S01.E04: With Silence and Tears

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

As the situation inside the cordon grows more dire, Lex’s frustration builds as he becomes increasingly conflicted by the messages of false hope he’s being forced to send to the public. When Jana suspects something is off with Lex’s demeanor, she realizes the situation may be more serious than the government is letting on and devises a plan to reach Lex directly. At the hospital, Dr. Cannerts continues working towards finding an antidote, while Jake helps Katie cope with some personal issues. Elsewhere, Leo becomes concerned for his friends inside the cordon and turns to an unlikely ally to help him. Finally, a turn of events at the grocery mart leaves Teresa and her mother in a terrifying position.

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

To paraphrase Comic Book Guy from 'The Simpsons' --- worst cordon ever !!!

So, nothing gets in and nothing gets out -- except for Xander who jumps the wall into the cordon, and proceeds to slingshot flash drives back over the wall.  After Xander was just inside a house that had the corpses of infected he is flinging the flash drives over the wall -- because I'm pretty sure he wasn't wearing gloves or a mask while in that house.  Especially when they still don't fully understand the virus --  it could have mutated and might be airborne by now.

Are there only two cops guarding the entire perimeter at any one time ?  They obviously have video cameras watching the cordon, but one just happened to be focused on Lex's girlfriend when she held up her sign.  Come on.  And none of the cops notice Leo sitting on a lawn chair right outside the cordon.  I still can't believe that Altanta municipal police are still in charge of guarding the cordon -- they should have called out the National Guard by this point.

And the flirting continues between cop and school teacher.  Man that was dull.  She has issues and needs her meds to keep her balance, he's a womanizer that runs at the first sign of letting someone get to know him.  Oh, and he's bit of a coward after that whole tantrum he threw in earlier episodes (especially over the fact he had Braves tickets).

And how many times is the store owned by pregnant teen's mom going to be attacked by looters -- and saved yet again by a 3rd party that rushed to their rescue.  Is this going to be a weekly occurrence -- because it is going to get old fast ?

I still don't get the 'nothing gets in' policy -- they should air dropping food, water, medical supplies -- instead of abandoning them and leaving them to their own devices.  WTF ?

[fountain]

I find the reporter really annoying.  It is like he doesn't take the risk seriously or maybe I don't get what telling people how to get out serves, just spread the virus to everyone in the world?  Then to send that kid in to video his sick friends and not care about the risk of spreading it even more?  When he said to Lex his friends are sick, I was surprised that Lex didn't say "when they are dead then" as it was like the guy thought they should be removed for treatment, it is 100% fatal! The which side of this are you on???  I don't get it, are you a hero if you start riots and get more people killed, will the reporter only be happy when everyone is dead?  I don;t really see how we are supposed to "side" with the reporter, he seems to be making things worse.

I don't really see why all these people need so much food?  Don't they have food in their homes?  I can see the people like Jana who are stuck at work but it has only been a few days!

I would hope there would be more military and government support.  Seriously, 11 cops?  Sorry if you don't want to help because you are the outside the cordon, so I guess then you quit your job? 

Onto the masks, etc.  Come on people protect yourselves.  Kid who wants no harm to his baby wear a mask and a hood or something.  What if the friends had still been alive and attacked you or sneezed on you?  

The reporter should have been messaging people to take more precautions that it may be worse than it seems so STAY HOME and get sick people quarantined.  If his friends had done that they might be alive and well.  Their filming and snooping so close to the ill got them sick.

[NorthstarATL]

This was my point last week: you want little to no panic you flood people with information, even if it is disinformation. The more people feel that the Powers That Be are "doing something" the more content they will be. In the meantime, you have to hit them over the head repeatedly with the fact that, with so little known about the virus, contact between you and your loved ones, no matter how desirable, is possibly harmful to them. Our POV cop outside the cordon SHOULD, even without Claudia Black, be able to explain to soon-to-be-father that being there for the birth of his daughter might not be in HER best interest, no matter how good it makes him feel.

  I have lived in Atlanta for more than a decade and I have seen more white police officers on this show than ever in real life. I had no idea they existed. I have no advance information, BUT I will speculate that whatever the teacher is taking, drug-wise, will be the key to the cure.

