The Walking Dead: Episode 6 (TS-19)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 6 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: The group finds shelter in the CDC, and celebrates a rare moment of relief. But the CDC boasts only one survivor, few answers, and even less hope. Tension erupts anew when it becomes clear that they won't be sticking around for long.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: The whole CDC plot didn't turn out the way I imagined it might, but I liked the way it did turn out. I'm sad to see Dr. Jenner go so quickly, but the "decontamination" of the facility was terribly exciting, and a great device to use as a season finale. Emotions ran high, and I was torn between accepting the easy fate for the group, yet wanting them to fight on, even against impossible odds. When that grenade came out of the bag, I cheered. I knew it would have some important use the moment Rick picked it up episodes ago. Talk about fate. Or good luck.

It was also interesting to see the digital data for TS-19, and how the zombie transformation occurs, from a clinical perspective. I wished there were more answers, but I knew there wouldn't be.

Also, it was really touching when Dale stayed behind with Andrea, ultimately convincing her to escape. I could tell all through the episode that she was ready to quit, so it didn't surprise me at all when she stayed behind. But I really didn't want Dale to die. I know it's a cliche for the older character, but he seems the wisest of the group, and I really want him to stick around. I'm glad that his bond with Andrea was enough to keep them both alive. I just hope something doesn't happen to Andrea in the future causing Dale to lose it. On the other hand, this is a horror show, so that would make for some good programming, as morbid as that is...

Scott: A huge thing for me was finally seeing what happened with Shane and Rick in the hospital, and why Shane said Rick was dead. It's hard to blame Shane in that situation; he was trying to save Rick, after all.

When Shane thought Rick was dead, I sort of understood why, since he tried to check Rick's heartbeat and apparently couldn't find one. At the same time, though, it felt like he thought Rick was still alive since he barricaded the door against the zombies. Maybe that was just him not wanting Rick's body to be desecrated, though -- it's hard to tell, especially judging from Shane's behavior in the present. A part of me wants to believe that deep down, he really is a good guy... but I end up second-guessing him because the show seems to be about showing how flawed humans react under pressure.

It certainly didn't help that he tried to rape Lori.

When Rick gets into bed with Lori, he says "We don't have to be afraid anymore." It's a terribly tragic line...

As a side note, I wondered if Rick's repeated question about "28 minutes" was a tribute to 28 Days Later.

zharth: Heh, I didn't even catch that. Thanks for bringing up that flashback scene, I almost forgot about it. I agree, it seems like Shane wants to be this sympathetic character, but it's really hard to sympathize with him on account of the impulsive actions he keeps engaging in. I mean, you can only give a person the benefit of the doubt so many times, and if he keeps stepping out of line, then no matter how sincere he is about wanting to be a good person, if he proves himself unable to control his actions, you've got to do something about that.

Granted, he was (as well as most of the rest of them) shit-faced drunk at the time he tried to assault Lori. Normally, I wouldn't consider that a valid excuse (he's responsible for getting himself into that drunken state), but because of the trauma they've all been through, I understand their wanting to totally let loose and relax for like the first time ever, having made it to a safe place with food and drink and beds and warm showers and all. So I almost still want to forgive him, but you just know it's only going to get worse...


Q: Is a quick, painless death better than the uncertainty of survival and the gruesome inevitability that awaits among the zombies? Would you have stayed in the building and died, or ran out in search of hope?

zharth: Another tough question. Compared to death by zombie, the death that the CDC offered did seem much easier and more humane. However, the difference is hope. The CDC represented certain death. With the zombies, there is an uncertainty about your fate. There may be a 99% chance that you end up like all the rest, but there's that 1% of not knowing. So it becomes a gamble. An easy, certain death; or the slightest chance of hope with the risk of prolonged suffering?

I have to admit, I'd be really really tempted to avoid the suffering. But I think ultimately I would choose hope. I'm just too optimistic when it really comes down to it. But that probably depends on what my experience out among the zombies had been like before I got to the CDC. If I was like Rick, relatively fresh, reunited with my family who is still alive, I'd be more inclined to seek out hope. In a different case, however, if I had just lost my sister, like Andrea did, or I had seen too much suffering by then and too little hope, I might choose to end the fight.

Scott: I would have liked to pick something in the middle; stay in the building and wait until a good time to run out "in search of hope." As long as you're living and trying, there's still something left.

In their case, though, with the countdown, that obviously wasn't an option. It would definitely be tempting, especially since Jenner said "no pain," but I would still want to move on. Maybe try to find a way to get to France and see what happened there.

