S02.E04: Blood on the Streets

[natyxg]

1 hour ago, Muffyn said:

For about ten minutes I was actually interested in the show and then, well, it's Fear The Walking Dead.  'Nuf said. Daniel s wiggling his wrists and Daniel is wiggling his wrists and Daniel is wiggling his wrists.  Exciting stuff. 

LOOOORD, a whole episode of Daniel wiggling his wrists, just so Nick and what's his name could come in the last five minutes and save the day like it was nothing. They really need a reminder course on exciting tv techniques.

[econ07]

For there being an entire tent city that was not set ablaze (tents in tact), there was a surprising few number of zombies.  Shouldn't that whole area have been overrun?  It's like they ran out of money and said ... oh, screw it.  We just need one for Nick to kill.

I like this show more than most, but this episode was very disjointed.  We still don't know why Nick was sent alone, and how his mother would have ever OK'd that, or if she even did.

[Save Yourself]

7 hours ago, calliope1975 said:

I loved World War Z the book. My dream is that someday HBO, AMC, or the like will do a true adaption. I ended up liking the movie more than I thought I would, but it didn't have much in common with the book other than the title. 

The book was so good it's a shame the movie was such a crap fest (IMO). I think the book is handy for anyone who watches the TWD franchise as a kind of research tool ?. It gives valid reasons how slow moving zombies (not fast like in the movie ffs!) could decimate the army and cities. I really enjoyed that it was written from a global perspective as well, it was very interesting to see how other countries were reacting and if they were helping each other. Would love HBO to do an adaptation but Brad Pitt has the rights stitched up, there is going to be a second movie. He could sell to TV eventually I guess once he's stopped using the name for the movie franchise. 

Edited May 2, 2016 by Save Yourself

[Save Yourself]

This season is 15 episodes so they must be doing the Season 2A, Season 2B thing like the mothership. 

[NorthstarATL]

On 2016-05-02 at 6:33 AM, txhorns79 said:

This is something that really bugs me.  I can totally believe that people saw what was coming, and banded together for protection.  I have trouble with the idea that quasi-evil super gangs immediately sprang up from the ruins of society and were ready to start their evil-ing within a few days of societal collapse. 

I think Nick and Strand show that opportunism will thrive when society breaks down. And we already know that people in large part behave as sheep and will reject freedom and even their own moral codes for a type of security.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[LVmom]

I deleted this show off of the DVR, and then ended up in front of the TV with a Travel Channel food show that sucked more than Fear. I ended up going back to Fear for lack of better options. I actually didn't mind this episode-but the fact is, this is a show of Lauries, Andreas, and Shanes. I just hate these people, and am not at all invested in their survival!

This episode went a lot better just with the addition of Nick being useful and figuring out how to be an effective zombie slayer. I like the character of Luis. I could get behind a character who is capable of dispatching people without thinking twice but has a moral code. But, I have been on a recent Telenovela drug kingpin kick with La Reina Del Sur, so I'm used to the bodyguard with a moral code.  I liked the Strand backstory but was terrified he was going to die. On the Mothershow, if you get too much backstory "Molly, you in danger Girl!".

[ghoulina]

I felt like my DVR cut part of the beginning out. Or I had fallen asleep last week and missed something (quite possible), because I had no idea why Nick was on land by himself, no idea where he was going. It wasn't until he met up with Strand's friend that I figured it out. Were we supposed to know? Did the other people on the boat know? Why did I feel like I woke up halfway into the show? 

I will say this, Nick's got his zombie walk on lock! No one has ever committed to the broken ankle shuffle like that. So kudos to him. 

Well, well, well....Alicia's Tinder date came back to bite her in the ass, just as I knew it would. As soon as that boat pulled up with the screaming pregnant lady, I knew it was all a ruse. But of course The Mad(die) Hatters let them on the yacht! I was totally with YNB on TTD - "Who are you? Why you want on my boat?" No, not happening. I don't care how fresh the ZA is, these are strangers, you vet them first. Didn't your mom ever teach you about stranger danger? See where her blood is coming from before taking her deep inside your home. 

It was nice to see that Maddie's cold/vacant demeanor is good for one thing - unnerving pregnant women who are possibly carrying zombie fetuses inside them. I also noticed she had no problem taking a crowbar to dude's back. That almost makes up for her whining about needing to "start over" earlier in the episode. Because. Seriously. I was ready to throw her overboard myself in that moment. She's all, "I don't want to just survive, I want to start over". Bitch, it's too early for that! You're only a few weeks in! You have to EARN starting over. Talk to me once you've run past SEVERAL groups of wandering assholes, when you've lost a few family members. THEN you can make claims about wanting to start over. 

