# The Walking Dead; 2.10 "18 Miles Out" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102 "2012-02-27T01:21:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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 27, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/41 "2012-02-27T19:06:22Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I don’t get all the hate for Randall either. He was alone and probably joined up with the first group he could find, purely for survival. Sure, he shot at Rick but that was after he found out his friends were dead. For all he knew, Rick was the bad guy. That’s one of the things I like about the whole premise-- you don’t really know who you can trust and who you can’t. Just being a stranger puts you under suspicion. And some people are going to be more suspicious than others. ---
**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 27, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/42 "2012-02-27T19:10:17Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > I didn’t get the zombie walking alone in the field. Shane sees it, then sees it again…what was the significance of this? Was he supposed to tell Rick, and the fact that he didn’t tell him shows that he’s still not entirely on board with Rick’s plan? We don’t know that Rick didn’t see it - they’re not going to stop to do anything about a single walker miles from the farm (especially headed away). I think it was some sort of art house commentary on Shane’s growing isolation. That the director showed it again when they were coming back could be a clue that Shane still doesn’t feel a part of the group (even though Rick gave him his gun back). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/43 "2012-02-27T19:16:06Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Am I the only one bugged by the inexplicable absence, then reappearance of Herschel, all without actually seeing him once? I was thinking about this a little while ago..did we ever see Hershel, Glen, Dale, Carl, Daryl, T-Dog or Carol? I’m assuming they just all got the week off, but it was odd they they were just all not there. OTOH, I did manage to miss the first 8 minutes, but I can’t imagine it was explained then and not brought up again. But yeah, regarding Hershel, I thought it was odd that they mentioned he was gone and then he was suddenly back and I kept thinking “Wait, he’s gone?” “Huh, he’s back? Back from where, I didn’t know he was missing?” I try very hard not to poke holes in this show, but sometimes it’s like the writers aren’t even trying. Also, I didn’t like the way they busted the gates down after getting Shane off the bus. They had 20ish Walkers all in a nice little pen and now they’re out in the open. Why not just drive back out the way they came in and slide the fence back shut. It’s pretty well known at this point that Walkers can’t get inside a closed car unless they have enough time to break a window. They should have been safe in there and had plenty of time to get back to the entrance. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/44 "2012-02-27T19:57:07Z")
Glad I’m not the only one who noticed the bit about the walker in the field. Maybe he crossed the road in the meantime? :dubious: It was a cool image nonetheless - reminded me of the end scene of Texas Chainsaw. I also liked how, right after Shane hurled that huge wrench at Rick’s head, his reflection in the glass made him look like a walker himself. I only came in three episodes ago, and plan to catch up soon. In the meantime, can someone fill me in on the general zombie rules? Can you get it from a bite (assuming yes from the scene this week)? Do you turn if you die? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/45 "2012-02-27T20:09:26Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Annoying Lori bit of the week - let’s let the big strong men protect us, while us wimmen folk cook and clean. I was very surprised Andrea didn’t jump on her for that. Seriously. I don’t understand how that slides. “Um… I’m making the exact same contribution as Dale or TBone\*, but mine doesn’t count because I have a vagina? Bitch please.” Count me in as not getting the blood thing. They’re not sharks, I doubt that their sense of smell is all that keen. \*Presumably TBone takes watch duty. Can’t think of anything else he does. And if that RV isn’t fixed yet, then Dale isn’t fixing it. He may be futzing around with it, but that’s hardly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/46 "2012-02-27T20:13:17Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Count me in as not getting the blood thing. They’re not sharks, I doubt that their sense of smell is all that keen. Thinking back to the Atlanta episodes, I seem to recall that there was talk that the walkers differentiated living humans from other zombies by smell. That’s why they smeared zombie goop all over themselves when they had to walk through a herd. