S02.E01: Monster

[TVFan17]

Man, it's got to be tough for Cliff Curtis (or maybe a blessing), at least based on the comments here (and last season). I don't think his character is going to be this series' Rick. Even though he is the "lead" actor, Strand has come along at the tail end of last season and just stolen his thunder.

Yes, there's an air of mystery to Strand, and that accounts for some of it. Maybe he'll turn out like Ben on Lost. Maybe we'll find out that Strand was behind, or part of, the whole military testing of the virus that led to the Walkers. He seemed to "know" more than nearly everyone else. Maybe he's the ultimate bad guy.

Then again, why did he take the band of nitwits with him? He seems to like Nick, but he's not letting Nick do anything to help him. They made a point out of the fact that Strand hasn't slept. Well, why didn't he give Nick a quick lesson in helming a boat? (Yes, I know it takes a lot to learn, but this is TV.)

I wonder if the writers "repositioned" the direction of the show based upon Strand's popularity?

 

You read my mind with the "Ben on Lost" reference!  Last night, when I was typing up my post about Strand and wondering what his plans were for the nitwits, why he saved them, etc., I had Ben in my mind!  I was thinking that the people on Lost who were always a bit evil or diabolical -- at the very least, mysterious and ominous -- were the ones who were the most interesting.  They were my favorite characters -- and that would include both Ben and Locke.  Maybe Strand will play a sort of Ben Linus-ish role on FTWD. 

[kdm07]

Well then, I'll go against the grain (like last season) and say I was fine with the premier. I still give these characters a lot of leeway because they aren't going to become kickass is what essentially is a ZA that happened a fortnight (?) at most.

 

- Alicia, sigh, why did you help those people? You want to help everyone but it's going to cause you a whole lot of trouble down the line.

- Chris had his mother go from being alive and well one day, to dead the next. Grief works out differently for a lot of people so I understood why he'd want her body on the boat.

- Strand's Rules should become a thing for this show.

- Nick, for the last time, please find new clothes.

[peach]

This is an excellent point.  People don't just go from a regular life to full on Rick Grimes in one week. I'll take some tiiiiiime. 

 

I hated the way Travis just killed Chris's mom-- really hated that.

 

And those two things are so incongruous!  We're supposed to believe that they are babes in the woods, that zombies are a new concept. The inescapable, inevitable misery of turning into one, the fate worse than death, is unknown to them. And Travis is a pacifist, softie schoolteacher, but he somehow digs deep in a single moment and kills a healthy* woman, the mother of his son, by shooting her right between the eyes.  Then brushes that shit off like it was a trip to the mailbox.  Obviously it didn't "break him" or even leave a dent!  He's just hoping Chris gets over it in time for dinner.

 

*ETA that by "healthy," I mean somebody who appeared in good enough shape that it would take a LOT to override the belief that she could be saved somehow, etc.  She wasn't on the brink of death.  Even then it would be super hard to shoot someone you care about in the head, if you hadn't seen them turn yet.  And on TWD, some people can't even do it then!

Edited April 11, 2016 by peach

[Sighed I]

Strand was locked up in that detention center for a reason that was never addressed. It wasn't a safe haven holding cell; it was for people the government/military saw as a potential threat to survival. Strand needed Nick but didn't realize he was getting the "buy 1 idiot get 6 free" deal."

 

Excellent point! The others we saw detained appeared to be sick, seriously injured, mentally unstable, etc.--people at risk of dying or losing it, making them a liability in a safe zone when tensions are high and control of the situation is tenuous at best. Strand, however, was amazingly calm, too calm even, given the dire straits he was in. Yes, he was a different kind of threat all together. Verrrry interesting...

Edited April 11, 2016 by Sighed I

[piequinn35]

OK please tell me again why Strand let them on his boat? What does he need them for? Companions? 

[GreyBunny]

OK please tell me again why Strand let them on his boat? What does he need them for? Companions? 

Medical experiments, I hope.  They're not good for anything else.

[Jel]

Strand job speculation -- military contractor. Lotsa money to be made there, potential inside info, maybe "knew too much" was the reason for his lockup.

