S06.E01: First Time Again

[peach]

It's not the first time I read  something  like this and it's funny because I  can't imagine a woman using the  same  logic. I mean, I can't see  Michonne or Carol  finding Rick and the others less atractive than the Alexandria men for those  reasons. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think the women in the group would value the fact that they're brave, decent and competent. Otoh, Jessie's value seems to be symbolic:  she represents innocence,  the past, stuff like that. But that's not real or  solid, just something Rick is projecting in her.

 

Rick does values those things about the women in his group.  He would die for them.  That doesn't mean he wants to have sex with them.  It doesn't seem like any of his group want him that way, either.  I'm always mystified by people who are offended that Rick is attracted to Jessie instead of Michonne (not saying you are) when Michonne certainly doesn't seem to be pining away for him on her end. 

 

My husband works for his family business, and I was quite offended once because he didn't want me to work there (when they needed some extra help). but he explained it as not wanting to associate me/us with all the high stress and crap that happens at work.  He wants to come home to me, and leave that behind.  I think of it in that way. 

 

Anyway, it's a TV show.  I figure falling for Rick would be like falling for Captain Kirk.  You iz dead.

 

Also, the idea that Rick is just projecting a lot on her would describe most initial attraction.

Edited October 13, 2015 by peach

[Boofish]

 

 

I'm always a little amazed that our gang is collectively as sane as they are and that more people haven't opted out too.

I honestly believe it is because now they have each other. Rick is not just trying to protect Judith and Carl (I'M LOOKING AT YOU SHANE!). I can count the times he has risked his life for just about each and every person in his group (including Merle) without nary a second thought that his actions could leave Carl and/or Judith alone. He knows ultimately as long as at least one of them is alive the other has a reason to go on. Jacqui opted out early on but had she just hung on a little longer she would have found her will to live just like the others did. Maybe if it was just me and one other person as weak as me just out there with like Bob Hope kids No Hope and Lost Hope, I might opt out but gosh darn it if I was part of Team Grimes - hand me a knife, I got some killing to do!!!!

[Caelicola]

It's not the first time I read  something  like this and it's funny because I  can't imagine a woman using the  same  logic. I mean, I can't see  Michonne or Carol  finding Rick and the others less atractive than the Alexandria men for those  reasons. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think the women in the group would value the fact that they're brave, decent and competent. Otoh, Jessie's value seems to be symbolic:  she represents innocence,  the past, stuff like that. But that's not real or  solid, just something Rick is projecting in her.

I see it the other way around; it isn't so much that he hasn't seen her covered in guts as that she hasn't seen him tear out a man's throat with his teeth, or chop off someone's head with a machete, or crumple in the fetal position wailing over his dead wife, or hallucinate said dead wife and so on.

And I think that makes him feel like he could be a normal person again, which I think a part of him will always want, even as he treasures his own ruthlessness. So, you're absolutely right that he's projecting a lot of stuff onto her, but I think it has more to do with him and what she could make him rather than her own self and what she could be and/represent. Which annoys me, and which is why I was glad to see her make decisions on her own and start becoming a character instead of just a screen for Rick.

 

And re-reading I realized I used a lot of "I think", but I don't know how to change it without making it sound like I'm stating things as fact and not speculating and overanalyzing, so, sorry for the thinkyness.

[fliptopbox]

The horn is too loud and too far away, I believe, to be a car horn. I've seen some suggest a semi-truck or an air horn, but maybe it's a boat...say, a yacht?  :)

(yes, I know, disregard geography)

Oh dear god no.

 

I do still think it's a semi-truck horn. Car horns are generally higher pitched and don't have that kind of carry. Also it almost sounded to me like it was being broadcast over a loudspeaker, either a bullhorn or a PA system....which makes me think more of the Wolves over bratty teenage shenanigans from Ron or Enid or even any of the kids as a team. We know the Wolves have been surveillancing the area and found those photos, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're trying to wreak some major havoc...we just don't know what their reasoning is. Yet. Plus, we already know they are clever and crafty enough to setup zombie traps with music and flashy lights (and are using some kinda PA system to do it) to trap unsuspecting passers-by (but again, we don't know why) so that just strikes me as what makes the most sense. Plus I doubt Ron knew that practice run day turned into "let's do this live!" day...but the Wolves who have been skulking around the woods (most likely checking out from afar what our team was doing while building the new walls, etc.) and probably had some kind of network and way to report to one another if an opportunity arose to raise some hell.

 

Plus, does anyone actually think any of the spoiled ASZhat kids with their nice comfy houses, nifty toys, dvds, ipods, and gaming systems really spent a whole lot of time running around outside, especially outside the walls? I don't think they'd last long enough to even come up with any sort of petty revenge.