Edited May 10, 2016 by NorthstarATL

[shapeshifter]

On May 10, 2016 at 10:34 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

...So, nothing gets in and nothing gets out -- except for Xander who jumps the wall into the cordon, and proceeds to slingshot flash drives back over the wall.  After Xander was just inside a house that had the corpses of infected he is flinging the flash drives over the wall -- because I'm pretty sure he wasn't wearing gloves or a mask while in that house.  Especially when they still don't fully understand the virus --  it could have mutated and might be airborne by now...

In one of the earlier episodes, they did give the virus the magical property of becoming immediately inactive when the infected person died. Too bad Cholera doesn't work that way.

I almost didn't watch this episode, and I confess to channel flipping to an old L&O: CI at each commercial and not always flipping back in time, and dozing off once or twice, but I thought it was slightly better than the other episodes.

Edited May 11, 2016 by shapeshifter

[Muffyn]

For a short time I sort of cared about Lex and Jana, so I guess some part of the show worked for me. 

We saw shot-in-the-hand baddie wipe his sweaty palms all over the shelves.  Will this spread it to our hapless (non-)heroes in the store? 

And yeah, walking into a house with two people dead from infection, filming it, throwing the flash drive over the container wall and then going to see your pregnant girlfriend pretty much gets you the dumbass of the day award. 

[Margherita Erdman]

What was the name of the drug that teacher Katie needed? I tried rewinding and listening a bunch of times but couldn't get anything that Google recognized. Possibly some kind of fictional methadone or Suboxone. Still doesn't make her any more interesting. Nor am I at all interested in her budding romance or creepy lost & found fashion show with Officer Jake.

Strangely, my reaction to this series is equal parts fascination and boredom — I think it's that I enjoy the subject material, that a sudden virulent outbreak of an unknown pathogen leading to a draconian emergency quarantine in a major urban area, with all its attendant practical and moral complications, is entirely plausible — but this story is sooo slooow and opaque, with no real bread crumbs to follow or clues to ponder whether terrorist plot, government conspiracy, medical mystery, or some combination thereof. Plus the characters are super dull and seem stupid for being so extremely casual about covering their mouths and mucous membranes. Maybe that's because we can't have all the pretty actors covered up in paper masks and plastic visors all the time.

I spoiled myself on the original Belgian-Flemish version Cordon by reading all the way through its Wikipedia page and even in summary it read like a tightly plotted, well characterized series with modern references and interesting twists (and it's been renewed for a second season). It seems like the American version has already departed from the plot setup of the European version in significant ways though.

Has anyone seen the original? Does anyone know if it's on Hulu or Netflix or Amazon? I think I might like that better.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Margherita Erdman said:

What was the name of the drug that teacher Katie needed? I tried rewinding and listening a bunch of times but couldn't get anything that Google recognized. Possibly some kind of fictional methadone or Suboxone. Still doesn't make her any more interesting. Nor am I at all interested in her budding romance or creepy lost & found fashion show with Officer Jake.

I didn't hear a drug name,* but it sounded like she had bipolar disorder, so the drug might have been an anti-psychotic, which IRL would not have any antibiotic properties, but the writers could have looked at the words anti-psychotic and anti-biotic and thought otherwise without consulting an educated person.

*Maybe what you heard as Suboxone was fluoxetine, which could be used to treat bipolar disorder.

 

1 hour ago, Margherita Erdman said:

I spoiled myself on the original Belgian-Flemish version Cordon by reading all the way through its Wikipedia page and even in summary it read like a tightly plotted, well characterized series with modern references and interesting twists (and it's been renewed for a second season). It seems like the American version has already departed from the plot setup of the European version in significant ways though.

Has anyone seen the original? Does anyone know if it's on Hulu or Netflix or Amazon? I think I might like that better.

It looks like it's on Amazon video.

Edited May 11, 2016 by shapeshifter

[The Mighty Peanut]

Quote

And yeah, walking into a house with two people dead from infection, filming it, throwing the flash drive over the container wall and then going to see your pregnant girlfriend pretty much gets you the dumbass of the day award. 