In more interesting news, Travis - the high school teacher - is apparently very knowledgeable about the inner workings of a yacht. Keep this guy alive, because new skills just keep flying out of his ass.  Because he looked more like he was watching a makeup tutorial on Youtube. 

I couldn't figure out if Alicia's interactions with Jack were legit, or if she was trying to manipulate him. I hope it was the latter, but if it were me, I wouldn't be biding me time. Forget a nice hug, I'd be making out, pulling his pants down, getting him completely in a state of ecstasy - then grab that knife and slit his throat. Booyah! Nice knowing ya. 

 

Did not care about Strand's backstory. I thought I would, but I didn't. I still don't even feel like I totally get it. His mom left, dad was a preacher, he's bankrupt, robs a guy, then guy becomes his lover, and now he's on a yacht named after him. Still no idea what kind of business he was in, why he was going to LA, who's in Mexico, how this all ties together, etc. Maybe it wasn't clearly explained or maybe I just zoned out too much during his scenes. I don't know if it's Domingo's acting or the way they write for him, but I just can't. He comes off like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland, talking in riddles and trying to be so profound. Pass. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[ghoulina]

9 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

How did the Reed and Connor et al find the Abigail ?  The Abigail has moved substantially since they last had radio contact, and there are heavily armed pirates nearby.

I think maybe they ARE the armed pirates. At any rate, the Abigail conveniently quit moving last episode when a body clogged it up. 

[Maverick]

3 hours ago, econ07 said:

I like this show more than most, but this episode was very disjointed.  We still don't know why Nick was sent alone, and how his mother would have ever OK'd that, or if she even did.

 They didn't do the greatest job conveying it, but Strand sent Nick to retrieve Luis before Poor Man's Joshua Jackson and crew arrived.  That's why Nick was surprised there were strangers on the Abigail with weapons. (and explains why he didn't have more urgency).   No one else knew Strand sent Nick on this mission which is why they were all asking if anyone had seen Nick.  When the pirates invaded and Strand had no means of shooting them (thanks to 'paranoid old fool' Daniel), he jumped ship...presumably to meet up with Luis and Nick on land and dump the dead weight.

[JackONeill]

I don't know if this is good or bad. The people on this show don't seem to be as concerned about the zombies as do CDB (especially at the beginning).

for instance, last night when Nick and what's his name got out of the Porsche, there were walkers all around. But the two guys were just chit-chatting. Then, they practically stopped at the rope that led to the boat. I didn't see either guy showing any concern about the walkers. It took a long time for CDB to get to that point.

i think this show has defused the threat of walkers and that's why they are desperately trying to jump to the man vs man drama.

[riverheightsnancy]

On 2016-05-02 at 9:05 AM, JackONeill said:

I don't know if this is good or bad. The people on this show don't seem to be as concerned about the zombies as do CDB (especially at the beginning).

for instance, last night when Nick and what's his name got out of the Porsche, there were walkers all around. But the two guys were just chit-chatting. Then, they practically stopped at the rope that led to the boat. I didn't see either guy showing any concern about the walkers. It took a long time for CDB to get to that point.

i think this show has defused the threat of walkers and that's why they are desperately trying to jump to the man vs man drama.

Excellent point. Let's say that these islands will have very few walkers. They will immediately go into man v. man as opposed to how long it has taken on the east coast. I mean, look how fast Nick found out about covering oneself with walker guts to hide from them. Nick found that out in under a couple of months. It seems like FTWD is on overdrive to "catch-up" the the original series. I really hope that they don;tr want to combine these guys at some point in the future. 

[SoSueMe]

9 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

Watching Colman on Talking Dead was so enjoyable it practically erased the astronomic levels of suck that was this episode.  I think that Colman will be the first actor of the franchise to get an Emmy nomination.  Luckily for him, he doesn't have to deal with Gimple's obsession with Carol/MMB so he gets a chance to show what he can do.

I still have absolutely no idea what happened in this episode.  Where did the 'Breakfast Club' pirates come from?  One minute the Ship of Fools is drifting in their ocean of suck and the next minute they're being boarded by bad guys.  Meanwhile Nick is sightseeing.  Have any of these people heard about a little thing called the zombie apocalypse?  

If Alicia isn't dead soon, there's no God.  Ofelia and Chris also deserve to die, but Alicia earned a gold star in stupid bitchery tonight so she must go.

Whatever Colman is being paid, he needs to get double.  He is the only reason to watch this mess.

Hah @mightysparrow;  Breakfast Club Pirates! I love it :)

I need to tally the dirty/clean Nick sightings for this episode. Like YNB says, that boy just loves being dirty, lol.

