# The Walking Dead, SERIES PREMIERE, (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026 "2010-10-31T23:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/161 "2010-11-03T11:31:46Z")
Having recently watched the UK remakes of _Survivors_ and _Day of the Triffids_, this is not dissimilar in a lot of ways from both of them. Doesn’t stop it from being entertaining, though. I hope it maintains its creepy pace and doesn’t fall back on a lot of squabbling, selfishness, and panicking. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/162 "2010-11-03T12:51:13Z")
I missed the first episode because I’m not that into zombies. They’re slow-moving and not that threatening or scary. But a friend highly recommended this and said the zombies actually moved with speed, so I think I’ll catch the next one. ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/163 "2010-11-03T13:21:44Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > I missed the first episode because I’m not that into zombies. They’re slow-moving and not that threatening or scary. But a friend highly recommended this and said the zombies actually moved with speed, so I think I’ll catch the next one. There is a decent, if a little sparse, 4 minute video cut of the first episode [here](http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/video) under the highlights tab. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/164 "2010-11-03T14:39:24Z")
AMC will also be re-running the first episode Nov 5 at 10PM, Nov 6 at 2AM and Nov 7 at 2AM (all Eastern times). ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/165 "2010-11-03T16:09:51Z")
If you have OnDemand be sure to check out the extra features on this show. Like this which is totally f-ing awesome: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riKsI6covPA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riKsI6covPA) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/166 "2010-11-03T19:23:48Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > But a friend highly recommended this and said the zombies actually moved with speed, so I think I’ll catch the next one. Heh. the friend I was watching with said at the beginning that a human could always run away because zombies don’t run. When we saw the zombies running I was like “Ha! You were wrong! Zombies can run! See!!” 😛 He was also convinced it was a zombie horse. One thing I wondered, being a noob to the zombie-sphere–where were all the dogs and cats? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/167 "2010-11-03T19:42:51Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Those seem like a far cry from the “see the back of a little girl only to have her turn around and be revealed as a zombie” scenario that was declared to be a zombie movie trope. The little girl from the Dawn remake had visible wounds and the adult approached her to render aid and you’ve already pointed out the difference with the original. If you’re referring to my post, I think you ought to re-read it: > [@](#): > > Even the zombies seem a well-worn group. The heroes ALWAYS stumble upon a little lost girl with long hair who turns out to be a zombie that attacks them. In the 30 years since the original “Dawn”, there has never been a wittier, more satirical zombie than the Hare Krishna zombie or the nun whose whimple gets caught in a door and she keeps trying to stumble forward, going nowhere. As you can see, I did not say “see the back of a little girl only to have her turn around…” And so the girl from the original “Night”, and the neighbor girl from the remake of “Dawn” are precisely what I was thinking of. You can also add the “drunk” girl from [Shaun of the Dead](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oao78_eVDUs) - true she’s a teenager rather than a little girl, but you’ll be happy to know she does do the seen-from-behind, slow-turn-to-reveal-she’s-a-zombie." > [@](#): > > Given how little screen time either character had I’m not sure how you could come to that conclusion. The woman might be stressed out, but, then again, who wouldn’t be? She didn’t seem to be coping poorly. 1. the partner - In the first scene, apropo of nothing, he goes into a misogynist, politically incorrect rant about women being too stupid to shut off the lights. This dialogue has absolutely nothing else to do with the scene, and is basically just quick character development. And the only time TV shows let characters utter such politically incorrect opinions is to loudly announce that HE’S A BAD GUYY!!! In his other big scene, they pick up the hero’s radio dispatch. Even though they don’t know who it is, the partner insists they can’t risk themselves to save him. Despite this being a likely real-life reaction, this isn’t real-life it’s genre fiction. In genre fiction, people who ride horseback into danger zones to save their loved ones = good guy; people who say “we can’t put ourselves in danger just to save this one guy and who seduce the good guys’ wives” = bad guy. (Added to that, the nature of his rant about his girlfriend - and all women - being too stupid to turn off the lights gives a pretty unsubtle clue as to how he’s going to treat the Good Guy’s wife.) 1. The wife - The only scene she is in, she easily caves into Bad Guy Partner’s authority, and kissing him (even if she is assuming her husband is dead, it seems a little too soon to be moving on to a new love interest.) Like the Bad Guy Partner, she gets little screen time but what she does is very indicative of her character - she goes against her own ethics and caves in to a dominant man. > [@](#): > > He didn’t seem particularly precocious to me. In what way did he seem precocious to you? If you mean he seems a little mature for his years, well, that’s what surviving a zombie apocalypse will do to a kid I guess. OK, fair enough. You’re right there. > [@](#): > > This I find to be rather unfair and it begs the question, can you have a black character ever assist a white character without being a “magical negro?” The character has few of the traits of a magical negro. He has a past, his character does not exist simply for the sake of helping the white protagonist, and while he uses his abilities to help the white protagonist he also uses them to help him and his son survive. OK withdrawn too. It just seemed to me that his major contribution to the plot was to assist the white Good Guy - he nursed his wounds, related the necessary exposition to him, helped him get acclimated to the new world order, and generally assist him as he gets ready to ride out to Atlanta to save his wife. Added to that, the fact he looks older than the protagonist, has a grey beard and is very protective of his biological son read to me “wise, sage surrogate father” to the main character. Added to that, someone I discussed the show with pointed out that Zombie Apocalypse movies are one of the few genres where black characters get to take central, dynamic action roles. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/168 "2010-11-03T19:52:58Z")