Right? I'll just expose the absolute most vulnerable members of the population to a virulent rapidly spreading plague with a fatality rate of 100%. 'Cause people need to KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. Could you be a doll and bring in some senior citizens and the severely immune suppressed while you're at it? 

Thanks, but I'll take living in ignorance. Keyword being living. 

Edited May 11, 2016 by The Mighty Peanut

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, The Mighty Peanut said:

Right? I'll just expose the absolute most vulnerable members of the population to a virulent rapidly spreading plague with a fatality rate of 100%. 'Cause people need to KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. Could you be a doll and bring in some senior citizens and the severely immune suppressed while you're at it? 

Thanks, but I'll take living in ignorance. Keyword being living. 

Do the general public yet know that the disease miraculously becomes immediately inert when the patient dies? (Don't ask me for a scientific explanation of how this would work, because I don't think it would.)
If not, maybe the baby daddy kid knows about it anyway.
They barely mentioned it in a past episode, but I guess it gave the writers some flexibility in showing lots of dead people observed by characters who are not slated to die.

[Muffyn]

This dries me batty.  The first doctor to get sick contracted it by touching a pen that patient zero used.  So there was either a bit of blood or sweat on the pen.  The doctor maybe had a small open cut?  With that kind of transmission, this could spread from damn near anything that someone touched.  Yet death of the host renders it inert, even though blood, saliva, sweat, etc. have not dried up.  This is at the level of if Chewbacca is a wookie, you must acquit.  It doesn't make sense.

[SonofaBiscuit]

Not gonna lie.  I'm totally watching this for Chris Wood.  I didn't find him attractive (like, at all) on TVD, but he's quite hot here.

The lost & found fashion show really bothered me.  For all we know, one of the infected left his/her baseball cap sitting on a chair, and that cap made it to the lost & found bin.  And now we're going to have fun and be goofy by placing the death cap on our head?  Nope, no way.  

Jeez, could the hospital try to be a little more secure?  People just wander around and come upon dead bodies or sequestered infected patients, for crying out loud.  

Also, if I'm an Atlanta resident, there's not enough bleach in the world to make me ever want to step foot in the city again IF the virus ever dies out.  I'd be moving far far away, that's for sure. 

Edited May 11, 2016 by SonofaBiscuit

[DoubleUTeeEff]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

In one of the earlier episodes, they did give the virus the magical property of becoming immediately inactive when the infected person died. Too bad Cholera doesn't work that way.

I missed that!  So why does the doctor keep telling the cop to burn the bodies?

17 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

I have no advance information, BUT I will speculate that whatever the teacher is taking, drug-wise, will be the key to the cure.

Interesting.  My speculation is that Xander will give the virus to his pregnant girlfriend, but the baby will be immune to it.  They mentioned a couple of times that she was 9 months pregnant, so the baby is capable of living without her now.

A lot of dumbness is going on with this show, but I especially enjoy how there is exactly ONE doctor working on figuring out the virus.

[shapeshifter]

50 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Quote

   14 HOURS AGO,  SHAPESHIFTER SAID: 

In one of the earlier episodes, they did give the virus the magical property of becoming immediately inactive when the infected person died. Too bad Cholera doesn't work that way.

I missed that!  So why does the doctor keep telling the cop to burn the bodies?

Possible reasons:

1. A different (and indifferent) writer is doing that dialogue.
2. To hide the number of casualties.
3. The writers aren't sure yet if they want to retcon the virus being inert at death

Or, in other words: No good reason

 

50 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

A lot of dumbness is going on with this show, but I especially enjoy how there is exactly ONE doctor working on figuring out the virus.

And he's in the Cordon (of course!).

I watched the stupidity of Zoo last summer and Scorpion more recently, and all Sharknado movies to date. But if I disappear from this board, it will likely be because the stupidity is not amusing.

[Margherita Erdman]

4 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

So why does the doctor keep telling the cop to burn the bodies?

A lot of dumbness is going on with this show, but I especially enjoy how there is exactly ONE doctor working on figuring out the virus.

