The Rain - General Discussion

[Valny]

I call BS- when Beatrice and Rasmus(Rasmoose!) go up to the roof right after the rain stopped, the roof was completed dry! Is it quick drying rain or something? Come on!

[Boofish]

I was hoping Rick Grimes would swoop in and shoot everyone except Leah and Martin. 

[jhlipton]

Umbrellas and boots?  Nah, too easy.

So dad goes out but doesn't bother to show his family any of the communication devices so they can keep in touch -- he doesn't give them any kind of tour of the bunker at all.  Because if he had, or if he'd put a stupid camera outside the bunker(!!!), they'd have known it wasn't him.  So, yeah, the daughter killed the mom, but the dad  set it up.  Bunch of dumb-asses.

[Paloma]

On 5/9/2018 at 4:14 AM, BasilSeal said:

But now it seems the rain itself no longer carries the virus, it's only carried in infected people and animals, who are unaffected but still carriers. Which would make sense, how else could they contain the virus within a quarantine zone? the weather wouldn't take any notice of a wall. (I'm also assuming at this point that Beatrice was killed by contact with the dog)

That does kind of make sense, but didn't we only see the dog touch/lick her just before Rasmus woke up and found her dead? Unless she had contact with the dog earlier, it doesn't seem likely that she died so quickly from that contact. So either she had a delayed reaction from the drop of water that fell on her face or...

On 5/9/2018 at 6:35 PM, meatball77 said:

I think Beatrice was killed because she had sex with the whiny brother.  He's got killer sperm.

At first I thought this was a joke, but dying as a result of sex with a carrier actually seems more likely than dying from the dog contact or the much earlier drop of water. I'm not sure if Rasmus would be considered a carrier, but he apparently has the virus and/or antibodies in him as a result of his father's treatment.  

The problem with any of the theories about the cause of Beatrice's death is that we didn't see her show any symptoms (convulsions, vomiting, etc.) that we've seen in others. 

[Paloma]

It's not surprising that Rasmus didn't tell them that he had sex with Beatrice before she died, but that turned out to be important information that the Strangers as well as his sister and traveling companions need to know. Since the Stranger that was left behind died after kissing Rasmus on his bloody forehead, it seems clear that Rasmus is a carrier who can infect people by transmission of bodily fluids (mainly semen and blood), similar to HIV/AIDS--except that Simone and the cult doctor may have also touched his bloody wound in the abdomen, and they were OK (at least until the doctor injected himself). I'll hand-wave that by assuming the doctor used gloves and Simone didn't actually touch the blood.

I guess it's also not surprising that Rasmus was inconsolable and wanted to die after the first woman he had a crush on died right after they had sex, but I was still annoyed by the way he was going on about it. The scene with the others burying Beatrice also seemed to go on too long, but maybe that's just because I was eager to get back to the main plot.

Based on the flashback to the Strangers orientation scene, it seems that they were not necessarily all Apollon employees but were military personnel and maybe some civilians recruited to go into the quarantine zone to look for an immune person. Were they told to specifically look for Rasmus, or could there be more than one immune person? Also, though they seem to be bad guys because of the kidnapping, torture, and killing, their actions were at least partly motivated by desperation to find a cure. But it's not clear if a cure would allow the Strangers to leave the quarantine zone, since they've been implanted with something that will kill them the instant they step outside of the zone.

Poor Patrick--torture a la Marathon Man. Glad to see that Martin forgave him. My fear of dentists probably began with that movie.

Can't wait to watch the last episode.

[marys1000]

I cheered when that annoying useless Rassmus got stabbed.

 

You really have to suspend ALL common sense.  Why all the wet dew on the ferns and trees doesnt have the virus.  Why some animals are alive and not others.  why that woman ran through the ditch with no shoes....like every minute

[marys1000]

There was an interesting vibe and storyline here which was kind of enjoyable despite all the huge plot holes and inconsistencies.  

Rasmusas though was beyond irritating and agree with killing him twice.  Simone wasnt much better.  So much stupidity its surprising they lasted as long as they did.

[LeGrandElephant]

I’m only a few minutes in and this doesn’t seem very good. Is it worth continuing?

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, LeGrandElephant said:

I’m only a few minutes in and this doesn’t seem very good. Is it worth continuing?

My husband and I are fans of dystopian fiction and thought it was worthwhile, though it certainly had its flaws. You may want to give it two episodes before deciding whether to continue.

[RedheadZombie]

I was annoyed by Rasmus as well, and the foolish father who crashed the car - nearly injuring his family - because he was so worried his kid would be injured without a seatbelt.  Self-fulfilling.