[Diane M]

- Alicia, sigh, why did you help those people? You want to help everyone but it's going to cause you a whole lot of trouble down the line.   'Jack' had a pleasant voice, and I thought he might be a future boyfriend for Alicia.

- Chris had his mother go from being alive and well one day, to dead the next. Grief works out differently for a lot of people so I understood why he'd want her body on the boat.   I would rather my dead mother was a meal for the sharks than a mob of slobbering zombies.  

 

What was in that bag Nick found on the sunken boat?  I think he was looking for guns, not drugs.  Can never have enough guns in a zombie world....plus, bullets, of course.

[ghoulina]

Finally got to watch this. AMC was acting up for me last night. It kept pausing and skipping during live TV, so the DVR actually didn't record anything but a black screen. For all 3 airings and both TTDs. So weird. I ended up watching on AMC.com earlier this morning on my phone. Not sure why I went through all that for a show I'm just watching for snark purposes, but there you have it....

 

Anyhow, I'm not so sure about "Monster". This episode would have been more aptly titled, "Talking On a Boat". 

 

Gah, I just find most of these people insufferable. Daniel is the closest thing to someone I could like. At least he's fishing. That's being useful and thinking about staying alive - while everyone else sits around and whines. Or wanders the decks of the yacht, staring pensively off at the horizon, as if they're on a damn cruise or something. 

 

And then Alicia. WTF? First, when did high school girls learn to operate ham radios? Second, is she dense? She's acting like this is 1-800-HOTDATES, and I'm yelling at the screen - "Why are you telling him what kind of boat you're on??? Why are you telling him what supplies you have? Noooo, don't give him an idea of the direction you're in!!! Sheesh!" 

 

I'm almost looking forward to whatever bad guys show up next week, maybe they can kill off a couple of these annoying characters.

[RustbeltWriter]

The more we see of Strand, the more I wonder why he was in that holding cell with Nick and how he got there. I wonder why he was singled out? Watching him on the boat he was clearly capable of being more than just some stockbroker or banker. He was putting in some grueling hours and still managed to lay down the law once Alicia mentioned she was chatting people up on the radio. I think he may be the mystery the show desperately needs to be interesting and maintain viewers. After all, TWD has already shown us 6 seasons of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances so we kind of know where we are with the other characters.

[ghoulina]

I hated the way Travis just killed Chris's mom-- really hated that. Chris should have been told she was bitten and had a chance to say goodbye to her.

 

Didn't Liza ask him too, though? Or she asked Madison, because she didn't think Travis could do it? My memory is fuzzy, but I figured she went down on the beach like she did to spare her son from having to say goodbye. Maybe not a great choice, but I feel like it was her choice, not Travis's. 

 

This, a thousand times. I looked over at the wife while the bombing was going on and said, "That looks really interesting. Wouldn't it be awesome to see how the  government made that decision and the angst it caused as it was being carried out?"

 

Right? There are so many other angles they could take with this show! When Alicia was fiddling around with the radio and she heard the coast guard announcement, that was the only part of the episode that I felt something about. What did he say at the end? "Forgive us?" "We're sorry"? Something, and it sounded so sad. I, too, would love to see some more of how these decisions were made and what it did to people. They can't all be dicks like the ones guarding the neighborhood last season.

[meep.meep]

another concern: maybe they got a deal, but they have to be spending some money on the whole "water" aspect of this show, what with building the boat and other sets, and renting the Titanic pool and filming in Mexico (yes, just over the border.) true some of these expenses (set building) are part of any show, but the aspects that specifically are for "water" have to eat into their budget. Does that mean they won't have enough money to do adequate "herds of walkers?" That was a criticism last year, that there weren't a lot of Walkers even though they were in LA.

 

There weren't "herds of walkers" on original recipe until the second season.  Rick and most of CDB were just as useless and annoying as most of these people.

 

What I noticed about this, was that it was clear they had filmed a lot more, and had to cut way back.  Cliff Curtis mentioned a big scene that he did that was cut.  When they first get on the Abigail, Strand is pointing out a series of fixed lights and saying that they are trouble, but then that just gets dropped.

 

And I, for one, hope to never see Tobias again.