Edited October 13, 2015 by fliptopbox

[Caelicola]

Strike that. Reverse it.

Yeah, man, if I get chocolate in the ZA I'm guarding it with my life.

There's always someone around with a gun you can steal, but chocolate is a finite resource. In a Sophie's choice situation, I'm grabbing the chocolate.

(Also, I don't think I would know how to even hold a gun, but I'm really good at chocolate).

Edited October 13, 2015 by Caelicola

[mandolin]

Another call back to an earlier episode that was in this one that I really liked was when Rick went to Morgan while he was practicing with his weapon. He asked Morgan where he learned it, and Morgan didn't answer right away. Rick said, "I ask. You answer. Common courtesy, right?" That was what Morgan said to Rick in the first episode.

( along with the protein bar comment (even though it was chips), and Glenn's delivering pizzas remark.)

Edited October 13, 2015 by mandolin

[morgankobi]

Letting them out?  Not my first inclination.  And, as always, the place was effective until the day after they found it...

 

Of course it was for "tv reasons," but it is still hilarious that CDB's such a plague that the second time Rick is at this quarry, which has held for likely over a year, it's compromised. I'm still waiting for the time they run across a group who has heard of them, and runs the other way. Even in the ZA some gossip has to travel!

[Timetoread]

I wonder if the show will ever have the guts to have Rick shoot first then find out he was totally wrong.

 

It doesn't really matter because Rick is past that point.  For what it is worth, his problem has always been the opposite - not shoot when he had the chance which resulted in deaths of loved ones.  Rick had an epiphany as he was swallowing Joe's jugular and gutting his friend - he realized that he is a man who is loving and fair and loyal to his family.  But he is also a man who has an over the top temper and can be unbelievably violent.  He was always this person - in the showdown between him and Shane, Shane couldn't go through with it, but Rick could.  It's in him, but he's made peace with it because the way he looks at the world now is not right and wrong but do what it takes to keep those that I love safe.  I don't think this makes him like the Governor or any dictator for that matter.  Men like that only wish for power.  Rick wishes for safety for his children and if that means making everybody around him sit down and shut up so that he can do what needs to be done, so be it.  That said, I think another point of this show is that Rick can't be expected to be all things to all people.  He is just a man.  But he has people like Michonne and Daryl and Glenn who watch him carefully and keep the stress of leadership from crushing him.  If he is too harsh with someone they swoop in to soften the blow - or at least bandage it.  They always speak up if they disagree and will openly oppose him if need be.  And when they do speak up, Rick almost always acquiesces.  He is not a monster.

 

It's too bad.  Rick and Reg could have gotten a lot of stuff and thangs done. 

 

Deanna also kinda screwed up by just saying, here's a uniform, go be a "constable."  "Where you find a conflict, solve it."  Okay!  BLAM!

 

This situation is more akin to being a Texas Ranger in the wild west, where you ARE the law.  Deanna wanted to think it was Mayberry, only with a wife beater we don't talk about.  Anyway, live and learn.  Or die and learn, as is more likely.

 

See my take on Deanna is very different.  I think Deanna has always been aware of the truth.  Those scouters who came back with horror stories told them to her.  But the things they spoke of weren't right outside her strong gates.  They did not have to fight to stay alive, just stay home.  So she kept most of her people home.  She sent out people like Aaron and we've seen that Aaron is both very cognizant of what is out there but also able to handle himself.  I'm assuming she sent the strong out and we don't know how many have not returned yet.  But she knew what the world is. This is why she wanted CDB so badly, not to save them, but for them to save Alexandria.  I think she got a very good read on Rick from the start. As somebody said, a scary looking man with a gun but with a toddler, two teenagers, a priest, men and women of varying ages and races is a man who is basically good.  I think she understood that the gruffness comes from what he's been through.  Like a shelter dog who growls and snarls until he learns to trust and let you love him, then he's a dollbaby from then on out.  She read Rick's nature right.  What she didn't expect (and there was no way she could) was how hard it would be for CDB to adjust to positivity.  I also think she was glad to have a MAN come and deal with the Pete situation.  Pete was a wife beater but his wife wasn't asking for help.  Also he was the town doctor and I'm sure simply banishing him was a scary thought.  I think Deanna felt that maybe having a man, who was given authority, would be enough to quell Pete.  She didn't underestimate CDB, she underestimated Pete.

I was just there a couple of months ago for a week, staying in Old Town. I have no idea where a quarry could be that is close to Alexandria, but then I was on the Potomac River side of it. Maybe on the far west end? I would love to know where in Alexandria they are supposed to be. The roads on the map seem to be in a sparsely populated area, so sparse i thought they were still in Georgia for half the episode before remembering. I didn't get the impression that Alexandria has any spaces like that. Loudoun County, maybe.

