# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/61 "2015-02-09T20:34:25Z")
So perhaps I missed it, but it seemed like we saw Noah’s Mom (dead in the living room), Noah’s Dad (shot himself on the bed) and one of Noah’s twin brothers (who bit Tyrese). Did we see the second twin? Or are we assuming he was the one locked in the bedroom? I think that we will definitely come across the “Wolves” gang who also put "W’ on the heads of those walkers… and I guess my hope is, maybe they’ll reconnect Noah with the other twin. I think it could interesting to bring someone Carl’s age into the group. If this is not the case… and the other twin is assumed dead… I think the show really missed a great CREEPY Walker moment: two twin young boys coming to eat Tyrese, would’ve been WAY better than one. And more believable that he’d get bit. ---
**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, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/62 "2015-02-09T20:42:59Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > There is a fan theory that Rick already is exactly that from Day One. Some details [here](http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/5-insane-but-plausible-ways-your-favorite-tv-shows-could-end/). Do we know how long Rick was unattended in his coma? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/63 "2015-02-09T20:56:56Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > It seems like once a season the show has an “artistic” episode, where they try a different style of storytelling and filming. While I appreciate the effort, it usually comes across as rather ham-fisted. Last night’s episode was no exception. On _Talking Dead_, I heard at least two–and maybe three–references by cast members/showrunners to this episode being like a Terence Malick film. :rolleyes: I can maybe see the influence, but it was like a 10th grader’s version of a Terence Malick zombie film. :smack: Yeah; I was embarrassed for them. That claim isn’t justified. But you know that if the episode is poorly-received, they’ll just tell themselves \*‘hey, our fans simply aren’t sophisticated enough to be able to appreciate the level of artistry we put into that episode’ \*or the like. > [@Sauron](#): > > … If you (writers) want to kill off Tyreese, then do it logically. Tyreese goes in to kill the walker, but the kid is wearing an old football helmet so that Tyreese’s first shot with the hammer doesn’t work properly. Or the door was rigged somehow to slam back into a person when it opens (which would make sense, given how the neighborhood was fortified as a compound) and it catches Tyreese off-guard. Or SOMETHING other than “this person who has survived for three years after the zombie apocalypse becomes momentarily stupider than dirt.” Agreed. I was annoyed by the show’s “can’t have three black guys, so have to kill off one” philosophy being put into action once again. But I was more annoyed that the writers simply sidestepped the question that the Tyreese character’s presence posed. They’ve been setting up this _'he won’t fight; can such a stance be legitimate?_’ problem for a long time, now. It’s an issue that’s well worth debating in the world they’ve set up. So… they just abandon the question entirely? They have the character killed by _inattention_? Weak. Very weak. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/64 "2015-02-09T21:11:07Z")
I agree that there was way too much navel gazing in this and some previous episodes. I mean, Michone and Glenn and Rick stood there among those chopped up body parts and never questioned, “What’s the deal with these chopped up body parts?” Reminded me of the curiosity-lacking LOST characters. ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/65 "2015-02-09T21:17:04Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But you know that if the episode is poorly-received, they’ll just tell themselves \*‘hey, our fans simply aren’t sophisticated enough to be able to appreciate the level of artistry we put into that episode’ \*or the like. It’s from a comic book. :dubious: ---
**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, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/66 "2015-02-09T21:19:05Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Yeah; I was embarrassed for them. That claim isn’t justified. But you know that if the episode is poorly-received, they’ll just tell themselves \*‘hey, our fans simply aren’t sophisticated enough to be able to appreciate the level of artistry we put into that episode’ \*or the like. I was texting with my little sister during each commercial break, and she made the Malick remark long before we heard it on Talking Dead. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/67 "2015-02-09T21:19:31Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > Oh God how I hate that damned priest! I want him to die oh so very much. Tyreese was a thousand times more valuable than that cowardly scum. I hope that he gets offed in a very painful way very soon… But they’d have to get a new black guy first. You can’t have just one because that’s racist. But more than two is too much, apparently. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > The infection from the bite isn’t what makes one a zombie. Everyone is infected with the zombie virus. But you have to die in order to activate it. IMO, bites act as a superinfection. It rapidly speeds up the whole process. Maybe something about the latent virus in everyone and the virus in the walkers makes it go supernova. Also, remember you can also be infected by scratches, which is why the arms get removed when you want pet walkers. So saliva isn’t relevant and one might guess that blood isn’t infectious either because everyone has been covered with walker blood and guts at some point. > [@RainGrowsBrite](#): > > So perhaps I missed it, but it seemed like we saw Noah’s Mom (dead in the living room), Noah’s Dad (shot himself on the bed) and one of Noah’s twin brothers (who bit Tyrese). Did we see the second twin? Or are we assuming he was the one locked in the bedroom? > > … > > If this is not the case… and the other twin is assumed dead… I think the show really missed a great CREEPY Walker moment: two twin young boys coming to eat Tyrese, would’ve been WAY better than one. And