S01.E05: Cobalt

[HalcyonDays]

Episode synopsis: The National Guard's plan for the neighborhood is revealed. Meanwhile, Travis and Madison make a difficult decision.

 

Here is your episode thread for your snark and analytical enjoyment! This thread will open at 10:00 pm on Sunday September 27th prior to episode airing. Prior to that, please head on over to chat away in the pre-air thread here:

 

                                    S01.E05: Cobalt: Pre-Air Speculation and Live Chat

 

DO NOT to post any Walking Dead spoilers here. For any Walking Dead discussion, go HERE

 

Enjoy the episode, have fun commenting and as always, please be respectful to your fellow commenters!

[raven]

Last episode's going to be everything getting overrun!

[editorgrrl]

Why does this show insist on telling rather than showing?

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Looks like we'll get plenty of walkers next week.

[SimoneS]

This first season of FTWD just shows what a genius Darabont was establishing TWD and making it compelling tv.

[Peanut]

Why does this show insist on telling rather than showing?

 

Showing is expensive.  As is, apparently, hiring talented writers who can convey key information.  

 

I'm cool with some mystery BUT DAMN THESE PEOPLE NEVER TALK

[Raven1707]

The damned AMC Live Stream kept freezing & buffering no matter which browser I used, so I missed MOST of the episode.

 

Maybe the replay will be better, sigh.

[toodywoody]

When all the zombies break the doors all hell is going to break lose. They better got around all the empty houses and get guns and whatever else or they are screwed. Why did talkative guy remind me of the old spice guy?

[Starchild]

This episode highlights the downside of frontloading your show with teenagers: emo crap.

[AimingforYoko]

Why does this show insist on telling rather than showing?

The idea is that we only get to see what the core group sees.

Strand immediately shot up to Salazar's level as far as characters go. It's like they're on a different show. Nice twist with Salazar being a torturer instead of a tortured.

And Travis is going to have to find a middle ground between where he is now and that asshole Moyers who seems to get a hard-on from shooting walkers.

[natyxg]

Why does this show insist on telling rather than showing?

 

Talk about the most boring fall of civilization ever.

 

Hopefully next episode will be exciting. And they should all get eaten except Daniel since they've been pampered from the beginning.

[Macbeth]

He was.  He was one of the African-American soldiers in the opening scene.  He was recently in Selma.  He's an awesome actor.  And he's this show's only hope.

 

I loved your quote so much Mightysparrow I brought it over from the live chat. (It closed before I could respond.)

 

How did this wonderful, awesome character find his way on this show?

[The Mighty Peanut]

When Crispy Shirt said he required a man with Nick's talents I kept hearing "I have a very particular set of skills" in the Liam Neeson voice

Edited September 28, 2015 by The Mighty Peanut

[sluggish neko]

Damn Daniel, that was waaaay to close a shave for those pesky arm hairs. Then again, it's a better job than Sweeney Todd. At least the soldier is still alive to talk... Zombies don't give good intel.

 

Nick's so lucky! He's trapped with a smooth talking magician! I can't wait until he Houdinis both of them out of that cage.

[nodorothyparker]

So five episodes in, we've seen very little actually happen.  Characters have told us stuff is happening and we've gotten to hear some of it on the radio.  But actually see it?  Nah.

 

The only characters with any personality whatsoever or potential to be interesting are a drug addict, a woman pretending to be a nurse, a former government torturer, and Crispy Shirt.  Otherwise it's a sea of actors with one facial expression and sullen teens who see the apocalypse as a chance to finally play dressup in the neighbors' house.

[Straycat80]

The actress playing Madison has such a flat effect. When Travis came back from his trip with the soldiers she flatly said ' oh you're back' of something like that, like he had just run out to get a coffee. Same thing when she saw the soldier getting tortured, same flat look on her face.

Looks like all the action might be in the finale. I've waited six episodes for that. This show has been a disappointment for me. I guess I thought it was going to be more like TWD. So that was my fault. I will watch season two, I'm not giving up yet. I hope there will be more action once everyone gets out of the protected neighborhood and have to survive on the outside with the walkers.

[mightysparrow]

I loved your quote so much Mightysparrow I brought it over from the live chat. (It closed before I could respond.)

 

How did this wonderful, awesome character find his way on this show?