 

I live here and Old Town is the old colonial section of Alexandria which is very dense.  Greater Alexandria, however, is a very large area.  It is mostly suburban but I don't see their location being too far fetched. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I nominate Mrs. Neudermeyer; the energies she's diverting to her pasta obsessions would seem to indicate Mr. Neudermeyer, if he's still in the picture, obviously isn't doing something right. Bet she'd be fairly itching to whip up a batch of Rickatoni al dente. ;>

 

Hey now, you can't blame a pasta maker for needing ingredients; she's gotta get that Alfredo sauce from any source available.  Or in this case, would it be named the Richardo sauce?

[raven]

 

Yes, PorchDick started the fight with Rick, but Rick, being Rick, carried the fight TOO far. (And Michonne had to knock him out.) Just like when he pulled the gun on Carter in this last episode when he caught them conspiring. (And Daryl had to pull him back.)

Interesting point.  Another similarity is when Tyreese attacks Rick at the prison after finding the burned bodies, and Rick whales on him for so long that Daryl pulls him off.  There's a line past defense - either of self or others - that Rick is crossing much more easily now.  Rick even mentions the Tyreese incident when he's talking with Daryl after the rip-the-throat out encounter.   In all these cases, Rick's initial violent reaction is totally justified, the question is does he carry it too far?  If so, why? Anger, finally giving in to the brutality he admits is in himself?  I actually don't count Rick slicing and dicing Carl's would be rapist here, because NOTHING was too far for that guy or that group; so in some cases you can't go far enough.

 

Rick wants to herd the Alexandrians they way he wanted to herd the zombies.  No doubt he's learned from hesitating and debating.  As long as he listens to his core people - Michonne, Daryl, Glenn, Carol, maybe Morgan too - I think he'll be OK.   I've always thought that he'd be fine with not being in charge if he felt the person who was had a good handle on things.  If that's not the case, he's not going along anymore, like he did with Hershel initially at the farm.  The difference is that if people can't cope, they die, and he's not worrying about that anymore.

 

I didn't mind Jessie in this episode - last season she didn't seem to have any agency, at least in the premiere she calmly & firmly told Rick to back off and I liked that she took the initiative to train with Rosita.  So I don't see any Lori there.  I'm sure her own feelings are confused - guilt that her sons have lost their father, however much of an asshole he was, maybe she misses him too, or doesn't and feels guilty about that, relief, shock at how quickly things changed, etc.  Even some quick scenes with her sons and/or Rosita would help - IIRC almost every scene she was in last year had Rick also. 

 

I love me some Rick, especially deranged, crazy Rick *fans self*, but the moments of togtherness we get with other group members are very welcome. 

 

I never thought that Ron or Enid would be blowing the horn, I assumed the Ws; that they were spying and maybe had a plan of their own that they put into action when they saw Rick's happening. 

Edited October 13, 2015 by raven

[meep.meep]

I'll never understand walker physiology. A mummy prop from a Halloween haunted house was sturdy enough to to eat Carter's face, but fleshier-looking walkers managed to puree themselves by simply walking into walls.

 

I continue to be impressed that rotting zombies shuffling around all day still have their shoelaces neatly tied. I can't keep mine tied a whole day.

 

OMG - I've found my soul mate!

I swear to god I hadn't read this when I posted on the Talking Dead thread this morning.

Great minds think alike.

[Bongo Fury]

Working with your idea, they could have built a wall along the access road and force the herd to walk up the hill to a high point and then fall over the edge to their "deaths" back into the quarry. 

 

Yeah, having them walk off a cliff would be easy, but it's wasteful. The advantage of poking walkers thru a fence or poking down on them is the training value for the Azzhats. The residents of Alexandria are afraid of walkers, and cower from them. Give each of them time along the fence killing them and that will go a long way towards getting them on equal footing with CDB. In time they will feel more comfortable facing a walker, and they will get more confident that they can deal with them. All in a safe controlled environment. Hell, I'd even go so far as to stage controlled fights, where an Azzhat faces off against a walker with no fence between them. Keep Daryl or another sniper nearby to shoot if things get dicey, and have Rick and Michonne with the trainee giving pointers and coaching. Rick tried to do a similar thing when walkers showed up at the wall building site, he wanted the Azzhats to deal with the walkers, but they were utterly unprepared. Now, I guarantee that this plan is dangerous, and I am sure at least one Azzhat will get bitten durring training. But the training will save the lives of at least a dozen other Azzhats who will then be prepared to survive in the ZA. No, don't run the walkers off the cliff, a walker is a terrible thing to waste.

[callmebetty]

The Real World: Alexandria

When people stop being polite and start getting real...

On this episode Now that they are all living in the same house:  Morgan can get down to finding out if Michonne ate his last peanut butter protein bar.

