You and me both.
You and me both.
Note that despite all the negative comments, only two people have voted that they didn’t like the episode, and nobody has voted that they hated it.
As for the Sophia arc, at this point I won’t be satisfied with her merely showing up alive or even showing up zombified.
After all this drama, I will only be happy if she returns as the ruthless leader of a violent gang of rival survivors, with a gigantic, chained man-slave in tow.
I think the necklace did touch his mouth, before Rick cut it off. Was that because he didn’t want Herschel to see it?
But if it’s that easy to catch the virus, Darryl’d be toast anyway. He’s not sterilizing the arrows and he’s had zombie goop on him more than once. He touched the ears when he cut them off and he hasn’t washed his hands (or anything else) in days. And why hasn’t he had a shower yet? Everybody else looks pretty cleaned up.
Duh. Because rednecks don’t bathe. Don’t you know anything about stereotypes?
I’m as ready as everyone else for the plot to move on, but we have to bear in mind that new locations cost big new bucks*, and it looks like they are squeezing this turnip as hard as possible already - CGI and spectacular stunts can’t possibly be cheap. I don’t expect a new location this “season”.
At least Our Heroes are not reveling in the backup camera of some new car, or its hybrid efficiency** - although I would gladly accept that if it meant that a show I liked got to survive.
*On one episode of “Doctor Who Confidential”, a writer bemoaned the fact that a really cool shot of action in a stairwell was cut because it would have required a new location shot.
** AKA product placement bucks.
Here’s what I’ve long been thinking about the characters.
I don’t want them to be the smartest zombie killing heroes on earth, but they need to work together to survive and no one seems to realize it. They did in the first season. The first episode where they were trapped in Atlanta was great, but they’ve forgotten since then.
What I would do if I were in the situation is gather everyone around for a little training. I’d have everyone carrying a weapon and a backup weapon (blunt object at least) at all times, tell them to stay quiet when out in the field, keep their heads on a swivel, and if they stop everyone needs to be pointing their gun in a different direction, not gathered around shootin’ the shit. Go over a plan for when you run into a zombie. If it’s one geek, let Daryl take it out quietly while everyone stays on alert. If there’s a lot, the best shooters cover the retreat.
Also, share information about zombies every time some is gained and have frequent meetings about the situation and any ideas anyone may have. Instead of sitting around talking about PMS, maybe someone will have an idea about how to secure the camp better or how to find some supplies or a plan people should be talking about in case of emergency.
What is frustrating in not that they’re dumb, but that they don’t know they are. An hour or two of talking about the situation and these people would be 10 times more ready to deal with the dangers they face.
And have Shane holding regular training sessions on guns and shooting - there’s no excuse for anyone not knowing how to shoot and maintain guns at this point.
I’d change your “blunt object” to “sharp object,” too - more suitable for pithing zombies. 
So What t were you responding to when you described these weekly threads as “nerd rage”?
It’s perfectly possible to write about surviving something well, and its also possible to write about it poorly. Look at Cast Away, for instance. All about survival. Entirely about character. Never lost sight of the conflict and never felt stagnant. Nary a zombie in sight.
Just because the writers have two people talking about their feelings, it doesn’t mean that its automatically good writing. Also, one needn’t even have a zombie in the scene, let alone getting smashed in the face, to maintain the presence of the zombies in the story, and their role in the conflict for the protagonists.
You can even have them just shamble through the scene. Look at the first episode this season. How much tension was there while everyone was just hiding under cars? Yet, look at all they were still able to do regarding relationships between characters.
Then Sophia ran off, deep into the woods.
I don’t see any reason for Z’s to be constantly infesting the farm. Herschel seems to have rounded up most of the locals, and he is several miles off the only main artery of travel. Most of that intervening space is some fairly challenging woods. The Z’s in this world seem to follow one another around but also need some stimulus to get them traveling in any direction for a long time. They don’t tend to wander into hard terrain, but rather act more like water, flowing and pooling up in areas of least resistance.
I generally agree, except for running the generators and the scenes with all the lights burning brightly in the unboarded windows at night.
Oh and the scene last year when the horde attacking their compound, which seemed to be relatively high ground in a remote location.
But yeah, there are lots of places in the us that are presently unpopulated, and it makes sense that they would remain generally zombie free. A little Rivendell, for sanctuary and respite from a story’s antagonists.
This was the first compelling episode of the season for me. I loved Daryl’s hallucination scenes. There was also an actual funny line when Maddie said “You see 11 condoms, I see 11 minutes of my life I’m never getting back.” Ouch!
Of course what would happen in real life would be the side that has all the guns would take over the farm and use it as their new base of operations. But that’d be too grimdark.
Quoted for truth. While I enjoy the human interaction, the overall plot motivation makes zero sense.
Rick has seen a helicopter in flight. Reason enough, if you are desperate, to believe that the military is still a functioning organization. And if it is a functioning organization, why not go down to Fort Benning and see for yourself? Worst case scenario is you’ll be in a place with a lot of weaponry potentially available. Best case scenario is the Army is maintaining a perimeter there, with a safe zone within.
If society has fallen apart I think it’s reasonable to think that folks would grasp at whatever straws of hope are available.
They showed the three choppers at night in previews. A bit of a tease that it turned out to be from a flashback.
I’m curious about how the zombies overwhelmed the military in the first place. An individual zombie is pretty well taken out by a rock or a crossbow. A small horde is nearly equalled by a couple of guys with sidearms. How would even a small group with the weaponry available to the military not handle the zombies, and why would something like bombing with naplam strikes seem like a necessary and effective strategy?
It makes sense to me that the group would try to get to Ft. Benning.
Watching the collapse of civilization is much more interesting to me than the aftermath. I think that’s why I love World War Z and The Stand, and why I hope we see a lot more flashbacks. I haven’t really kept up with the timeline but is there any chance that’s Shane’s baby?
People always assume the military would immediately go into seek and destroy mode when it’s more likely they would be more of rescue and protect force opening them up to falling from the inside rather than from direct attack. They would never be allowed to indiscriminately shoot down what most people would consider to be sick US citizens until the situation was truly dire.
It’s almost certainly Shane’s baby.
Very good episode. Agree that these people are idiots. Why would crossbow-boy only take one arrow with him? He never seems to have more than two, for that matter.