# The Walking Dead; 2.13 "Beside the Dying Fire" SEASON FINALE (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171 "2012-03-18T23:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/141 "2012-03-20T01:22:40Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Romero had the right idea; never even try to explain what’s causing the dead to rise, just have it happen and show your characters trying to deal with it. It would be way more disturbing if Jenner had told Rick “There is no virus, we have no clue what’s causing this or how it’s even possible”. Until we heard the secret that is essentially what he told him. Even now, knowing what Jenner said, that really doesn’t change the fact that we don’t know what caused this, how it works, how to fix it or really anything about it at all. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/142 "2012-03-20T01:39:18Z")
I think midi-chlorians cause it. ---
**Author:** ![lauren\_p](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lauren\_p](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lauren_p)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/143 "2012-03-20T02:07:21Z")
Did I miss something; how come when the group banded together to head east they left the blue pickup behind?? Wouldn’t it have made a whole lot of sense to have an extra vehicle in case on broke down or, as is now happening, one ran out of gas? Also, wouldn’t a pickup have been very useful to transport supplies they might gather on the way? Did anyone else notice the shift in Rick after he finished telling Lori about killing Shane, right after he reached for her and she pulled away? The shot zoomed in on his face and there was an intensity in his look and in his heavy breathing. I felt that there was something more than just anger and frustration going on inside of him. It was reminiscent to me of the glimmers we saw of some intensity that seemed to be growing inside Shane in the pervious couple of episodes. Could it be that the living are vulnerable to manifestations of the virus? Perhaps certain strong emotions and stress can trigger the virus in the living?? ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/144 "2012-03-20T02:19:10Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Personally, I would be disappointed by a supernatural explanation, for many of the same reasons that I was disappointed by the supernatural endings to _Battlestar Galactica_ Yes! > [@Acsenray](#): > > 1. A supernatural cause has become so clichéd that it’s really kind of lazy. Yes! > [@Acsenray](#): > > 1. A supernatural cause is a kind of deus ex machina. Hell, Yes! > [@Acsenray](#): > > 1. The story as it has been set up has prepared us for there to be a scientific explanation rather than a supernatural one. Yes! ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/145 "2012-03-20T02:29:02Z")
Meh. some of the continuity problems bother me, sometimes the timeline issues bother me, but for the most part, you just need to accept you are watching a fairly low-budget cable TV series. When I notice things now, I just pat myself on the back and feel smart, and then continue to watch zombie television. I noticed in one scene in this episode Daryl’s badass-cycle had a knobby dirt bike style tire on the front, and then later it had a cruiser style tire with whitewalls. :smack: And seriously, could you pick a less suitable form of transport for the zombie-world. No, no you could not. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/146 "2012-03-20T02:32:03Z")
Why are people so bothered by the motorcycle? It’s fast, gets good gas mileage, you can hop on it and quickly start it up if you have to get away, it can maneuver well through blocked-up roadways…I think it’s a great transportation option for a zombie apocalypse. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/147 "2012-03-20T02:35:08Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Why are people so bothered by the motorcycle? It’s fast, gets good gas mileage, you can hop on it and quickly start it up if you have to get away, it can maneuver well through blocked-up roadways…I think it’s a great transportation option for a zombie apocalypse. You can dodge the zombies pretty well, too. Although there is much to be said for running over then in a 1969 F-100. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/148 "2012-03-20T02:36:01Z")
it’s LOUD. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/149 "2012-03-20T02:38:25Z")
I’m sure Daryl tried his best to find a Vespa scooter first. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/150 "2012-03-20T02:49:22Z")
The armless, “de-fanged” zombie minions are kept for their stink and movements which confuse other undead. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/151 "2012-03-20T02:52:23Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The armless, “de-fanged” zombie minions are kept for their stink and movements which confuse other undead. She takes her pets for a walk looking for folks to rescue? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/152 "2012-03-20T02:59:10Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > She takes her pets for a walk looking for folks to rescue? > 🙂 LOL, its more like an advanced version of rubbing putrid zombie goo all over yourself to avoid notice. They have the right smell and the right shambling movements to allow Michonne to move somewhat unnoticed by other zombies. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/153 "2012-03-20T03:13:01Z")
> [@grude](#): > > LOL, its more like an advanced version of rubbing putrid zombie goo all over yourself to avoid notice. > > They have the right smell and the right shambling movements to allow Michonne to move somewhat unnoticed by other zombies. Must be nice having her Ex and his buddy around, though. “Where do you want to go to eat tonight, Baby? Oh, that’s right, you can’t talk! Or eat, for that matter. Well, get your leash and we’ll go for a walk. Oh, you don’t have any arms! Tsk, tsk.” ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/154 "2012-03-20T03:40:49Z")