I was initially annoyed that Simone panicked and was ready to first go out into the rain, and then track down her father when he said he would come back.  They were safe, had shelter, plenty of food, and technology.  Dad specifically told them he was the only one who could save everybody.  But then I realized that they were two traumatized kids and they wanted their dad.

I'm so grateful Rasmus was aged because the kid actor was really irritating me.

On ‎5‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 6:31 PM, zibnchy said:

I just came here to ask ---

Couldn't all those people just have stayed in their cars until the rain stopped? Driven into a parking garage? Driven to wherever it isn't raining?

That said, I like the actress playing Simone so I will watch some more.

She really reminds me of Emily VanCamp.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎5‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 2:10 PM, mntnsrck79 said:

My big issue that I can’t get over is that the water is so dangerous that you can’t even step in a puddle, plus it rains every night, so why doesn’t getting dirty kill them (like when Rasmus and Simone were dragged back into the bunker)? Or just touching damp leaves and grass when hiking through the dense forests? I think it would have been more believable if there was just the initial rain event maybe lasting a year or two.

 

I am enjoying this overall, but some of it is just too unbelievable and some of the characters’ actions are so dumb/annoying.

I'm fanwanking that the rain, deep puddles, and other standing water are more concentrated in the virus.  When the water evaporates the virus is killed, and/or dew and leftover dampness is weak in viral load.  Maybe the survivors naturally have a higher immunity and that's why they've survived this long.  Rasmus is surely immune since he was already exposed, and maybe Simone has developed an immunity from long term exposure to Rasmus?  

I'm giving them latitude because unlike TWD, there are no magically functioning vehicles with never-ending supplies of fuel.  But, this show does seem to mimic TWD's guns that never need re-loading.

[RedheadZombie]

Thus far we've seen a deer, coyote, ferret, and a room full of pigeons, yet even starving people aren't interested.  Since the animals would have no clue to stay out of the rain, it stands to reason they're unaffected by the virus.  Unless we're supposed to believe that animals are carriers and the humans know it, I'm finding it a bit unbelievable.  I wish they would have established that in the last episode.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎5‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 7:08 PM, snowwhyte said:

I thought Beatrice was using the story to gain sympathy and help create a bond with the guys. I got the feeling she wanted Martin to be her protector so she had sex with him and then used the made up story to evoke an emotional response. I don't know why she did the same thing with Rasmus. Maybe she was tired of Martin, maybe she sensed some distance between them and wanted a back up option. I still find Rasmus very annoying so I don't know what she would see in him. I doubt he'd be a good protector.

I see it more as she wanted Martin to be the group's protector.  Glasses is a bumbling fool who hogs scavenged food, and Leah is too dumb to have removed her braces in the last six years.  Beatrice seemed to be their leader, so she was the most useful of that original three.   I was confused that she was willing to ditch Martin to be with two people she just met, but I think she responded more to Simone's leadership than any interest in Rasmus.

Her interest in Rasmus seemed more genuine?  And I'm not sure how she tied Martin to the group when she didn't even get him off that first time.

I'm not sure how I feel about the differing stories regarding Beatrice's family.  It did seem to bind people closer to her, but they were two males already interested in her.  Maybe she doesn't have a home and family and makes up these stories for comfort.  Maybe her real story is much more traumatic so she tells these tales instead?  She's absolutely fascinating.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 3:04 PM, BasilSeal said:

I agree with most of your post with the exception of that bit, survivors feature a virus to which only the world's dumbest and most annoying people were immune, they never implicitly stated this but it must have been true because boy, where those guys dumb and annoying, and so was everyone they met, ever. Don't get me wrong, i loved survivors, but in all fairness it was terrible, poorly written with awful characters, but it was one of those shows which was so bad it was also simultaneously brilliant.

Like you i wasn't too bothered that this was a well worn PA trope, the too good to be true sanctuary always has a dark secret that is discovered after most of the group have been deceived by the inhabitants, in this case i'm not sure it all made sense though.

They transposed it with the revel of Leah's past, which was pretty traumatic, the idea being that thi illustrates why people would want to forget the past and find a way to abdicate responsibility for what they'd done, i can buy into that, but eating people, really? I mean how did Beardy bloke broach that one when he was setting out the ground rules for his new commune?

"we have to forget about the past and live in the present"

"yes, you're so right"

"we've all suffered traumatic loss, like the death of a loved one or accidentally murdering more people than hitler, the only way to get past this is to forgo our own individual identities and abandon our sense of self."

"ok, that sounds possible"

"oh, and every month we'll have a raffle and the winner will get eaten"

"say what now?"