[piequinn35]

I have many questions for this show hehe... why did they have to bomb L.A.? did they have an alternative than bombing? what about the innocent people??? @_@

 

I hope the naval base in San Diego is still there...

[that one guy]

I sailed for years and I never saw anyone jump into the ocean that far out to swim. Only a lunatic with no appreciation for how dangerous the ocean is would do something so freaking stupid.

I know, when I saw the first idiot jump in I thought it was a suicide attempt.

 

Alicia being an idiot just makes me even sadder that Alycia Debnam-Carey had to leave The 100 for this.  I'm sure the pay is better, but man, do I wish her character was more like Lexa, even if would be unrealistic as hell.

Came her to post exactly that. I've seen her be a wonderful actress! It's not that she's bad here, it's just that she's been given nothing to do. She's like the first two seasons of Beth Greene on TWD. Eventually I liked that character, but Seasons 2 and 3 she didn't do much. I only remembered who she was because the character was a big Tom Waits fan, and so am I. Alicia doesn't even have a quirk like that to make her memorable. Since this show stole her away from the 100 with suitcases full of money, I hope they give her something more to do.

 

That said, I am assuming it was "Jack" who shot up the boat, and that the distress call was fake, and a trap. The show went the less interesting route with this. I wish Alicia had convinced them to go try to rescue them, and have them turn out to be homicidal loonies.

 

I also want them to run into survivors of the Season 1 military who remember who they are and shoot theme dead, because these are definitely the bad guys. Strand will be the West Coast Negan and Salazar will be his chief enforcer and torturer. Salazar has already admitted to working with death squads in El Salvador, I think this would be a great show if you just let these characters set up an evil empire of their own.

[Iguessnot]

This gave me a chuckle. On 30 Rock there was an episode where they did a Bravo type reality show called "Queen of Jordan" In one scene the main character Angie Jordan made a reference to someone knowing it was not true then deadpanned "I know they are not married. I just want them to know I don't give a *@% about their lives" I swear I read your comment in her voice

 

Thanks for the laugh. I have to find that episode and watch it tonight.

Didn't Madison ever teach her daughter about stranger danger and not picking up hitchhikers?  I guess not since she spent her children's childhood enabling her drug addicted son.

 

I tried watching Talking Dead for this ep and I gave up about halfway through and deleted it.  I just didn't care.

Yeah I watch a minute, fast forwarded watched another couple of minutes and hit delete. The only thing I liked was Chris's shirt and tie and jacket. Very nice color combo.

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm probably about Maddy's age, too. Never would have occurred to me to hit a parent.

 

It didn't occur to my parent until she got a smack back and a "how do you like it?"

 

My terrible point, such as it is, is that it is not so uncommon that the writers went to a strange, bizarre place that no one in the audience can relate to. This show has many flaws, unlikable characters and no appearence of Sharktopus (as yet) but this wasn't that eyebrow raising.

[Dobian]

One of the reasons I am interested in Strand is that I keep having to up my estimates on how wealthy he is. At first I was 50/50 on whether he was rich or just talking a good game with Nick in the detention cell. Then we saw his twenty plus million dollar house. Now the show is on his twenty plus million dollar yacht.

 

You don't typically get that kind of money working for people. You get it by owning a business where people work for you.

 

Or you're in congress. ;-)

Edited April 11, 2016 by Dobian

[piequinn35]

You can be rich too if your parents are rich :) and you're the only heir :)

[Boofish]

Thanks for the laugh. I have to find that episode and watch it tonight.

 

Season 6; epi 19 - Queen of Jordan 2: The Mystery of the Phantom Pooper

[Muffyn]

I find myself this morning wanting to get on a large yacht and just stand at the railling and stare out at the sea.  Stand and stare.  Stare and stand.  And somehow go deaf because with all of that quiet I cannot hear someone talking on a radio. 

 

I will at least give Travis credit for taking off his jacket before diving in.  Nick kept on all of his old man duds.  If only they were pulling  him down and he had totake them off to survive.  Next time boys, consider taking off your shoes too. 

[piequinn35]

I just read that the thing Nick got was the yacht's log, and it was not wet coz it got in a plastic somehow???