Can people please stop talking about what is going to happen when the third series starts? Or start a thread to talk about the comics? ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/155 "2012-03-20T03:50:03Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Can people please stop talking about what is going to happen when the third series starts? Or start a thread to talk about the comics? I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen when the third series starts. I’ve read the whole comic and frankly I was surprised to see the prison in the last show of the finale. After all the stagnant, claustrophobic time we spent on the farm, I thought there was no way the show writers would put the prison in. It’s entirely possible that come the third season, they’ll scavenge it for supplies and move on. That’s what I’d do if I was writing the show 😛 Sitting these characters in one place did NOT work for the show. I think the chained zombies probably allow Michonne to maintain a nomadic existence. She can travel and scavenge without needing to worry about running out wherever she’s holed up, but the smell of her minions (and the poncho is probably impregnated with their scent) allows her to keep moving. That’s my guess anyway (and not at all based on the comic, where it’s not covered in detail. That’s just my fanwank 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/156 "2012-03-20T04:22:36Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > Fubaya, is there no time gap available for the kid to recover from his massive gunshot wound? That, and Randall’s ridiculously fast recovery, have been bothering me a lot. There is a possible gap for Carl, but it isn’t logical. (I goofed up the timeline a little. I had posted that Carl got shot in episode 202 but it was at the end of 201. Everything else is still correct) Anyway… The season opened on Day 7 and Carl was shot on day 8. Carl is up and walking in 206/day 11. 201/day7 to 204/day9 are confirmed in 204/day9 by Rick saying this will be the third day that Sophie has been missing and Rick being too weak to search from giving blood. 205/day10 to 207/day12 are confirmed by Daryl saying “I just found her doll two days ago” in 207/day12. There are other clues too, but those are simple confirmations. The only possible gap would be between 204/day9 and 205/day10, but here’s why I don’t think it’s a gap. In 204/Day9, Daryl searches alone and finds the farmhouse, Glenn has sex with Maggie, and Lori finds out she is pregnant. In 205/day 10, while the guys are planning the search, much is made of the farmhouse that Daryl found. Rick says they’re going to adjust the search because if she was at the farmhouse, she may have been farther east that they thought. Shane doesn’t think it’s a clue, Daryl and others do. It’s a minor argument, and Daryl tells minor details about the farmhouse, but it’s all things that would be discussed the first time the farmhouse was discussed, not a week later after having discussed it 10 times already. Plus Lori sleeps late (because she just found out she was pregnant and was up late worrying about it?) and Glenn bumps into Maggie and it’s awkward, suggesting it’s their first meeting since having sex. If there’s a gap there, we have to assume Daryl found the farmhouse and no one discussed it and they didn’t adjust their search for it for however long the gap was. Also, they wrote Lori sleeping late and Glenn and Maggie meeting and acting awkward for no reason whatsoever. It would be really odd if they didn’t bump into each other for a week. Randall: At the end of 209, Hershel says he repaired his calf muscle and “he won’t be on his feet for at least a week.” Rick says “when he is, we’ll give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way.” Then Lori is tells Rick to kill Shane. At the beginning of 210, Rick and Shane are on the way to leave Randall at the buses. Rick gets out and wants to talk to Shane. He says “I’ve been waitin’ a week until we were gonna do this” (he’s been wanting to talk to Shane but waited a week until the planned Randall drop). A miraculous recovery, but one predicted by Hershel. He is also limping a lot at the buses and the next episode when Daryl tortures him his leg is a bloody festering mess. If the writers put in two references to a week, I have to assume it’s been a week. Of course, what’s a week? If you get Randall on Monday and drop him off 10 days later on Thursday, you might say he’d been there for a week. Since no other info is available, for sanity’s sake, I have to say it was 7 days exactly. But there certainly could be a few days extra there. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/157 "2012-03-20T04:30:58Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > \ > Speaking of Talking Dead, I find it interesting that originally Randall was supposed to escape (not be taken off by Shane) and kill Hershel (THEN the stuff with him and Shane was going to happen). But I’m really glad they haven’t killed Hershel it’s interesting to see what happens to him with his world turned upside down. Of course, for all I know they’ll just off him in the opening scene of season 3, but I hope not.\ I really like Herschel’s character, too - he’s such a stabilizing, common sense kind of influence on our band of chuckleheads. > [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I think midi-chlorians cause it. I thought we decided on “zombiechlorians!” 🙂 ETA: I don’t care about the timeline at all - the time is elastic on the show, just like the zombies move just fast enough to stay a little behind a human. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/158 "2012-03-20T12:52:27Z")
Refreshing my memory on midi-chlorians, I just discovered that there is a Star Wars wiki called Wookipedia. 🆒 A coworker told me the other day that his wife is friends with a woman who is friends with a woman who knows Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl. They’re currently hatching a plot to use this relationship to get them parts as extras. \*I’m \* hatching a plot to get myself set up as friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend status so I can get in on this action too. Will keep everyone posted. And — I just read that 9 million people tuned in for the finale Sunday night. The zombies are taking over television! ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/159 "2012-03-20T12:53:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Did anyone else notice the shift in Rick after he finished telling Lori about killing Shane, right after he reached for her and she pulled away? The shot zoomed in on his face and there was an intensity in his look and in his heavy breathing. I felt that there was something more than just anger and frustration going on inside of him. It was reminiscent to me of the glimmers we saw of some intensity that seemed to be growing inside Shane in the pervious couple of episodes. Could it be that the living are vulnerable to manifestations of the virus? Perhaps certain strong emotions and stress can trigger the virus in the living?? Nah, he’s just getting pissed because she’s such a bitch. They need to get a leash for Carl. 😃 ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171/160 "2012-03-20T13:11:41Z")
> [@stegon66](#): > > They need to get a leash for Carl. 😃 Perhaps Michonne has a spare. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-2-13-beside-the-dying-fire-season-finale-open-spoilers/616171.md?page=9)