# Fear the Walking Dead: 2.03 "Ouroboros" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045 "2016-04-24T23:59:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/21 "2016-04-26T02:44:40Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > I think Strand is a drug runner and they are going to a drug dealers compound, which is probably very well protected like he claims. The “gardens” are probably growth operations, which would also be quite handy. Also he seemed to know druggies pretty well. Good points. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/22 "2016-04-27T01:47:11Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > How gross was the part with those crabs eating the zombie as the zombie in turn eats the crabs? I love it! The character actions were just eye-rollingly stupid over and over, but I think this is the first time in this fictional universe we get to see scavenger animals eating a zombie. That’s quite a shift, since if scavenger animals _can_ eat zombies, then the zombie outbreak would be over in a mater of weeks or at most months (shorter in tropical climates) as zombies are rapidly and efficiently consumed, like any carrion. I was taking it pretty much for granted that the disease that caused zombism simultaneously eliminated virtually all other animals, insects included, because otherwise nature itself would solve the problem in short order. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/23 "2016-04-27T02:02:33Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I was taking it pretty much for granted that the disease that caused zombism simultaneously eliminated virtually all other animals, insects included, because otherwise nature itself would solve the problem in short order. The zombies are moving about, which must make it a little difficult for death beetles, maggots and ants, although flies could lay eggs with impunity. If they rot away and keep being zombies, I suppose they can be eaten and still be zombies as long as the brain is intact. It may surpass even the Walking Dead to show maggots and death beetles hanging off of zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/24 "2016-04-27T06:34:15Z")
My theory/fanwank: while the zombies are still fresh, ie only turned in the last day or two, their flesh is still edible. After they become fully suffused with zombie-ness, not even carrion eaters are able to stomach them. ETA: Or bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/25 "2016-04-27T10:52:08Z")
What if Junkie Depp, upon realizing the zombies were ignoring him, had simply started methodically head-spiking them one by one? Would some primitive self-preservation instinct eventually make them retaliate? What if he went to the back of the crowd and steadily worked his way forward so the zombies were less likely to notice? ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/26 "2016-04-27T14:51:30Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What if Junkie Depp, upon realizing the zombies were ignoring him, had simply started methodically head-spiking them one by one? Would some primitive self-preservation instinct eventually make them retaliate? > > What if he went to the back of the crowd and steadily worked his way forward so the zombies were less likely to notice? We know from TWD that in addition to being covered in zombie juice, you also have to act like one for the zombie-gut-camo technique to work. At least, that’s been the formula so far: (1) Let’s spread zombie-goo on us and shuffle on out of here. (2) Tension builds and some minor characters get nervous and start to display non-zombie behaviors. (3) Zombies start going “huh?” Then it’s either followed by panic and much chomping while remaining party members have to decide to between giving themselves away and watching friends die while doing nothing, or recovery back to zombie-like behavior and dissolution of the audience’s tension. Presumably, spiking fellow zombies would be sufficiently non-zombotic enough to attract unwanted attention. But like you said, if you manage to do it without getting noticed, sure. That’s stupidly risky though. I think I would want to go for “absolutely sure not to notice,” rather than “less likely,” but I’m a coward that way when it comes to zombie apocalypses. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/27 "2016-04-27T15:20:51Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Presumably, spiking fellow zombies would be sufficiently non-zombotic enough to attract unwanted attention. Zombies, man. So conformist. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/28 "2016-04-27T22:30:20Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > The character actions were just eye-rollingly stupid over and over, but I think this is the first time in this fictional universe we get to see scavenger animals eating a zombie. That’s quite a shift, since if scavenger animals _can_ eat zombies, then the zombie outbreak would be over in a mater of weeks or at most months (shorter in tropical climates) as zombies are rapidly and efficiently consumed, like any carrion. > > I was taking it pretty much for granted that the disease that caused zombism simultaneously eliminated virtually all other animals, insects included, because otherwise nature itself would solve the problem in short order. This zombie was half buried in the sand and couldn’t do anything about the crabs. Most zombies are mobile and given their herd tendency, are able to overwhelm most anything that would attempt to eat them If other animals are gone, it’s from zombies eating them (or humans eating them… remember that poor doggie on the main show a while back), not the zombie cause. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/29 "2016-04-27T23:45:08Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What if Junkie Depp, upon realizing the zombies were ignoring him, had simply started methodically head-spiking them one by one? Would some primitive self-preservation instinct eventually make them retaliate?.. Aside from what Kyrie Eleison said about behaving like a zombie have we ever actually seen zombies demonstrate any self-preservation instinct? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/30 "2016-04-27T23:51:40Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > This zombie was half buried in the sand and couldn’t do anything about the crabs. Most zombies are mobile and given their herd tendency, are able to overwhelm most anything that would attempt to eat them We’ve seen countless zombies who are both immobile and isolated. This is the first one we’ve seen being eaten by critters. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/31 "2016-04-28T01:16:20Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > We’ve seen countless zombies who are both immobile and isolated. This is the first one we’ve seen being eaten by critters. Probably because they eat the critters first. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/32 "2016-04-29T07:28:59Z")
So far, the titles have remained a mystery to me. I mean “we all fall down” is a reference to the nursery rhyme. But who was the monster in the first episode of this season, besides all the everybody, and what was the ouroboros in this episode? Was it the guy eating the crabs that were eating him? If so, I object that this is merely a curiosity thrown in, and putting it in the title suggests that this is a metaphor for the situation among the actual characters, which it is not. The tension in the story, as noted repeatedly, seems to depend on people just being stupid. How much are you going to deal with zombies before you just don’t take a casual stroll over to where you hear one gargling? My own threshold of paranoia is probably not more than a couple of zombies. The first sign of a zombie, I’d be on edge. I’m walking through some plane wreckage, but don’t see any zombies, I’m talking in a whisper and staying where everybody can see me. There’s some darkened fuselage in which I damned well know there are zombies… I’d better be down to my last cheeto before I’d go anywhere near it, and even then I’d have somebody outside to warn me so I don’t get trapped by incoming zombies. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/33 "2016-04-29T15:10:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > \ The tension in the story, as noted repeatedly, seems to depend on people just being stupid. \ I think this pretty well encapsulates everything wrong with Fear the Walking Dead. It shouldn’t be so hard for the writers to create drama. The premise is fraught with peril even if the characters react like normal, occasionally fallible, people. Nothing is gained and much is lost by making them act like total morons. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/34 "2016-05-05T20:01:12Z")
I thought that pronouncing the son’s name as Coral was an overenthusiastic voice coach. Hearing a Britisher speak of coral on NPR, I heard _coral_ pronounced as _carl_. I wonder if the actor confuses the British and Colonial pronunciations. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045/35 "2016-05-05T20:08:16Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Hearing a Britisher speak of coral on NPR, I heard _coral_ pronounced as _carl_. I wonder if the actor confuses the British and Colonial pronunciations. _Singing The Dolphin Through_ is a song on Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s album ‘The Roaring Silence’. It contains the lyric _Joseph, the mud gives way to coral._ When I first heard the song (Oh, so long ago!) I thought it was _Joseph the Mut gives way to **Carol** _. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-the-walking-dead-2-03-ouroboros-open-spoilers/753045.md?page=1)