# The Walking Dead; 4.03 "Isolation" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400 "2013-10-28T00:04:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/81 "2013-10-29T14:52:47Z")
Well, yeah… I suppose I should have said “especially _since_ someone in the prison has been deliberately handling rats”, but a plausible vector could be something else, i.e. one of the walkers chowed down on a dead and infected animal before stumbling to the prison, then transmitted it to one of the survivors during a fence-line head-bashing. I expect, though, the mysterious infection won’t be analyzed that closely, they’ll just call it “some kinda super flu” and add it to the tally of “bad shit that’s been happening to us.” ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/82 "2013-10-29T15:00:19Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > 😕 > > I don’t understand why there’s a question about whether Carol did this. Of course she killed the two people and burned their bodies to try to kill the virus. > > Why would she have the dramatic reaction after talking with Tyrese otherwise? Clearly she was upset - so much so that she knocked over the water barrel (a resource so valuable that she put herself at risk to de-muck the hose). > > The whole change in characterization for Carol since the beginning of this season has led up to her doing something like this. > > Rick’s discussion with Tyrese about someone doing this to protect everyone also makes sense especially if it’s Carol. The questions are because 1) It’s too obvious and they telegraphed it the whole way 2) What other reason could there be for the girl to get so much airtime if she isn’t a major part of some significant piece of the story? I’m starting to lean towards the girl doing the actual killing and Carol helping cover it up by dragging the bodies, but that would cause me a bigger problem with the plot than the girl being able to drag the bodies. Why? Because, if Carol was helping cover it up then she knowingly put this girl killer in the cell block with a bunch of other defenseless sick people. She also should know the girl is faking sickness, so she is no longer protecting her by putting her where she’ll definitely get infected. (If the character is not faking sickness then that young actress is terrible at portraying a sick person. Her acting doesn’t seem that bad the rest of the time, plus the makeup department didn’t seem to give her the sick look like so many of the other sick characters.) We have alternatives that all have problems for me, so I hope I’m wrong. Either the girl dragged the bodies, or Carol covered up and put the killer in the cell block with a bunch more victims. The girl dragging the bodies is actually the least bothersome to me. If Carol actually is the killer, then the writers are trying to invest the audience in a character, the girl, that doesn’t seem to matter at all to the story. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/83 "2013-10-29T18:18:02Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > . . . Captain Trips . . . Mr. Flibble would be very cross if they don’t quarantine him. I like the cut of your jib, sir. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Anyway, taking your eyes off the road for extended periods and nearly hitting a “gasp! surprise! there’s a _zombie_ standing there!” … Are they recycling Lori-stupidity, now? I was yelling at the TV, “Did you learn nothing from stupid Lori?!” This episode was such a mixed bag of interesting and well executed character development, and idiotically contrived drama-generation. It never occurred to me that Carol didn’t actually kill them. It makes sense in every way - she’s been set up as becoming very grim and perhaps the one person who realizes how much the world has changed. She’s the one who constantly advocates for doing (what in the previous world would be) horrible things in the name of survival, such as weapons training for small children and inviting a bereaved 9yo to spike her father’s quickly cooling brain. She was feeling very guilty, and did something self-sacrificing, if not suicidal, in the name of helping the tribe. For those wondering why the girl gets so much screen time, it seemed clear to me that she is the one feeding zombies, and her identification of zombies as humans will come to a head later in the season. It’s a separate plot from the murder investigation entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/84 "2013-10-29T19:12:35Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > For those wondering why the girl gets so much screen time, it seemed clear to me that she is the one feeding zombies, and her identification of zombies as humans will come to a head later in the season. It’s a separate plot from the murder investigation entirely. This. The girl has served about five or six narrative purposes so far, including what you’ve listed. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/85 "2013-10-29T22:05:26Z")
> [@Zombie Whisperer](#): > > The more I read about it and think about the two people being dragged out bleeding and set on fire, the more I realize that I don’t know what the fuck they are trying to accomplish with that twist. Oh, I thought it was crystal clear, especially with the whole governor thing last season. No matter what happens to cause the apocalypse, the 2nd most dangerous thing is human nature. This is a typical case of “survivor group rotting from within,” or “haha escaped zombies but got backstabbed by my buddy” trope. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/86 "2013-10-29T22:06:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > \ > I expect, though, the mysterious infection won’t be analyzed that closely, they’ll just call it “some kinda super flu” and add it to the tally of “bad shit that’s been happening to us.” That’s probably the way it will go - they’ll get some expired antibiotics, and the sick people will instantly be healthy again. I have to remember what show I’m talking about. 