He was so happy when he got the gig.  I can only pray that, for the show's sake (and the viewers), he's the exception to the 'Dead Black Actor' rule.  Because this show needs Strand (that's his name) desperately.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

There's a prayer circle for Strand in my head, for him to make it to S2.

[mightysparrow]

Grizelda was great at the end.  Pity she's dead.  I'm seeing a major 'redemption' arc for Salazar.  And I'm seeing a HUGE drop in audience for the season finale.  Which is a shame because the real talent just showed up.

[Janimo]

nodorothyparker wrote:
 

 

The only characters with any personality whatsoever or potential to be interesting are a drug addict, a woman pretending to be a nurse, a former government torturer, and Crispy Shirt.  Otherwise it's a sea of actors with one facial expression and sullen teens who see the apocalypse as a chance to finally play dressup in the neighbors' house.

 

But...but..what about Tobias??   He did have one facial expression....but I don't think he played dressup in the neighbors' house.
I hope we get to see more of Tobias in the upcoming season.

[truelovekiss]

I'm so over this teenager crap. I actually throught Alicia on the bike with kind of a fake southern accent, talking about the law in "these parts" was pretty funny, like a bit of an homage to Rick Grimes. But the "let's dress in rich people's fancy clothes and trash their stuff in an angsty expression of how little material things matter" shit was just stupid and a waste of time. I was hoping this show could actually let the two of them be platonic friends, as they are pretty much step siblings. (Even aside from the "my dad is dating your mom" factor, it's just annoying how every decent looking youngish male and female need to be paired up) But as soon as they showed Chris awkwardly looking down and turning away when Alicia was sliding the straps off her shoulders, I knew that was all over.

[SnoGirl]

Ugh. I'm just here for the carnage. Every scene feels like a missed opportunity for something much better.

I miss the Walking Dead.

I will say, I'm shocked by Colbalt. Especially with all those people locked up. That is messed up. How did they chose who would be locked up and who wouldn't?

So, we have Liza, Nick, and Salazar in one area, with everyone else back in the community. How on Earth are they going to find each other? Go to the Desert?

[NorthstarATL]

The idea is that we only get to see what the core group sees.

Strand immediately shot up to Salazar's level as far as characters go. It's like they're on a different show. Nice twist with Salazar being a torturer instead of a tortured.

And Travis is going to have to find a middle ground between where he is now and that asshole Moyers who seems to get a hard-on from shooting walkers.

I kind of liked the claustrophobic feel of it, but there was just so much wrong with the characters' behavior! Maddie SHOULD be keeping her remaining kid in plain sight and prepping for crying out loud, because there is no way things are just going to return to "normal" (and if Chris coming along is the price to pay, then so be it). And, while I am on Salazar's side in theory, the soldier's squad mates had only to round up Ofelia to get their guy back. (I guess we're to believe they're so short-handed that carting Travis around depleted their ranks?)

  I like Nick's new cellmate! They should have awesome adventures together! Liza taking the gun from Dr. Ex showed why she should survive and also why Travis traded down when he wound up with Maddie.

[The Mighty Peanut]

Hmm...so they spent the entire Walker budget on next week. Will Salazar open the gates of hell?

This show pisses me off not because it's dumb but because it has so much potential, and is still dumb. I loved the salesman--at first I thought he was giving an actual religious sermon like a sort of anti-Father PeePants (oh please yes), but he's talking about the futility of insurance.

I liked Zombie General Hospital. And so help me, I really like Nick. But Alicia and Chris? Madison, who sounds like fucking Towely from South Park every time she opens her mouth? Travis...just TRAVIS?

Arrgghhhh

Edited September 28, 2015 by The Mighty Peanut

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Strand reminds of  TWD's pilot, when Lenny James/Morgan showed up.

Edited October 2, 2015 by MrsRafaelBarba

[EyesGlazed]

I must be watching a different show than the rest of y'all because I'm enjoying it.  

 

But I am wondering:  why does the military think Cobalt-ing the area is necessary?  Is it because they fear all the zombies in the stadium are going to break out?  Then why not just drop a bomb into the stadium?  Otherwise it looks like they have the area under control.

 

Emo teens trashing the neighbors' house:  not cool.  Go find something useful to do, you little twits.

[Zanne]

 How on Earth are they going to find each other? Go to the Desert?

 

 

I want this to be the new rallying cry for everyone who's lost. If you don't know where they are, go to the desert!