Other climates may be interesting, too -- perhaps there are places where the zombies or the infection couldn't survive.


Q: Do you think Dr. Jenner was fully committed to his death? Or was there some doubt in his mind, despite what he preached to the group?

zharth: I was disappointed to find out in this episode that the doc was resigned to total failure. After having come so far, and worked for so long - even without any answers - I thought he would have the kind of determination to keep going indefinitely. Yet he was already "checked out" by the time the group arrived at the CDC. Now I see why he wasn't so eager to open the doors for them. His survival was only a promise to his wife, who sacrificed her life for their research.

Yet, I felt there might have been a sliver of hope there, hidden underneath all the despair. When Rick started talking about hope, and getting outside, Dr. Jenner was convinced it wasn't possible, but I feel like he wanted to be able to believe. I'm probably just projecting my own wishful feelings onto him, but when he saw on the monitor that the rest of the group had gotten out, I felt like maybe he changed his mind. Yet it was clear at that point that there was not enough time for him to follow through on that. How depressing would that be? Realizing at the very last moment, once it's already too late, that you didn't want to die after all...

Scott: I feel like he was committed to his death; perhaps so committed that a part of him refused to believe that Rick's group was really real. I think that if he had been interested, he would have been more interested in his new guests and learning about the world, exploring the possibilities opened by having a larger group. Instead, he didn't eat with them and he lied about the self-destruct sequence and then wandered away. That doesn't indicate any kind of investment in life to me.

Even worse, if he hadn't been committed to his death, I think he would have interpreted his promise to his wife differently; he would have kept on living past the facility to try to do what he could. Having a doctor would have been a great help to the group.

zharth: Good points. Also, there was that time that someone (I don't remember who) said to just look in his eyes - there's no hope there. I probably was just reading my own desires into him.


Q: What do you think Dr. Jenner whispered to Rick just before the group escaped?

Scott: I feel like it had to be some kind of breadcrumb; a secret facility, or a weapons dump, or anything. Some kind of refuge shelter that they can raid for supplies, some kind of small hope for the future that he didn't have the courage to try to find for himself.

zharth: I feel like this is cheating, though I didn't do it intentionally, but I overheard someone else speculating about this, and their idea is really convincing. The doc could have told Rick that Lori is pregnant. What else would he have to say to Rick that he would want to keep private? And he did take blood tests of the entire group, so presumably that's something he could know. And, narratively speaking, it would make for a great plot point to exacerbate the growing discord between Rick and Shane and the whole messy love triangle.

Scott: That's a very interesting idea and it appeals to me for the same reason. On the other hand, Rick is the de facto leader of the group now; perhaps Jenner was whispering to him in his leader capacity rather than as a husband. That was my first thought when I saw him grab Rick for the whisper scene.

Story-wise, it seems to make sense, too -- I feel like there needs to be something to propel the group in the next season. There has to be some kind of hope, or some kind of goal.


Q: Do you think there's hope out there? Can the group, or humanity in general, somehow, someday, beat the zombie apocalypse, or is it all over for us?

Scott: I definitely do. I think it's a zero-tolerance environment when it comes to mistakes, but I definitely think it's possible to make a refuge, to start small, then expand it bit by bit, and fortify it, and create a sanctuary where it's possible to live safely.

Like I mentioned before, I think that other climates may hold hope in terms of stemming the wave of zombies or the infection vector.

zharth: I have to maintain hope. As bleak as it looks, the zombies can't win every fight. There's got to be somebody, somewhere, who's figured out a way to survive confidently. There have to be places where the zombies are sparser, maybe even places the zombies can't go. Places where it's also possible to sustain life. If the group keeps searching, they have to find something. The CDC wasn't it, but that doesn't mean nothing is. Of course they could very well die before they ever find it, but I think there's hope out there, somewhere. Not much of it, but enough.


Q: What did you think about Jenner's revelation that zombies do not have any thoughts or memories, that they're just shells driven by instinct?

Scott: I was a bit annoyed. One of the interesting things about zombies as a threat is that they look like humans -- they look like people you knew. You have to contend with not knowing whether those people -- your friends and loved ones -- are still alive in there somewhere, if there's any hope of bringing them back from the brink.

What Jenner did completely destroyed that.

zharth: I guess it was kind of a relief, because I had been thinking of the zombies basically as such, so I would feel guilty to learn that they were more human than I was giving them credit for. Maybe this means Rick won't have to be so courteous towards them. Still, I think it's humane to respect the memory of the living, so I wouldn't condone the kind of overkill that occurred at camp that one time.