[Giselle]

I have never seen "swimming" zombies in any film or television show.  I think I saw one maybe where they walked on the bottom and came up on shore in the shallows.  Where is the buoyancy coming from? Let's suspend disbelief even and say they float, how do they propel other than waves or current?  These things yesterday seemed to be swimming and diving.  Come  on show., really?

 

In the book World War Z they ran fast and walked on the bottom of the oceans and came ashore, in TWD they  are slow walkers and those who were at the bottom of a lake  seemed to stay there. The writers create their own world so to explain the back stroking and diving swimmers  I chalk it up to the writers and production not having written the West Coast Zombie Bible yet where it becomes canon law on how west coast zombies act. Remember in the first few episodes of The  Walking Dead the zombies were far more intelligent Morgan's zombie wife knew where she lived and even tried the door knob, and they knew that it was a lock and chain on a gate blocking their way. As time when on they dumbed them down.

 

On another tack, w also don't know how shot up the swimmers were or how long ago it had happened. Depending upon where they were hit gasses could have built up and gave them buoyancy thus the ability to do their version of the Australian crawl.

 

Just guessing.

 

Strand stays.

[Ocean Chick]

OK please tell me again why Strand let them on his boat? What does he need them for? Companions? 

 

Hopefully to use as decoys when escaping zombies.  He can start throwing them down as he runs off to safety.  Or maybe shoot them in the legs as needed so the zombies will stop and chow down on them as, again, he makes his way to safety.

[walnutqueen]

There weren't "herds of walkers" on original recipe until the second season.  Rick and most of CDB were just as useless and annoying as most of these people.

 

What I noticed about this, was that it was clear they had filmed a lot more, and had to cut way back.  Cliff Curtis mentioned a big scene that he did that was cut.  When they first get on the Abigail, Strand is pointing out a series of fixed lights and saying that they are trouble, but then that just gets dropped.

 

And I, for one, hope to never see Tobias again.

 

^^^  Ditto!

 

I saw nothing special about Liza, either and am glad she's gone.

 

And Strand?  Can stay or go.  I give zero fucks about him, too.

 

I obviously don't belong here.  ;-)

[Giselle]

And Strand?  Can stay or go.  I give zero fucks about him, too.

You wound me.

Strand stays.

[Ocean Chick]

There weren't "herds of walkers" on original recipe until the second season.  Rick and most of CDB were just as useless and annoying as most of these people.

 

 

 

Rick ran in to a herd of walkers in Atlanta - they ate his horse and trapped him in the tank.  That was season 1.  They also tried to break into the store.  Before that Rick was in a small town, which would mean fewer people to turn into walkers.  But L.A. is huge and full of millions of people, so you'd expect herds early on.

[Yolapukka]

 

And I, for one, hope to never see Tobias again.

 

Also co-signing to this. We already have a snoutful of phlegmatic characters pulling sad faces. I think he'd turn out to be a case of being careful what you wish. Plus this show does not need more teens with floppy hair. It needs some adults who aren't grating and worthless.

Edited April 11, 2016 by yuggapukka

[Pixiebomb]

I actually like FTWD because when I watch I don't sit on the edge of my seat nearly going into cardiac arrest because I know any minute one of my beloved characters is going to get shot, eaten or lucilled.

In fact I had no anxiety last night while watching it other than trying to beat level 646 in Candy Crush.

I only paid attention when that guy started talking to Alicia on the radio. But when his first words weren't "Hey dumbass, yeah, you on the boat" I turned back to my game.

[phoenix780]

This is an excellent point.  People don't just go from a regular life to full on Rick Grimes in one week. I'll take some tiiiiiime. 

 

I hated the way Travis just killed Chris's mom-- really hated that. Chris should have been told she was bitten and had a chance to say goodbye to her. I feel for this kid: the world has just ended, he has generalized teenaged angst anyway, horrific things are happening daily, you think you escaped only to find your dad has just shot your mom. I'd be pissed at the world,too.  Chris's reaction was the most realistic one I have seen on a tv show.