 

Hands down one of the top ten scenes of this series ever...

Edited October 14, 2015 by callmebetty

[The Mighty Peanut]

I can't find the post now, but someone asked about how CDB held up in the winter? One of the webisodes kinda sorta addressed this. Keep in mind my memory sucks and probably 60-90% of details are wrong. There was a large storage facility where a creepy rapist lived upstairs and spied on everyone. It was implied that somewhere during his evolution to creepy rapisthood he was spying on a group of people who spent the winter months in the lower portion, unawares, with plans of taking up in some prison.

...but the winter months still mainly seem to fall into the same space as tied walker shoelaces, the availability of makeup in the apocalypse, etc.

Edited October 14, 2015 by The Mighty Peanut

[Cheetosandchoc]

My husband asked me like five times if Morgan was blind.

[Iguessnot]

And re-reading I realized I used a lot of "I think", but I don't know how to change it without making it sound like I'm stating things as fact and not speculating and overanalyzing, so, sorry for the thinkyness.

Ahhhhhh the TWOP nightmares are still strong with this one

[Cheetosandchoc]

So when Horatio Hornblower is blowing his horn why don't they jump in the street and shout and yell and Sasha blow her car horn? I think they should ust keep reinforcing the edges and pick them off with slingshots or what ever. I think having a walker pit trap is a good thing. It keeps them away from Alexandria. All those diverted walkers wandering about could of been attracted to the town at any time and make it harder when they go on runs.

[Cheetosandchoc]

     I am rewatching this now and when they are out on the front porch discussing the plans, it seems Carter was the only one smart enough to understand how incredibly fucked up and stupid this plan of Rick's is. I don't blame him for wanting to get rid of Rick.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

This has been discussed, and its easy to sit and second guess from my living room, but I'm wondering why they didn't just build up those walls around the exit points in the quarry, instead of making the walker head bashing structures along the road.  Leave the entry points/cliffs so the (new) walkers would still fall in to the quarry, but 'wall up' the exit points so they couldn't get out - at least not very easily.

 

If nothing else, that buys time to get the ASZ'rs trained up, instead of having to do it without a dry run ahead of time. 

 

Just sayin'.

[Cheetosandchoc]

   So would this count as another clutterbuck?

 

 

*see WD acronyms and whatnot thread for the definition.

[Madding crowd]

I was very engaged in this episode and I didn't have my hopes up. I did the B&W gave everything a weird look but I understand why they did it. I also have the unpopular view that the ASZ people are not too bad and did a pretty good job of not only surviving, but remaining healthy by having food and warm beds. Yes, they lost people by being unprepared, and Rick lost people by living in the woods  and not having  a safe place to stay. And yes, the ASZ people were lucky, but they were lucky because they prepared a place. And a gated suburb is by nature a safer place than a prison.

 

I appreciate Rick taking charge but I need him to be more nuanced. The kill or be killed, works for comic books, but not in show where I mostly appreciate the interactions between people. I loved the scene with Rick, Morgan and Judith for example, because it was a warm moment.

 

I also thought Morgan might be flirting with Carol and I would be ok with that. Daryl really seems like a non-entity now and I wonder what that means. Also: I liked the old Judith better but maybe she is at the toddler running around stage and it wouldn't work for the time period. FWIW, both Rick and Shane had/have dark hair and Lori and Carl have medium brown so Judith could get by with blonde hair getting darker as she got older. 

[GreyBunny]

Yeah, having them walk off a cliff would be easy, but it's wasteful. The advantage of poking walkers thru a fence or poking down on them is the training value for the Azzhats. The residents of Alexandria are afraid of walkers, and cower from them. Give each of them time along the fence killing them and that will go a long way towards getting them on equal footing with CDB. In time they will feel more comfortable facing a walker, and they will get more confident that they can deal with them. All in a safe controlled environment. Hell, I'd even go so far as to stage controlled fights, where an Azzhat faces off against a walker with no fence between them. Keep Daryl or another sniper nearby to shoot if things get dicey, and have Rick and Michonne with the trainee giving pointers and coaching. Rick tried to do a similar thing when walkers showed up at the wall building site, he wanted the Azzhats to deal with the walkers, but they were utterly unprepared. Now, I guarantee that this plan is dangerous, and I am sure at least one Azzhat will get bitten durring training. But the training will save the lives of at least a dozen other Azzhats who will then be prepared to survive in the ZA. No, don't run the walkers off the cliff, a walker is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Both ideas could work.  My fence could have holes where they get poked.  Some could be siphoned off into a holding pen for training purposes, and the rest can go for a cliff dive.  With 40,000 walkers and more arriving every day, there is plenty to go around to do everything.

[crowswork]

I continue to be impressed that rotting zombies shuffling around all day still have their shoelaces neatly tied. I can't keep mine tied a whole day.