One nitpick (if I’m remembering this correctly): Rick is on the horse and he sees the reflection of the helicopter in front of him. He then runs the horse _forward_. Since the reflection was ahead of him, shouldn’t he have turned the horse around and went the other direction? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/169 "2010-11-03T20:04:03Z")
The building (and the reflection) were on an angle - it wasn’t behind him, it was behind the building in front of him (next to the building with the reflection). ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/170 "2010-11-03T20:05:39Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > One thing I wondered, being a noob to the zombie-sphere–where were all the dogs and cats? Since these zombies happily eat animals…probably consumed in the early part of the outbreak, since they’d be easier to catch than humans. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/171 "2010-11-03T20:09:52Z")
I can’t imagine how bad that whole downtown smelled. Even if the zombies don’t stink, there’s surely enough dead flesh laying everywhere to stink up the area. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/172 "2010-11-03T20:30:34Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Since these zombies happily eat animals…probably consumed in the early part of the outbreak, since they’d be easier to catch than humans. Yeah, most domestic pets would be toast. Even if zombies don’t eat them alot would simply starve to death trapped in their houses or abandoned kennels. **Return of the Living Dead II** actually had a scene of zombies attacking a pet store. Didn’t show much, but you could hear the barks & screeching. The opening of **Day of the Dead** also has an alligator wandering around being completely ignored by the zombies. I’ve always wondered if it was because they just weren’t interested in animals (Romero has shown zombies eating animals before/since), they couldn’t tell it apart from a zombie because it wasn’t warm-blooded, or just because they were afraid of it (I think a gator could hold it’s own against a zombie & don’t they prefer their meat a little ripe). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/173 "2010-11-03T21:17:49Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > And so the girl from the original “Night”, and the neighbor girl from the remake of “Dawn” are precisely what I was thinking of. You can also add the “drunk” girl from [Shaun of the Dead](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oao78_eVDUs) - true she’s a teenager rather than a little girl, but you’ll be happy to know she does do the seen-from-behind, slow-turn-to-reveal-she’s-a-zombie." Of course, the hilarious point of the reveal in Shaun of the Dead is that Shaun and Ed think the girl is drunk, not a zombie. At least until she tries to “kiss” Shaun. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/174 "2010-11-03T21:28:31Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I can’t imagine how bad that whole downtown smelled. Even if the zombies don’t stink, there’s surely enough dead flesh laying everywhere to stink up the area. The animated film to which **Monkey Lucifer** links in Post #165 brings up a point I hadn’t thought of: there’d be a lot of flies buzzing about. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/175 "2010-11-03T22:45:21Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > He was also convinced it was a zombie horse. If not for my zombie horse I never would’ve spent that year in zombie college. 😃 > [@alphaboi867](#): > > **Return of the Living Dead II** actually had a scene of zombies attacking a pet store. \*\* Return of the Living Dead I\*\* had split dogs coming back to life as zombies. :eek: > [@](#): > > I think a gator could hold it’s own against a zombie I dunno, I seen a zombie fight a shark before. 😉 ---
**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:** [November 4, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/176 "2010-11-04T00:48:58Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > I shouldn’t be expected to remember the exact gas cannister he used over an hour later :rolleyes: > > And I didn’t notice the hat. > > I already concede it “makes sense,” that doesn’t mean I have to like its implementation, hence my ‘poor storytelling’ complaint. It’s cool if you disagree, but there is nothing you can say to change my mind, being as it’s based on my experience watching the show. Am I misremembering? I was sure they showed the actual opening scene a second time, right before he got the horse. Same exact footage of him driving up, seeing the girl, etc… Anyone still have it on DVR to check? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/177 "2010-11-04T01:37:48Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > The opening of **Day of the Dead** also has an alligator wandering around being completely ignored by the zombies. I’ve always wondered if it was because they just weren’t interested in animals (Romero has shown zombies eating animals before/since), they couldn’t tell it apart from a zombie because it wasn’t warm-blooded, or just because they were afraid of it (I think a gator could hold it’s own against a zombie & don’t they prefer their meat a little ripe). 😉 Most weekdays, I walk past the doorway in which that alligator was filmed. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/178 "2010-11-04T02:15:34Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Am I misremembering? I was sure they showed the actual opening scene a second time, right before he got the horse. Same exact footage of him driving up, seeing the girl, etc… > > Anyone still have it on DVR to check? You’re misremembering - probably with the scene of him walking away from a gassed-out cruiser towards the house where he gets the horse. The color scheme was VERY similar and had the same atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/179 "2010-11-04T04:45:24Z")
My guess is the opening scene with the girl slots into just before he goes to the farmhouse. It would have been nice if they had clarified that, though. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-walking-dead-series-premiere-open-spoilers/559026/180 "2010-11-09T01:14:49Z")