But I've already seen that story, dangit!  This was supposed to be an origin story, at first, only they jumped over that and got us to what will probably be the same conversations we hear on the mothership about life and death and decisions and selfishness and altruism and all that.  Also, if the pirates are already up and running these people could catch up.  It can't always be the evil and/or ambiguous who are smart.

 

I was cool with the kid's reaction.  Just thought it was interesting he couldn't quite get to a point of crying/tears.  Good point upthread about ages, though.  Might have been better to age them down slightly.

 

My terrible point, such as it is, is that it is not so uncommon that the writers went to a strange, bizarre place that no one in the audience can relate to. This show has many flaws, unlikable characters and no appearence of Sharktopus (as yet) but this wasn't that eyebrow raising.

 

I'm, um, "glad" to hear it's not so off-the-wall.  I still found it strange, maybe part of that was the delivery because it was all a bit flat.  Madison was a terrible counselor, I'd imagine.

[walnutqueen]

You wound me.

Strand stays.

 

"It's only a flesh wound".  ;-)

 

Sorry, but I'm already so sick of this Strand stays trope that I'm considering dropping this forum from my follow list. 

[LeapDayBaby]

While I'm always happy to hear a little Bowie, I would have preferred that the show had used Seu Jorge's cover of "Five Years" from "The Life Aquatic". Seems more fitting, given this episode's setting.

 

Speaking of songs from the show, here's another number I would have liked to hear, courtesy of Roxy Music:
 

There's a new sensation

A fabulous creation

A danceable solution

To teenage revolution

 

Do the Strand...

 

I'll see myself out.

 

 

[peach]

I'm, um, "glad" to hear it's not so off-the-wall.  I still found it strange, maybe part of that was the delivery because it was all a bit flat.  Madison was a terrible counselor, I'd imagine.

 

Well, it was a poor attempt at bonding, because that first time she popped her parent, it probably wasn't because they'd just shot the other one in the head.  Unless, of course, they did.  Which might be interesting.  I wish Maddie had shot Liza.  That would make better dynamics for conflict on the boat.  But everybody gets along like gangbusters, apparently.  Except for poor Strand, whom they all seem to resent for giving them everything.

[Iguessnot]

It didn't occur to my parent until she got a smack back and a "how do you like it?"

 

My terrible point, such as it is, is that it is not so uncommon that the writers went to a strange, bizarre place that no one in the audience can relate to. This show has many flaws, unlikable characters and no appearence of Sharktopus (as yet) but this wasn't that eyebrow raising.

She delivered that line as though she was telling him the time she took a drag of a cigarette unbeknownst to her parents.

[riverheightsnancy]

 

And where in the world are they yatching that the ocean water is so clear?  It's like pool clear.  I've swum of the coast of California and Mexico and never seen water so clean and clear in my life.  Maybe because they're so far off the coast?  I've not done any deep sea swimming, so maybe?  But I'd be awful wary of sharks and other critters out there who might want a nibble.  To say nothing of swimming walkers (floaters?) who also might want a nibble. 

 

Mexico. I think the water is clear because they film the boat scenes in an infinity type pool, so they can't really help it, but I also thought that the water was very clear as well (as a real life pool owner).

I'm fantasizing that the front of the yacht detaches from the back end and Strand pulls away in a little Goldfinger mini-yacht. Back end sinks. This show restarts with Strand only, with 45 min of him passing people in the water yelling "NOPE!!" I'd actually watch that.

Yeah, 'cause (say it with me) It's his goddamn boat! 

 

Strand stays! 

[LadyArcadia]

Oof.  Apparently I'm the queen of unpopular opinions here. 

