# The Walking Dead; 2.09 "Triggerfinger" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377 "2012-02-20T01:10:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [February 20, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/41 "2012-02-20T22:08:35Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I don’t understand why they don’t just build a wall. The zombies aren’t that nimble, and they certainly aren’t smart enough to get a ladder. Didnt an earlier episode establish the the farm was in large (or at least significant) part bordered by a quicksand-like swamp in which walkers get mired? In fact, that raises the question of whether or not anyone’s been checking the swamp lately. > [@](#): > > That’s my biggest problem in general with this show. The zombies aren’t really that big of a threat, they move slow, are mindless and don’t have weapons. So in order to get in trouble the characters have to act like idiots in order to continuously get in situations where they’re totally surrounded by zombies. Olive Oyl driving off and crashing reminded me perfectly of scenes in disaster movies where a kid goes off exploring on his own, to be rescued by an adult at the cost of the adult’s life. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/42 "2012-02-20T22:25:32Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > That’s my biggest problem in general with this show. The zombies aren’t really that big of a threat, they move slow, are mindless and don’t have weapons. So in order to get in trouble the characters have to act like idiots in order to continuously get in situations where they’re totally surrounded by zombies. Yep. You’d think these people would have figured this out by now. Unless the virus mutates, survivors shouldn’t have much to worry about, except each other. That makes me wonder if Catatonia will show different symptoms, when she wakes up. She must be infected. Maybe she’ll be smarter and faster. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/43 "2012-02-20T23:28:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Shooting a 1" thick cast iron railing point blank with a handgun is likely to be > d) ineffective > e) extremely dangerous Pretty much what I figured. Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/44 "2012-02-20T23:34:01Z")
_Something there is that doesn’t love a wall._ Do you guys know how hard it would be to build a wall around the house? A wall that a heaving mass of Walkers couldn’t knock down? I agree that the whole idea of anyone going off alone is just stupid. Shane was about to do just that when Rick and crew returned. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/45 "2012-02-20T23:39:28Z")
Weird episode. Lori is getting to be insufferable. Shane is as well. I’m glad Hershel understands what the world is now like; Rick as well seems to have finally woken up. I really don’t get why they saved the impaled teenager. Makes no sense and creates an opening for the people to left him to “come find” him later on. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/46 "2012-02-21T00:08:05Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > \ > The day/night issue was just stupid and inexcusable. I have to leave that one alone - time disappearing like that seems to happen all the time on tv and in movies. > [@](#): > > Glenn needs his ass kicked up around his ears. \ I’ll give Glenn a bit of a pass, too - I get the impression he hasn’t had a serious relationship before, and he’s really rattled by it. Normally he would be mooning about Maggie at work and missing a deadline or two; here he’s messing up life and death stuff. > [@DianaG](#): > > That, and I wonder at them wandering around outside by themselves in the dark. Do they really believe that the place is \*that \*safe? I mean, this isn’t Buffy, there’s no spell to prevent walkers from crossing the property line. When they said, “We should post a guard,” my response was, “Yeah! You should have had a guard all along!” It’s the frickin’ Zombie Apocalypse, people. Post a guard. ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/47 "2012-02-21T00:09:36Z")
Why not take him? At this point all Rick and crew know is that there is a hostile force in the area. By taking the abandoned other they have gained a source of knowledge. Knowing the number of enemies, location and intent could be a lifesaver in the current situation. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/48 "2012-02-21T00:13:30Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I really don’t get why they saved the impaled teenager. Makes no sense and creates an opening for the people to left him to “come find” him later on. Rick is trying to stay pre-Z human. Sitting in my living room, I’d of gone with Hershel - mercy shoot him, and move on. Rick is a better person (and, I’m sure it’s harder to shoot a live person than it seems from my couch). He’s getting harder though - blindfold and send him out on his own after healing isn’t something he would have done not that long ago. ---