[The Mighty Peanut]

Strand, Dougray Scott, Alex, Alex's friend, Tobias, Nick, and Daniel can stay. Everyone else is fired. I would pay real money to see the producers kvetching in private about how colossally they miscast this show. 

[NorthstarATL]

On 2016-05-02 at 9:26 AM, riverheightsnancy said:

Excellent point. Let's say that these islands will have very few walkers as opposed to TWD. They will immediately go into man v. man as opposed to how long it has taken on the east coast. I mean, look how fast Nick found out about covering oneself with walker guts to hide from them. Nick found that out in under a couple of months. It seems like FTWD is on overdrive to "catch-up" the the original series. I really hope that they don;tr want to combine these guys at some point in the future. 

They have done a pretty decent job of conveying that Nick was a survivor prior to the ZA, and that he is a quick adapter. A lot of the mistakes people seemed to make on the Mothership had to do with relying too heavily upon the group dynamic and not having to learn these things and really fend for themselves.

[candall]

53 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 They didn't do the greatest job conveying it, but Strand sent Nick to retrieve Luis before Poor Man's Joshua Jackson and crew arrived.  That's why Nick was surprised there were strangers on the Abigail with weapons. (and explains why he didn't have more urgency).   No one else knew Strand sent Nick on this mission which is why they were all asking if anyone had seen Nick.  When the pirates invaded and Strand had no means of shooting them (thanks to 'paranoid old fool' Daniel), he jumped ship...presumably to meet up with Luis and Nick on land and dump the dead weight.

Awwright!  Much obliged.

[kj4ever]

On 2016-05-02 at 9:58 AM, NorthstarATL said:

They have done a pretty decent job of conveying that Nick was a survivor prior to the ZA, and that he is a quick adapter.  A lot of the mistakes people seemed to make on the Mothership had to do with relying too heavily upon the group dynamic and not having to learn these things and really fend for themselves.

I'm not so sure that it is to soon for a "big bad".  There will always be people like that in a harrowing situation.  Some people thrive on that.

The Chris/Ofelia scene was painful to watch.  Bad dialog, bad acting....Good God.

So is Strand just ho'in himself out to this dude because he's rich?  Is this dude like the mob or part of a drug cartel or something with the scary Mama in Mexico or is he legit?  How is the Mexican boarder still protected when the entire US of A has fallen?  So now that we know Strand is gay maybe he does see a little somethin' somethin' in Nick....

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[Ocean Chick]

So at the refugee camp that Nick swam to - there were some pretty fierce fire going in those cans, hinting at humans being around no later than a an hour or so.  So what happened to them?  The tents were still standing - they weren't mowed down by a panicked throng.  There was only the one walker that we saw.  How do you move a crowd that size away from an area and not leave signs of chaos?  There was no blood or upturned fire cans or any signs of sudden movement.  Where are all the people?  Or walkers?  So many questions.

Strand is the ultimate con-man.  He'll say what he has to say and do what he has to do in order to survive.  In style.  And that includes sleeping with whoever he needs to.  I'm not convinced he's in love with Dougray's character - he's using him.  It won't surprise me to see a scene with Strand sleeping with a woman at some point.  That's just who Strand is.  Amoral.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[Jel]

I'll say this, Zombie guts as a hair styling aid is working for Nick -- never seen his hair look better!

Edited May 2, 2016 by Jel

[NorthstarATL]

17 minutes ago, Jel said:

I'll say this, Zombie guts as a hair styling aid is working for Nick -- never seen his hair look better!

He could call the style "dead locks".

[henripootel]

Quote

 

Also, Strand didn't paddle away on a dinghy in broad daylight, he was in the Zodiac in pitch blackness, right after Reed and his crew arrived.

 

Oh, right, 'tactical genius' then.  Shoulda said 'in plain sight'.   I also like how, in a zombie apocalypse, Strand makes sure to keep his weapons to hand and loaded in a box and possibly unready.  Strand.  I could see one of the other idiots who think they're on spring break, but Strand?

Quote

Did anyone actually pay attention? (rhetorical question, I guess)

Not sure this show rewards paying too much attention.  

[Lii]

Alicia, you dumb fuck, this is why they say don't let your underage kids meet people from the internet radio that they don't know, they always end up being either sexual predators, Craigslist killers seriously. Hasn't she ever seen an ABC Family movie or an afterschool special or a very special episode of Dateline or anything? It's not like she's smart enough to be discerning about her internet boyfriend decisions or something, let's be real.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[truelovekiss]

On 2016-05-02 at 11:35 PM, mmecorday said:

I'm glad I wasn't the only one wondering what in the hell was happening when Nick swam ashore naked. I was hoping he'd find a tent where the last remaining Kardashians were living. Or not living.