[nodorothyparker]

Unfortunately, my hunch is that Tobias was a one-off or two-off character to be the harbinger of things to come.

 

I imagine a fair number of people will tune in at least for the finale on the promise of finally finally seeing some damn zombies.  Whether they come back for a second season or not could be a real crapshoot unless this next episode fixes all the problems the preceding five haven't.  The late addition of Strand makes me hopeful TPTB maybe finally realized their leads were a charisma-free zone.

Edited September 28, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[briochetwist]

I cannot believe how boring this show is.  I cannot believe how much apathy I have for all of these characters.  I do not care about any part of this show at all.  

 

Shoot them, bomb them, whatever.  Just get them off the screen so The Walking Dead can come back.

[raven]

 

I must be watching a different show than the rest of y'all because I'm enjoying it.

I'm liking it too.  I think the military knows that zombies are everywhere - look how they got overrun at the library - fighting is futile.  They might be planning to drop a bomb and the soldier left that part out.  It's going to be everyone for themselves.  Or possibly they don't care?  They are worried about themselves and their families, they don't want to be holding civilians prisoner, etc.

 

So the medical team knows what's up, but it's pretty obvious they end of being overwhelmed and overrun.

 

The interesting part for me is seeing who will rise to the challenge and who will give in (like Doug).  It's frustrating that Maddie gives one thought to Alicia, but not surprising.  All their lives she's been worried about the "bad" kid, not the "good" kid who doesn't make trouble.  Plus Nick WAS dragged away in front of her, so I can see why that occupies her mind. 

 

I'm not particularly interested in teen hijinks either. 

Edited September 28, 2015 by raven

[badlemonnohope]

This episode highlights the downside of frontloading your show with teenagers: emo crap.

Teenagers are the worst. I hate them on TV/movies, in real life and I even hated being one. I don't even really like the teenagers that I love (family). But I do I do think they are being written and portrayed well on the show, because I find them so annoying.

 

I find the Salesman character pointless and creepy but not in a good way.

 

Daniel is just as stupid as the rest of the group, but the actor that plays him elevates the character.

 

Liza is my favorite. Go Liza!

Edited September 28, 2015 by badlemonnohope

[Lexx]

I'm so sick of, "torture is justified if you do it for good reasons!"  Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm betting Travis and Ofelia will realize the error of their ways in doubting Salazar and Madison.  Then they can execute the soldier together as a bonding exercise.  Whatever.

[peach]

Well, I like the teenage crap.

 

I thought this episode was CRAY.  And I liked it.  The Salazars' dark secrets, and Griselda's death speech, and this Strand guy.  At first I thought he was just a representation of that Doug guy's fears and paranoia, some kind of delusion.  Then he turned out to be real, and wants to make use of our shady, little rat named Nick.  So that was intriguing. 

 

I liked how Travis had to go face reality and how scared he was.  Moyers was a dick, but yeah, Travis, it's easy to complain from your front yard while other people get their hands dirty so you can.  OTOH, how do you expect people in the safety of their own yards with zero information to feel, Moyers.  Oh, well, he's done.

Maddie's definitely a one note Joe, but I am also glad we aren't in a season two on the farm moral debate.  "Fine, torture a guy to find my kid, just don't make me watch" would potentially be a common reaction.

 

Anyway, it was a thousand times better than last week.

I'm so sick of, "torture is justified if you do it for good reasons!"  Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm betting Travis and Ofelia will realize the error of their ways in doubting Salazar and Madison.  Then they can execute the soldier together as a bonding exercise.  Whatever.

I don't think they were making the argument that it was justified.  They were just going to do it anyway.  And Daniel and Griselda both revealed that they carry that stain on their souls.

[thuganomics85]

So, in three scenes, this Strand guy has now become my new favorite character.  I mean, sure, there were those I tolerate more then others, but so far, he's the only one that I'm actually curious about, what his plan is, and the only that is showing any kind of spark.  Everyone else is either shady, mysterious, or just plain dull and moronic.  Of course, with the way this season has been, he could be killed off or just disappear next week, so I don't want get my hopes up too much.

 

Salazar being a torturer in the past really didn't surprise me, and doesn't make me find him more interesting.  I still prefer him to the rest of the lot, but that's not saying much.  I'm guessing though we're starting to see factions now with him and Madison being more accepting of this New World Order, while Travis and Ofelia continue to struggle.