Actually, that's interesting. I felt like there were no real answers given by Dr. Jenner's research, but I guess there was. Even if it's confirmation of what I suspected, it's still helpful to have scientific proof. I do think the mechanism is interesting, that whatever is the cause (virus, bacteria, act of god, etc.), it awakens the part of the brain that controls motor functions, but not the parts that control thoughts and memories and, basically, what makes a person more than a walking bag of flesh, which is really what the zombies are.

If humans ever do get over this zombie apocalypse, I bet the research into zombism will be immensely helpful for furthering our understanding of how the brain works, and what makes people people, finding the seat of the "soul", neurologically speaking, and so on. I bet that would be endlessly fascinating. Let's just hope they get the chance (although if they do beat the zombies, that'll probably be the end of the series...).


Q: The run to the CDC was depicted as a one-way trip since the cars were running out of gas; knowing that, what do you expect that the second season holds in store for the group?

zharth: Heh, I wonder if the writers knew on the way out that the CDC wouldn't be a long stop. Gas continues to be a problem. I saw an apocalypse scenario show on television where the mock survivors produced fuel from animal fat. I wonder if it would work by condensing incapacitated zombies. If they're close enough to water, you have to consider that you can drift down a river, or even out to sea, without any fuel. But of course, as long as you keep moving, transportation is going to be a problem. Ideally they would find a relatively safe place to stay, which is what I thought the CDC might turn out to be. But they've got to survive long enough to find it.

Scott: I feel like they'll head out of the city as far as they can, since the city is obviously a death trap... and then they'll have to restart, on foot. I'm a bit confused about why they don't just hunker down and start erecting dirt-and-log fortifications, honestly... so I would like to see one of them have that idea and start doing that in the future.

At some point, they'll have to have encounters with other survivors to increase the tension; our group is sane and borderline stable, but what about other groups? Single people? How will they have dealt with the zombies? This is an important theme for the show: people under unbelievable strain.

I'm looking forward to the next season!

zharth: As am I, but I'm sure you'll have me reading the comics before then. :p


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! And thank you for joining us in watching season one of The Walking Dead. Only time will tell what the continuation of the series has in store!

The Walking Dead: Episode 5 (Wildfire)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 5 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: The camp counts their casualties from the previous night's zombie ambush, and discuss what to do next. Rick suggests a visit to the CDC, but what they find there is little hope and a lot of the dead.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: Definitely the scene where Andrea pulled a gun on Rick. That totally surprised me, and really scared me. And also the Wildfire project. When they introduced it, it was so much different than what we'd been seeing that I wondered for a second if it was the same show. And then when the group made it to the entrance to the CDC. You could see that night was falling on the city, and the zombies were closing in, and it was getting really tense. You knew the group was going to get inside - they had to - but I still thought it was a tense scene. I can't wait to see the interaction between them and the sole surviving member of the CDC.

Scott: I think the best moment of the episode was when the group found out that Jim had been bitten; I had been waiting for this kind of thing to happen. It's almost inevitable, given a group in a zombie situation, that a friend will get bitten.

One of the reasons I was looking forward to this is because it represents a slippery slope. They've already used violence twice against group members (they didn't like) who seemed to threaten the group, and sort of used violence against someone they did like who seemed like he MIGHT threaten the group, and here, they're presented with a friend who WILL be a threat to the group. How will they handle it? How do they feel about it?

It's a really slippery slope and could lead to a "kill all zombies at all costs" or "protect the group at all costs" mentality, which is where Shane seems to be right now... and he's not exactly a perfect human being at the moment, considering how he seems to be on the verge of giving in to all of his animal urges!


Q: Do you think it was irresponsible for Andrea to wait until Amy reawakened as a zombie before "neutralizing" her?

zharth: I think it's obvious that the entire rest of the group thought it was an unnecessary risk, and I also think it's obvious that Andrea's fragile emotional state was creating something of an exceptional situation. I was really shocked when she pulled the gun on Rick. Although Rick, as usual, handled that situation admirably.

I think Andrea just wanted to tell Amy her feelings while she was in a conscious - if not entirely lucid - state, and that's something that I think most of us can sympathize with. We often take our feelings for granted, but then when a loved one dies, we realize that it's too late to say all the things we wanted to say, and we yearn for a second chance. A zombie resurrection is a twisted - but clever - opportunity for that second chance.

Though I still think this was a case of idealistic emotionalism getting in the way of the survivors' safety. Andrea did appear to have the situation completely under control, and it was clear how strongly she felt, so I'm willing to forgive her, but I still don't think it was a good idea. Even coming back as a zombie, it's just not the same person anymore.