I think one of the biggest missed opportunities of using LA was not having celebrity walkers. How many actors would have volunteered to make a brief walker cameo?!

On 2016-05-02 at 1:39 AM, BookElitist said:

Wow. Definitely, The  'Abigail Asses'.

I've been calling them the Abifails in my head.

That was the best we've seen of Madison. I also thought it was interesting how she was talking about how the second kid is worse, in the same episode where her second kid royally fucks up everything.

On 2016-05-02 at 2:45 AM, catrox14 said:

I thought he wanted to make out with Madison when they were reunited. The way the actor was kind of holding on to her from behind..was kind...of...interesting. 

I like the actor and the character more than pretty much anyone else on the show. He has more chemistry with the other actors than anyone. It's just a very off kind of chemistry.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[diebartdie]

Why wasn't tent city full of walkers? Why did the dried out zombie blood continue to camouflage Nick? Kirkman himself has stated the reason no one can just swan around 24/7 in zombie guts is that as they dry out they stop working to conceal you from zombies so Nick out to have been "visible" to that one lonely zombie he encountered in the gated community. Mainly though....where are all the walkers? Isn't it just 2 months into this thing?  Who else thinks Connor "needs" Alicia just as another member of his harem (at best)? If Connor is all that, why didnt he have his thugs just dispatch everyone on the yacht? Why did he just take Alicia and not Ofelia and Maddy? And Chris, Chris is a pretty, pretty boy much prettier than Jack. Im reading too much into it I guess.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[tiredofwork]

Quote

That back-and-forth with the pregnant lady was probably Kim Dickens' best moment on the show so far. I'm hopeful that she's getting a handle on the material. I think the writers are planning her as the, "do anything to protect her family, including stabbing a bitch," type of character, I just hope they get to it sooner or later.

I wasn't impressed with the scene.  I could tell we were supposed to be chilled by the "transformation" to her dark side, but it didn't work for me.  Maybe when she blows the "f" out of something and creates a "WD horde/stampede to rescue someone ala Carol at Terminus on TWD, l will be impressed, but it appears nothing will ever happen that awesome on this dreck.

[rab01]

I didn't like this episode as much as last week's (nothing as funny/creepy as the walker eating the crabs that were eating him) but it wasn't terrible.  I realize that some of the things about this show that really bother me are when they are being consistent, not inconsistent, so it's just further proof that I hate some of the character choices they've made.  Examples:

1) When the pirates are boarding, Maddie yells at Alicia to go back to her room -- like that is somehow going to keep her safer :p  It mirrors last season when Maddie was desperately trying to get her daughter killed by not telling her the truth about what was really happening and trying to prevent her from seeing it.  It's stupid and infantilizing ... but it's consistent.

2) That leads to Alicia with the pirates - her earlier radio conversation was partly a result of the shell her mother's been trying to keep her in all her life. Now, Alicia's trying to make up for it by trading her body and by abandoning her family for a chance at saving their lives. (I thought her face made it really clear just how sad she was at what she was promising.)

3) I can't stand Travis always trying to reason with aggressors but it's how he operates every time so again they are being consistent.

4) As for Strand, he's always playing the angles as quickly as he can. Once he saw that his gun had been ruined by Daniel, he went quickly to his back-up plan of running away on the zodiac and calling for back-up.  Yeah, the boat itself is meaningless to him but a little more "I'm gonna fuck the other guy up for crossing me" attitude might improve his long-term chances.

The other thing the show is consistent about is how fucking terrible the set-dressers are. Jesus Christ, they just go "an abandoned refugee camp with 'save us' spelled out sounds cool so let's do it."  That's not the end of an idea; that's the start of the idea. Where did the dead bodies go? Where'd the walkers go? Why are all the tents still standing? Why are there some fires still going? The writers needed to figure out the back-story and then dress the set accordingly.  If for plot or or budget reasons they needed/wanted only one walker left, then they also needed to  figure out for themselves how that happened and dress the set to fit that scenario so well that we understood it.  (For example, give that one walker a uniform, show a crashed MP/cop/military vehicle and show a pile of white wrapped bundles that look like bodies ... boom, done.) 

On to mysteries - (1) there were multiple helicopters flying overhead while Nick was swimming.  What the fuck was that about?  Hey, guys, is the military still functioning or not? Enquiring minds want to know.  (2) Strand mentioned the "council" in his near past flashback. So, is this council just a business group or some super-secret illuminati type crap?

[Giselle]

The look on Madison's face when Alicia recognized Jack said it all.   I gave birth to this fucking idiot?