 

I did like Liza already putting Salazar's wife down (or making sure she doesn't wake back up), so hopefully this is  sign that she'll be good to go, when the shit hits the fan.

 

The Alicia and Chris stuff was so, so stupid.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss Carl.  Even when he was at his worst.  I don't like spending time on two assholes acting like brats and trashing stuff for no reason.

 

Of course, Travis didn't take the shot.  Maybe one day he will.  Or maybe he'll be walker chow soon.

 

At least the finale is next week, so things will hopefully pick up.  And then the mothership will return, and things will go back to normal.

Edited September 28, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Raven1707]

I'm so far behind, I probably should just give up until I've had a chance to watch the episode without interminable buffering...

 

Damn the Pacific time zone anyway! 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Raven1707

[TexasChic]

Unfortunately, my hunch is that Tobias was a one-off or two-off character to be the harbinger of things to come.

I'm guessing he'll show up cleaned up, slimmed down, and kicking ass

Edited September 28, 2015 by TexasChic

[Starchild]

I will say, I'm shocked by Colbalt. Especially with all those people locked up. That is messed up. How did they chose who would be locked up and who wouldn't?

 

But I am wondering:  why does the military think Cobalt-ing the area is necessary?  Is it because they fear all the zombies in the stadium are going to break out?  Then why not just drop a bomb into the stadium?  Otherwise it looks like they have the area under control.

 

I'm finding it very difficult to believe that the military would be this moustache-twirlingly dastardly, especially after only a couple of weeks.

 

Oh and once again, we don't see why we've gone from "everything's fine, you're the lucky ones" to "let's bug out of here, good luck suckers" in a couple of days. It can't just be the stadium can it? As someone upthread mentioned, fly some drones over with a couple of bombs and take care of it. Don't give up so easily. And please don't try to tell me all the other reasons the military might think it's just too late. The other viewers are not the ones who should be telling me why. The show should be telling me why.

 

Funniest thing in (around?) the episode was the commercial about how great and noble it is to be in the army, while the in-show army was so douchey.

[Irritable]

Sorry, but I refuse to believe that after what, a month tops, the military would be more of an enemy of the people than walkers.  Maybe the writers thought this would make a good political statement or something, but presenting soldiers as selfish, cruel, cowardly, stupid and possibly insane, as well as not trying at all to help out citizens in distress is a really shitty thing to do when in fact that is the opposite of how our military would really be in such a situation.  And don't even get me started on how soldiers can run into a building with guns blazing toward slow shuffling zombies with no weapons other than their teeth, and they not only lose the battle and decide to turn tail and run, but one of them actually fell out of a window with a walker????  How does that happen when you have the guns and are trained to know where to shoot? 

 

This show is such a hot, stinky mess.  Even the few walkers we do see are somehow lower quality than the walkers on TWD - their makeup and overall looks are very different than what we have been seeing for the last few years, and that should not be noticeable.  We have seen "fresh" walkers before, so that's not an excuse.  It's painfully obvious that the makeup departments have very different methods, and it shouldn't have been too hard to have some continuity there, so I give them an F because it looks like they didn't even try.

 

What skills exactly does Nick have to offer because he's a heroin addict going through withdrawals?  That makes him someone you want on your team because why, Mr. Fancy Pants?

Edited September 28, 2015 by Irritable

[Lexx]

I don't think they were making the argument that it was justified.  They were just going to do it anyway.  And Daniel and Griselda both revealed that they carry that stain on their souls.

 

The show is making that argument, if not the characters.  The two characters are are viewed as savvy and strong in the post-Z world, Salazar and Madison, are for it.  The character who is viewed as soft and weak (expressly said so by Salazar a couple episodes back), Travis, was against it.  Yet Salazar and Madison are proven right, because they gained important intelligence that a "ticking clock" scenario exists for them.  The narrative is showing them as justified.

 

Like I said, maybe I'm wrong, but I get the feeling that there won't be any lasting repercussions or moral quandaries.  They'll use the intel they got from torturing the guy to go save Nick and Liza, zombie craziness will commence, and we'll be headed towards season two.  There's only so much, "Morality is for pussies, lol" Kirkman storytelling I can take.