• I. Can't. Stand. Strand.  HATE that character. You do not need to speak every fucking line like you're auditioning for an Old Spice commercial. Dear god, shut up with all the damn cliche's and hurry up and get eaten!  Every line he speaks is just so damn over the top! In fact, he's actually ruining the show for me. *ducks from flying tomatoes*
• Also, I see nothing wrong with what Alecia did with the radio. Again, this all just started. Everyone is running to safety in some fashion. It's chaos, and in a crisis people typically comfort each other, even strangers. Especially strangers! In a typical crises, humans want to help each other and band together (see 9/11).  Yes, we have the luxury of knowing what this world is like several years later. But right now, in their timeline, what she did makes sense. It's completely normal.
• I like Nick.  In fact, I found him kind of attractive in this episode. (ack!).  That moment with Ophelia caught me off guard and I was... whew... I approve.  I approve of this new Nick.  I approve of them together, if that's where this is headed.
• While Chris' actions annoyed me because (once again) we know what this world is a few years later, in that moment my heart breaks for him.  Yeah, he's a brat.  Yeah, I still kind of want him to be eaten for being a jerkface, but his dad shot his mom in the head!  I mean come on!  That's gotta mess him up really good. He still doesn't get it.  Even in the army base at the end of the season, he was mostly in the parking garage.  I don't think he truly understands.  He's a dumb teenager, and his dad shot his mom in the head. I'm willing to give him a pass..... for one episode.

 

Now for my questions:

• Why was Nick going for the boat log? What is it and why in the world is it so important?  How did he even know it was there?
• If they had time to pack, why didn't they pack food?  Why are they having to eat eel? Strand made it clear he had food at the house. Why not bring it?
• It's the first episode of the season. Why were there no deaths?!  ONE death in the entire last season and none in the opener? Pick it up. It's already boring as it is.
• Why are the showrunners insisting on skipping the actual important storylines?!  The fall of LA - nope, we will skip ahead 9 days later.  The bombing of LA - nope, we'll just show a bunch of fire and hit the tail end of it.  ARGGH!  You could have had everyone where they were from last season and the bombs going off.  That would have been scary.  Nope. We will just fast forward over all of the compelling parts and show you eel fishing.

 

Fuck me.

Edited April 11, 2016 by LadyArcadia

[peach]

Anyhow, I'm not so sure about "Monster". This episode would have been more aptly titled, "Talking On a Boat". 

 

So...who is the Monster?  I'd vote for Maddie but she's a very boring Monster.

[magdalene]

The only characters I find interesting are Nick and Strand.  Sadly Kim Dickens is not doing it for me on this show - I did like her characters on previous shows. Travis is so boring to me, the guy who plays him has like one facial expression. The actor who plays the teen girl acts like she is on a CW teen drama.

[lezlers]

I think the "it's not what I wanted" is a real problem.  As a spin-off from TWD, we come in expecting it to either show how we got to TWD or be in the same vein as TWD and this show is neither.  We have to approach the show on its own terms to have a chance at enjoying it.

 

Fundamentally, most of the characters on TWD are supposed to be extraordinary people. There are Strands and Salazars all around. Most of the FtWD people are supposed to be ordinary. I can imagine having Madison and Travis as neighbors pretty easily and sharing a beer with Travis while he complains about the latest issue he's having with Madison. It is so much harder to make ordinary people interesting to watch so I admire the show for trying to do it.  That said, even if ordinary people can be entertaining, the show needs to make some of them likable -- and soon! 

 

Just as an example, if Travis and Madison weren't already together, can you imagine any online community shipping their relationship? The show needs to give us an idea of why they are together. Not in a "is it plausible" sense (because it's easy to see how a divorcee and a widow working together ended up hooking up) but in a "they're great/interesting together" sense.  I really hope the show can fix their negative chemistry.

 

This.  Throughout the entire episode, I had to keep reminding myself that these people aren't 3+ years into the zombie apocalypse like TWD.  They don't know this world and everything happened so quickly, they're still shell shocked.  They don't realize the imminent danger they're all in (except Strand and Salazar.) I mean, WE know how idiotic Alicia is talking to some stranger on the radio, but her character is a dumb teenager so doesn't yet have an appreciation for the predicament they're all in. 