**Author:** ![coolbyrne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@coolbyrne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coolbyrne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/49 "2012-02-21T00:27:15Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Rick is trying to stay pre-Z human. Sitting in my living room, I’d of gone with Hershel - mercy shoot him, and move on. Rick is a better person (and, I’m sure it’s harder to shoot a live person than it seems from my couch). > > He’s getting harder though - blindfold and send him out on his own after healing isn’t something he would have done not that long ago. Send him out on his own with a canteen of water and one leg. Still not convinced Rick’s doing this kid any favours. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/50 "2012-02-21T00:32:10Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I can’t remember, but was the guy behind the bar shot in the head? Because if he wasn’t I think that officially settles the “Do non-bitten dead people come back from the dead?” issue. I re-watched it in slow motion. The skinny guy got shot in the forehead. The fat guy took one in the right shoulder, one in the left abdomen and then Rick walked over and gave him a coup de grace, presumably in the head. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/51 "2012-02-21T00:34:40Z")
> [@coolbyrne](#): > > Send him out on his own with a canteen of water and one leg. Still not convinced Rick’s doing this kid any favours. True. Let’s see an emergency amputation done by a veternarian and no possibility of getting a prosthesis other than a wooden peg. Oh, and no physical therapist to teach him how to walk on that leg. That bullet-to-the-brain thing is looking kinder by the minute. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/52 "2012-02-21T01:00:42Z")
> [@coolbyrne](#): > > Send him out on his own with a canteen of water and one leg. Still not convinced Rick’s doing this kid any favours. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > True. Let’s see an emergency amputation done by a veternarian and no possibility of getting a prosthesis other than a wooden peg. Oh, and no physical therapist to teach him how to walk on that leg. That bullet-to-the-brain thing is looking kinder by the minute. Small nitpick, but they didn’t amputate. When they’re all gathered in the house after bringing the kid in, Herschel joins them and says, “I repaired his calf muscle as best I can, but he’ll probably have nerve damage. He won’t be on his feet for at least a week.” So he’s got both legs, but will at best have a severe limp. That said, he’s definitely zombie chow on his own anyway. I like the increased pace of these most recent episodes - though we’re still on the farm, we are actually seeing character and plot development at a greater pace than the “Sophia” half of this season. I’m curious to see what the impetus will be to get them moving again, now that Herschel seems to have accepted they want to stay. (Not curious enough to look at spoilers, though!) ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/53 "2012-02-21T01:04:28Z")
I couldn’t help myself, when the zombie shoved it’s face through Lori’s crashed car, I couldn’t resist quipping… “Heeeeerrre’s Johnny!” The next following scenes I was resolutely rooting for the Zombies to eat Lori, solve that thread once and for all. As far as Glenn’s shotgun and range issues go… It appears to be a “Tactical” shotgun (I.E. “put stupid black polymer furniture on it and charge more”) with a high-capacity magazine tube, mag tube is as long as the barrel, possibly an 8 shot model, based on the “ribbed” fore-end, it appears to be a Mossberg 500, the ejection port looks a bit squared off, and you can see one of the ejector arms on the bolt, a Remington 870 has a different shaped ejection port and a much lower profile single ejector arm If in fact it is a “Tactical 500” (most likely the [Mossberg “Persuader”](http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/New/50579.jpg) model), then it most likely has an open “Cylinder” bore with no constriction at the muzzle, this is a short-range choke for maximum pellet dispersal (or for best performance withe Foster/Brenneke style slugs), at the distances Glenn was shooting at, it would be highly unlikely he would score lethal hits with shotshells and rather unlikely with slugs, slugs have a much harsher recoil than shotshells, and I’m not sure he’s very experienced with a shotgun anyway… …And the award for “Stupidest Chainsaw Design in the World” goes to the … [Mossberg 500 “Chainsaw” model](http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/NEW/50460.jpg) It’s just…plain…STUPID!, pure “Mall Ninja Bait” Okay, back to the episode… I thought it was a nice touch having Herschell refer to the “sick people” as Walkers now, may be an indicator that he has accepted the fact that the Infected are truly dead, ambulatory corpses running on pure motorized instinct our band of “heroes” also had their own vaguely similar “Otis Maneuver” as Shane now, the main difference being it was not one of our Motley Crew, but the end result was the same, an injured person being used as bait/distraction to draw Zacks away from our Intrepid Band… It may be harder for them to get all “high and mighty” in regards to the “Otis Maneuver”, true, they did not deliberately shoot one of our own to act as a distraction, but the end result was quite similar ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/54 "2012-02-21T01:40:07Z")
A few more thoughts as I rewatch the episode (good thing I sprung for the iTunes season pass, I forgot it was on last night) a plastic hubcap from a Mercury Sable isn’t going to have any strength as a defensive weapon… Ahh, the Double tap… Zombieland never lets us down \ I see Rick’s still using that stupid looking “broken wrist” grip on his Python, how he gets _ANY_ accuracy beyond point blank range is beyond me, “Yet Another Boneheaded Move” (YABM), _great_ plan, Rick, admit you shot their buddies, sure they’ll be all “forgive and forget and sing Kumbaya together” and crap like that… geez, for a cop, you sure make some brain-dead moves sometimes… \ Nice… Herschell appears to be a halfway decent shot… wonder if he was Military/Law Enforcement at any time before, he uses a two-hand crush grip and holds his pistol at high-ready …Is this the first time Herschell has called Glenn by his proper name, and not “the Asian boy”? …and we have The Otis Maneuver… Herschell shoots one walker, then comes to an unpleasant conclusion that Noseless Boy would be better off as bait …Otis’s initial decision, a mercy shot to the head, is the tactically correct decision, and once again, Rick goes into NavelGazy mode… It