[English Teacher]

I guess I'm in the small minority, but I am loving this show. Yes, there are flaws, but if the idea is to witness the apocalypse of society, the choice to do it through the lens of a single family is a good one. I did not expect this series to be WWZ...I hoped to watch the impact on a regular, every day, ordinary family. And I think they are doing so successfully. However, it's clear that if they didn't meet Daniel, there would be no one left to follow after 0900 tomorrow.

One really bad decision, IMHO, was to put a join-the-army commercial in the midst of this particular episode.

Edited September 28, 2015 by English Teacher

[raven]

 

I'm finding it very difficult to believe that the military would be this moustache-twirlingly dastardly, especially after only a couple of weeks.

I think the "regular" military guys have mostly been killed.  One of them said to Travis he was in charge of kids.  One of the "kids" got beaten up for being insubordinate (he said something about "not being patriotic enough").  So I think they are taking whoever they can get because they're depleted; people who think this is their only chance to survive, or like shooting guns, or both.

 

WRT to bombing, there is the worry that they would just make more zombies.  With so little knowledge, maybe they think the locked up ones would waste away, like living people would with no food.  Or maybe they just don't care and want to take off to whatever safe zones there are and leave everyone else alone.

 

I don't agree that the show should be telling us why.  In this show, the point is how the characters we've been following react to what's going on around them. 

 

 

I did not expect this series to be WWZ...I hoped to watch the impact on a regular, every day, ordinary family. And I think they are doing so successfully.

Yup, this.  People are reacting differently and their relationships are being affected.  Maybe they would be better off separated instead together (Travis is wondering this I bet).  I wish the characters were a bit more proactive and I'm not into watching bored teens blow off steam or whatever, but there's a lot of being proactive on TWD already and these characters will get there. 

 

Funny you mentioned WWZ - a big part of that book was the action plan of deliberately leaving pockets of people surrounded by zombies, thus drawing the zombies to one area and easier to pick off.  That could be the government/military plan here as well.

Edited September 28, 2015 by raven

[mmecorday]

Wow, so in this episode, Daniel embraced his inner House Bolton, Travis went on a ride along with some soldiers and couldn't shoot a former donut shop employee, Grizelda died and died again, Madison looked pained and Nick was smooth-talked by a guy who looks like he just left the blackjack table at Caesar's. Did I miss anything else?

[natyxg]

I guess I'm in the small minority, but I am loving this show. Yes, there are flaws, but if the idea is to witness the apocalypse of society, the choice to do it through the lens of a single family is a good one. I did not expect this series to be WWZ...I hoped to watch the impact on a regular, every day, ordinary family. And I think they are doing so successfully. However, it's clear that if they didn't meet Daniel, there would be no one left to follow after 0900 tomorrow.

 

For me the problem is not that they are focusing on a single, ordinary family. For me the problem is that said family has basically been safe all along and it's been episodes of them just... emoting.

[Dr. Opossum]

For all its faults, when I watch The Walking Dead I always think that Rick's group is the most interesting bunch around. I have never thought that any group they meet would be better protagonists.

With this show, I often think that almost any perspective besides that of the main cast would be more compelling and revealing. A focus on the soldiers or police or government? Sure! A zombie show starring doctors and nurses? Yes, please. But the crew we are stuck with can only hint at the actual drama unfolding. If the show couldn't afford to really film an urban zombie apocalypse, there were lots of other scenarios they could have chosen.

[peach]

The show is making that argument, if not the characters.  The two characters are are viewed as savvy and strong in the post-Z world, Salazar and Madison, are for it.  The character who is viewed as soft and weak (expressly said so by Salazar a couple episodes back), Travis, was against it.  Yet Salazar and Madison are proven right, because they gained important intelligence that a "ticking clock" scenario exists for them.  The narrative is showing them as justified.

 

Like I said, maybe I'm wrong, but I get the feeling that there won't be any lasting repercussions or moral quandaries.  They'll use the intel they got from torturing the guy to go save Nick and Liza, zombie craziness will commence, and we'll be headed towards season two.  There's only so much, "Morality is for pussies, lol" Kirkman storytelling I can take.

 

I honestly can't tell wtf this show intends to "say."  Madison has come off as selfish and amoral from the beginning, just like her son.  And so she continues to be.  Now a new character with questionable intentions seeks to use Nick as a lying, thieving minion.  Just like IRL, selfish, sociopathic tendencies, can indeed help a person get ahead whether it's justified or not.

