S01.E03: The Dog

[Bad Example]

So about the military in the neighborhood: clearly not a good thing for the people in the neighborhood, but they looked pretty damned effective against Walkers and obviously know that a head shot is a kill shot.

They way they're going at it seems fairly effective, and while it might create a hellish world for the people, it seems like good Walker control, especially when the scope of the problem should still be manageable.  I'm wondering what happens to make this all go to pieces.

[SimoneS]

Or Susan and Patrick could be their actual names.  A lot of Asian families have been in the US for many generations and some give their children western names.

 

You are absolutely right.

[LVmom]

I thought Chris had made inapproriate moves on Alicia in the past and that's why he got an elbow in the face. It could explain the reluctance to go over, dad took "new family's" side, mom is peeved no one defended her son, etc. I presumed that in the future there would be resolution to this and those two would hook up as the only age appropriate non-related kids around.

 

Just me?

[ghoulina]

So about the military in the neighborhood: clearly not a good thing for the people in the neighborhood, but they looked pretty damned effective against Walkers and obviously know that a head shot is a kill shot.

They way they're going at it seems fairly effective, and while it might create a hellish world for the people, it seems like good Walker control, especially when the scope of the problem should still be manageable.  I'm wondering what happens to make this all go to pieces.

 

Sure, they know a shot to the head kills a walker, but there is so much more to it than that. They don't know how this thing is spreading. And as it gets larger and people become more hysterical, they're not going to have the patience for testing and analysis. They're just going to want to blow everything up. They've already taken Patrick away because his wife's blood got on him. Who knows what they're going to do with him. I can understand wanting to take precautions, but I'm afraid it's going to get really out of control. 

[JackONeill]

I think the black X the soldier spray-painted on that one house is definitely not a good sign. I get that it's to signify that there was a "situation" there with the plague (or whatever they're calling.)  But I think once the army realizes they're losing the war, which will probably be like this afternoon at 3:00, they'll see all the black Xes and just go, "Shit, just burn them all."

 

Now, perhaps, one good thing about having the military in the neighborhood is that our people can be brought up to speed more. We saw some of that when Madison asked that army guy was it the blood that transmitted it.

 

Also, it's possible when the army goes nuts and starts setting the flamethrower to everything (just a matter of time), there might be a few army guys who rebel and who will join up with our people. (Why, I have no idea. It's not like our people are Rick and Daryl. WE have . . . um, two school teachers. And a barber. Who knows how to shoot.)

 

Hey, we haven't gone back to the high school in a day. Let's do that next time. Then we go head back to the neighborhood AGAIN. And what about the church at the beginning. Don't we need something there? I feel like I'm back in a Georgia pine forest, just rambling?

[gaPeach]

But the constant waving of flashlights when there's a scary apocalypse happening bugs me.

 

Yes this bugged me too.  But what made me laugh out loud was when Madison used the flashlight to look out the window at the neighbors house across the street. WTF?!  She parted the blinds and put the flashlight up to see what?  Send a signal to the Zombie that there was Zombie food ready to be eaten?  Who does that in REAL life?

 

And I had to keep reminding myself through the entire episode that the writers have said these people are Zombie innocent and have no idea what a Zombie is.  Notice no one says Zombie?  So I can, with a lot of effort, believe some of the stupid things this group does with the WD.  We as the audience have the benefit of knowing what is going on.  But that does not excuse open doors, waiving flashlights or getting up close and personal with someone you think MIGHT be contagious with some weird virus.  That alone would keep me as far away from a staggering infected person no matter how much I liked them a neighbor.

 

Just to add it always irks me in movies when someone gets the drop on a bad guy and they get right up on the bad guy holding a gun within inches of their faces only to have said bad guy GRAB THE GUN.  Its a gun people and works just fine 10 feet away as it does 2 inches way so knock it off!

 

And Alicia, fuck off.  Why did she elbow Chris when he got her away from Zombie babysitter.  Granted she does not know babysitter is Zombie but she was screaming and freaking out trying to get away from her, Chris comes and helps her and she immediately elbows the shit out of him.  Huh?  You and your daisy dukes can be Zombie chow anytime now.