[TattleTeeny]

4 hours ago, Maverick said:

 They didn't do the greatest job conveying it, but Strand sent Nick to retrieve Luis before Poor Man's Joshua Jackson and crew arrived.  That's why Nick was surprised there were strangers on the Abigail with weapons. (and explains why he didn't have more urgency).   No one else knew Strand sent Nick on this mission which is why they were all asking if anyone had seen Nick.  When the pirates invaded and Strand had no means of shooting them (thanks to 'paranoid old fool' Daniel), he jumped ship...presumably to meet up with Luis and Nick on land and dump the dead weight.

Thank you. I picked up on some, and was admittedly not paying complete attention, but I just could not understand why Nick swam while Strand was in a boat. I don't need everything spelled out for me--I really don't--but I feel like the show could have been made a bit clearer in this instance, especially when there were also flashbacks tossed in. 

Quote

Why wasn't tent city full of walkers? Why did the dried out zombie blood continue to camouflage Nick? Kirkman himself has stated the reason no one can just swan around 24/7 in zombie guts is that as they dry out

Honestly, I don't even know why this works in the first place. It's not like the smell of human disappears when guts are applied. If zombies can sniff out one human in a giant walker herd, why wouldn't they also be able to smell right through a thin layer of guts?

Edited May 2, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[Giselle]

12 minutes ago, rab01 said:

I didn't like this episode as much as last week's (nothing as funny/creepy as the walker eating the crabs that were eating him) but it wasn't terrible.  I realize that some of the things about this show that really bother me are when they are being consistent, not inconsistent, so it's just further proof that I hate some of the character choices they've made.  Examples:

1) When the pirates are boarding, Maddie yells at Alicia to go back to her room -- like that is somehow going to keep her safer :p  It mirrors last season when Maddie was desperately trying to get her daughter killed by not telling her the truth about what was really happening and trying to prevent her from seeing it.  It's stupid and infantilizing ... but it's consistent.

2) That leads to Alicia with the pirates - her earlier radio conversation was partly a result of the shell her mother's been trying to keep her in all her life. Now, Alicia's trying to make up for it by trading her body and by abandoning her family for a chance at saving their lives. (I thought her face made it really clear just how sad she was at what she was promising.)

3) I can't stand Travis always trying to reason with aggressors but it's how he operates every time so again they are being consistent.

4) As for Strand, he's always playing the angles as quickly as he can. Once he saw that his gun had been ruined by Daniel, he went quickly to his back-up plan of running away on the zodiac and calling for back-up.  Yeah, the boat itself is meaningless to him but a little more "I'm gonna fuck the other guy up for crossing me" attitude might improve his long-term chances.

The other thing the show is consistent about is how fucking terrible the set-dressers are. Jesus Christ, they just go "an abandoned refugee camp with 'save us' spelled out sounds cool so let's do it."  That's not the end of an idea; that's the start of the idea. Where did the dead bodies go? Where'd the walkers go? Why are all the tents still standing? Why are there some fires still going? The writers needed to figure out the back-story and then dress the set accordingly.  If for plot or or budget reasons they needed/wanted only one walker left, then they also needed to  figure out for themselves how that happened and dress the set to fit that scenario so well that we understood it.  (For example, give that one walker a uniform, show a crashed MP/cop/military vehicle and show a pile of white wrapped bundles that look like bodies ... boom, done.) 

On to mysteries - (1) there were multiple helicopters flying overhead while Nick was swimming.  What the fuck was that about?  Hey, guys, is the military still functioning or not? Enquiring minds want to know.  (2) Strand mentioned the "council" in his near past flashback. So, is this council just a business group or some super-secret illuminati type crap?

 

Tent City bugged me too. It made no sense what so ever.

Travis and Alicia can go any time. The writers have made me not care about them.

[kdm07]

39 minutes ago, rab01 said:

2) That leads to Alicia with the pirates - her earlier radio conversation was partly a result of the shell her mother's been trying to keep her in all her life. Now, Alicia's trying to make up for it by trading her body and by abandoning her family for a chance at saving their lives. (I thought her face made it really clear just how sad she was at what she was promising.)

This is something I think a lot of people keep forgetting about her. Yes she's book smart but from the very beginning of this show, we've seen that Madison has divided her time to Nick, Travis or keeping Alicia in the dark about everything. It seems (to me anyway) that she had to form connections with people outside of her family e.g. her boyfriend, the baby-sitter etc so when the opportunity came to connect with someone her age going through this apocalypse as well who isn't stuck on the boat too, she took it. It was dumb, so very dumb but I get it.