 

In contrast, they give us Liza, who is selfless and moral, and is doing all she can to protect others.  Her sacrificial nature is giving her information and advantages in this situation.  So we see two ways of responding.  Travis is just Travis.

 

 I thought we were given a window into the lasting repercussions of choosing to be the torturer rather than the torturee, and that was hearing of a lifetime of nightmares and guilty fear, culminating in greeting the devil on your deathbed.  Although there's no doubt Madison will die with the same expression she wears in all other situations.

[natyxg]

For all its faults, when I watch The Walking Dead I always think that Rick's group is the most interesting bunch around. I have never thought that any group they meet would be better protagonists.

With this show, I often think that almost any perspective besides that of the main cast would be more compelling and revealing. A focus on the soldiers or police or government? Sure! A zombie show starring doctors and nurses? Yes, please. But the crew we are stuck with can only hint at the actual drama unfolding. If the show couldn't afford to really film an urban zombie apocalypse, there were lots of other scenarios they could have chosen.

 

I know, right? I've thought the same thing a couple of times.

[SoSueMe]

This show is such a hot, stinky mess.  Even the few walkers we do see are somehow lower quality than the walkers on TWD - their makeup and overall looks are very different than what we have been seeing for the last few years, and that should not be noticeable.  We have seen "fresh" walkers before, so that's not an excuse.  It's painfully obvious that the makeup departments have very different methods, and it shouldn't have been too hard to have some continuity there, so I give them an F because it looks like they didn't even try.

I agree. I keep going back to Z Nation. I don't know, but I'm assuming that AMC has a larger budget and Z Nation still kicks their butt with fx and even creating characters that are sympathetic. Not to mention the humor aspect, everyone knows that comedy is hard.

[English Teacher]

natyxg...I completely understand your perspective. For me, it seems more ...realistic (?) this way. If it focused on a big city, there would be much more action and carnage and the need to understand and adapt quickly. I like this pace because I can connect a little better I guess in wondering which character I would be more like..,would I believe or deny (like Travis). I also like to watch the characters evolve...or devolve...and it can be more compelling when it's done slowly. Just my 2 cents. And, like I said, I know I'm in the minority.

[Amelie06]

 

But the "let's dress in rich people's fancy clothes and trash their stuff in an angsty expression of how little material things matter" shit was just stupid and a waste of time. I was hoping this show could actually let the two of them be platonic friends, as they are pretty much step siblings.

I actually appreciated that scene. They were being little shits, but I got it. I think the writers were trying to show the moment that those two really broke with civilization. Earlier in the episode, Travis actually bothered to yell at Chris for disrespecting Madison. Like this was the old days where Chris could be grounded for telling Madison to shut the hell up.Here was two good kids just saying "screw this" and breaking into a neighbor's house just to snoop through their things. I think they both realized that none of the old rules applied. That happy, rich family is dead. They probably got eaten while attending some kind of celebrity golf tournament.

 

I'm so frustrated that we are always skirting around the edges of more interesting things on this show.

 

Nick has some kind of charisma that is unstoppable. Are we sure that zombies even want to eat him? Maybe they just want to be close to him. I couldn't believe that his cellmate actually thought Nick was worth saving. Maybe he was just waiting for someone to get put in there that had so many other things going on that the ZA wasn't too upsetting. I see why he had to get rid of that crying man. You can't really plot a prison break with a hysterical man wailing in the background.

 

Daniel has officially lost my business with his unnecessary torture. I hate torture. The fact that this has been his jam before is not ok. Shawn Hatosy was willing to cooperate and he still cut him. I know he may have been holding back info on Cobalt, but still.

 

I'm sick of Daniel's speeches about the lawless post-zombie hellhole he lived in years ago before coming to the US.

[peach]

I actually appreciated that scene. They were being little shits, but I got it. I think the writers were trying to show the moment that those two really broke with civilization. Earlier in the episode, Travis actually bothered to yell at Chris for disrespecting Madison. Like this was the old days where Chris could be grounded for telling Madison to shut the hell up.Here was two good kids just saying "screw this" and breaking into a neighbor's house just to snoop through their things. I think they both realized that none of the old rules applied. That happy, rich family is dead. They probably got eaten while attending some kind of celebrity golf tournament.

 

I also liked it because both Alicia and Chris are continually brushed aside, unheard, and ignored.  They feel frustrated and powerless.  This was a way to feel powerful.  And of course, no one even noticed.