Zombies often, but don’t always, moan before attacking in TWD, and it seems to be tied to the number of other zombies around. Solo zombies are less likely to moan.
This is in contrast to World War Z, (the book, not the movie), where it’s a plot point for one character’s continued survival.
I don’t actually follow TWD, but maybe there are different strains of the zombifying agent? The initial wave of infections could have been a strain that left the host with more intact faculties, but also with greater resource requirements. As resources (i.e., “braaaaains”) grew more scarce, a mutant strain became dominant that produced less capable, less resource-intensive, walkers. These latter shamblers are slower and dumber, but last longer.
That would account for new infected (such as the survivors I hear about getting bit) also becoming the slower type, where simple degradation over time probably wouldn’t.
Did they ever mention how long the outbreak took? Rick was comatose, the last thing he remembers is Shane bringing in flowers. Then Rick comments on the vase, as if it talking to Shane, but it is clear from the degradation of the flowers that some time has passed (days, weeks?)before Rick responds. That was actually a really cool scene. Once Rick is re-united is there dialog about how long they were apart?
Based on the above:
Rule 17+ - The overall range and limits of zombie behaviour are remarkably narrow and never, ever exceeded, according to comprehensive human observation.
As aberrant zombies who don’t moan, can operate doors, pick up rocks etc are likely to kill all complacent humans in the vicinity, the above observation will remain 100% true according to all reported incidents.
Still re-watching season 1 & 2. Let me just say again how impressive those early seasons were. Wow, really tense, really raw nerved and strung out. Before we settled into picking things apart, it really was just a fun ride.
But rule 16 may not be entirely correct, maybe it should just read “zombies do not require air to survive” because the episode where Amy re-animates. The first thing she does as a zombie is to draw in a breath.
Also, dang these early season zombies were uniformly faster on their feet. Our heroes had to at least jog if not out right run to elude them, as the episode where Otis dies makes abundantly clear.
Further things I noticed from re-watching, maybe these were discussed at the time.
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Rick’s gunshot wound is in a location that reminds us of where Christ’s side was pierced by a spear.
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Carl’s gunshot wound is in the same location. (interesting parallel, or parallel-parallel)
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When they are searching for Sophia they come across a church, drawn by the sound of church bells. Particular mention is made by Shane that it cannot be that church since it has no steeple. Later it is shown to be that church, the sound of the bells being on a timer and broadcast across a speaker. This scene seemed to have a whole lot of weight placed on it.
—they hear the bells / are drawn to them while searching in the woods
—Shane announces it cannot be the church they are seeking because it has no steeple
—Rick insists they go anyway
—There are three zombies (2 men and a woman) sitting in the pews. No gore or signs of violence, just sitting there
—The crew cuts the zombies down
—the bells ring again and Glen discovers they are on a timer and rips it out of the box
Is there some allusion the writers constructed with this that I am missing? It sure felt weighty on screen, more so than I noticed the first time around since I am no longer worries about them finding Sophia. They spent a good portion of the episode’s running time there at that church, seems like lots of characters made decisions at the church, either inside or outside. And this was the scene immediately before Carl is shot. Also nobody batted an eye at the fact that there was still electricity powering the bell recording and timer, which seems to me to indicate that he writers felt it was more important to make the no steeple but bells statement than to confuse it by them wondering how the power was still on. Anyone got a read on this?
I was distracted in the church scenes by wondering why a Baptist church had a large Catholic-style crucifix on display.
Amen 
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—There are three zombies (2 men and a woman) sitting in the pews. No gore or signs of violence, just sitting there
—The crew cuts the zombies down
I had forgotten about those church zombies! Were they actually wearing their sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes? (The implication being that they died suddenly during a church service.) Someone refresh my memory, please.
One guy was in overalls, the woman had some sort of head covering. So…inconclusive. Like was mentioned, no Baptist church has an enormous crucifix in it. And I have seen overalls in church, but it wouldn’t be considered go to meeting clothes.
I read it as they had gone to church after the outbreak looking for solace / reassurance. But they would have had to have died very close to each other to not be victims of the first to die’s zombie. Perhaps the zombies doing what was familiar to them in life rule holds here and these people died somewhere else and shambled to the church as zombies because they were very used to going there in life…and shut the door behind them <sigh>.
Well, that’s as good an explanation as any. Thanks.