 

I for one hate the added family drama.  It is totally unnecessary and adds nothing to the drama.....nothing.

[Primetimer]

The plan to flee infected Los Angeles hits a few snags for Maddy and Travis.

Read the story

[Sakura12]

I don't have any issues with them not being to handle themselves, that is understandable. My issue is with their non-reactions to all the crazy. It's like they see the walking dead and then just go about their day like it was normal and don't even talk about it at all! If that was me, I'd be calling everyone I know and be like did you see that? Am I crazy. What was that? Why aren't those people dying after being shot/run over multiple times? What is happening? 

 

None of them are freaking out. I know people have different reactions to things but someone should be freaking our or at least asking questions even if they won't be answered. Of course talking to Madison must be so infuriating, you ask her question and she stares blankly for 20 minutes before answering and she doesn't even answer your question, she just says something else. It looked Liza knew that about her and kept talking while she was waiting for Madison to answer then just nodded when Madison said something else. It maybe would've been okay in that instance but we've seen her do that exact same thing multiple times. I can't imagine what kind of counsel her students got from her. 

[JennyMominFL]

I don't get the uproar over the dog eating. Animals will get eaten en masse during the zombie apocalypse. We see a constant barage of people being eating but OHMYGOD  Not the Dog!

I say that as a huge animal lover, although I admit to being more of a crazy cat lady. Kitty Cats are going to die in the apoclypse too. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[kj4ever]

So I've always maintained that the writers of this show can not write for women.  We can now add dogs to that list.

 

As someone who grew up with GSD and currently owns a half GSD half BMD I can tell you there is no way in hell the shambling neighbor would have got near that house without their being a serious altercation with the dog.  That dog probably would have been on it when the neighbor was attacking the people at the party.  Hell I had this one neighbor that just was a dick when he drank, and every time that man drank my dog patrolled the damn fence until the man went inside.  These dogs are incredibly loyal and incredibly protective.

 

Oh, and there is absolutely no way that dog wouldn't have followed them to the neighbors.  No. Way.

 

Then again, they didn't seem to even remember they had a dog until it came to the door.  Assholes.

 

God I hate the people in this show.  Madison has inspired full on hate this episode.  She is just so unlikeable.  I can't blame the writers for all of that though.  Seriously that actress is just BAD.

 

The only saving grace is that these are not walking comic book characters so any of them can bite it at any time.  About the only one left that i "like" is the ex wife.  Maybe everyone will get killed but her and she'll find a new group of non-idiots to survive with.

 

One can hope.

[kdm07]

I know everyone keeps going on about how Nick has the smarts to survive, which he does, but his addiction is what's stopping me from putting him in the "Will Live" list. You all saw him snooping around for a fix the next day right? I'm willing to bet that someone (in his own family, his extended family or the barber's family) will die due to his addiction. And then the great writing will have his guilt cure him *snark*

 

Alicia is finally getting closer to the truth (no thanks to her mother) and her running from the neighbour shows that the Clarkes probably do have that survival instinct in there. It's just buried under a lot of stupid.

 

Madison is growing on me. There I said it. She still makes inexplicable choices (they all do) but her spidey-senses have finally started going off and unlike Travis, she's not entirely happy about the military rolling in. She was right about leaving that night too instead of waiting until morning.

 

Travis buddy, you're a good guy but you need to wake up. Fast.

 

I don't trust Daniel Salazar. What exactly was he planning to do the next morning when the Clarkes (and Manawas) realised that no cousin was coming? Or was he going to wait until they had driven off before trying to survive in that house with his family?

 

Overall, the story is moving at a good pace.

[bosawks]

I'm pretty sure I'd die trying to protect my dog who is equal parts skittishly paranoid and fearlessly protective.  Not a good mix in the Zombie Apocalypse.

 

We might as well rename ourselves amuse and bouche....

Edited September 14, 2015 by bosawks

[Bryce Lynch]

You know what I found odd? It's supposed to be a nice neighborhood, right? Madison's house is very open and exposed, but when Nick was looking to break into a house for pills, both it and the one next to it had security bars on all the windows. Nice ones, yes, but still - they didn't seem like they would be on the same street.

