# The Walking Dead; 4.12 "Still" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722 "2014-03-03T01:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/81 "2014-03-05T01:49:04Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Refreshing but unbelievable. > > I mean, an older redneck with a young pretty teen who relies on him for her very existence. And they get drunk together with nobody in the world close by to judge how they act. And she gets him to open up about his feelings. > > The reality of that situation should have had constant bong-chicka-wow-wow music for a good half hour. > > Daryl’s not a recovering redneck - he’s a saint. From the Boondocks, right? 😉 ---
**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 5, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/82 "2014-03-05T02:07:14Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > From the Boondocks, right? 😉 {Taps microphone} Is this thing on? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/83 "2014-03-05T14:22:40Z")
Mentioned earlier in this thread - I’m starting to think the season will end with everyone ending up at Terminus, and we’ll have to wait until next season for the big homecoming. So help me, if they do another “Andrea is here at Woodbury but doesn’t know everyone else is” type of thing next season, I’m going to be very very upset. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/84 "2014-03-05T14:27:40Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > Frankly, I didn’t buy Daryl’s actions throughout this entire episode. For three seasons now he’s been the best-prepared survivalist of them all, and now he’s doing stupid stuff like setting fire to a perfectly good shelter - in the middle of the night - and grabbing money for God knows what reason. Yeah, that bugged me, too. They could have slept in that shack! But they had to go burn it down (and perhaps cause a major forest fire). Beth has some odd notions! Strange girl, but at least she’s pretty… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/85 "2014-03-05T14:32:21Z")
So this entire season is going to be a throwback to the first season, where they’re frantically scavenging around the landscape in small groups trying to survive Mad Max style? The Oh So Clever bit of stripping stuff off the car and using it as survival gear made me want to howl out the window. As the Mrs. put it when they burned down the cabin, “Oh, look, they’ve re-invented matches.” I really can’t take the idiocy of the show setting any more. In a world as littered with consumer goods, groceries, guns and vehicles as the one in Wall-E, they forage for berries and use solar mirrors to start campfires. ---
**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 5, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/86 "2014-03-05T15:35:16Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Mentioned earlier in this thread - I’m starting to think the season will end with everyone ending up at Terminus, and we’ll have to wait until next season for the big homecoming. > > So help me, if they do another “Andrea is here at Woodbury but doesn’t know everyone else is” type of thing next season, I’m going to be very very upset. It worked for them last time. And, “it’s cool”. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/87 "2014-03-05T15:43:14Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Boondock or otherwise? 🙂 > > I think you could be right, but I truly hate that idea. She’s far too young and far too sheltered to have a grasp on the complexities of how grey morality can be, especially in the ZA. I had never pictured Beth as being a “teen”, so I was even more surprised they haven’t pursued the romantic story line with Daryl. How old is she supposed to be on the show? I just looked up the actress and she is 28. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/88 "2014-03-05T16:15:55Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I had never pictured Beth as being a “teen”, so I was even more surprised they haven’t pursued the romantic story line with Daryl. How old is she supposed to be on the show? I just looked up the actress and she is 28. Carl seemed to have a crush on her at one point. My assumption was that she was supposed to be several years older than him. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/89 "2014-03-05T17:02:06Z")
So part of the dynamic they seemed to be trying very hard to wedge in to this episode was a conflict between classes, with the rich bitch thing, the unclear backstory of the waitstaff hanging the country club members\*, Daryl grabbing up money and jewels and trying to get into the cash register… Part of this was supposed to set Beth and Daryl at odds, with her putting on some nice clothes from the club shop and Daryl ruining them, and Beth upsetting Daryl by presuming he was in jail. But Beth was not a child of privilege. She was clearly a country girl. She might be described as having been sheltered by her dad, but it doesn’t make a lick of sense that she would represent some opposite to Daryl in a class struggle. Her dad was a farmer who later took up veterinary medicine. They appeared to be very grounded and down to earth. She was very comfortable (presumably) living with someone like their ranch hand Otis. Trying to weave a class struggle story around these two characters is just inconsistent with who they are and is just bad writing. \*How could such a violent uprising at the country club even have happened? Who is going to the country club when an apocalypse has started to unfold around them? Neither the wealthy members nor the staff are going to bother to go to the club when the shit is hitting the fan. They’ll have other priorities. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/90 "2014-03-05T17:46:28Z")
Compared to Daryl’s hardscrabble / redneck childhood, Beth’s upbringing would seem sheltered and perhaps a bit “privileged”, I’m thinking. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/91 "2014-03-05T18:23:09Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Daryl grabbing up money and jewels and trying to get into the cash register… This has come up several times in the thread. You guys don’t seriously think Daryl was grabbing money for its cash value, do you? Really? They’ve shown before using cash to start fires with. They even showed it again at the end of this episode. It’s how they lit the cabin on fire. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/92 "2014-03-05T19:00:12Z")
What’s wrong with the occasional forest fire? The forests are apparently filled with zombies. Ash 'em and let the forest recover naturally. I kinda get what they were (maybe) doing with the class warfare thing. Daryl is obviously low class, and Beth is high class. Beth might not have been economically wealthy, but she was very much of a higher class than Daryl and the people who desecrated the “Rich Bitch.” First thing Daryl did was grab money and valuables. Beth wanted to give the woman a little dignity in death, and find a clean glass to drink out of. ---