Scott: I don't think it was irresponsible, but I don't think it was an especially wise decision, either. But given the situation -- she's lost her only family member at the end of the world -- it's understandable. These aren't the zombies of 28 Days Later, given super-strength and -speed by a viral Rage; they're just shambling hunks of flesh that can win through numbers.

Andrea dealt with it well enough.


Q: Recall that tense moment when Shane had Rick in the sights of his gun out in the woods. Firstly, do you think his motivation there was pure instinct, or was he fully conscious of what he was doing? Either way, do you think he is capable of crossing the line and actually doing something to hurt Rick?

zharth: I'd like to think that he hadn't premeditatedly decided to aim at Rick, and his response when Dale came up on him seems to suggest that he was taken by the moment. Even so, that was a frightening moment. At that point it became startlingly clear to me just how fragile these survivors' lives are. But particularly Rick - seemingly invincible, always knows exactly the right thing to do. The thought that he could be killed by something as simple as a single gunshot. It was an intensely vulnerable moment.

I really hope Shane doesn't do anything to screw Rick over. I understand his feelings of resentment, and like Scott has said, he does seem to be largely motivated by an alpha-male instinct. I don't think he could live with hurting Rick, and I don't think it's something he'd allow himself to do with a cool head - but I fear that one of these times, the moment might take him, and he may end up doing something he'll deeply regret. Only time will tell.

Scott: I don't think it was either; I don't want to say it was instinct, but it was a more primal urge in him. I keep referencing this with respect to Shane, but it feels like Shane is really giving in to his Freudian id more and more as time goes by. He's just got all of this stress piled up on him and then there's someone challenging his alpha-male leadership position in just about every way possible.

The animal-like look in his eyes and the way he was grinning at Dale were very worrying.


Q: Assume that, like Jim, you were certain that you had been infected, and had less than 24 hours before becoming a zombie. Given the opportunity, would you take your own life to spare yourself the agony, or would you want to let the transformation happen, and see what it's like to become a zombie?

zharth: First, I want to say that I was impressed with the calmness of that scene, after Jim had been left alone by the roadside, to rest against a tree, and stare up at the sky. Beautiful. But you could still partake of that scene and then blow your brains out in order to avoid submitting to a zombie afterlife. I wonder what religious people would think about it all, since suicide is supposed to be a sin. Would it be "God's way" to let the transformation happen, "God's will" for you to suffer in the afterlife as the walking dead? A purging process? A punishment for your worldly sins?

Regardless, religious opinions wouldn't affect my decision. I'll admit there's a certain curiosity about what it's like to be a zombie - you only live twice, why not try it? But to be honest, judging solely from what I've seen as an outside observer, it doesn't appear to be a very pleasant existence. And anyway, zombies don't seem to have much cognitive functioning, so it can't be a terribly interesting experience.

Still though, it takes a firm hand to take one's own life, and that's one of those things I never want to be in a position to have to do. Could I go through with it if I thought it was highly preferable to the alternative (living as a dead man)? I don't know. It's the kind of thing I'd rather not think about it. I suppose there is a possibility I could chicken out. It'd be nice to know that I'd be capable during any point of the transformation to change my mind about going through with it, if it gets too painful or whatnot, but I guess that's not a guarantee. Gotta take your chance while you've got it. I'm not good at making quick decisions, though.

Scott: I'd want to die.


Q: Jim seemed to have prophetic visions when he was digging graves before the attack; later, when he was talking to Rick, he was hallucinating again. Do you think that Jim somehow "saw" a future where the group would be fleeing by boat?

Scott: I want to write it all off as a fever dream, due to my skepticism... but when he dug those graves, I was all ready for the show to set him up as a mystical prophet; one of those characters where you didn't know if everything was a coincidence or if they were really seeing the future.

I'm glad that didn't happen, though we'll have to see if any boats come out...

zharth: Tough question. I don't really believe in prophetic visions, so it's easy for me to write them off, but who knows, maybe the world of The Walking Dead is a world where prophecy can be real. He does seem to be the type, and the whole natural death thing has almost a religious quality to it. So it's definitely possible. I guess we'll find out.

It would be interesting. They seem pretty convinced that there's no escaping the zombie apocalypse. But even if it's true that it's a worldwide disaster, I wonder what it's like elsewhere in the world - might there be places safer than others? I think it was Tooth & Nail, another post-apocalyptic story (though not zombie-related), that put forth the proposition that the colder climates were better suited for survival, by avoiding the warmer locales where people instinctively flock to. The harsher the environment, the bigger difference having the intelligence of a lucid human being becomes, when it comes to staying alive. Though, the dead have some advantages of their own. I bet there's not a lot of zombies on the sea; then again, there's not a lot of anything on the sea.


