic. 

 

But I cannot ever see leaving your sliding glass door wide open while in a situation so dire you are breaking into someone else's house to get a gun.

 

We left pretty late in the game for Katrina, which actually did work out for us trafficwise, and returned while National Guardsmen were still enforcing curfews and martial law in the unflooded parts of New Orleans.  I'm not going to lie and say that that experience doesn't heavily color how I'm watching this.

 

A lot of people did stay and try to wait it out because surely help would come if it was truly needed.  We know how that turned out for a lot of them.

Edited September 15, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[Ohwell]

I wonder if we'll see Tobias again.  And I guess we have to assume that Matt turned and is now a walking zombie?

 

Now I can see how Madison and Travis got together because both the actors have those dumb, vacant looks on their faces. 

[Margherita Erdman]

They killed that adorable dog with their stupidity. I hope zombies eat what little brains they have.

So much this. Especially since that German shepherd, true to its breed, was trying to warn them that something baaaad is happening and maybe coming for them, so lock the doors and windows, and lock and load whatever weapons you have. Also that dog looks a lot like *my* dog...so it was really hard to watch.

[SlovakPrincess]

I can't even with these people.

Who leaves a sliding glass door open in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?

How dumb are you to leave behind the shells for the gun you're stealing?

I did think it was sad when Alicia and Chris had to be told what was really happening.

And I felt so bad for that woman getting her foot crushed.

Why were the English subtitles so freakin tiny?! That was irritating.

[xls]

After seeing the back of the truck and noticed the survival gear included "pillows" I have now dubbed this show The New Coke. And we probably all remember how that worked out

Yes, the truck, miraculously untouched and unstolen during a huge riot.

 

I'm not feeling this show yet. Too much of the gross teenaged so, he better man-up soon.

[Timetoread]

I just watched tonight and can't get through all 5 pages yet, so l'll probably post again after reading. 

 

That said, I was raised by a cop and I simply don't understand watching humans sense danger and not reach for a weapon - ANY weapon.  It is the first thing that I do.  Our instinct is to run or fight.  Not stand there looking pensive for hours on end.

 

I liked this episode but I really dislike Travis, he's painfully stupid.  Madison made some improvement but apparently her mother never taught her to speak when spoken to.  No wonder her kid is a junkie. 

 

Nick:  "Hey ma!  McGruff the Crime Dog said not to do drugs.  Is that true?"

Madison: *stares pensively into the spaghetti boiling on the stove*  *crickets chirp* *hour hand moves swiftly around the clock face as the sun travels up and down in the sky*

 

I just can't with her.  I was rooting for Zombie Sue.

[Ohwell]

Why were the English subtitles so freakin tiny?! That was irritating.

Yes, it was.  I didn't understand why they had to  make the print so small.

[maystone]

I think the reason that Daniel didn't take out the walker on the first blast is that the shotgun had bird shot in it. That's why the first shot only shredded his face; Daniel moved in much closer to get the kill shot. In a later scene, he's showing Chris the two kinds of cartridges that were in the ammo box: bird shot and buckshot. He explains that buckshot is for when you want to stop someone.

 

I don't believe that Daniel really understands what's happening with the undead ambling around, but his experience in surviving all the terror and violence in his homeland has put him way ahead of the rest of the class in basic Save Your Ass 101.

[Irishmaple]

I wouldn't have opened the door to that dog, to be honest (and I love dogs) If I'm Madison and don't know exactly what is happening, I do know that seriously bad, weird shit is going down. People are getting sick and violent, I killed a colleague to save a kid, there are riots, helicopters overhead, and I'm planning an evacuation. Something horrible happened across the street and I haven't seen those neighbours since. I don't need details, I just know it's bad. I am going into lockdown. Surely LA schools have lockdown drills? We have them here. Lock all the doors and windows, cover them, avoid attracting attention, and stay out of sight until the threat is gone. I'd open the door to a family member but that's it. An agitated dog, barking its head off, attracting who knows what kind of attention? Sorry, doggie, you're on your own.

The fall of the hospital made me sad. I thought of the all-you-can -eat zombie buffet that is the ICU, the NICU, pediatrics, geriatrics, all those vulnerable people. Hospitals have been evacuated but seriously-ill patients need to go to another facility, all of which are now likely compromised. What do you do with your patients when they can't survive without ongoing medical care?

[TexasChic]

Kitty Cats are going to die in the apoclypse too.

You hush! Kitties will climb trees and get away!

As for the flashlights, who could possibly know that would attract the "crazy sick cannibal people"?

As for not knowing about zombies, that is a well known TV trope. As in: people in a zombie apocalypse generally have never heard of the concept of zombies. And honestly, if I were in Travis's situation, I'd be reacting the same way. I mean, who thinks dead people walk around in real life?

Yes, it was.  I didn't understand why they had to  make the print so small.

I kept having to rewind to read them, but I thought it was just me.

[TexasChic]

As for being irritated by the junkie dude, I feel like this is typical for TWD in that they make a character annoying only to have him kick ass later. Not saying that's a bad thing, it usually works out. I do like the actor though.

[tennisgurl]

 

You hush! Kitties will climb trees and get away!

Do you watch Zoo? The kitties can all swarm a few tree`s! They'll be fine! As far as I`m concerned, that dog is the first and last animal zombie victim, until that poor horse Rick got killed. 

 

I really hope Travis wises up quickly. The other characters are actually pretty quick on the uptake, but Travis I feel like will be the "everything will be fine" guy. I hope not though. As of now, Mr. Salazar seems to be the guy I would follow. He`s suspicious, but he seems to be catching up with the situation really fast. And can get off those head shots like a boss. Nick will probably come through in a pinch, but his junkie ways are going to be a hindrance for awhile. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by tennisgurl