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Possible reasons:

1. A different (and indifferent) writer is doing that dialogue.
2. To hide the number of casualties.
3. The writers aren't sure yet if they want to retcon the virus being inert at death

Or, in other words: No good reason

And he's in the Cordon (of course!).

I think body disposal is just for general public health reasons because when bodies pile up they are breeding grounds for all kinds of nasties. Also, gross and dramatic visuals... because in a real emergency situation, the makeshift morgue would be anywhere BUT the sole functioning health care facility. The hospital would be operating under an emergency/disaster contingency plan designed to keep providing basic services to the community (like, oh, a place for the teen mom's baby to be born, even though I'm sure we can count on some kind of OTT birth scene in the storeroom amidst the bags of rice and flour) as well as treating victims of the virus and trying to educate the public about prevention measures.

Thanks for the heads up about Amazon shapeshifter; I think I'll check out Cordon. And I guess I was thinking too literally that Teacher Katie was still on some kind of addiction maintenance regime instead of the somewhat dubious proposition that she contracted a mood disorder through drug abuse.

Agree x1000 with everyone marveling at the idiocy of those characters who should know better (and who seem intended to inspire sympathy rather than contempt) but who continue to act over & over in ways that endanger loved ones and the world outside the cordon.

Also, pity the poor rats being sacrificed in the name of "science" that seems to consist of dosing them with random antivirals and seeing if they exsanguinate any more slowly. They are in ATLANTA, FFS, site of the Centers for Disease Control (and last I checked one of the CDC centers was a world-class institution dedicated to infectious disease). Would have made an interesting twist (and good use of the setting) to have the CDC inside the cordon, or at least have CDC scientists involved somehow. As it is, there seems to be a single doctor in whom all hopes lie. Does this community hospital just happen to have a brilliant virologist on staff??? Call the crazy immortal infectious disease specialists from SyFy's Helix, stat! They love nothing better than a juicy field assignment full of vile bodily fluids and could help out at no risk to themselves! They are probably bored and twiddling their thumbs now that their show has been canceled... a show that was batshit bonkers but much more fun than this one.

Lex and Dr. Lommers act as though it's inconceivable that anyone would be selfless enough to volunteer for duty in the hot zone, but thankfully we have seen that humanity can be better than that — health and other aid workers who continue to help in Syria under the worst conditions, who stayed in Africa through the Ebola crisis, who work caring for patients suffering from dreadful and highly contagious diseases like drug-resistant tuberculosis... And then, as others have said, there are those for whom it is simply their job, like the National Guard.

Lex is the only character left who interests me even a little, although Jana is growing on me. Claudia Black has been a big disappointment so far.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Margherita Erdman
Lommers, not Loners, tyvm autocorrect

[Canada]

The level of stupidity in this show just isn't funny or entertaining anymore.  Seriously, the local food store is still open for business??  Even after men with guns, who got away, came and threatened you?  You didn't think they would come back??

 

Stupid.

[xaxat]

By some strange coincidence, I turned to another channel after this episode ended and there was an ad for Doctors Without Borders. I'm pretty sure they would be more than willing to go into the hot zone in order to aid our lone doctor.

Setting aside the many nitpicks, this show doesn't really have a good internal logic. It appears we have two mysteries. How to stop the epidemic and whether there is some kind of conspiracy behind it. And neither plot is developing. The cure is in the hands of a single scientist (who apparently has internet access, but has not managed to contact the CDC a couple of blocks away) and the conspiracy plot is driven by a reporter who drops cryptic hints that makes him seem more like a fringe loony than someone who knows what is going on. 

It just feels really strange that a limited run show based on an existing property has so little narrative momentum.

Edited May 11, 2016 by xaxat

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, Margherita Erdman said:

Thanks for the heads up about Amazon shapeshifter; I think I'll check out Cordon. And I guess I was thinking too literally that Teacher Katie was still on some kind of addiction maintenance regime instead of the somewhat dubious proposition that she contracted a mood disorder through drug abuse.

I may be wrong about the teacher's diagnosis if there was an earlier mention of addiction when I was channel surfing. I was going by the bit I heard her say in this ep about the medication keeping her highs and lows balanced--or something like that. This may be as much of a toss up as the risk posed by the diseased (or is it formerly diseased???) corpses.