Q: What did you think when the sample was burnt up in the Wildfire protocol? What do you see as being the implications of losing the "freshest" sample?

Scott: When that sample was lost and the researcher was ranting about losing his freshest sample, the first thing I thought is that they're going to have to go back to where they left Jim and kill their zombie friend for a brand-new sample.

That situation presents a number of interesting dilemmas, which this show seems to be doing very well. What if Jim isn't a zombie yet? What if he is? Do they kill him, like some random geek? Do they put him out of his misery respectfully? Will they want to take his sample in hopes of finding a cure?

One thing the people have avoided is really trying to pin down the relationship between humans and zombies. Are they The Enemy and only The Enemy, or are they human beings? There are definitely mixed opinions on that front.

zharth: That was a good scene. I love when he jumped against the door when the sample was being purged. That's when I realized that something really bad had just happened. On the other hand, he said that he hadn't made any progress yet, so I wonder just how important that sample was. Then again, he could have just been on the verge of a discovery - or, considering that the sample was "fresh", had only recently been able to get a hold of one of its kind.

I think it's pretty obvious that some kind of sacrifice is going to have to be made in order for him to get another "fresh" sample. I was thinking, it's too bad they left Jim behind, because he might have been the perfect contender. Someone who's infected, but still has living tissue. Reminds me of Pathologic. It's unfortunate if someone's going to have to make a sacrifice - but you have to weigh one person's life against the possibility of finding some kind of a cure. They could just wait around, though, it seems to only be a matter of time before someone gets infected. Then again, having control over the experiment could drastically reduce the casualties and maximize the effectiveness of the sample. I suspect it's going to be exciting, whatever happens.


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! Stay tuned for our discussion of the season finale of The Walking Dead!

The Walking Dead: Episode 4 (Vatos)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 4 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: Rick heads back into the city to locate their group's missing member. But things turn ugly when an encounter with a street gang leads to an armed hostage exchange. Meanwhile, there is trouble back at camp.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: I thought this was a very tense episode, and very entertaining. I liked the mystery of the group trying to track down Merle, and how everything went to hell when the street gang showed up. And, of course, the zombie attack on camp. Talk about all hell breaking loose. I was really sad that they killed off Amy (the pretty one), though...

Scott: The best moment of the episode for me was seeing how a single old woman defused an incredibly dangerous situation. I never saw it coming. I was completely sucked into the "Mexican gangsters" stereotype, much to my chagrin. That was an absolutely great plot twist not only because you don't see it coming, but also because it reveals something about you, as a viewer. I know I felt ashamed.

Q: How do you feel about Rick's reaction to the hostage situation? Was he justified in taking that risk, or should he have just handed over the bag of guns?

zharth: I have to say, I did not really see a good solution to that problem. I couldn't justify leaving Glenn behind, yet I really did not want Rick to give up that bag of guns, which was rightfully his - furthermore, the street gang did not present itself as being very trustworthy; what if they broke their word? But when Rick decided to go in locked and loaded, I thought that was totally badass. I was sure it was the end for all of them, but what a way to go. Never back down.

Scott: If I had been in Rick's situation, I probably would have done the same thing. Given the behavior of the gang and the way they treated Glenn, parading him on the roof, there was absolutely no guarantee that the guns would buy Glenn's life. To be honest, though, rather than going inside, I would have wanted to just snipe everyone from outside and hope that they wouldn't kill Glenn inside. Less risk to my own men, equal risk to Glenn.

Q: Later in the episode, the leader of the street gang explains the reason for their aggressive facade. Do you think this justifies their earlier behavior?

Scott: I do. I believe that racial profiling is a huge problem; lawmen are suspicious of minorities that look like they're in a gang. A lawman walks in with one of my kids, saying he'll cut my kid's feet off... I don't think I'm going to just come clean about the situation and say that I'm protecting old people. This guy shot one of my guys in the butt and wants to cut the feet off of one of my kids -- he certainly doesn't seem like the reasonable type!