 

I noticed the hair. A lot of the ladywalkers had long pretty hair. Dangling innards – bones poking through the skin – rotting flesh – but the hair is nice and glossy, not a twig or a piece of grass or some geeky mud or part of another zombie stuck to it. Come on, anyone who ever had long hair knows it picks up everything but men and money.

[CletusMusashi]

And re-reading I realized I used a lot of "I think", but I don't know how to change it without making it sound like I'm stating things as fact and not speculating and overanalyzing, so, sorry for the thinkyness.

Thinkyness is good, but there is such thing as overthinkiness.

[GodsBeloved]

Well, I was just being facetious.  I don't think Rick has ever actually shot first, and asked questions later.  He wasn't guessing about Pete.  He shot him after he burst into a group of unarmed people wielding a sword and murdering someone,  and even then it was after he got the go ahead from Deanna.  Extreme, yes. 

I still wonder though if they will go there. I didn't have an issue with what happened with Pete so much but I did with the guy last season who was handcuffed, escaped from Sasha, was running away, still handcuffed and Rick literally ran him down and murdered him.

[ghoulina]

Another call back to an earlier episode that was in this one that I really liked was when Rick went to Morgan while he was practicing with his weapon. He asked Morgan where he learned it, and Morgan didn't answer right away. Rick said, "I ask. You answer. Common courtesy, right?" That was what Morgan said to Rick in the first episode.

 

I feel like an idiot, because I totally didn't get that until I saw it posted online later. I just thought Rick was being rude. I was like, "Damn, given him a moment to compose his thoughts!" But yea, what a nice call back. 

 

So when Horatio Hornblower is blowing his horn why don't they jump in the street and shout and yell and Sasha blow her car horn? I think they should ust keep reinforcing the edges and pick them off with slingshots or what ever.

 

That's what I was thinking. They all started running for the horn/ASZ, instead of trying to keep the walkers on track. How about blaring YOUR horns? They may not be as loud, but they're closer. Do whatever, to keep them on their path, instead of basically giving in and letting the walkers go right towards your gate. 

 

I also thought Morgan might be flirting with Carol and I would be ok with that. Daryl really seems like a non-entity now and I wonder what that means. Also: I liked the old Judith better but maybe she is at the toddler running around stage and it wouldn't work for the time period. FWIW, both Rick and Shane had/have dark hair and Lori and Carl have medium brown so Judith could get by with blonde hair getting darker as she got older.

 

This is true, but it's literally been a day since we left off with blonde Judith. Baby hair doesn't change THAT quickly, haha! I do realize that the twins who last played her would be way too big now, since there was no time jump. But it was pretty distracting that they got new babies who look SO different. 

[JackONeill]

Of course it was for "tv reasons," but it is still hilarious that CDB's such a plague that the second time Rick is at this quarry, which has held for likely over a year, it's compromised. I'm still waiting for the time they run across a group who has heard of them, and runs the other way. Even in the ZA some gossip has to travel!

I keep waiting for someone to say,"On, you're with that Rick Grimes bunch of people, huh?"

 

How many good things (subjectively speaking) have Rick, et al, destroyed (in various ways). Herschel's farm, the prison (arguably not their fault), Woodbury, Terminus, FPP's church, the hospital, and now, it appears, Alexandria.

 

Maybe the world needs Rick Grimes, but I think I'd hesitate just a bit before letting him in my group. And the word HAS to be out.

 

(I'm being -- somewhat -- tongue-in-cheek with this post. I do like Rick, always have. I'd gladly be a member of his team. But, man, the dude is bad news for everyone else.)

Edited October 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[AngelaHunter]

Quote

Baby hair doesn't change THAT quickly, haha!

 

Neither do eyes go from blue to brown in a matter of, what? Weeks? Never mind the new nose. I know last season's Judith is too big now, but really, of all the babies out there, they couldn't find a single one who didn't look like the exact opposite of Judith?

 

 

 

[Jack Kerouac]

What I would have done is build up an alley leading out of the quarry leading into a closed corral, with doors that could be opened and closed at will. Then let the walkers out in groups of 50-100 at a time, and kill them in the 'corral'. You could make it out of fence and poke the walkers thru the fence ala the prison. Or you could make it of trailer trucks reinforced with the steel sheeting. Then you could walk along the top and stab down at the walkers with spears. Either way it would be safe and under control. After each batch of walkers is killed, you clean out the corral by tossing the bodies back into the quarry.

I would add to that plan, open the doors and let out 50-100 and stampede them right over the cliff, Tremors style. In limited numbers you could make sure they're brains get squished at the bottom or poke the wigglers.