 

Now, there were a few things that were dumb as hell for them to do, their lack of zombie knowledge notwithstanding.  I hate Maddie as a character.  Something about her really bugs.  Maybe it's her dead facial expression and voice.  She just rubs me the wrong way.  Her demanding Strand pick up a bunch of refugees in the situation they're in made me want to fly through the screen and punch her.  You're on a boat with very limited supplies.  At best, you're in a national emergency with no knowledge as to how long it's going to last.  You don't know where you're going.  Why the ever loving hell would you pick up 20+ people (immediately outnumbering yourself?)  Like Travis said, you protect yourself and your family FIRST.  And them bringing Liza's dead body on to the boat?  Seriously?  They're on a beach waiting for a rescue raft while physically fighting off zombies. Like they weren't in enough of a hurry they had to lug 130 pounds of dead weight along with them?  Come on, now.  That can't be chalked up to being green to the zombie apocalypse, that's a dumb ass move in any emergency situation.  Shit like that made me crazy watching the episode. 

 

I'm intrigued by Strand.  He's the only one telling these idiots what's up.  I'll keep watching just to find out his story.  The other ones can all pretty much suck it.

[piequinn35]

Now for my questions:

1. Why was Nick going for the boat log? What is it and why in the world is it so important?  How did he even know it was there?

2. If they had time to pack, why didn't they pack food?  Why are they having to eat eel? Strand made it clear he had food at the house. Why not bring it?

3. It's the first episode of the season. Why were there no deaths?!  ONE death in the entire last season and none in the opener? Pick it up. It's already boring as it is.

4. Why are the showrunners insisting on skipping the actual important storylines?!  The fall of LA - nope, we will skip ahead 9 days later.  The bombing of LA - nope, we'll just show a bunch of fire and hit the tail end of it.  ARGGH!  You could have had everyone where they were from last season and the bombs going off.  That would have been scary.  Nope. We will just fast forward over all of the compelling parts and show you eel fishing.

 

Fuck me.

1. He heard something he thought maybe a survivor (and maybe there's drugs too!) but instead a zombie and boat log.

2. I think the food was already moved to the boat by Strand, Salazar, etc. and they were the only ones left to be taken by Nick.

3. No deaths from the cast (but from the other boat) but there was zombie suspense on the beach and the floating zombies lol

4. I don't get it why they bombed L.A., maybe they will tell us in the following eps???

[Jel]

1. He heard something he thought maybe a survivor (and maybe there's drugs too!) but instead a zombie and boat log.

2. I think the food was already moved to the boat by Strand, Salazar, etc. and they were the only ones left to be taken by Nick.

3. No deaths from the cast (but from the other boat) but there was zombie suspense on the beach and the floating zombies lol

4. I don't get it why they bombed L.A., maybe they will tell us in the following eps???

I think that was Operation Cobalt, from last season. It was the military plan to evacuate and then "humanely terminate" (or something) all who remained  -- both the infected and the non infected.

 

(As I type I realize your question may be why was Operation Cobalt deemed necessary -- that I do not know.  Apologies if my post was an exercise in the blatantly obvious!)

[piequinn35]

Thanks for mentioning operation cobalt now  I remember @_@

[TVFan17]

One thing I appreciate about not yet being totally sold on this show... is that I am not yet totally sold on this show! 

 

In other words, because I don't feel particularly invested in any specific character at this point -- nor am I even interested in some of them -- I am enjoying reading all of the comments and observations here (pro-Strand and anti-Strand; pro-Nick and anti-Nick and so on).  It's different than if I really liked something a lot and everyone was bashing it, which can be a downer on any forum.  In this case I have no allegiance to this cast or to this show at this point, so I can see very accurate and valid points in everyone's comments about the show. 

 

In fact, right now, today, I like Strand and think he is interesting.  One or two weeks from now I may feel differently and no longer like him... in which case, I reserve the right to change my mind and jump ship!

[Giselle]

"It's only a flesh wound".  ;-)

 

Sorry, but I'm already so sick of this Strand stays trope that I'm considering dropping this forum from my follow list.

I'll live to post another day.

 

I'm enjoying the character but I'm curious as to what don't you care for about his character? You can pm me if you like. :-)

[walnutqueen]

I'll live to post another day.

 

I'm enjoying the character but I'm curious as to what don't you care for about his character? You can pm me if you like. :-)

 

Strand psychologically eviscerated that poor husband in the lockup just to pass the time.  First sign of a sociopath.  Also, he bloviates like Pappa Pope.  I don't trust him or his motives for "befriending" Nick and family, nor do I care for him - so far.

