# The Walking Dead; 5.09 "What Happened and What's Going On" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169 "2015-02-09T00:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 9, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/1 "2015-02-09T00:51:22Z")
[QUOTE=AMC] After facing all of the recent trials, a slight detour may offer the solution that the group has been seeking. [/QUOTE] Season 5 resumes tonight; though **Talking Dead** is being delayed an hour for the premiere of **Better Call Saul**. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/2 "2015-02-09T01:27:23Z")
Slight detour? From what? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/3 "2015-02-09T02:13:21Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Slight detour? From what? Mushrooms. Nah, looks like they are going to our newest black guy’s former town, or at least the place he stayed for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/4 "2015-02-09T02:19:52Z")
Kind of new to the series, but already noticed the fungible black guys. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/5 "2015-02-09T02:26:20Z")
Yeah, white people are invincible in this racist series. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/6 "2015-02-09T02:26:52Z")
Unfortunately, “The Formula” strikes again… Sorry Tyrese, nice knowing you…☹ …unless they pull a Herschell on him and … Must…resist…bad…pun… Disarm him, but that needs to be done almost immediately after the bite ---
**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:** [February 9, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/7 "2015-02-09T02:32:57Z")
This is more like a French existential novel than _The Walking Dead._ :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/8 "2015-02-09T02:48:32Z")
Well, they got his arm off, but who knows if it is too late. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/9 "2015-02-09T02:58:22Z")
This episode only existed to kill Tyrese, then? Cast thinning out and nothing more? ---
**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:** [February 9, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/10 "2015-02-09T02:59:51Z")
Albert Camus could have written this damn thing. I wish they would kill off the preacher. Crap. :dubious: ---
**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:** [February 9, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/11 "2015-02-09T03:03:23Z")
Show has a completely different look than before. Lot’s of ambiance shots, artistic styling, seemed like an indie film project. Just odd. Didn’t like the feel of it. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/12 "2015-02-09T03:06:42Z")
Agreed, Tyrese pulled his weight and was a moral compass, the priest, nothing but dead weight, an extra mouth to feed and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, _less_ useful than LPITA… LPITA is a useless drain on resources now, but has the potential to become useful, and growing up in a world where walkers are just a facet of nature to be adapted to, she will adjust better as she knows of nothing else The priest, all he’s good for, beyond whining and hiding, is parroting a bunch of useless fictional drivel and platitudes about a non-existent, fictional, man-made “deity” ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/13 "2015-02-09T03:11:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Agreed, Tyrese pulled his weight and was a moral compass, the priest, nothing but dead weight, an extra mouth to feed and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, _less_ useful than LPITA… That’s how it goes sometimes… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/14 "2015-02-09T03:22:53Z")
Sure we can bring back Beth guys, here you go! ---
**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 9, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/15 "2015-02-09T03:26:16Z")
I did not enjoy tonight’s episode, but I do have one question. What was up with the radio broadcasts? :dubious: Were they supposed to be BBC reports of the very early outbreak or just a reference to some war in Africa? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/16 "2015-02-09T03:34:21Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I did not enjoy tonight’s episode, but I do have one question. What was up with the radio broadcasts? :dubious: Were they supposed to be BBC reports of the very early outbreak or just a reference to some war in Africa? I loved the episode (though I hated to see Tyreese die). The radio reports were clearly his hallucinations. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/17 "2015-02-09T03:50:16Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I did not enjoy tonight’s episode, but I do have one question. What was up with the radio broadcasts? :dubious: Were they supposed to be BBC reports of the very early outbreak or just a reference to some war in Africa? They represented Tyreese’s recollections from childhood of his father’s belief that he should confront the realities of current events in the world. They were infused with details from Tyreese’s current world (e.g., burning prisons). His final words, “Turn it off” illustrated his giving up on facing his reality and giving in to death. Apart from the shock of losing a well-known character, this episode was really not a good sign. Back to having characters sit around in deep conversation, and to major contemplation about whether to fight or farm. (For instance, there was no need to have Glenn and Rick sit there talking about whether they really wanted to kill the cop who killed Beth, while Michonne actually searched in the background. At least they could have them do a walk and talk. The conversation itself was stupid and boring.) As much as I liked the potential of Tyreese as a character, his mopey pacifism was grating and I am glad to see that part of him gone. ---
**Author:** ![minionkat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@minionkat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minionkat)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/18 "2015-02-09T04:41:47Z")
Can we talk about the creepy truck full of armless zombie torsos? I thought the field of just legs was bad, but to find out why there were just legs was worse. Who are these people? If I were in the group, I would be very afraid. The signs of an organized attack on the gated community and then the truck trap were terrible harbingers of things to come, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/19 "2015-02-09T05:05:06Z")
> [@minionkat](#): > > Can we talk about the creepy truck full of armless zombie torsos? I thought the field of just legs was bad, but to find out why there were just legs was worse. Who are these people? If I were in the group, I would be very afraid. The signs of an organized attack on the gated community and then the truck trap were terrible harbingers of things to come, I think. I’m guessing we find out in the future. Whoever cut off all the arms and legs and left them in the truck clearly has issues. I’m guessing it’s going to be the next big bad. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/20 "2015-02-09T05:13:18Z")
I can’t get over how in the first 4 1/2 seasons they can’t drive more than 10 miles without some major mechanical catastrophe, but in the intro to one episode they have made it over 500 miles and only to go to Noah’s hometown. In two separate cars no less. It seemed hamfisted. I understand walking the last two miles, just in case, but why not have the second car drive up to the gates after everything is (semi) okay? Then no need for carrying Tyreese back to the car. (Plus, why the hurry to get back to the car? Was there an ambulance to call?) Especially since Rick had previously not wanted to go to Washington when it had the potential to save the world, but let’s go most of the way there so a kid we just met (who wanted to leave us anyways) wants to go home to a place we know damned well is overrun with walkers. This season is entertaining but is leaving a lot of head scratching moments. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169.md?page=2)