And btw, if one of those houses with the window bars was empty, that's totally where I'd be bunking down. That is some good zombie defense right there.

Maybe the neighbors installed the bars to keep their junkie neighbor out.

[JBody]

I laughed twice during this episode:

 

1.  Travis and neighbour putting out their garbage and recycling.  The sublime absurdity of expecting garbage pick up notwithstanding, the beat when they both eyeballed each other and said nothing --priceless.

2.  When Susan attacked Patrick.  It looked like she was wearing a Halloween wig and his reaction as he went to embrace her, and her snarling, crazy haired reaction -- seemed like an SCTV skit to me so I did --not proud of it, mind you-- snicker a little there.

 

Overall though, I found my self annoyed most of the time.  I'm still hoping it'll pick up and I'll start to care about the characters.

[Boofish]

They are setting up a safe zone. To marshal troops for an assault on the city. Standard operating procedure for staging a major offense.

This is how the Alexandria Safe Zone was done in TWD. Deanna told Rick the story when they arrived

 

Speaking of TWD - watching, loving and know what's in store is making it hard for me to watch this show. I think it would have been better to show how it started then cut to people surviving in another part of the country; maybe do the show in flashbacks. The way this plays out it just makes a majority of the cast unlikeable and stupid (which technically they are not because they have no idea what's in store nor would I personally believe the dead has some how risen and no one did a special about it on the Today Show)

 

At least we now know which Zombie Rosita either jacked for an outfit or used for style inspiration.

Edited September 14, 2015 by HalcyonDays
Added spoiler tags onto TWD reference

[Macbeth]

Ok on second viewing  I now realize Ihat Travis did not put the neighbor in the trash bin.He  buried him with the dog (poor dog even in death he will not escape the zombie)  and it was only the blanket that was in the trash.

 

Quite frankly I am a little disappointed.  My first assumption kept me laughing for a good 20 minutes. 

I thought the writers were now writing the characters doing stupid things as if the writers had been dropping acid and not just smoking pot.  This show might be going the way of Zombieland - and that would have been refreshing.

 

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.

 

 

 

[RustbeltWriter]

The garbage scene would have been helped immensely if the neighbor had asked Travis if he'd seen his dog.

 

I liked this episode more as we're starting to see society fall but I'm frustrated that most of it seems to be happening off camera and the writers are being deliberately obtuse. I get that we only know what the characters know because we see things from their point of view but why aren't they watching TV, listening to the radio or checking the internet? When we get a bad storm around our place we're glued to the TV to get information. These people act as though there is no communication grid whatsoever. The electricity is spotty but even when it works no one checks the TV. Heck, they're planning on leaving the city and no one turns on the car radio for traffic updates. It's annoying.

[Kenz]

 

 

I am going to keep watching, kind of like the slow build up but like many here don't understand they bizarre underreaction of the characters. Why aren't they basically hysterical at this point? Haven't they seen a zombie movie before? Seriously, the slow pace is getting to me and I'm going to have a hard time recommending this to anyone. 

 

I agree with this completely. I can understand why they don't want everyone to freak out, but can't at least one character lose it? After all, they have experienced really gruesome and horrific things in a short period of time. Let's play monopoly and joke around! Gunshots, helicopters, neighbor attacking neighbor, no problem. And as Rustbelt Writer mentions above, why wouldn't they be frantically trying to get updates from the media?  I'd like to see just a little bit of normal human reaction to their situation. The actress who plays Madison barely registers a grimace, much less fear and a little bit of anguish here and there. It's driving me crazy.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Kenz

[Sakura12]

I too would like to see the fall of civilization not following this idiot family around. The fall of the hospital would've made some interesting tv since I imagine that would be the first place to be overrun with the rising dead. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Sakura12

[ghoulina]

Madison is growing on me. There I said it. She still makes inexplicable choices (they all do) but her spidey-senses have finally started going off and unlike Travis, she's not entirely happy about the military rolling in. She was right about leaving that night too instead of waiting until morning.