She's shown that if you include her in what's going on she catches on fast (like sacrificing herself for her family and taking responsibility for the whole mess) but so far Madison (and Travis: really what's his relationship like with Nick & Alicia? We barely see that) have kept her shielded from everything they possibly could. I also think she might be manipulating this other pirate guy but we'll see where that leads to.

[Artsda]

I actually really liked this episode.

I hope everyone on the boat now realizes how stupid they are and don't make these mistakes again. The conversations on the radio, letting them on the boat because they need to save and help everyone. They need to start listening to Strand.

Loved the backstory, never crossed my mind at all that Abigail would be a man. Great twist!

I laughed at Nick being on land while the rest all think he's on the boat. That's how dumb they all are.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Ask Fear The Walking Dead's Terrifying Pregnancy Advisor

You probably don't want to know how your baby's doing, but why not ask anyway?

[HighMaintenance]

8 hours ago, econ07 said:

For there being an entire tent city that was not set ablaze (tents in tact), there was a surprising few number of zombies.  Shouldn't that whole area have been overrun?  It's like they ran out of money and said ... oh, screw it.  We just need one for Nick to kill.

As many have said above, the whole start to this episode was a bag full of WAT.  So here's a nightswimming Nick with helicopters flying overhead with searchlights.  "Hmmm... ok" says me, "it's a flashback! From when he was a drug mule!"  then a couple of seconds later... "well, maybe it's a dream sequence?"  Then he gets to SAVE ME tent city and I'm looking at the clock - "did I miss something???  Did I slip myself a roofie?"

The tent city scenario was more levels of "huh?".  1 walker.  ONE!  C'mon AMC, I know this show is low budget, but FFS!  Anyhoo... fires burning,  tents neatly zipped up, some with lanterns lit.  So, I'm back to "OH, ok... dream sequence".  Nope... crappy narrative.  Dammit, show!  You got me again.  Just when I think you're doing something creative, you reveal that a turd is just always a turd.

[Giselle]

8 hours ago, Save Yourself said:

The book was so good it's a shame the movie was such a crap fest (IMO). I think the book is handy for anyone who watches the TWD franchise as a kind of research tool ?. It gives valid reasons how slow moving zombies (not fast like in the movie ffs!) could decimate the army and cities. I really enjoyed that it was written from a global perspective as well, it was very interesting to see how other countries were reacting and if they were helping each other. Would love HBO to do an adaptation but Brad Pitt has the rights stitched up, there is going to be a second movie. He could sell to TV eventually I guess once he's stopped using the name for the movie franchise. 

Exactly. Loved the book World War Z the movie... not so much. The biggest problem I have with most zombie flicks are the fast speed or even "super human" speed at which they move when they are suppose to be in a state of decomposing. It's one of the few things I admired about the walking dead with the exception of the early episode "intelligence" they gave them before they wrote the "Zombie Bible on them for the series.

[piequinn35]

4 hours ago, The Mighty Peanut said:

Strand, Dougray Scott, Alex, Alex's friend, Tobias, Nick, and Daniel can stay. Everyone else is fired. I would pay real money to see the producers kvetching in private about how colossally they miscast this show. 

Luis too! I think Alex and Alex's friend are gone for good.

I screamed when Abigail kissed Strand :0

[Giselle]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

This is something that really bugs me.  I can totally believe that people saw what was coming, and banded together for protection.  I have trouble with the idea that quasi-evil super gangs immediately sprang up from the ruins of society and were ready to start their evil-ing within a few days of societal collapse. 

Not so implausible to believe, look how fast riots and looting happend after verdicts (Rodney King) and disasters (Katrina). The gang, criminal, survivalist, and millitia element will form into groups to survive and it will be survival of the fittest or luckiest. They will do what they need to take what they need or to protect what they have.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Giselle

[rab01]

1 minute ago, HighMaintenance said:

The tent city scenario was more levels of "huh?".  1 walker.  ONE!  C'mon AMC, I know this show is low budget, but FFS!  Anyhoo... fires burning,  tents neatly zipped up, some with lanterns lit.  So, I'm back to "OH, ok... dream sequence".  Nope...

The weird thing is that the tent set was NOT cheap. They had to set up all those tents and arrange for the fires to stay lit and all the other stuff that could have blown away between takes. They put EFFORT into that scene. It would have been easier to not have fires - which may have been more believable but would have looked less "cool." Look, I liked that the tents gave us an unusually clinical zombie-kill and that it showed a fascinating character side to Nick (smart, calm, unafraid, a little twisted). They are putting care into various different aspects of this show and the result is still ... this.

I still think it's just that trying to make believable (instead of campy) post-apocalyptic horror is really hard and even harder when civilization isn't quite gone yet (and they don't quite realize the challenges they are facing).