looks like the Walkers may actually be beyond the range of Glenn’s Mossberg Persuader, the first Walker he shoots is wearing a tie, the shot stumbles that walker, but it continues forward Up until the scene change with Lori/Shane, Glenn has expended five to six shotshells, he’s down to two rounds, as he yells that he’s getting low on ammo, amazing, he doesn’t have the “Magic Hollywood Infinite Ammo Tube” on his 500… \ …Shouldn’t they screen Lori for bites before accepting her back into the group? …and shouldn’t ComaDaughter be under restraint at a minimum, maybe set up a surgical/quarantine suite in, oh, I don’t know… the _BARN_?, she was injured in the previous ep, IIRC, and should be under quarantine, as the Infection seems to have a varying rate for reanimation \ Looks like the writers are setting up a “Cartman Incident” with Shane and Andrea… “Screw you guys, I’m going home…” as S and A go off on their own… …Geez, forgot how whiny and navel-gazy Glenn can be, looks like Rick’s rubbing off on him (personally, I only want to see Maggie rubbing (off) on him, but that’s besides the point…) \ looks like they look for any reason to shoehorn some “drama” into the show, this show must have some form of USRDA for “Whiny interpersonal crap” Overall a decent episode, still too much whiny interpersonal crap for my tastes though Again with the stupid _BABY_ crap, I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE FRAKKING BABY!.. (the correct amount of WIC is 0%) You got your Zombie Apocalypse in my Drama You got your Drama in my Zombie Apocalypse… ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/55 "2012-02-21T02:32:54Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > When they said, “We should post a guard,” my response was, “Yeah! You should have had a guard all along!” It’s the frickin’ Zombie Apocalypse, people. Post a guard. I think they were referring to having a guard outside the new guy’s room. They usually have someone on watch for zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/56 "2012-02-21T03:02:41Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > \ > > a plastic hubcap from a Mercury Sable isn’t going to have any strength as a defensive weapon… Ahh, the Double tap… Zombieland never lets us down.\ Nope, it really doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/57 "2012-02-21T04:00:06Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Lori’s behaving like she’s in a daytime soap. Yeah, put the two strongest men at each other’s throats. What a bitch. At first it was fine, with her telling him what’s up. After all, we viewers often complain about characters not communicating with each other as a contrived plot device. But once she got all up in his lap and whispering in his ear I was thinking “OK, are we doing Lady MacBeth here?” > [@AuntiePam](#): > > I get that Shane still loves Lori but at some point – like when it’s the end of the world – a guy should be able to put his feelings aside. What does he want? Has he even stopped to think? . Lori has told him unequivocally that she’s never going to be with him. And he has a hot blonde throwing herself at him. Time to move on. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > That was truly awful. There was no reason for darkness. Yeah.. I mean, it makes sense that Lori was knocked out for awhile, but back at the bar they clearly showed that absolutely no time had passed. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > When they said, “We should post a guard,” my response was, “Yeah! You should have had a guard all along!” It’s the frickin’ Zombie Apocalypse, people. Post a guard. Especially given that they are all living in TENTS. Not exactly zombie proof. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Do you guys know how hard it would be to build a wall around the house? A wall that a heaving mass of Walkers couldn’t knock down? A wall, sure. But a basic fence could easily keep the farm relatively zombie free. And it’s not like they have to pay for materials. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/58 "2012-02-21T05:12:45Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I think they were referring to having a guard outside the new guy’s room. They usually have someone on watch for zombies. I haven’t picked that up from the show, but I sure hope they are. As we’re all aware, these aren’t the brightest bulbs on the tree. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/59 "2012-02-21T05:20:11Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > \ > A wall, sure. But a basic fence could easily keep the farm relatively zombie free. And it’s not like they have to pay for materials. A fence made of tangled barbed wire and various junk for the parts that aren’t swamp would be all they’d need to keep zombies out (like [this kind of idea](http://www.floridastateparks.org/history/img/park/BAP_Soldiers_training_beach.jpg)). ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377/60 "2012-02-21T05:24:34Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > A fence made of tangled barbed wire and various junk for the parts that aren’t swamp would be all they’d need to keep zombies out (like [this kind of idea](http://www.floridastateparks.org/history/img/park/BAP_Soldiers_training_beach.jpg)). I actually think the last thing you want is a fence/entanglement area that would help to focus zombies on your home - those zombies hit the wall - start making noise, more zombies come, eventually the mass crushes thru. you want more natural barriers that keep funneling them away - rivers, canyons - rough terrain similar to what we’ve seen around this particular farm that, at the least, prevents the zombies from massing thru - enough open land around the house itself allows for setting up easy watches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-09-triggerfinger-open-spoilers/613377.md?page=4)