 

I agree. She was fine with Chris learning about a gun. Albeit, it wasn't her kid, but he wasn't even shooting it. Just learning it's parts and how it works. And, actually, that's a better way to teach someone about a gun, as opposed to just putting it into their hands and saying, "Have at it!" Also, she immediately knew not to reveal all the military. She seems to sense they are no saving grace. 

 

The thing that is still annoying me about her is her refusal to tell Alicia what is going on. Why? I don't get it. Clearly she's figuring things out, and now she's just going to be resentful at being treated like a baby. 

[islandgal140]

I want to take half of the cast, baste them head to toe in steak sauce and dump them in the middle of a ravenous zombie horde.

 

Scenes like the street rioting and hospital shootout are what I thought I was signing up for when this show was announced. I was expecting to actually see each institution fail. Now it looks like I get to watch a family holed up in a lower middle class neighborhood. Oh joy! Right now I am just thinking this is a mediocre-bad show and fresh zombies just aren't as fun as year old rotting zombies, water-logged well zombie or BBQ zombies. 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. 

 

I actually don't have a problem with people like Travis in the very beginning thinking these people are sick. I would make logical sense to think some weirdo disease or rabies over risen from the dead and hungry for human flesh. It is the trying to make conversation with the infected after seeing what he has seen that kinda gets to me. 

 

Here I was concerned when it didn't appear that they closed the door after letting the dog in. Then they go and leave the house with the door wide open. Idiots!! Their neighborhood hardly strikes me as Mayberry. They probably shouldn't even do that during the more halcyon days let alone with all the crap that is going down around them now.

 

We don't know what happened between Maddy and the ex-wife in the past but without any history it just looked like Maddy was being a bitch to her for no real reason. 

 

Alicia isn't a 3 year old. She is allegedly a very smart girl who was just accepted to a prestigious university. Why sit around playing frigging monopoly instead of cluing her in to what is going on? This is a case of not knowing gets people killed especially with an infected neighbor in the vicinity and which you know damn well just attacked someone across the street.

 

I liked Maddie's actions and dialogue more in this episode than in the previous two but didn't actually like the character any better. I am starting to fall into the camp of people who have been criticizing the actress. By comparison to Maddie,Travis has been a useless moron but I'm not rooting for his face to get bitten just so I can see a different expression on it.  She is amazingly wrinkle-free for 50 and unfortunately I think that has cost her a lot of expressiveness.

 

I don't think botox or facial surgery is the cause of Kim Coates lack of facial expressiveness. There is stoic and than there is blank. I find Kim blank here to the point of almost appearing robotic. I've seen her in quite a few things like Deadwood, Gone Girl and House of Cards to name a few. To me the only real difference between roles was her wardrobe.  She just doesn't have range but it has never really bothered me in her other roles. I thought is was particularly effective in Gone Girl and House of Cards since she played a cop and reporter, respectively. I was semi-excited with her casting on this show because I thought she would be a no nonsense kinda gal getting shit done during the zombie apocalypse but her zero to minimal emoting just isn't working for me here given the WTF'ery of the circumstances. I am not expecting and don't want Kermit the Frog style hand flailing, hysterics or catching of the vapors but damn give me something! I found myself wishing that the ex-wife and Kim would switch roles. 

[nitrofishblue]

I love how the folks in the pick-up truck were gawking at all the action around them just like rubberneckers looking at an accident on the freeway. No expression of "let's get the hell out of here" just blank stares.

 

Travis and his stupid "you know how I fel about guns" statement made me wish he would become instant zombie chow.  It is like he has no clue that he needs to start finding ways to protect himself and his family. Taking the hammer away from Madison and saying she shouldn't do something she will regret made me throwup in my mouth. I guess the only way to fix stupid is to let the zombies run supreme in the neighborhood. Heaven forbid if you actually had to kill a person that is dead already.

 

There isn't one Clark family member that I find interesting. They are all dumber than dirt. I can't even like the junkie son. Maybe he will become stronger in the future and shake the drugs and become the "hero" of the day.

 

Until then the writers need to read what the fans are saying about their show.