[crowsworks]

If the military is still flying one thing the WWZ movie got right was using sound to lure a gazillion walkers into a stadium and vaporize it.

For gosh sakes, all you need is an oven timer, a sturdy chain link fence and a pointy stick.

[ghoulina]

On 2016-05-02 at 2:20 PM, Giselle said:

Not so implausible to believe, look how fast riots and looting happend after verdicts (Rodney King) and disasters (Katrina). The gang, criminal, survivalist, and millitia element will form into groups to survive and it will be survival of the fittest or luckiest. They will do what they need to take what they need or to protect what they have.

I don't think it's that implausible either. Certain people were built for this kind of life and would adapt very very quickly. My issue is - pregnant chick and two boy band members? Okay. But these doofuses? Unless they're all related to Connor and he happens to be a true maniacal badass, it just doesn't feel authentic. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[pearbailey]

Can someone please explain why they need Strand and new dude to get into Mexico?? Even if the borders were still intact after a ZA, it's never been that difficult... it's going into the US thats the problem. I just don't get this plot point!! 

[Lamima]

I think Nick swam in to avoid being seen by the helicopters. The Strand actor, on Talking Dead, said they are at the border to Mexico and the helicopters are Mexican Govt? trying to keep Americans and zombies out of Mexico.

[catrox14]

4 minutes ago, pearbailey said:

Can someone please explain why they need Strand and new dude to get into Mexico?? Even if the borders were still intact after a ZA, it's never been that difficult... it's going into the US thats the problem. I just don't get this plot point!! 

I'm going with the borders were closed when news leaked that L.A. was burning. Americans seeking refuge in Mexico are being turned away.

Edited May 2, 2016 by catrox14

[rab01]

47 minutes ago, Giselle said:

Not so implausible to believe, look how fast riots and looting happend after verdicts (Rodney King) and disasters (Katrina). The gang, criminal, survivalist, and millitia element will form into groups to survive and it will be survival of the fittest or luckiest. They will do what they need to take what they need or to protect what they have.

Yeah, unfortunately there are a lot of examples that suggest that we Americans sometimes respond very badly to disaster.  Your mention of Katrina reminded me of another incident that more directly bears on FtWD -- the Danziger Bridge shooting (I had to google it to remember the name). Less than a week after the hurricane hit, a bunch of cops gunned down families of unarmed African Americans trying to cross the bridge because of reports of gunfire in the vicinity. It's within the same universe of reaction that this show believes the army would do during the ZA.  (I still find the army plot-line wildly implausible but that's because ti seems stupid and self-defeating, not because people are better than that.)

[Madding crowd]

I like the show enough to to watch, but not live watch like with TWD. I think the idea of people trying to survive on a boat rather than land could be very interesting. THey have way less zombies, but more dangers from bad weather, Pirates and lack of water and supplies. This show is edited and written oddly though. I had no idea what was going on with Nick  and like many others, thought I missed an episode. I also didn't understand the completely empty tent city. Where did the people go?

Jack and his group looked less impressive than I would have thought. The toughest one seemed to be the pregnant woman and all she did was say shut up over and over. The background on Strand was interesting, but it was maybe too many things going on in a single episode.

[pearbailey]

3 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I'm going with the borders were closed when news leaked that L.A. was burning. Americans seeking refuge in Mexico are being turned away.

Can someone please explain why they need Strand and new dude to get into Mexico?? Even if the borders were still intact after a ZA, it's never been that difficult... it's going into the US thats the problem. I just don't get this plot point!! 

 

4 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I'm going with the borders were closed when news leaked that L.A. was burning. Americans seeking refuge in Mexico are being turned away.

But would the border actually still be manned? It seems to me that the US military is a bit more extensive than Mexico, and from what we've seen, they are completely non-existent at this point. 

[catrox14]

7 minutes ago, pearbailey said:

Can someone please explain why they need Strand and new dude to get into Mexico?? Even if the borders were still intact after a ZA, it's never been that difficult... it's going into the US thats the problem. I just don't get this plot point!! 

 

But would the border actually still be manned? It seems to me that the US military is a bit more extensive than Mexico, and from what we've seen, they are completely non-existent at this point. 

I can see a scenario in which the Mexican government fears Americans over running the border so they send the Mexican military, Federales, you name it to protect the border. Maybe they start enlisting the help of the drug cartels to defend Mexico. Maybe Mexico decided to build a wall to keep us out. I'm not even being sarcastic here. Maybe the folks that live in Tijuana and in the border communities take up arms to keep out Americans. I actually think that would a really interesting scenario.