I also had a bit of a problem with what happened to Leah, the other kids raped her and filmed the assault, then put the evidence on social media, in a progressive European country like Denmark, someone who did that would be going to jail, without question, and though i can believe people can be awful enough to want to do such a horrible thing, i'm not sure that they would be stupid enough not to realise that doing it would have consequences though. (obviously they avoid these consequences by dying horribly, but they didn't know that would happen).

apart from that though, i think that this show stands on it's own merit, the writing largely makes sense, even though the virus is only in water when it suits the plot, and so on, but, whatever. It's certainly technically more proficient than survivors, the landscape does appear to be a convincing facsimile of a post apocalyptic world. not just our own world with a few abandoned cars and a bit of rubbish strewn about the place for effect, neither are they driving down roads where the hedges have just been cut, past houses with freshly mown lawns or fields with crops that have tramlines in them from regular spraying, and so on. In the rain, i can actually believe the world has ended.

I didn't get the impression that they raped her.  They were pretending to be interested as she kept asking them if they wanted to fuck, kept trying to stick her tongue in their mouths, and even pulling down her shirt.  But when the scene switched back to Leah watching the tape, you could hear the guys laughing at her and saying how disgusting she was.

If the viewer didn't know that Leah had been slipped a drug, the guys aren't doing anything illegal.

[RedheadZombie]

What a shame that Beatrice was the first character killed off.  She was a very complex character - one that I haven't seen in American television.  

I was rooting for Patrick to be the first person killed, but saving the dog gives him a stay of execution in my mind.  At least for one episode.

If Beatrice died because of Rasmus, it's reminiscent of 28 Weeks Later.  The mom is a carrier, and the dad becomes infected by kissing her.  

Martin really reminds me of a clean cut Rick Grimes.  He's even doing some of those arm gestures Rick is known for.

I'm confused as to why they spent the night in the bunker.  They knew they needed to urgently leave, but were afraid to leave because it was raining.  Once they realized rain was no longer poisonous, they thought it was more important to get drunk and celebrate than to get away from danger?

[RedheadZombie]

I've had a feeling that The Strangers would not be the true villains, similar to The Others on Lost.  Turns out they're hot teddy bears who reassure depressed young men and give them kisses on their foreheads.  Apollon is the true villain, as well as Simone's parents who unwittingly started this whole disaster.

The dog was a total fake out, but I'm sure most viewers weren't surprised that Rasmus can infect people.  If I hadn't guessed, it probably would have been a cool shock like when Shane turned on TWD.

I've thought all along that Frederik was still alive.  But now I wonder.  If he knew his son was the cure all along, why continue to kill others by exposing them to the virus?  Why never once check back in with his family?

If Rasmus was a moody motherfucker before, wait until he learns he killed his girlfriend with his penis and caused the plague to be unleashed.

On ‎5‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 7:20 AM, Paloma said:

It's not surprising that Rasmus didn't tell them that he had sex with Beatrice before she died, but that turned out to be important information that the Strangers as well as his sister and traveling companions need to know. Since the Stranger that was left behind died after kissing Rasmus on his bloody forehead, it seems clear that Rasmus is a carrier who can infect people by transmission of bodily fluids (mainly semen and blood), similar to HIV/AIDS--except that Simone and the cult doctor may have also touched his bloody wound in the abdomen, and they were OK (at least until the doctor injected himself). I'll hand-wave that by assuming the doctor used gloves and Simone didn't actually touch the blood.

I guess it's also not surprising that Rasmus was inconsolable and wanted to die after the first woman he had a crush on died right after they had sex, but I was still annoyed by the way he was going on about it. The scene with the others burying Beatrice also seemed to go on too long, but maybe that's just because I was eager to get back to the main plot.

Based on the flashback to the Strangers orientation scene, it seems that they were not necessarily all Apollon employees but were military personnel and maybe some civilians recruited to go into the quarantine zone to look for an immune person. Were they told to specifically look for Rasmus, or could there be more than one immune person? Also, though they seem to be bad guys because of the kidnapping, torture, and killing, their actions were at least partly motivated by desperation to find a cure. But it's not clear if a cure would allow the Strangers to leave the quarantine zone, since they've been implanted with something that will kill them the instant they step outside of the zone.

Poor Patrick--torture a la Marathon Man. Glad to see that Martin forgave him. My fear of dentists probably began with that movie.

Can't wait to watch the last episode.

My fanwank is that Simone has second-hand immunity from long-term close contact with Rasmus.

[Pondlass1]

On 5/12/2018 at 10:59 PM, Paloma said:

We are watching this in the original language, with subtitles (not the dubbed English version that is apparently the default

Duh! I didn't realize you could change it.  The dubbing is distracting, I'd much rather read subtitles.