[tessa]

Whether the apocolypse is happening now or 5 years in the past or 5 years in the future - with almost every American having been exposed to zombies in books, TV shows or films over the last 30 years - this extreme under reaction is not plausible to me. Are we to believe that these people haven't been exposed to this concept before now? Sorry but if a see one person snacking on another person - my immediate reaction is zombie.

[kdm07]

Whether the apocolypse is happening now or 5 years in the past or 5 years in the future - with almost every American having been exposed to zombies in books, TV shows or films over the last 30 years - this extreme under reaction is not plausible to me. Are we to believe that these people haven't been exposed to this concept before now? Sorry but if a see one person snacking on another person - my immediate reaction is zombie.

 

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.

Edited September 14, 2015 by kdm07

[morgankobi]

The army guys are swarming the neighborhood searching for who knows what, jumpy and about to pounce when they think maybe Madison has touched blood, yet a moment later the trash can out front is seen, clear as day, with the lid unable to close because of large and very bloody material sticking out of the top. Not one of the many military guys seems to notice. OK.

[Iguessnot]

Is it just me? But if my spouse or child is approaching me looking like a corpse and grunting, I am not going to embrace them. Maybe I have a bit of asperger's syndrome, but I would be taken aback at the sight of them, and when it became apparent that they wanted to bite me, I would definitely be keeping my distance.

[islandgal140]

 

I love how the folks in the pick-up truck were gawking at all the action around them just like rubberneckers looking at an accident on the freeway. No expression of "let's get the hell out of here" just blank stares.

 

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. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by islandgal140

[Boofish]

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 

[cynic]

I can't with this show. The stupid, it burns. Worse, it's contrived stupid. 

 

Hey! It'll tug on the audience's heartstrings to kill a dog and it will be especially cool if it happens in our character's house, surprising them as the zombie apocalypse literally hits home.

But, our characters don't have a dog.

Well, we'll just have a random dog show up at their door and they will let this strange, large, blood-covered dog into their house.

But, there are no zombies in the house and their house is pretty secure . Also, it won't be a surprise, because there are three people in the house and they are watching out.

No problem. We'll just have all three of them run next door and leave their backdoor wide open. Getting to the slider will be easy for wandering zombies, because, despite living in an area where people install bars on their windows, they've never secured this point of entry into their house.

 

We really need to figure out a way to build a sense of danger and slow down movement between our heroes house and neighboring houses. 

I've got it! The neighbor inexplicably will have a maze in their backyard! And despite being able to see Travis in front of the house and there apparently not being any zombies on the street, our characters will choose to run the maze back home to warn him off.

 

Let's not forget how Travis chose to hunker down in the barber shop instead of getting to his truck and driving away just to gather these extra characters. And though there is untold destructive havoc in the streets, apparently his truck made it through just fine.

 

BTW, if the military is now on the scene, why exactly is Griselda still in bed waiting for her foot to turn gangrenous instead of getting medical help?

[catrox14]

My problem is that none of these people seem real. I live in SoCal and we are not so cool for school that we need be stone faced during the entire ZA. Although, if they had centered this in the Housewives of Orange County neighborhood, I could buy that the stone faces were just a result of recent botox injections (I'm including the male actors not named Ruben Blades too). And even with immovable faces the actors eyes should reflect fear or panic internally, or just massive amounts of WTF, you know,

But we don't even get that. And if this is supposed to be stoic in the face of dangerous not working for me. Ruben blades at least shows some kind of emotion. And yes I get compartmentalized behavior but I'm not seeing that either other than here at least Maddy was drinking alcohol( I Think?) to show some kind coping even if it's bad.

Oh look I found something positive.. Color me shocked.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

The level of STUPID from most of these people, has reached Def-Con levels on this show. 

[English Teacher]

...and may I add my vote to the "don't need to see any more animals deaths" petition that is going around?

 

I still believe in this show.  Tonight I found to be particularly intense and it got under my skin.  I found myself hearing extra clangs and snap noises outside my window when I was trying to sleep lol. 

I'm still learning names but Barber Dad has clearly lived through some shit before, including military marshals.  He is a little quicker to go into survival mode.