On the other hand, I feel like the group out on the street was completely unjustified in attacking everyone. They were just plain dumb.

zharth: I'm surprised at how quickly I forgave the gang, because I really resented their earlier aggression. I didn't think there was anything they could do to justify that, but I guess the way it all ended so neatly, compared to how messily I was expecting it to go, made me forget how much I hated them. I have to admit, the gang leader makes a good argument for their tough image - "the weak get taken" - but I still, idealist that I am, wish there was a better way. Though there's a very real sense of every-man-for-himself out there in the zombie apocalypse, I think the survivors really need to work together, and not against each other (although the issue of limited resources is important to consider). I guess few people are as badass as Rick Grimes (and would have instead given in to the gang's demands, or just run away), but if things hadn't worked out so smoothly in the end, a lot of innocent blood could have been shed...

Q: Assuming that Merle intentionally brought the zombies back to camp, do you think this act was justified by the way the group treated him on the roof?

zharth: It's interesting, in light of what I said last episode, to consider whether this tragedy could have been averted had the scavenger group indulged Merle's racism, in the hopes of keeping him stable and on their side. But this is, of course, only apparent in hindsight, and it's quite possible that Merle's behavior could have endangered the group in other ways (that possibility was in fact readily apparent at the time). I certainly can't say that Merle's counterattack is justified, but it's hard for me to blame him for feeling angry enough to do it, after what he had to go through.

Scott: I don't. As much as he suffered, he didn't die; there's no reason to murder everyone, let alone children. Rick and T-dog were the ones who mistreated him the most; his anger should be directed at them rather than the community as a whole. I can understand why he wouldn't be thinking clearly, though.

I don't, however, think that Merle brought back the zombies. Not only did nobody hear the van, but there was already a hint in the previous episode when they found a random zombie wandering around. I think it was pretty dumb that Shane, after all of his constant griping earlier, would let his guard down at nightfall and not have shifts of watchers.

zharth: I do wonder where Merle ran off to, after everything he's been through. I kept expecting him to show up, but he didn't. Is that the end of his part of our story, or will we see him again...?


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! Stay tuned for our discussion of episode 5 of The Walking Dead!

The Walking Dead: Episode 3 (Tell It To The Frogs)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 3 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: Rick is reunited with his wife and son as the scavengers meet back up with the camp outside the city. But Rick soon makes plans to head back into the city for the man they left behind.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: There wasn't a whole lot that stood out for me in this episode, specifically. It was a bit more drama-oriented, with less action, something of a break between getting out of the city, and then heading back in. And even with the reunion, the love triangle confrontation was avoided, though you know it's coming sooner or later.

Scott: The real highlight of this episode was Rick being able to meet up with his wife and son again. Every second he didn't get out of the truck, I was worried that the show would take a downward turn and Rick would just miss his chance here. But he didn't, and they got together. I was very happy for him.

There were other great moments, though. I was glad that Merle got his time in the spotlight; it made him more of a balanced character, rather than some stereotypical white supremacist. I was hoping that he would "see the light" when he was begging for his chance, that he would take the hacksaw as a sign from God that if he turned his act around, things would get better. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way and he only got madder. I can't blame him for being mad, though, as much as I'd like to.

I was very, very disturbed by the scene where the men leave the camp to go beat up a zombie. It seemed like they weren't even trying to kill it, but were just taking out their anger and frustration on it. I think this disturbed me even more than it normally would have because of Rick's behavior in the previous episode; he acknowledged that these zombies were once people, but in that scene, everyone, including Rick, just beat the crap out of that zombie. It was almost like a lynching.

Q: Do you agree with Rick's decision to head back into Atlanta, just after he made it safely out?

zharth: I can't say that it's smart, but I'll admit I got excited about the thought of him going back for a rescue. I don't believe it was his obligation to try to rescue Merle, although it reflects on his character that he would want to. The bag of guns, on the other hand - I was really disappointed that he lost it previously. And Rick's promise to the family he met before coming to Atlanta - again, in these extreme times, I wouldn't blame him for thinking primarily of his own safety, but his unflinching honor is part of what makes him a captivating character. That, and his nigh invincibility. Going back into the city may not be smart, but if there's anyone that can pull it off, it's Rick.

Scott: I think it was the right decision. The group needed the guns and they had a responsibility to go get Merle, as well. In a way, having made it safely out made it even more necessary to go in; if they made it out in that kind of situation, they can certainly make it out when things have calmed down.

Q: Do you think that Lori's instant rejection of Shane upon reuniting with Rick is justified? Does she have a responsibility to tell Rick about her relationship with Shane?

Scott: I did. It twisted me inside because I could see the terrible drama coming from a mile away and I hate that kind of crap, but Lori's rejection of Shane was completely justified. Not only is she not a widow, but Shane apparently lied to her about Rick's condition, for whatever reason. It made me think back to the conversation Shane and Rick had in the car; did Shane remember that Lori and Rick weren't getting along well... and then decide to throw his friend to the wayside to pick up his wife?