But I don't think I will continue.  The characters are mostly annoying.  And I don't understand their behaviour regarding the danger from the rain.  They seem very lackadaisical about it. Surely after a rainfall the virus would seep into everything.  Someone even was wearing shorts. I'd be encased in plastic walking through a damp forest. 

Anyway, good concept for a series... but not working for me.  

[bilgistic]

Drugging a person is usually a crime in itself, depending upon the jurisdiction--the legislators of which also determine the degree of the crime (misdemeanor/felony).

[bilgistic]

WHY would they take the "nutritional supplements" at Apollon after their experience at Camp Blueshirts??

[Rap541]

My childish nickname for Rasmus is "Assmus" because he's such an ass.

I thought locking Simone's pals in a bunker INSIDE the facility really should have been a big red flag for everyone but I did handwave the "nutritional supplement" stuff because I thought it would be normal for the kids to accept this from scientist types.

[bilgistic]

I wondered how Simone knew how to drive. I tried to figure out her and Rasmus's ages the whole show. I figure Simone was about 21, having gone into the bunker at about 15. Rasmus was about 16, having gone into the bunker at about nine, based on how the younger Rasmus looked. I don't think they ever established their ages on the show.

[Rap541]

Honestly I had her pegged at 16-17 when she went in the bunker. Old enough for having driven somewhat or gotten a learner's permit or whatever they call it in Denmark.

I thought there was definitely some world building issues with the show but I did adore it just the same. 

The world building problem? If they were seeding the virus in clouds there is no way to control where the rain fall goes so its a weapon that will always have a huge amount of collateral damage. Who build the GIANT wall barrier? If the virus is incredibly deadly, why make people going into the infected zone take "nutritional supplements" that are guaranteed to infect them when anyone who catches the illness dies in minutes anyway? If Rasmus IS a carrier, then why isn't Simone dead?

[Meushell]

Wow. This show started out with people acting stupid, then gets somewhat better, then goes back to even more people acting stupid.

That ending with the eeeevvil group around the table was hilarious. As is the fact that the audience is arguing over how a main character died. Really, writers, that’s just bad writing. I’m guessing it was from Rasmus, but they didn’t want to uglify her.

[drivebyposter]

On 5/8/2018 at 12:04 PM, BasilSeal said:

 

"oh, and every month we'll have a raffle and the winner will get eaten"

"say what now?"

I kept asking myself whether cannibalism (which I expected to be coming) would somehow be said/shown to protect against the virus-- so at least there'd be some logic to why they're not really afraid of water/rain or much else. But no such logic. I guess they had one guy who being from Apollon might know enough to know what's safe and what's not. 

[paulvdb]

I was just going through my shows on the Futon Critic and saw that they had season 2 listed for May 17.

[paulvdb]

[Paloma]

My husband and I just binged the second season. Some interesting sci-fi elements, but I was frustrated with the dumb behavior of some of the characters and often confused by the plot, including the motivation of the "big bad" from the end of the first season. I won't spoil it by saying more, but I'm interested in hearing what other people think.  

[Adira]

I definitely found this season a little more difficult to follow.  And I don't really understand how that virus mist works - it comes off the infected trees & Rasmus, but seems to dissipate and then people around it don't get infected??  How does that even work?  Where is the virus going when it dissipates??  And why did it seem like the mist was often being directed AT someone?  Is that how the virus works?  It tries to find a live body to infect?

Also, it makes almost no sense that the virus is symbiotic in some way, given it's 99.99% fatality rate.  How has the virus "survived" this long if it's symbiotic and needs a host??  It's killed basically everyone!  I guess it's somehow living on the plants?  But those seem to be dying too.  So... I didn't get it.

BUT I still enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the next season!

[Slider]

I kind of enjoyed season 1, but when I watched the season 2 trailer there was too much focus on Rassmuss, which was the weak part of the show for me.  I don't care about him, and I don't care about his super virus.  I didn't even bother.

[paulvdb]

‘The Rain’ Renewed For Third & Final Season By Netflix

[paulvdb]

Season 3 premieres August 6

[paulvdb]

Season 3 trailer:

 

[Paloma]

Just watched the first two episodes of Season 3 and am really confused. Guess I should have rewatched the last season or read a recap, because I am having trouble remembering some characters and what led to them being where they are now. I think I will take a break to find a recap before watching more.

Just found a helpful recap of seasons 1 and 2 (don't read it unless you have watched both seasons): https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2020-08-06/the-rain-season-1-2-recap/

Edited August 7, 2020 by Paloma
adding a link to a recap of first 2 seasons