 

They could have thought up any plan they wanted, but the truck blocking the horde fell off the cliff and forced their hand. If they used firebombs, the truck still would have fallen and they would have thousands of flaming zombies against the walls.

 

The horn is too loud and too far away, I believe, to be a car horn. I've seen some suggest a semi-truck or an air horn, but maybe it's a boat...say, a yacht?  :)

(yes, I know, disregard geography)

 

I am HOPING it is the yacht from FTWD and the entire cast steps out, zombies eat half and Rick just shoots everyone else. Done!

[rab01]

I am HOPING it is the yacht from FTWD and the entire cast steps out, zombies eat half and Rick just shoots everyone else. Done!

Obviously it's not the yacht but if it were, the most entertaining mindfuck would be if the only three people on it are Tobias, Dr. Exner and one of the airplane passengers and you are left trying to figure out how THAT happened for the entire run of FTWD.

[NurseGiGi]

I'm late to the party here but wanted to rewatch the episode before commenting.  Also, I never watch the episode live anymore because there are so many damn commercials!

 

I don't really have much to add because everyone else has said it better than I could except you all got me thinking about the horn.  I was absolutely sure it was the unfair wolves until I saw someone mention that it could be someone in AS trying to signal that they are being attacked.  After all, the people left in the town think they're just doing a dry run and wouldn't know they could be attracting all those walkers.  I can't wait for next Sunday so I can find out.

 

I really enjoyed the moments of levity that were in this episode, something that I think has been sorely lacking in previous seasons.  The exchange between Morgan and Michonne was my favorite and I've already rewatched it several times.

[HighMaintenance]

In the snarky spirit of TWOP, I need to pick on some things on the show that bugged me.  I usually make snarky comments during the show, because it amuses me, but also because it annoys my S.O.  Overall, I liked this episode.  I didn't mind the B&W because my brain then told me, "Hey! Flashback!" Plus I think it helped with the somewhat janky CGI.

 

So.... How were there so many ambulatory zombies in the quarry?  If the only way into the quarry was "cannonball!', how were so many able to walk out?  Weren't all of the ramps blocked off?  I can't imagine that if the access paths were open before the tractor trailers were there that the walkers would just wander aimlessly at the bottom.  They all seemed to be able to find the path upwards once the trucks were there.

I had to ask myself, who is that angsty teen boy?  I had pretty much forgotten that Dr. Porchdick had 2 kids.  Sam was seen last season pretty frequently.  The other kid, maybe for a minute when Carl met Enid.  I bet he's a junkie too.

Porchdick Junior can travel as fast as a hoopie carrying a dead body.

Loved that Sasha was thinking safety first and had her emergency flashers on whilst leading the zed parade.

You mean to tell me that ASZ can find tanks of helium but not a pasta maker??  Sure.

The walkers are distracted by a deflated mylar balloon, but not colorful, floating, moving balloons?

Abraham only feels alive when he's kicking ass or watching people get their faces blown off.

I'm sorry, but Judith is uglier than last season.  There, I said it.  And her nose is HUGE!  Here, Morgan, wanna hold Shane's baby?

They could pass out radios to all the parade directors, but didn't think to leave one with the unprotected townspeople?

 

 

[Boofish]

I hate to be "that guy" but you don't need Helium to blow up balloons. Just some hot air; just about everyone in ASZ is full of hot air

 

I just think the character of Rick is so well written. He is violent, flawed, crazy, protective, angry, menacing, bossy, aggressive, kind, loving, loyal and hot. I can't think of too many other television characters with that many traits that make them all come together and somehow work.

 

Also, has ANYONE ever once seen him say ONE SINGLE SOLITARY WORD directly to Eugene? I believe he has to be the only person Rick has never talk to unless I missed it

[CletusMusashi]

He's also probably never spoken to Rosita. Hell, if he blinked a few times,he might never have even seen her.

[JackONeill]

 

Also, has ANYONE ever once seen him say ONE SINGLE SOLITARY WORD directly to Eugene? I believe he has to be the only person Rick has never talk to unless I missed it

 

 

Oh boy, I can see the fan-fic now!!!  But, seriously, that's a good catch. Rick and Eugene have nothing like that loving bond that existed between Maggie and . . . ah . . . what was it? . . . oh, Beth.

Edited October 14, 2015 by JackONeill

[Boofish]

He's also probably never spoken to Rosita. Hell, if he blinked a few times,he might never have even seen her.

I can recall him saying her name twice (including the season premier Sunday) and she challenged him once (when he wanted to go back and assassinate the crew from Starbucks).  He has NEVER uttered the word "U JEEEN"

[Yolapukka]

In the snarky spirit of TWOP, I need to pick on some things on the show that bugged me.  I usually make snarky comments during the show, because it amuses me, but also because it annoys my S.O.  Overall, I liked this episode.  I didn't mind the B&W because my brain then told me, "Hey! Flashback!" Plus I think it helped with the somewhat janky CGI.