In a way, Shane seems to be the most instinct-driven of all of the men. He radiates alpha-male -- he wants to protect, he wants to fuck, he wants to order people around. When they don't do what he wants them to, he verbally or physically prods them to make them do it. So perhaps even if he wasn't consciously thinking that he wanted to take his friend's wife, it was under all of his other thoughts in the crisis.

Lori should have come clean as soon as possible. The longer she waits, the worse the shock will be.

zharth: By the sound of it, Shane had convinced Lori that Rick was dead. I think that justifies her involvement with Shane - although the question remains of how certain Shane was of Rick's supposed death, and how much he used that information to deliberately (and deceptively) win over Lori. Lori was clearly still holding onto her feelings for Rick, so I don't blame her for pushing Shane away the moment Rick showed up. However, I kind of resent her for telling Shane to stay away from her son Carl. They seemed to be bonding, and I think it's unfair to force them apart. Of course, I think part of that motivation is to reduce the chance of Rick finding out how close Shane and Lori were. I can't blame Lori for wanting to avoid the issue, but you know it's only a matter of time before it comes out, and I can't defend anything underhanded she does to keep the secret in the meantime (like forcing Shane and Carl apart).

Q: Do you think Shane (and the other women) were right to step between the married couple and protect Carol from Ed's abusive behavior? Should they have instead respected their alternative lifestyle?

Scott: Absolutely.

Do I think that Shane was motivated by other reasons as well?

Absolutely. He was clearly upset about his inability to keep a relationship with Carl; he obviously cares a lot about Carl and wants that kind of family for himself. Maybe his own wife died and he was unable to protect her. Whatever the reason, he was taking out his frustrations on Ed -- Ed has a wife that cares about him, and a child, but he's abusing them and that must be the worst kind of thing for a man like Shane to see. Shane was completely jealous and felt that he was justified in his anger.

I don't. He went way too far. He was right to take out Ed, but he used excessive force.

zharth: I think this is a complicated issue. It's interesting that, because of the whole zombie apocalypse, you have very different kinds of people working together to survive - people from very different walks of life, who might not get along otherwise (or still don't). I don't think domestic abuse is justified simply because it's the way of life some people are used to - and thus, Shane and the women's intervention was righteous (if Shane's reaction irresponsibly excessive) - however, the zombie situation brings up another consideration. In order to survive, it's probably best to keep the members of your group happy and content. So though the abuse might be morally objectionable, is stepping in worth the cost of potentially destabilizing the group, and putting everyone's very lives at risk? It's a tough question.


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! Stay tuned for our discussion of episode 4 of The Walking Dead!

The Walking Dead: Episode 2 (Guts)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 2 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: Having reached Atlanta, which now belongs to the dead, Rick Grimes is rescued by a group of scavengers. He helps them escape the city and get back to their survivor camp where, unbeknownst to Rick, his wife and son are living.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: Obviously, when Rick and Glenn snuck through the throng of zombies, covered in decaying flesh. That was a clever idea; I don't think I've ever seen somebody try that before. And nerve-racking. The rain seemed a little too (in)convenient, though - but I'm not complaining.

Scott: It's not quite a highlight, but I thought it was neat when Rick took out the zombie's wallet and had a brief eulogy for the man before they chopped him up. It went a long way toward building him up as a strong, decent man in a terrible situation. It also shows how "new" he is to the world, since he just woke up; everyone else is numbed and used to the fact that these "geeks" are just zombies, dead bodies walking around. They're obstacles to be put down.

To Rick, though, they're unfortunate corpses that were once people, and this scene shows that very effectively.

zharth: Yes, and I liked it particularly when they mentioned that their unfortunate volunteer was an organ donor.

Q: What do you think of the scavenger group's treatment of Merle - was it justified, or should they have done something differently?

zharth: I think it's unfortunate the way things turned out, but I can't blame anyone for it. Merle was definitely acting irresponsibly to begin with. Though it's a high-tension situation, and you can't expect everyone to remain calm, I can't blame Rick for taking control of the situation by handcuffing Merle. And I really can't blame T-Dog for dropping the key. I think it's clear that that was a mistake, and it says a lot about him that he wanted to go back and help Merle even though Merle assaulted him (and might very well do it again, if freed). I don't think Merle deserved to be left behind, but it wasn't directly anyone's fault - it was an extreme situation, and I don't think the remaining survivors had an obligation to risk their own safety (or that of the entire group) - by botching the escape mission for one downed member.