I think Travis still represents most of us (who aren't zombie apocalypse junkies): they think this is a virus, that it will go away, that the military will contain the threat, and that life will go on as normal.  The recycling moment best showed that along with not letting Madison put down Susan.  As many other posters have said, Hershel had the same philosophy (they can be cured) and this was after living through the entirety of it; for Travis, he is still at its inception.

I think the "Morning Susan" was him being darkly humorous and not that naive; I actually chuckled at that.

The Monopoly game has been zinged by so many on-line reviewers, but I can't think of a more normal response of a mother than to distract the kids from what's going on and their fears.  You have a kid who is going through withdrawals, another who is terrified for her boyfriend, both of whom want you to leave and not wait for your husband to return (which of course would have been the BEST thing they could have done after getting a shot gun at least).  Moms have a PhD in the art of distracting their kids -- and without electricity, monopoly is a LONG game and can get very engrossing.  A good way to pass the time.  And I am going to repeat myself: she isn't packing up every supply in the house because despite what they've seen, they think it will get better, there will be a cure, etc.

The dysfunction among the extended family + strangers will be very interesting.  Chris is gravitating towards Barber Dad; this could be a Carl/Shane thing which I imagine will not go well with Travis.  Adding the ex and the current and step-siblings -- yep.  Dysfunction.  

Two things that did bother me:

a) Griselda (spelling?) has a bad injury - the military didn't notice that? I guess she kept it under a blanket OR they didn't do full sweeps of the house (otherwise there HAD to be blood in the living room).

b) I don't care if you are in a crisis or not, you CLOSE YOUR FREAKING DOORS when you leave the house.  That dog's demise did not have to happen.

 

My question for upcoming episodes (and not about the military - you know they are going to behave atrociously so I'm just expecting a firestorm) is when Griselda turns (which obviously will happen first): will Barber Dad be able to do what must be done or will he be "weak"?

And Madison just gave the ex a green light to kill her when the time comes.  By the look in her eyes, the ex will go all Carol on her the moment Maddie gets a cough.  Not sure I'd want to give someone who hates me that much power over me! LOL.

[Artsda]

Yesterday's episode was good, I think them being dumb and naive about the situation is good in some parts since it's a different timeline than TWD. They're at the start of the apocalypse and aren't that sure still what is happening.

 

But some parts like leaving your door open in the middle of the night while you go down the street is just beyond stupid. Nobody in LA would do that on a normal day much less at the start of an apocalypse. 

[cynic]

Yes this bugged me too.  But what made me laugh out loud was when Madison used the flashlight to look out the window at the neighbors house across the street. WTF?!  She parted the blinds and put the flashlight up to see what?  Send a signal to the Zombie that there was Zombie food ready to be eaten?  Who does that in REAL life?

...

 

Ugh, I hated the flashlight thing too. Dumb, so much dumb. I also laughed at Madison standing at the window looking through the blinds, when the blinds were only partially down. Her entire midsection was in front of unobstructed view, so she obviously wasn't concerned about remaining hidden. Why didn't she just open the blinds all the way? Or better yet, lower them and not be exposed to the entire street? But no, she decided to peer through blinds that were half open. For some reason, this bothered me so much.

 

I agree with this completely. I can understand why they don't want everyone to freak out, but can't at least one character lose it? After all, they have experienced really gruesome and horrific things in a short period of time. Let's play monopoly and joke around! Gunshots, helicopters, neighbor attacking neighbor, no problem. And as Rustbelt Writer mentions above, why wouldn't they be frantically trying to get updates from the media?  I'd like to see just a little bit of normal human reaction to their situation. The actress who plays Madison barely registers a grimace, much less fear and a little bit of anguish here and there. It's driving me crazy.

ITA, the lack of anyone trying to find out what's going on from media or friends/family is driving me crazy. Barber lied about calling his cousin, so apparently they all think the phones are working. Why aren't they trying to reach other people? Even just their loved ones? Are all their families dead in El Salvador?

 

And I totally agree about the actress playing Madison. When the neighbor got half his face blown off and remained upright, you would think her face would register some shock and horror. Nope, nothing.