[Margherita Erdman]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I may be wrong about the teacher's diagnosis if there was an earlier mention of addiction when I was channel surfing. I was going by the bit I heard her say in this ep about the medication keeping her highs and lows balanced--or something like that. This may be as much of a toss up as the risk posed by the diseased (or is it formerly diseased???) corpses.

Yeah, she said that she and her ex (her son's father) both got heavy into [unspecified] drugs and that even after getting off those drugs (which her ex didn't, which is why her in-laws hate her — gosh, how can so much backstory with so much detail still be so very boring?), she needs this other drug to keep her "balanced."

Kinda wish Officer Jake hadn't found the meds — she might be more interesting than a dishrag in a shapeless sweater if she went a little manic or started jonesing for her illegal drug of choice or had a psychotic break even.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

23 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Possible reasons:

1. A different (and indifferent) writer is doing that dialogue.
2. To hide the number of casualties.
3. The writers aren't sure yet if they want to retcon the virus being inert at death

Or, in other words: No good reason

Ah, I can see why the people in charge would want to hide the number of casualties.  (Even though I don't think they should.)  I guess the doctor is in cahoots with them so that's how he gets his own internet access.

21 hours ago, Margherita Erdman said:

think body disposal is just for general public health reasons because when bodies pile up they are breeding grounds for all kinds of nasties.

I think you might be smarter than the doctor!

[feverfew]

On 11/5/2016 at 7:42 PM, shapeshifter said:

Possible reasons:

1. A different (and indifferent) writer is doing that dialogue.
2. To hide the number of casualties.
3. The writers aren't sure yet if they want to retcon the virus being inert at death

Or, in other words: No good reason

As Margherita Erdman also mentioned, disposal of the dead bodies is necessary for a simple reason; dead bodies are biohazard material aka can be carriers of all kinds of nasties. In the second episode Dr. Cannerts actually enlist Jake's (the cop) help with burning the bodies and is rather specific about why they needs to be disposed of.

That said, I don't think we can eliminate the good doctor from our list of dubious characters who might know more than they let on - especially if, as I suspect since this is a Julia Plec-production and she loooves her love triangles (mainly those detrimental to the story she's telling), we'll soon see the doctor and HotCop fight for the affections of the fair-but-bland Katie. And what easier solution to a triangle than make one of the characters evil? A potential storyline which annoys me already (I'd go for the doctor, personally).

I'm also someone who love apocalyptic (be it zombies, viruses or natural disasters) stories, but I usually prefer them with a bit more internal logic. I can handwave a lot (including actors' need to have their faces uncovered), but some basic hygene skills wouldn't go amiss. I'm guessing this is a sociological experiment by the government; otherwise the lack of air- and police support make absolutely no sense.

Edited May 12, 2016 by feverfew
Clarification

[slayer2]

On 11/05/2016 at 3:42 PM, Canada said:

The level of stupidity in this show just isn't funny or entertaining anymore.  Seriously, the local food store is still open for business??  Even after men with guns, who got away, came and threatened you?  You didn't think they would come back??

 

Stupid.

I love to watch new people discover the "majesty" that is Julie Plec. Inherently stupid writing is her birthright

[Canada]

Just looked her up and apparently she also ruined The Tomorrow People, which I was really looking forward to.  So, that another reason to dislike her!  She seems really bad.

[Andromeda]

On 5/11/2016 at 0:40 PM, Margherita Erdman said:

Also, pity the poor rats being sacrificed in the name of "science" that seems to consist of dosing them with random antivirals and seeing if they exsanguinate any more slowly. They are in ATLANTA, FFS, site of the Centers for Disease Control (and last I checked one of the CDC centers was a world-class institution dedicated to infectious disease). Would have made an interesting twist (and good use of the setting) to have the CDC inside the cordon, or at least have CDC scientists involved somehow. As it is, there seems to be a single doctor in whom all hopes lie. Does this community hospital just happen to have a brilliant virologist on staff??? Call the crazy immortal infectious disease specialists from SyFy's Helix, stat! They love nothing better than a juicy field assignment full of vile bodily fluids and could help out at no risk to themselves! They are probably bored and twiddling their thumbs now that their show has been canceled... a show that was batshit bonkers but much more fun than this one.