more believable that he’d get bit. Noah had said he lost his dad in Atlanta. I may have missed why they were there but he had gone there with his dad. He said he had a mother and twin brothers left in Richmond. I believe one twin was on the bed and the other was the one that came up on him and bit him. The adult walker that showed up later was presumably just a friendly neighborhood walker who wandered in through the ripped up screen door. And yes, twin walkers would have been better and would have been a better explanation for how he could have been surprised. I was actually expecting the one on the bed to at least start moving and trying to reach for him because I did not see a head injury. It’s aggravating. I like the show but there’s a lot of stuff about it that drives me nuts. It’s starting to remind me of Lost. If everyone is actually dead and in Purgatory, I am going to be so pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/68 "2015-02-09T21:34:18Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > … And yes, twin walkers would have been better and would have been a better explanation for how he could have been surprised. I was actually expecting the one on the bed to at least start moving and trying to reach for him because I did not see a head injury. I thought it WAS the bed one who got up and got Tyreese?\* If not, how did the one who had been scrabbling at the door to get into the hallway, get out? \*In Tyreese’s hallucinations, the dead twin was no longer on the bed, was he? (Bob was sitting there, one-legged.) I had thought that the bed-twin was the attacker and was the one who ended up draped over the desk chair. Maybe I’m misremembering, though. ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/69 "2015-02-09T21:35:29Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Noah had said he lost his dad in Atlanta. I may have missed why they were there but he had gone there with his dad. He said he had a mother and twin brothers left in Richmond. I believe one twin was on the bed and the other was the one that came up on him and bit him. The adult walker that showed up later was presumably just a friendly neighborhood walker who wandered in through the ripped up screen door. And yes, twin walkers would have been better and would have been a better explanation for how he could have been surprised. I was actually expecting the one on the bed to at least start moving and trying to reach for him because I did not see a head injury. That’s right… I forgot he mentioned his Dad. I guess it seemed like the body on the bed looked a lot larger that the small boy that bit Tyrese. Also… Noah stabbing his zombi-fied brother in the eye with a jet-plane was pretty bad ass. I like his character and I could see him being a good evolving character. I hope he gets to stick around. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/70 "2015-02-09T21:43:04Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > There were also W’s carved in some of the bodies. I think Wolf is a person. The graffiti said “Wolves”, not “Wolf”. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/71 "2015-02-09T22:03:23Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I thought it WAS the bed one who got up and got Tyreese?\* If not, how did the one who had been scrabbling at the door to get into the hallway, get out? > \*In Tyreese’s hallucinations, the dead twin was no longer on the bed, was he? (Bob was sitting there, one-legged.) I had thought that the bed-twin was the attacker and was the one who ended up draped over the desk chair. Maybe I’m misremembering, though. It looked like the twin came out of another room. My impression was that it was adjoining rooms with a shared bathroom. What might have been taken for a closet, I assumed was the door to another room. If not then the twin was in a closet. This was another thing that bothered me is that he did not bother to check that door/room or even close the door. He knew there were two brothers, he only accounted for one. I tend to agree with others that have said he may have already given up and maybe a lot of his talk about not giving up was the last bit of his survival instincts fighting back. I do believe that the one on the bed was one of the twins, yes it did sort of look bigger but I think that was a kid-sized bed and the one on the bed was basically eaten in the middle and maybe more “spread out” looking. I did not think this was the one that got up because I would expect it would not have a lot of structural integrity and would have been struggling more and less stealthy. But then again, these walkers do tend to be quite nimble and strong, despite having heads with the density of watermelons. It seemed to me that the one that attacked him was larger and looked less like a walkerfied black kid. Remember when they were struggling they were almost face to face but the one that bit him first was only at about the level of his chest. Now I don’t remember if we saw the one on the bed in later views but since all those scenes were hallucinations I am not sure we can rely on anything from Tyrese’s point of view. Maybe someone else with better attention to detail can add their thoughts. I do tend to miss stuff and I’d had a big ole glass of wine so I can’t say that I wasn’t also hallucinating. Then again, it could have just been that crazy style of filming. ETA: I would think at this point they’d walk up to any body they see and put a knife in it’s head just to be sure it doesn’t suddenly “wake up” and catch them unawares, especially when they are alone in a room with it. I did not worry that Noah’s mother would because her corpse was very decomposed and there was an obvious head wound. ---
**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, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/72 "2015-02-09T22:03:50Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > The graffiti said “Wolves”, not “Wolf”. Yeah, I think it’s a group of people calling themselves “Wolves” and since the previews show actual wolves, I wouldn’t be surprised if they use wolves as attack dogs. I hope that’s the case because that would be awesome. And for fans of the comics, yeah, I think they’re “the saviors” but that’s sheer speculation on my part. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/73 "2015-02-09T22:20:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I haven’t seen any of these millions of better vehicles supposedly lying around on screen. I’m pretty sure that if nearly the entire population of the country was dead or zombified, that one could pretty much have their pick of cars and trucks. The show’s producers, etc. have elected to let these people look like idiots in both thought and deed. Not that I’ll quit watching, of course. 😃 ---
**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, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/74 "2015-02-09T22:36:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m pretty sure that if nearly the entire population of the country was dead or zombified, that one could pretty much have their pick of cars and trucks. The show’s producers, etc. have elected to let these people look like idiots in both thought and deed. Not that I’ll quit watching, of course. 😃 I’m sure a lot of those better cars have been looted already, destroyed already, or otherwise rendered unusable. Compare the first season to the current one. They’re finding it harder and harder to find anything to scavenge. Things can only get worse unless, I dunno, Doctor Strange shows up to help. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/75 "2015-02-09T23:00:15Z")
Sorry, but that episode sucked. It was 99% boring with the only excitement being to kill off one of the few characters I actually liked. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/76 "2015-02-09T23:37:37Z")
This episode should have been titled - Everyone Hates Chris. Noah has been such a treasure. :rolleyes: What Tyreese needed was a tourniquet. Noah, who has spent some time in a hospital, should have been able to apply a simple tourniquet??? Instead, he hobbles off to get help and ends up trapped by three walkers. Even hop-a-long Noah should have been able to outrun WALKers. Of course, Tyreese could have applied his own tourniquet but the character seems to have lost his will to live. ☹ The hallucination scenes were interesting but were all created in Tyreese’s imagination. No one was asking Tyreese to come over to the dead-side. He was justifying his letting go. I’m sure the wolves will provide several interesting episodes in the future but I’m reminded of Bad Wolf from Dr Who. (Maybe the TARDIS will make an appearance in order to deliver the cure? I wonder which Dr will step out of the police box?) ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/77 "2015-02-09T23:43:22Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > This episode should have been titled - Everyone Hates Chris. Noah has been such a treasure. :rolleyes: What Tyreese needed was a tourniquet. Noah, who has spent some time in a hospital, should have been able to apply a simple tourniquet??? Instead, he hobbles off to get help and ends up trapped by three walkers. Even hop-a-long Noah should have been able to outrun WALKers. > > … I found myself distracted by Noah’s ankles when he took off hopping away from Tyrese (who is apparently really, really slow). It’s no wonder Noah could not out-hop the walkers when his ankles are as thick as a broom-handle. But yes, the tourniquet thing drove me crazy. C’mon, they have to know at least that much by now. ---
**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 10, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/78 "2015-02-10T00:17:03Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > This episode should have been titled - Everyone Hates Chris. Noah has been such a treasure. :rolleyes: What Tyreese needed was a tourniquet. Noah, who has spent some time in a hospital, should have been able to apply a simple tourniquet??? Instead, he hobbles off to get help and ends up trapped by three walkers. Even hop-a-long Noah should have been able to outrun WALKers. > > Of course, Tyreese could have applied his own tourniquet but the character seems to have lost his will to live. ☹ The hallucination scenes were interesting but were all created in Tyreese’s imagination. No one was asking Tyreese to come over to the dead-side. He was justifying his letting go. > > I’m sure the wolves will provide several interesting episodes in the future but I’m reminded of Bad Wolf from Dr Who. (Maybe the TARDIS will make an appearance in order to deliver the cure? I wonder which Dr will step out of the police box?) It would have been difficult for Tyrese to make a tourniquet with one hand. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/79 "2015-02-10T00:20:54Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I found myself distracted by Noah’s ankles when he took off hopping away from Tyrese (who is apparently really, really slow). It’s no wonder Noah could not out-hop the walkers when his ankles are as thick as a broom-handle. > > But yes, the tourniquet thing drove me crazy. C’mon, they have to know at least that much by now. They also haven’t figured out that there probably a half dozen military bases in Virginia, including Quantico, Little Creek and Norfolk. Closer to DC (where they’re headed), there’s Ft. Meyers. Lots of weapons, lots of vehicles, lots of fences, and buildings made out of steel and brick instead of - you know - clapboard. More walkers too, of course. Natural selection hasn’t worked out for this bunch, it seems. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169/80 "2015-02-10T00:24:14Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > It seems like once a season the show has an “artistic” episode, where they try a different style of storytelling and filming. While I appreciate the effort, it usually comes across as rather ham-fisted. Last night’s episode was no exception. On _Talking Dead_, I heard at least two–and maybe three–references by cast members/showrunners to this episode being like a Terence Malick film. :rolleyes: I can maybe see the influence, but it was like a 10th grader’s version of a Terence Malick zombie film. :smack: It reminded me much more of [Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056300/), which coincidentally was required viewing in my 10th grade English class. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-5-09-what-happened-and-whats-going-on-open-spoilers/712169.md?page=5)