 

So.... How were there so many ambulatory zombies in the quarry?  If the only way into the quarry was "cannonball!', how were so many able to walk out?  Weren't all of the ramps blocked off?  I can't imagine that if the access paths were open before the tractor trailers were there that the walkers would just wander aimlessly at the bottom.  They all seemed to be able to find the path upwards once the trucks were there.

I had to ask myself, who is that angsty teen boy?  I had pretty much forgotten that Dr. Porchdick had 2 kids.  Sam was seen last season pretty frequently.  The other kid, maybe for a minute when Carl met Enid.  I bet he's a junkie too.

Porchdick Junior can travel as fast as a hoopie carrying a dead body.

Loved that Sasha was thinking safety first and had her emergency flashers on whilst leading the zed parade.

You mean to tell me that ASZ can find tanks of helium but not a pasta maker??  Sure.

The walkers are distracted by a deflated mylar balloon, but not colorful, floating, moving balloons?

Abraham only feels alive when he's kicking ass or watching people get their faces blown off.

I'm sorry, but Judith is uglier than last season.  There, I said it.  And her nose is HUGE!  Here, Morgan, wanna hold Shane's baby?

They could pass out radios to all the parade directors, but didn't think to leave one with the unprotected townspeople?

 

OK 

 

-The zombies who were pursuing Ron seemed to go off a sheer drop ( landing outside of the barricades) probably liquefiying what was left of their brains on landing but the ones who Rick observed dropping in to the other side seemed to be sliding down a steep incline. Probably there is a mix of immobilized zombies with those that are still ambulatory. Another good question might be why we didn't see partially destroyed crawling zombies making their way under the trucks.

-I've fanwanked that helium cylinders were already on the Alexandria site because there was a planned sales event involving multiple balloon arches.

-I think  the sound, motion and lights from the car and motorcycle were more of a draw for those in front of the herd than balloons and those behind had more of a tendency to follow the herd that try to access something above their eye-line.  The mylar sheet attracted more attention because it was at their eye-line and as well as movement, produced sound and flashes of reflected light.

-Maybe there was an issue of range concerning the radios(?) Maybe it made more sense at the time to take all radios rather than leave one at the compound? It probably will seem like a terrible idea in retrospect if they took them all and can't communicate with those inside Alexandria. Also, it would be just like the Alexandrites and their head-up-the-assitude to not bother turning on or monitoring a radio. I think whomever is up in the watchtower should always have one. I'm fairly certain this will be Spencer, who is also the dude who trusted Father Pee-Pants to be responsible for closing the gate after himself.

 

I'm all in favour of driving your SO crazy with snarky comments, my son is even better at this than myself (and I'm pretty damn snide) because he's also a loud talker.  Although this hurts me. Not because as a parent I feel I should lead in all respects but because I'm sitting right next to you, kid, my ears are bleeding!

Edited October 14, 2015 by yuggapukka

[CletusMusashi]

Rick hasn't even said "Yoralgene."

Edited October 14, 2015 by CletusMusashi

[morgankobi]

 

-I've fanwanked that helium cylinders were already on the Alexandria site because there was a planned sales event involving multiple balloon arches

 

There was a red helium balloon in one of the early AzzHats episodes.  I think Sam had it.

[JackONeill]

I'm thinking that Rick has also never said "dolphin smooth."

[Caelicola]

I hate to be "that guy" but you don't need Helium to blow up balloons. Just some hot air; just about everyone in ASZ is full of hot air

Yeah, but you'd need to keep the air hot to make them float, once it goes down to the temperature of the air around and the density increases they go back down. And those balloons were high and proud for a very long time! (So I may have focussed on the most insignificant details, all right).

[CarpeDiem54]

Also, I never watch the episode live anymore because there are so many damn commercials!

Yep. I cut the cable cord and now watch it the next day on Amazon. The episode was actually 1 hour and 5 minutes long.

[CletusMusashi]

I don't care how the balloons float, as long as the season ends with Eugene building an airship.

And Carol stealing it in order to machine-gun down all the Wolves. While wearing goggles.

Edited October 14, 2015 by CletusMusashi

[RustbeltWriter]

And, as always, the place was effective until the day after they found it...

 

 

 

I laughed out loud at this. Having Rick and his band of misfits show up on your doorstep is the first sign of the apocalypse within the apocalypse. Oh sure, you may have survived this long but now that they've found you they'll help you until there's nothing left.

[RedheadZombie]

Yeah and he could tell his little Emo Girlfriend.  My money's on her.

 

That's right, he told Deanna and Pete when he came in that he would be separated.  He certainly never told Jessie he was going to kill him though, so I don't get the Lori comparisons at all.