I finally watched the premiere on Hulu, and overall, I liked it (I’m about 85% done with it now) but there were some problems I have with what I’ve seen so far, coming from a “survival” type mindset… First off, an annoyance, minor one, at the police roadblock, one Deputy admonishes another that “he better have the safety off” on his pistol, the deputy then “thumbs off” his “safety”… thing is, he’s shooting a Glock semiauto, which HAS NO THUMB SAFETY!, a Glock’s “safety” (or safeties, as Glock claims there are three) consists of; > [@"Wikipedia"](#): > > Glock pistols use an internal safety mechanism with three components, with no external thumb activated safety switch as might be found on traditional-design pistols. Glock calls this the “Safe Action” system. All three safeties are disabled one after the other when the trigger is depressed. They are: > > ``` > * Trigger Safety: An external lever mechanism contained within the trigger that prevents the trigger from moving unless the lever is depressed. > > * Striker Safety: A spring-loaded pin attached by an extension bar to the trigger assembly blocks the striker from striking the primer of the Cartridge until the trigger is pulled. > > * Drop Safety: The far end of the same extension bar locks the striker into place from the rear until the trigger is pulled. > > ``` there is NO thumb safety on a factory standard Glock, however an aftermarket one can be fitted, but more than likely a law enforcement department would not approve the use of such a modified sidearm When the Deputy first encounters the female “Dragger”, his reactions can be excused as it’s the first Zack he actually sees more than just the hands of, but when he goes back to finish it off, he spends far too long getting dangerously close to it before dispatching it, he should have come up behind it, in it’s blind spot, and used a non-firearm weapon (crowbar, spike/prybar/stake or other form of piercing weapon) to stop it, discharging a firearm in an unsecured zone could draw more Zacks to his location, and as his only firearm is a revolver (appears to be a Smith and Wesson revolver, either of .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum caliber) and he seems to have only the standard pouch of two speedloaders, he only has 18 rounds on his person, of which only six are in the gun The father and son did a decent job of blocking visual access, and maintaining light and noise discipline, but they erred in holing up on the first floor, they should have holed up on the second floor, destroyed the stairs (use boards like a “drawbridge” and cut off the upper floor from the lower) and consider the first floor a loss, use it for now, but have a means of retreating to a more secured second floor if the first floor was compromised When the deputy and the father/son went to the sherrif’s station, they should have holed up there, more easily secured, and a decent weapons cache, when they visited the armory, the deputy should have at the very least selected another revolver as backup to his primary, or perhaps switched to a high capacity semiauto pistol, all he needs for anti-Zack capability is the ability to execute an accurate headshot, for this use, a 9mm is sufficient, the “knock down power” of a .357 or .44 Mag is overkill, more recoil, more noise, slower to get back on target for a followup shot On that armory note, all three survivors should have taken three weapons each for their use, a handgun for close-range/last ditch defense, a shotgun for short to medium range defense, and a rifle for long range Zack sniping, yes, even the kid should have all three, he’s responsible for his own defense after all The sherrif station would be the perfect place to teach the kid marksmanship, (assuming they have a target range there) and what better way for him to start than on the zombified deputy outside the chain link fence when the father and son return to their house, and the father goes upstairs to snipe some Zacks, I don’t remember seeing him put on hearing protection, and he appears to be firing a rifle that in all likelyhood is shooting the .308 .30 caliber cartridge, ONE shot from a .308 in an enclosed room is well over 180 decibels, and can cause permanent hearing damage, after firing off a few rounds from upstairs, he should be suffering from some form of hearing loss, possibly and likely permanent, not a good idea to compromise one of your senses in a Zombie Apocolypse, at the very least, use foam ear plugs, or perhaps electronic hearing protectors When the deputy is out searching for supplies/survivors, he should at the very least be carrying either a shotgun or rifle as primary weapon, and rely only on his revolver as last ditch backup going back to the sherriff station again, they should have checked for food as well as weapons, I’m sure there are some canned goods squirreled away somewhere The survivalist camp looks interesting, a bit tactically foolish to use tents as sleeping quarters, but maybe there’s a security fence we haven’t seen yet, just seems rather shortsighted to have the only thing between you and a hungry Zack be a thin piece of rip-stop nylon… In spite of the minor annoyances, I’ll keep watching, after all, this is only “day 1” for the deputy and he was caught off guard with no ability to prepare, being in the hospital (awakened from a coma, perhaps?) 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