I came here just to rant about this very same thing! Several years ago, I read the book Hot Zone (non-fiction, but as gripping as any novel). The Centers for Disease Control (note the name!) would be all over this new plague. Samples would have been sent to their Level 4 biological containment section for complete analysis, from anywhere in the U.S. But given as it's in the SAME DAMN CITY, there's just no excuse -- samples could be driven there in a matter of minutes. Plus, there's no reason the CDC and other medical personnel couldn't set up an investigation and treatment unit on site, using that hospital! No reason for people to be lying sick in the lobby -- the hospital is not that small. No reason for the lone researcher to be making do with infant incubators. CDC viral researchers manage to travel to Africa from Atlanta to research and help contain ebola outbreaks -- pretty sure they could make the trip to that hospital.

God, stupid stupid stupid!! A shame, because I really enjoyed the first three episodes. Until this.

That random doctor who just happened to be on hand would be tasked with caring for patients, not trying to find a cure. It's completely illogical, and not how things would be done. GAH...

Oh, and I agree about the National Guard. They would be on site, too -- as well as many other experienced medical personnel. It's nothing getting OUT that's the problem, not needed people and supplies getting IN. Which means food would definitely be provided, as well as anything else they needed. This would be a huge national emergency, and stupid Leo, who is a weird psycho selfish reporter, would be one of MANY MANY reporters, local, state, national AND international, who would be covering this story, and being briefed several times a day by a PROPER Public Relations staff at the federal level (Department of Health and Human Services), not some random cop who the head chick decided would make a good mouthpiece. Do none of the writers recall the one or two ebola cases that we had in the U.S., and what a panic/big news story that was?

Edited May 13, 2016 by Andromeda
added links

[Netfoot]

Someone call the President.  He needs to declare a Directive 712 on Atlanta.

ETA:  And on this show!

Edited May 14, 2016 by Netfoot

[Jordan27]

Yikes, this show is one of the most dumb on TV.  Is there even one character to even remotely root for?

All of them seem like they just opened the book of cliché TV writing and inserted them into a plague storyline.

I'll continue watching just to see where they go, but I have a feeling this is going to be lame TV at its best.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Jordan27

[Raja]

On 5/13/2016 at 7:38 PM, Andromeda said:

I came here just to rant about this very same thing! Several years ago, I read the book Hot Zone (non-fiction, but as gripping as any novel). The Centers for Disease Control (note the name!) would be all over this new plague. Samples would have been sent to their Level 4 biological containment section for complete analysis, from anywhere in the U.S. But given as it's in the SAME DAMN CITY, there's just no excuse -- samples could be driven there in a matter of minutes. Plus, there's no reason the CDC and other medical personnel couldn't set up an investigation and treatment unit on site, using that hospital! No reason for people to be lying sick in the lobby -- the hospital is not that small. No reason for the lone researcher to be making do with infant incubators. CDC viral researchers manage to travel to Africa from Atlanta to research and help contain ebola outbreaks -- pretty sure they could make the trip to that hospital.

God, stupid stupid stupid!! A shame, because I really enjoyed the first three episodes. Until this.

That random doctor who just happened to be on hand would be tasked with caring for patients, not trying to find a cure. It's completely illogical, and not how things would be done. GAH...

Oh, and I agree about the National Guard. They would be on site, too -- as well as many other experienced medical personnel. It's nothing getting OUT that's the problem, not needed people and supplies getting IN. Which means food would definitely be provided, as well as anything else they needed. This would be a huge national emergency, and stupid Leo, who is a weird psycho selfish reporter, would be one of MANY MANY reporters, local, state, national AND international, who would be covering this story, and being briefed several times a day by a PROPER Public Relations staff at the federal level (Department of Health and Human Services), not some random cop who the head chick decided would make a good mouthpiece. Do none of the writers recall the one or two ebola cases that we had in the U.S., and what a panic/big news story that was?