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/47 "2012-02-27T20:20:05Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > In the meantime, can someone fill me in on the general zombie rules? No, no we can’t since the show has been oddly vague about the rules. On the one hand it’s rather annoying, on the other hand I think they’ve been vague because the characters themselves don’t really know what the rules are. From what we can tell from watching the series is that if you get bitten by a walker you’ll spike a fever and die within a day or so and then come back as a walker. Getting zombie guts on you doesn’t seem to be an issue and they’ve been unclear as to weather or not getting a scratch from a zombie is a problem. The only thing they’ve absolutely set in stone is that (non-human) animals can’t become zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/48 "2012-02-27T20:22:41Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > I didn’t get the zombie walking alone in the field. Shane sees it, then sees it again…what was the significance of this? Was he supposed to tell Rick, and the fact that he didn’t tell him shows that he’s still not entirely on board with Rick’s plan? > **[Dotdash Meredith - America's Largest Digital & Print Publisher](https://www.dotdashmeredith.com)** > > Dotdash Meredith is America's largest digital and print publisher, with brands including PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Investopedia, Verywell, and more! Learn about career opportunities, our leadership team, and how we can help you... \*\*What was the significance of Shane staring at the walker in the field?\*\*We’re really just trying to show that that kind of thing is inescapable. You’re just driving down the street, you look over and, “Oh, there you go, there’s a zombie.” We’re trying to show that this world is becoming more and more populated by zombies. Our thinking is that large population centers like Atlanta are really where the heart of this began and as [Rick and crew] moved out to Hershel’s farm they didn’t really encounter very many walkers because they are moving out of the city center at a faster rate than the zombie population. And that zombie population is starting to catch up with them. The area is starting to become more and more dense with walkers. ---
**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 27, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/49 "2012-02-27T20:28:24Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > I only came in three episodes ago, and plan to catch up soon. In the meantime, can someone fill me in on the general zombie rules? Can you get it from a bite (assuming yes from the scene this week)? Do you turn if you die? The first real clue we got was last night-- they think it’s the scratches, not the bites, that causes Zombiedom. But I think they don’t really know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/50 "2012-02-27T20:32:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Thinking back to the Atlanta episodes, I seem to recall that there was talk that the walkers differentiated living humans from other zombies by smell. That’s why they smeared zombie goop all over themselves when they had to walk through a herd. I do remember that, but there’s been no reference to it since, and it just doesn’t make sense to me that any of their senses would have \*improved \*since death. It also seems awfully silly to cut a hand that you’ll likely need to attract the attention of zombies you’ve very clearly already GOT the attention of. Another thing I was annoyed by (I actually enjoyed this episode, but I’m in a nitpicky mood) was that when it was finally made very explicitly clear what Shane did to Otis, Rick’s reaction was “You think I wouldn’t have done it?” Why no, Rick… we don’t think you’d have done it. We think you’d have found a better or at least more humane way out of the situation, which is exactly \*why \*people (who aren’t Andrea) want you in charge and _not Shane_. ---
**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 27, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/51 "2012-02-27T20:36:28Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, I didn’t like the way they busted the gates down after getting Shane off the bus. They had 20ish Walkers all in a nice little pen and now they’re out in the open. Why not just drive back out the way they came in and slide the fence back shut. It’s pretty well known at this point that Walkers can’t get inside a closed car unless they have enough time to break a window. They should have been safe in there and had plenty of time to get back to the entrance. Randall was driving - they showed he was all amped up, so even if that was the plan (and that they even had planned it much beyond “pick up Shane from the back of the bus”), he was probably in “woo-hoo, cool! let’s get out of Dodge!” mode. Plus, an extra 20 or so walkers on the loose 18+ miles away is probably not a real concern. Hell, from what we can tell, there are probably that many in the next town over, based on the numbers they saved Randall from. > [@DianaG](#): > > I do remember that, but there’s been no reference to it since, and it just doesn’t make sense to me that any of their senses would have \*improved \*since death. > > It also seems awfully silly to cut a hand that you’ll likely need to attract the attention of zombies you’ve very clearly already GOT the attention of. > > Another thing I was annoyed by (I actually enjoyed this episode, but I’m in a nitpicky mood) was that when it was finally made very explicitly clear what Shane did to Otis, Rick’s reaction was “You think I wouldn’t have done it?” > > Why no, Rick… we don’t think you’d have done it. We think you’d have found a better or at least more humane way out of the situation, which is exactly \*why \*people (who aren’t Andrea) want you in charge and _not Shane_. I’m not sure about why Rick did it the blood thing at the fence, but I think it worked for Shane in the bus - the zombies went for the smear, enabling him to knife them easier. So the fence bit could have been a (awkward and unnecessary) way of showing that would work. As to Rick’s “you think I wouldn’t of have done it” line - he was in dick measuring contest with Shane. I don’t think he would have done it either, but I think Rick thinks he might have, and certainly Rick needs to tell Shane he would have. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/52 "2012-02-27T20:37:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The first real clue we got was last night-- they think it’s the scratches, not the bites, that causes Zombiedom. But I think they don’t really know for sure. Well, they think maybe the scratches AND the bites. Honestly, if scratches caused it, almost every one of them should be dead, unless every zombie they’ve rassled with had very short nails when they died. I agree with whoever upthread said that Rick was suggesting it was scratches because he (for whatever reason) isn’t ready to share the “everyone is infected” information he theoretically got at the CDC. ---
**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 27, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/53 "2012-02-27T20:38:36Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Seriously. I don’t understand how that slides. “Um… I’m making the exact same contribution as Dale or TBone\*, but mine doesn’t count because I have a vagina? Bitch please.” I know everyone hates Lori, but I didn’t take her comment as “Women shouldn’t be fighting the zombies,” it was “You talk a big game but all you’ve done in the past few weeks is shoot Darryl.” As for why she didn’t say that to Dale or TBone, well, she doesn’t like Andrea. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/54 "2012-02-27T20:40:36Z")
As soon as I’m provided with some evidence that TBone is doing laundry or that Lori has given him shit for not doing laundry, I’ll buy that. ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/55 "2012-02-27T20:46:09Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Not to mention that the zombie is coming for you anyway - it’s not like they needed to give him the scent of fresh blood to get his attention. They wanted to ensure the zombie would stick his face into the fence so they could stab it with their short blade. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > This is kind of bugging me - what natural death would (presumably) young, healthy guys have died? That took _both_ of them? Dehydration? Starvation? Infection? They were locked and isolated in a city yard. ---
**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 27, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/56 "2012-02-27T21:17:00Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > As soon as I’m provided with some evidence that TBone is doing laundry or that Lori has given him shit for not doing laundry, I’ll buy that. TDog doesn’t act nearly as important as Andrea does. And really, we don’t know what kind of chores everyone does around the farm. (seriously, people complain about the show being slow, but they want to watch them putting up a fence.) Andrea is the type of person that if someone asked for help with something, she would immediately say “No, I need to get on top of the RV to keep watch otherwise we will all die.” ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/57 "2012-02-27T21:21:59Z")
Well, TDog or TBone doesn’t act much of any way at all, or I’d be more sure of what his name is. 🙂 But you’re not being fair to Andrea. Yeah, she’s at least as annoying as Lori is, but I can’t think of anything she’s been asked to do and balked at except not killing herself. I can’t get mad at her for wanting to be on top of the RV herself instead of trusting the menfolk to keep her safe. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/58 "2012-02-27T21:26:29Z")
I thought the grass was way too recently mown in the area where Rick and Shane were driving Randall. It was a bit jarring. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/59 "2012-02-27T21:27:00Z")
> [@](#): > > They wanted to ensure the zombie would stick his face into the fence so they could stab it with their short blade. Not the best idea. Minor book spoiler: Rick and company use this trick in the prison storyline to kill walkers through the fence, but quickly discover that it’s all too easy to hurt your hand that way so they attach their blades to broom handles and spear the walkers. I still don’t get the whole cutting their hands thing, especially since they were stabbing walkers. Aren’t they worried about infection? :rolleyes: I like the show but this is lazy writing. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102/60 "2012-02-27T21:28:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I thought the grass was way too recently mown in the area where Rick and Shane were driving Randall. It was a bit jarring. Who says zombies don’t like things neat and tidy? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-10-18-miles-out-open-spoilers/614102.md?page=4)