 

 

Emo Girlfriend ends up in a very dangerous situation - getting killed or close to it - per the preview

.  The only reason I would suspect Ron is responsible (which I'm not convinced of), is if he lashed out after seeing Carl with Enid.

 

I don't see the comparison between Lori and Jessie.  I've noticed that female characters who aren't warriors aren't tolerated well by viewers.  I'm not crazy about the character, but I think she clearly tried to put distance between herself and Rick.  She's trying to make boundaries.  I think Carole needs to take her under her wing and teach her a thing or two about rebounding from abuse.  I'm sure a part of Carole still blames herself for Sophia's death - not helped by Daryl telling her it was her fault.

 

I agree. Hell, I think Rick has gotten less crazy since last season. Last season, he seemed to be a ticking time bomb, about ready to explode all over everyone, acting like a creepy stalker towards Jessie, and doing his Crazy Eyes thing all over the place. The Crazy Eyes don't seem to be gone, but its seemingly been moved in a more pragmatic direction at least. He does not see Alexandria as a palace to conquer, so much as a place that he needs to save, and remake in his image.  

 

But this season followed immediately from last season - at least the black and white scenes.  And the color scenes happened a short time later.  He's barely healed from when Michonne had to take him out after fighting with Pete.

 

I was refreshing my memory of last season's Conquer on Wikipedia, and wondered if I came across a spoiler.  In talking about the Wolves,

they're described as "a group of scavengers who conform to the ancient belief that men evolved from wolves".

[Ohwell]

I keep waiting for someone to say,"On, you're with that Rick Grimes bunch of people, huh?"

 

How many good things (subjectively speaking) have Rick, et al, destroyed (in various ways). Herschel's farm, the prison (arguably not their fault), Woodbury, Terminus, FPP's church, the hospital, and now, it appears, Alexandria.

 

Maybe the world needs Rick Grimes, but I think I'd hesitate just a bit before letting him in my group. And the word HAS to be out.

 

(I'm being -- somewhat -- tongue-in-cheek with this post. I do like Rick, always have. I'd gladly be a member of his team. But, man, the dude is bad news for everyone else.)

And that's why I said that even though FPP is a Judas, he was right about Rick & Co. being bad news.

[Boofish]

Yeah, but you'd need to keep the air hot to make them float, once it goes down to the temperature of the air around and the density increases they go back down. And those balloons were high and proud for a very long time! (So I may have focussed on the most insignificant details, all right).

They addressed the helium on The Talking Dead in the trivial moment but can't recall what it said. Something about type of gas it is they should be well stocked for most of the apocalypse

 

I wouldn't exactly describe Woodbury, Terminus and St. Pee Pant Church of Scaredy Cats "good things" Plenty of people died at that church and had nothing to do with Rick. That church being destroyed was karma. But I get what you are saying. In my Herschel voice "YOU PEOPLE ARE LIKE A PLAGUE"

 

*Remove my dunce hat and corrected my spelling*

Edited October 15, 2015 by Boofish

[morgankobi]

We all float down here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(sorry)

[Raven1707]

Neither do eyes go from blue to brown in a matter of, what? Weeks? Never mind the new nose. I know last season's Judith is too big now, but really, of all the babies out there, they couldn't find a single one who didn't look like the exact opposite of Judith?

 

Unless they're conscripting babies these days, they don't get to choose from "all the babies out there," they're limited to local babies (preferably twins) of an appropriate age whose parents brought them in for a casting call. I'd like to think not even the most rabid, fame-struck stage parent is going to dye a little baby's hair blonde to better fit the role. That aside, I believe the new Judith was only shown in the black & white shots, which makes it more difficult to determine hair color; even Jessie's hair looked brownish with only a couple of streaks of blonde in black & white.

 

 

How many good things (subjectively speaking) have Rick, et al, destroyed (in various ways). Herschel's farm, the prison (arguably not their fault), Woodbury, Terminus, FPP's church, the hospital, and now, it appears, Alexandria.

 

Hmm, the hospital was still standing and arguably far more secure with Dawn dead and Officer O'Donnell at the bottom of that elevator shaft.

 

They addressed the helium on The Talking Dead in the trivial moment but can't recall what it said. Something about type of gas it is they should be well stocked for most of the apocalypse

 

Helium doesn't degrade over time, so assuming it was stored in a sealed tank, it would still have all of its properties indefinitely.

[kj4ever]

I can recall him saying her name twice (including the season premier Sunday) and she challenged him once (when he wanted to go back and assassinate the crew from Starbucks).  He has NEVER uttered the word "U JEEEN"

I don't remember if he said his name or not, but he told him he couldn't drink the water back when Eric left the water for them in the road right before the storm hit.