Scott: Rick's treatment of Merle was absolutely justified. Merle was a loose cannon and couldn't be trusted; that was a situation where everyone would have to work together to survive and Merle just wasn't going to do it. Not only was he constantly insulting and picking fights with another member of the group, but he was wasting ammunition dangerously and directly threatening the well-being of everyone else within range. Rick was right to take Merle out of the equation.

I think it was unfortunate, though, that they left him on the roof rather than taking him downstairs and tying him securely. The instant T-Dog tripped over the tools and dropped the key, though, I knew what was going to happen. I absolutely saw it coming and it horrified me. This is a problem with the show, honestly; horror's become such a popular genre recently that there are a lot of tropes that were once horrifying but are now overdone, and you can see it coming from miles away.

There's a movie called Moon that did a fantastic job of turning a classic sci-fi trope on its head, and I keep hoping to see that happen here, as well.


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! Stay tuned for our discussion of episode 3 of The Walking Dead!

The Walking Dead: Episode 1 (Days Gone Bye)

Spoiler Warning! This post contains spoilers for episode 1 of The Walking Dead.

Episode Synopsis: Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens in the hospital after being shot on-duty to discover that the world has succumbed to a zombie apocalypse while he was unconscious. He meets up with a local father/son team who teach him the basics of survival before heading to Atlanta in hopeful search of his wife and his own son.

Discussion: Please welcome my friend Scott, who is joining me for a discussion of the episode.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the episode, in your opinion?

zharth: I liked the intro, with our main character shooting a little girl in the head. Of course, she was a zombie, but it's still a horrifying image to start off the series - thus effectively setting the mood. Then, at the end, when Rick was seconds away from killing himself to avoid being taken by the zombies, before noticing the lower entrance to the tank - that was harrowing. It really seemed like he was a goner.

Scott: I didn't like it at first, but the whole fever dream sequence was a great way of putting the audience in Rick's shoes. You went from an intense police shootout on the job to the hospital, with a strange, blurry dream... and then when everything snaps to, you don't know what's going on. You have no clue how much time has passed and barely any clue about what's going on. We all know it's a zombie show, but Rick -- he's just woken up, he's weak, semi-delirious, was just dreaming and talking to someone who wasn't even there... and now he's in a busted-up hospital. As far as he knows, it could just be another terrible dream.

He wasn't being very smart for most of the first episode and it was driving me nuts, as much as I wanted to chalk it up to delirium and shock. Walking around barefoot, going into a dark stairwell, staring at a zombie corpse on the ground... these are not things that I would do at all. But really, I feel like Rick spent most of the episode in a dream and only really snapped out of it when he met Morgan and his son. He was waiting for the "kick" that would boot him out of the dream and into the real world, but it never ever came.

Q: Near the end of the episode, Morgan tries to put his zombie-wife out of her misery, but seems unable to bring himself to do it. Hypothetically, if you were in his situation, would you be able to go through with it?

zharth: I was thinking to myself during that scene, "just do it, Morgan, get it over with! The longer you put it off, the more you and her both have to suffer." I'd like to think I'd be able to do what's necessary in that situation, but short of finding myself there, it's hard to imagine just how difficult that would be. So though I dearly wanted Morgan to get it over with, I can't judge him for having a hard time with it.

Scott: It would be hard, but I would do it. I'd have to do it. I don't know how I could stand to see my (zombie) wife roaming the streets every night looking for living food. Would I be able to go on, knowing that she might be killing innocent people? Knowing that my son would have to live with that knowledge? I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself if I passed up the chance to put her out of her misery. If I passed up that chance and she went away, she'd become my Moby Dick and that would just tear me apart.

There's no mistaking that it's a hard, cruel task that nobody should ever have to put up with... but I would try to do it. I'd cheat -- I'd try to do it when her back was turned, or when it was dark. Persuade myself that I wasn't really shooting my wife, but some shambler that I didn't know. The hard part would be waking up in the morning and having to go clean up the mess. I don't know if I could do that.

I have to admit, though: when this scene came on and Morgan was alone upstairs, his son alone downstairs... there's a quick shot where his wife is in the scope and looking down. I was 100% -- one, hundred, percent -- sure that his son had given in and tried to go outside to see his mother again. I was absolutely certain that Morgan would look through the scope and see his wife eating his son. That's when I decided that I would have to put her out of her misery; there's absolutely no way I would let there be a chance of anything like that happening. Ever.


Conclusion: Thanks for joining me, Scott! Stay tuned for our discussion of episode 2 of The Walking Dead!