[txhorns79]

(As I type I realize your question may be why was Operation Cobalt deemed necessary -- that I do not know.  Apologies if my post was an exercise in the blatantly obvious!)

 

I presumed that the Army realized the hordes were growing out of control, and they could no longer protect the civilians, so better to evacuate while it was still possible and kill everyone so the Army had breathing room to get out of town without worry about anyone excepting themselves. 

Edited April 12, 2016 by txhorns79

[ZoloftBlob]

I agree with WalnutQueen on Strand. The actor is fine, and engaging, but Strand as a person is not someone I'd want to be around in life. He made friends with Nick to use Nick. He did merrily shit on his fellow prisoners, he did leave them all to die, telling Nick to not unlock them when they escaped.

 

And while I appreciate the boat being his, he'd be dead in the hospital if Nick's family, including Liza who died, and Ofelia who got shot, hadn't included him in the rescue. They let him in their vehicles, they could have left him to die. Yes, he had a good plan but they had no reason to trust him and they did. It's his fucking boat, and it was their fucking family rescue and truck.

[rab01]

I certainly agree that Strand's introduction to us confirms him to be a despicable human being. That said, I like him (so far) as a character because he is interesting to watch, appears to give thought to his actions, appears to have more thoughts in his head than what he voices, and is a source of genuine tension within the cast of characters.  If he continues to be the voice of reason, however, I may start rooting for him despite recognizing that he is evil to the core. So ...

 

Strand stays ;)

Edited April 12, 2016 by rab01

[txhorns79]

If he continues to be the voice of reason, however, I may start rooting for him despite recognizing that he is evil to the core. So ...

 

He stays, if only people he is one of the few people on that boat making good decisions.  Madison would have likely already gotten their throats slit by bringing 20 strangers on board. 

Edited April 12, 2016 by txhorns79

[SimoneS]

I am just glad that none of the others know how to sail that boat and I hope it stays that way.

[Giselle]

Strand psychologically eviscerated that poor husband in the lockup just to pass the time.  First sign of a sociopath.  Also, he bloviates like Pappa Pope.  I don't trust him or his motives for "befriending" Nick and family, nor do I care for him - so far.

 

Hi, WalnutQueen, I support you're dislike of the character but I did see that "detainment cage" scene differently.

 

Strand thinks strategically, reading people and talking is what he is good at. He is a high contrast to anybody else in the cast save Salazar. But as I have said before I think we all have a bit more of Strand and Salazar in ourselves than we would like to or want to admit especially in a life or death situation. We don't know who or what is in San Diego or why it is important to Strand. He is doing his damnedest to get there just as I would to get back to my loved ones.

 

Strand didn't scramble Doug's head just for fun, Strand had a plan to get out. Doug was unstable and already an emotional mess and that could jeopardize his chance at freedom  so he removed the threat to his plan. It wasn't pretty but it was effective. If he felt that he didn't have to do it I don't think he would have given Doug his time. Also he is very honest in some respects by telling you who he is. He hasn't told anyone anything more than he needs to but he hasn't lied to anyone in the group yet and it would seem he keeps his deals and so far his word and believes in quid pro quo.. If you don't believe him, that is on you. He told Doug that he, Strand, could sell anything, to prove that point he sold Doug the idea that his wife could survive without him and Doug bought it hook line and sinker. Nick said "You saved me." after Stand bartered his cufflinks for him. Strand honestly told him "No, I obligated you."  He told the officer with whom he earlier bartered the watch that a Deal was a deal, the watch was his. He needed to get to his house, the others needed a place to regroup. He offered his house and later his boat. His not opening the pens was the same reason he didn't take on the boat people, "Helping them hurts us." and those in the pens were there for a reason and they could have very well ended our groups ability to escape the compound. Also, as he said, he filled his quota of saving lives.  And  Alicia has now unknowingly betrayed him (and he group), the first to do so, so now we get to see how he handles that.

 

Good or bad we haven't seen the entire picture of Strand. I am curious as to how his character is fleshed out and what he goes through in the series.

 

On a side note, last year I hated Nick the addict and wanted him gone now I have become intrigued, still don't care for him but am curious if he will grow.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Giselle