**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 5, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/93 "2014-03-05T19:51:00Z")
Well, I will just throw out there that I grew up in a rural county in a largely rural state, and in high school we had “hoods” and “high society,” ludicrous as it sounds now. The hoods were essentially those of a lower socioeconomic scale, high society the other end. Which is rather laughable as most of those at the top end were middle class, at best. Many were merely working class. The others were dirt poor, like Daryl, and saw those at the other end as having unbelievable wealth. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/94 "2014-03-05T21:33:06Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > This has come up several times in the thread. You guys don’t seriously think Daryl was grabbing money for its cash value, do you? Really? > > They’ve shown before using cash to start fires with. They even showed it again at the end of this episode. It’s how they lit the cabin on fire. Two problems with that. First, there are literally millions of pounds of paper, firestarting sticks/blocks, kindling, and other combustible materials to use to start fires, all around the survivors. Using money as a firestarter would work, I guess, but it’s not like they’re hurting for things that can burn. Second, as was also noted earlier, I’m fairly certain Daryl was grabbing stuff other than cash, like jewels. (I could be wrong on that, so take it with a grain of salt.) If that’s true, it makes no sense … ESPECIALLY for somebody as survival-oriented as Daryl. I could see Beth grabbing jewels and such before Daryl. One last point, that I didn’t think of until just now … when they built their campfire in the woods, seems like I remember it being in a hole. Wouldn’t that significantly limit the amount of oxygen getting to the fire and cause it to go out? I’ve never seen that firebuilding technique before. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/95 "2014-03-05T21:45:18Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > Two problems with that. First, there are literally millions of pounds of paper, firestarting sticks/blocks, kindling, and other combustible materials to use to start fires, all around the survivors. Using money as a firestarter would work, I guess, but it’s not like they’re hurting for things that can burn. > > Second, as was also noted earlier, I’m fairly certain Daryl was grabbing stuff other than cash, like jewels. (I could be wrong on that, so take it with a grain of salt.) If that’s true, it makes no sense … ESPECIALLY for somebody as survival-oriented as Daryl. I could see Beth grabbing jewels and such before Daryl. Exactly. Apparently Ellis Dee is arguing that Daryl is going to start fires with necklaces and other jewelry. ---
**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 5, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/96 "2014-03-05T21:51:39Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Exactly. Apparently Ellis Dee is arguing that Daryl is going to start fires with necklaces and other jewelry. I was under the impression that Daryl was tossing money aside and taking other things. Jewelry might conceivably be valuable at a later date. He did have a wad of money to set fire to the cabin, though. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/97 "2014-03-05T23:41:41Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Exactly. Apparently Ellis Dee is arguing that Daryl is going to start fires with necklaces and other jewelry. Apparently you didn’t see him **actually start a fire with money** at the end of this very episode. If you’re seriously arguing that Daryl valued the money for its cash value, I don’t know what to tell you. Except that the idea is incredibly moronic, and it isn’t the show that’s presenting it. As for there being tons of stuff to start fires with, I’ll bet cash is one of the most easily portable options you’ll find. > [@Sauron](#): > > One last point, that I didn’t think of until just now … when they built their campfire in the woods, seems like I remember it being in a hole. Wouldn’t that significantly limit the amount of oxygen getting to the fire and cause it to go out? I’ve never seen that firebuilding technique before. They explained this in a featurette during one of the commercial breaks. It has a name, which I forget, but the idea is to make two holes about a foot deep and maybe two feet apart, then make a tunnel between them. One is the air intake hole, the other is the fire hole. This gives you fire without anyone else being able to see it, thus not drawing attention. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/98 "2014-03-05T23:59:30Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > As for there being tons of stuff to start fires with, I’ll bet cash is one of the most easily portable options you’ll find. Still don’t buy it, but it’s not worth arguing about. > [@](#): > > They explained this in a featurette during one of the commercial breaks. It has a name, which I forget, but the idea is to make two holes about a foot deep and maybe two feet apart, then make a tunnel between them. One is the air intake hole, the other is the fire hole. This gives you fire without anyone else being able to see it, thus not drawing attention. I found information on a Dakota Smoke Hole on the interwebs, which is what that was apparently supposed to be. I didn’t see a second intake hole, though, so maybe they didn’t show it or screwed up the execution. Goes back to my earlier point, though … if you’re having to explain stuff in the show outside of the show, you’re not doing a good job of writing / directing. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/99 "2014-03-06T00:20:00Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Apparently you didn’t see him **actually start a fire with money** at the end of this very episode. If you’re seriously arguing that Daryl valued the money for its cash value, I don’t know what to tell you. Except that the idea is incredibly moronic, and it isn’t the show that’s presenting it. I just went back and rewatched it, and they explicitly show a shot of Daryl putting cash and jewelry into a black bag. Beth says “Why are you keeping all that stuff?” Daryl just glares at her without speaking. Why is Daryl grabbing jewelry? Why doesn’t Daryl say “cash is good for burning” in response to Beth’s question? Do you know what is behind Daryl, all over the floor while he’s stuffing jewelry and cash into a pack? **Newspaper, magazines and cardboard boxes.** The idea that he’s seeking fuel for burning is pure wankery. It doesn’t make a lick of sense and is completely undermined by everything else in the episode. The reason he is explicitly shown burning the cash at the end is as a coda to the stupid “class warfare” episode. ---
**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 6, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722/100 "2014-03-06T02:06:03Z")
The gold in the jewellery might conceivably be worth something again someday, but I don’t think I’d be hauling it around for a couple of decades until society developed a gold standard again. And, I just got the title of the episode. :smack: ETA: The bit about making a fire with a lens really was ridiculous. There would still be tons of matches everywhere, and barring that, get a flint from a sporting goods store or something. Or from any high school chemistry lab. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-4-12-still-open-spoilers/682722.md?page=6)