🙂 ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/87 "2013-10-29T22:51:00Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > For those wondering why the girl gets so much screen time, it seemed clear to me that she is the one feeding zombies, and her identification of zombies as humans will come to a head later in the season. It’s a separate plot from the murder investigation entirely. So, looking back, first we had the Dr at the CDC working on a cure for the zombie virus, then we had Herschel that truly believed that with either prayer or modern medicine the zombies would come back to their human form, then he gave up that notion. Then we met the Governor who kept his daughter locked up in a closet and, IIRC, was hoping that he might eventually get her back, but at the very least strongly felt that she was still in there somewhere. He even had his doctor working on tests to prove that zombies still retain some memory of what they knew before they died. Now we’ve got possibly the little girl, but at the very least we’re working on the theory that someone is feeding them. On the one hand a single rat isn’t going to feed hoard of zombies, OTOH, it seems like they always try to keep at least one character (or small group) that thinks that they’re still human but merely sick and need to be treated and it’s just a matter of finding the right treatment. Yes? No? I never really thought about this until now, but it seems to make sense. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/88 "2013-10-29T23:09:17Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > For those wondering why the girl gets so much screen time, it seemed clear to me that she is the one feeding zombies, and her identification of zombies as humans will come to a head later in the season. It’s a separate plot from the murder investigation entirely. Come to a head, or have her removed by her zombie “friends”. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/89 "2013-10-30T00:11:23Z")
It’s funny how little things can annoy you. Apparently the zombie virus makes your average zombie skull take on the consistency and strength of your average overripe watermelon. (This sis even for a recently created zombie less than 12 hours old). Yet in this episode, Carol must be the unluckiest person on earth as she somehow manages to get a nice solid machete embedded in the skull of a zombie? The whole car thing bothered me too. It’s 50 miles people, do you really need to take ‘the fastest thing you have’. With the likelihood of debris and blocked roads, should you really be zipping along that fast anyway? Slow down, take a 4WD, drive at 25 miles an hour, that’s still only a 4 hour round trip. I know it’s been said many times before, but the amount of stupidity in this show is just staggering at times. Why am I still watching this? ---
**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:** [October 30, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/90 "2013-10-30T00:17:29Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > The whole car thing bothered me too. It’s 50 miles people, do you really need to take ‘the fastest thing you have’. With the likelihood of debris and blocked roads, should you really be zipping along that fast anyway? Slow down, take a 4WD, drive at 25 miles an hour, that’s still only a 4 hour round trip. And it’s not like they were tearing down the road at 125mph anyways. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/91 "2013-10-30T02:05:38Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > Why am I still watching this? Because the guts and gore is really, really cool. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/92 "2013-10-30T02:17:36Z")
> [@Zombie Whisperer](#): > > That’s probably the way it will go - they’ll get some expired antibiotics, and the sick people will instantly be healthy again. Well, the ones that have season contracts and fan bases, certainly. The rest can rot. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/93 "2013-10-30T04:04:31Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Because the guts and gore is really, really cool. And you know, it’s 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:** [October 30, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/94 "2013-10-30T04:10:06Z")
It’s the best zombie apocalypse show on right now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/95 "2013-10-30T05:20:59Z")
> [@Zombie Whisperer](#): > > It’s the best zombie apocalypse show on right now. 🙂 Can’t beat sesame street. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/96 "2013-10-30T05:34:13Z")
> [@Zombie Whisperer](#): > > It’s the best zombie apocalypse show on right now. 🙂 It’s the \*only \*zombie apocalypse show on right now. I think. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/97 "2013-10-30T05:41:31Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > It’s the \*only \*zombie apocalypse show on right now. > > I think. Isn’t Sundance showing a European zombie show? EDIT: [The Returned](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2521668/?ref_=nv_sr_2), premiering on Halloween. Zombies, but not a zombie apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/98 "2013-10-30T14:03:52Z")
As far as the “eggshell skull” goes, perhaps the zombie pathogen consumes calcium from bones at a rapid rate, causing a weakening and embrittlement of the bones… It’s bad enough that they’re zombies, but zombies with osteoporosis? That’s truly unfortunate… Maybe it’s not the _flesh_ they’re trying to eat after all, maybe they’re after the _bones_! ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/99 "2013-10-30T14:40:52Z")
Some new questions: Was the crispy “Dave” the guy Carol was trying to treat immediately after the Cellblock D attack? Was the zombie at the base of the tree that couldn’t move the weird chick that committed seppuku in front of Rick? And why was the sitter not moving? Are the walkers finally dying a second time around? ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400/100 "2013-10-30T14:41:39Z")
The scene where the other doctor coughed blood up on Hershel’s face slayed me. There was a this long pause and then he just casually wiped it away after I thought he’d just leave it there. Probably thinking what the hell, who coughs in someone’s face like that? Especially when they have the plague. How many of the characters do you guys _really_ care about? As in if they died you’d be like wow, that sucks. For me I only got Carol, Daryl, and maybe Rick. Michonne is close, but she’s mostly just a walking sword. Maybe if she gets with Daryl some of his charisma will rub off on her. Everyone else could drown and I wouldn’t be phased. I remember Glenn being borderline badass in season 1, but getting laid seemed to domesticate him too much. The Glenn/Maggie dynamic sorta jumped the shark after the pseudo-rape fallout. But at least Glenn is one of the few non-racial stereotypes, so that’s something. And Hershel is only good as the writer avatar for delivering morality speeches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-03-isolation-open-spoilers/672400.md?page=6)