 

...

Scenes like the street rioting and hospital shootout are what I thought I was signing up for when this show was announced. I was expecting to actually see each institution fail. Now it looks like I get to watch a family holed up in a lower middle class neighborhood. Oh joy! Right now I am just thinking this is a mediocre-bad show and fresh zombies just aren't as fun as year old rotting zombies, water-logged well zombie or BBQ zombies. 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. 

...

Yes, I so wish this show was set in a hospital. We would have started out with plenty of disparate characters and naturally occurring dramatic situations. It would also make sense that they would be holed up there and would naturally have food and fuel stores. Also, they would have been better informed with regards to the governments emergency response. That would have been way more interesting. 

[English Teacher]

LOL! I forgot about my frustration with the flashlight thing! Haven't any of these people seen Jurassic Park?!?!? Stop waving your flashlights; it garners attention!!!

Ugh, I hated the flashlight thing too. Dumb, so much dumb. I also laughed at Madison standing at the window looking through the blinds, when the blinds were only partially down. Her entire midsection was in front of unobstructed view, so she obviously wasn't concerned about remaining hidden. Why didn't she just open the blinds all the way? Or better yet, lower them and not be exposed to the entire street? But no, she decided to peer through blinds that were half open. For some reason, this bothered me so much.

 

ITA, the lack of anyone trying to find out what's going on from media or friends/family is driving me crazy. Barber lied about calling his cousin, so apparently they all think the phones are working. Why aren't they trying to reach other people? Even just their loved ones? Are all their families dead in El Salvador?

 

And I totally agree about the actress playing Madison. When the neighbor got half his face blown off and remained upright, you would think her face would register some shock and horror. Nope, nothing.

 

Yes, I so wish this show was set in a hospital. We would have started out with plenty of disparate characters and naturally occurring dramatic situations. It would also make sense that they would be holed up there and would naturally have food and fuel stores. Also, they would have been better informed with regards to the governments emergency response. That would have been way more interesting. 

...or a prison!  It might have been really interesting to see the Prison of TWD at the start of this.

[RustbeltWriter]

I don't really have a problem with Travis at this point. In his view, people are getting sick and when they do, they become violent. That is easy to understand. To change your view from that to "the dead are walking" would require an enormous leap in logic. In his mind Madison shouldn't kill Susan because there may be a chance to cure her. Things may look bad but LA has been through riots before and the authorities are still around. Cops are out at the riots, they were at the hospital they drove by and now the army is in their neighborhood. I think it's very in character for him to think that things will eventually calm down and get back to normal.

 

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.

[Gentian root]

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.

[Eln5]

I really wanted to love this show, I'm a huge fan of TWD, but this show is killing me with the writing and direction. I so agree with the above poster that following this family around the way they are being shown is just not as interesting as seeing all the various parts of society coping with this. At least not with this cast and the way they are written.

I'm having such a hard time with the characters non-reactions to major things they have never seen before. Yes, we know more than they do about what lies ahead, but for example, when you see your neighbor shot in the head and then someone has to bury him and a dog in the backyard, you would think the "OMG's!" would be flying, in whatever way a particular character would express that. But they all remain so stoic, it's like they have all had their adrenal glands removed and no one is reacting. I get being in shock, but they should be reacting in some way at least, because, you know, thats not something that happens every day in your living room.

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

Edited September 14, 2015 by Eln5

[English Teacher]

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.

[hammaboo]

So was random girl-with-doll in the window supposed to have been trash-putting-out-neighbor's daughter?  I know it was more of "ooh, Nick got caught trying to break in" but something about it bugged me. 

 

That and the military lady asking about the # of people in the house and names.  "That's a big family"  What would have happened if Travis couldn't have remembered the names of the 3?

 

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. 

 

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. 

[Brooke0707]

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.

That is true, but I still think they should be way more freakd out. Zombies "exist" in our realm the same way vampires do. Neither are real, but zombie or not, if I saw someone eating another person I know I wouldn't be like "omg are you ok? Let's talk about this! You'll get better."