And they have already shown how its done with the Major having a face to face meeting with his special cop in charge inside of the shipping container. I have to say The Hot Zone was the scariest thing that I ever read.

On 5/10/2016 at 8:21 AM, fountain said:

 

I would hope there would be more military and government support.  Seriously, 11 cops?  Sorry if you don't want to help because you are the outside the cordon, so I guess then you quit your job? 

 

It is worse than that the Fed refused to allow the police Major to call for volunteers in the episode before

[Margherita Erdman]

Here's something else that just occurred to me: we've seen that rats can be infected with this exact virus, so presumably it is zoonotic and jumps easily from vermin (or even pets? dogs, cats, parakeets, pigeons?) to people. So how can the cordon hold... Atlanta like any urban area is crawling with rats who have free run of the city through sewer tunnels, power lines, etc. and of course pigeons fly.

[thuganomics85]

No Claudia Black in this episode?!  Come on, show!  Get your shit together!

I'm finding this show weirder and weirder at it goes.  It's been day five, but it really doesn't feel like anyone outside the Cordon is doing anything. They only have two local cops on watch?  Wouldn't the National Guard or someone have been called in at this point?  Even if it's contained in Atlanta for now, I would think the government would be way more concerned about this.  This is coming off more like a mild inconvenience for the rest of the world.

How Teresea's mom hasn't gotten killed yet is beyond me.  How could she not be prepared for someone to come in and take over her store?

Sure, Xander.  Go over to the infected to find your pregnant girlfriend, but don't wear a mask or anything, when you're filming just recently dead bodies.  Maybe he isn't cut out for this parenting thing.

I'm actually tolerating Lex and Jana more, but that I might be because they aren't Jake and Katie.

Edited May 16, 2016 by thuganomics85

[mythoughtis]

The halls at the hospital seem awfully empty considering the entire staff on duty was quarantined there along with everyone else.    

[AudienceofOne]

On 5/12/2016 at 0:00 AM, The Mighty Peanut said:

Right? I'll just expose the absolute most vulnerable members of the population to a virulent rapidly spreading plague with a fatality rate of 100%. 'Cause people need to KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. Could you be a doll and bring in some senior citizens and the severely immune suppressed while you're at it? 

Thanks, but I'll take living in ignorance. Keyword being living. 

The worst moment for me was when I realised the journalist will turn out to be VINDICATED and the secret to the "conspiracy" will be inside the cordon and we're going to have an entire 'we're being lied to' plotline with Lex questioning his role in... making sure millions of people don't die horrible deaths? 

I don't understand what this show is saying!! 

It's not like Claudia Black is lying about the stakes here. And it's not like all her actions haven't been about containing the outbreak (although I think cutting off communications was wrong, it's a typical bureaucratic knee-jerk reaction). If people are dying in the cordon then that makes the integrity of the cordon more important, not less. 

On 5/16/2016 at 10:09 AM, Margherita Erdman said:

Here's something else that just occurred to me: we've seen that rats can be infected with this exact virus, so presumably it is zoonotic and jumps easily from vermin (or even pets? dogs, cats, parakeets, pigeons?) to people. So how can the cordon hold... Atlanta like any urban area is crawling with rats who have free run of the city through sewer tunnels, power lines, etc. and of course pigeons fly.

They may be able to infect the rats directly with the virus but that doesn't mean it can be transmitted zoonotically. There's no indication an infected rat can give it to another infected rat. 

On 5/17/2016 at 8:38 AM, thuganomics85 said:

I'm finding this show weirder and weirder at it goes.  It's been day five, but it really doesn't feel like anyone outside the Cordon is doing anything. They only have two local cops on watch?  Wouldn't the National Guard or someone have been called in at this point?  Even if it's contained in Atlanta for now, I would think the government would be way more concerned about this.  This is coming off more like a mild inconvenience for the rest of the world.

And the only doctor conducting research on the virus is inside the cordon and could be infected any minute. There's no universe where a CDC response team wouldn't have been sent onsite before the cordon and sent samples off to secure labs somewhere. This is possibly the dumbest thing of all.