Edited May 2, 2016 by catrox14

[chlban]

6 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Excellent point. Let's say that these islands will have very few walkers as opposed to TWD. They will immediately go into man v. man as opposed to how long it has taken on the east coast. I mean, look how fast Nick found out about covering oneself with walker guts to hide from them. Nick found that out in under a couple of months. It wasn't until Michonne (right?) came along that they discovered that nifty trick. much, much later. It seems like FTWD is on overdrive to "catch-up" the the original series. I really hope that they don;tr want to combine these guys at some point in the future. 

No. No. No. Please, don't even think it. I keep trying to watch this, but I cannot. 5-10 minutes and I am out. Sure TWD has had some crappy plot lines, but with just a few exceptions, I like our little group. Even Father pee pants got redeemed. OTOH, I hate these people. Seriously, I am rooting for the walkers. Take them all out and start over. The teenage drug addict first. No, his bitchy sister. No wait his mom, old stone face. Hell, I don't care drown them all at once. But, seriously AMC, do not F up TWD with these clowns.

[Giselle]

23 minutes ago, rab01 said:

Yeah, unfortunately there are a lot of examples that suggest that we Americans sometimes respond very badly to disaster.  Your mention of Katrina reminded me of another incident that more directly bears on FtWD -- the Danziger Bridge shooting (I had to google it to remember the name). Less than a week after the hurricane hit, a bunch of cops gunned down families of unarmed African Americans trying to cross the bridge because of reports of gunfire in the vicinity. It's within the same universe of reaction that this show believes the army would do during the ZA.  (I still find the army plot-line wildly implausible but that's because ti seems stupid and self-defeating, not because people are better than that.)

Don't forget the jackbooted swagger the Blackwater mercenaries had when roaming around New Orleans and that the police were confiscating guns of law abiding citizens who were trying to protect their property from looters.

[truelovekiss]

On 2016-05-02 at 11:44 AM, Lii said:

Alicia, you dumb fuck, this is why they say don't let your underage kids meet people from the internet radio that they don't know, they always end up being either sexual predators, Craigslist killers, seriously. Hasn't she ever seen an ABC Family movie or an afterschool special or a very special episode of Dateline or anything? It's not like she's smart enough to be discerning about her internet boyfriend decisions or something, let's be real.

Forget after school specials.  Alicia is a child of the information age!  Seriously, kids her age have been told to not talk to internet strangers since they made their first account on club penguin.  She's seriously just such a dumb fuck.

On 2016-05-02 at 0:15 PM, diebartdie said:

How did we get a Negan level bad guy (Connor) this early on?  Who else thinks Connor "needs" Alicia just as another member of his harem (at best)? If Connor is all that, why didnt he have his thugs just dispatch everyone on the yacht? Why did he just take Alicia and not Ofelia and Maddy? And Chris, Chris is a pretty, pretty boy much prettier than Jack. Im reading too much into it I guess.

How many more creepy guys are we going to have to watch leer after Alicia?  

On 2016-05-02 at 1:18 PM, Giselle said:

Tent City bugged me too. It made no sense what so ever.

Travis and Alicia can go any time. The writers have made me not care about them.

They won't, though.  I think the writers kind of fancy Trav as a kinder, softer.  And the world seems to have a hard on for Alycia Debnam-Carey.  She's a pretty girl, but I really don't get the fuss over her appearance, much less her acting. I haven't seen her in anything else, so I guess judging her talent based on this slop isn't fair.

On 2016-05-02 at 3:27 PM, catrox14 said:

I can see a scenario in which the Mexican government fears Americans over running the border so they send the Mexican military, Federales, you name it to protect the border. Maybe they start enlisting the help of the drug cartels to defend Mexico. Maybe Mexico decided to build a wall to keep us out. I'm not even being sarcastic here. Maybe the folks that live in Tijuana and in the border communities take up arms to keep out Americans. I actually think that would a really interesting scenario.

Somewhere, Donald Trump's head exploded in confusion.

One thing that really got me was in tent city.  The tent that Nick went into had an American flag pinned to the outside.  Now, if I'm in a zombie apocalypse, living in tent city for God knows why (because that's a stupid ass decision, but whatever) the last thing I'm thinking about is showing the zombies and other tent dwellers what a good American I am.

Edited May 6, 2016 by HalcyonDays
Removed TWD references

[catrox14]

3 minutes ago, truelovekiss said:

 Somewhere, Donald Trump's head exploded in confusion.

If only. ...( Sorry but I really can't stand that buffoon YMMV).

[JackONeill]

Someone may have answered this: why did Strand have Nick go get the guy with the Porsche? Strand, at that point, still had the sat phone.

Edited May 2, 2016 by JackONeill