[Raven1707]

There is no excuse for the writers keeping Nick in the old man clothes when he's at home and his sister change into booty shorts for a survival trip to the desert.

 

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.

[JackONeill]

I'm no psychologist (seriously, I'm not, so no I won't answer any of your mail)(that's what Miss Manners is for) but I think what we're missing here is a step in the process. I think it's to be expected that when you're in combat, after the initial rush, the initial fear, the initial WTF, the initial heebie-jeebies, most people go into that trance-like state as witnessed by most of Madison's reactions to things. Like someone said above - you have that thirty-yard stare.

I think the thing, to a large degree, that we've all missed is that moment when the characters go, "Holy Hell, this can't be real. Will someone get my mommy on the phone! Beam me up, Scotty!" Instead we've jumped to the "I'm a survivor, and though I don't really know what's going on, if I become one of them, whatever them is, please kill me because it'll save my pansy-ass husband."

That is what this show is missing. That precise moment when you realize this world ain't your world and you might not make it out of this world.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[nodorothyparker]

I know there was a radio on at some point in the episode because I caught a report saying 11 states had declared states of emergency.  But either it was turned off or there wasn't any more to it.  Why couldn't we hear more about that?

 

It's really jarring considering that these people spent most of the episode planning to flee the city.  I've been through more than one evacuation of a major city.  You're looking for any and all reports about what the traffic situation is going to be getting out and if there's any news about where you're heading and constantly reassessing based on what information you're getting.  They've done NONE of this.

[Catronia]

I enjoyed the first two episodes, but, wow, I was bored and frustrated by this one.  Everyone was so very stupid (the open doors, the flashlight-waving, the running through trellis-mazes, Madison not filling Alicia in on the details), and the set-up of Personal Survival vs. Being Humane was so tiresomely black-and-white.  Just not interesting.  The frustration came in because ... JUST LEAVE!  I found the various delay tactics pretty ridiculous.  And I was looking forward to some action when they left for "the desert," which I do take as their casual family reference to a specific place.

 

Yeah, I get that zombies aren't a thing in this universe, but the shit is very clearly hitting the fan.  Travis, I like that you want to help Daniel and family, but just say "we're leaving now, come with us or hang here -- your choice").  I found the whole series of events constantly delaying the departure so frustrating, especially things like Alicia and Nick wafting around outside on their own.  Wouldn't Maddie be insistent on keeping an eye on them?  Or just institute a general "in this mess, we stay together" policy?

 

Erg, I wanted to like the episode, and am still kind of looking forward to the next episode to see if I like it better.

 

 

[Raven1707]

As annoying as Chris can be, he didn't deserve to get elbowed in the face after helping Alicia's sorry ass.

 

I have a tendency to play music supervisor when I'm watching television, creating an alternate soundtrack, and what occurred to me was The Spinners' classic "Could it be I'm falling in love (with you baby)."

 

But that's just me.

[bunnyblue]

There seems to be some confusion in the regards to the German Shepherd. He belonged to the Cruz's across the street. In episode 2, he could be seen with the family on the front lawn as they prepped for the little girl's birthday party. So, he wasn't the Clarks' or some random dog off the street, and he didn't belong to the other neighbor who took out his trash bins.

 

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.

[Bryce Lynch]

That is true, but I still think they should be way more freakd out. Zombies "exist" in our realm the same way vampires do. Neither are real, but zombie or not, if I saw someone eating another person I know I wouldn't be like "omg are you ok? Let's talk about this! You'll get better."

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.

[JackONeill]

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 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)

Edited September 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[catrox14]

Even if you don't know and can't label something as a "zombie", the fact that human beings are  behaving in decidedly unhuman or really fucked up human way like trying to eat you or bite you, IMO should trigger something that says "monsters" or at least a WTF is happening response. Basic fight or flight IMO. 

 

Back in the days of the Plague a mere cough of sneeze would have people running and they knew nothing about what it was just that it was probably bad and would kill you. 

 

I think that is what is missing for me.  The sense of okay maybe "I can't quite believe this" but my neighbors are messed up and trying to eat me. I don't need to put a name to it, to know I should probably run away.