FTWD 9/13

[Been Jammin]

I thought last night's episode was, by far, the best one yet. I had no real issues with the writing. I'm curious who will end up being the "Rick Grimes" of the show. The character that everyone looks to when a tough decision needs to be made. I'm thinking it will be the mother of the drug addict (Joanie from Deadwood), but it could end up being her son or the older Latino guy (Rueben Blades).

 

[Ostatedchi]

I have a sneaking feeling that every one of these characters dies before the end of the season.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

The mother is going to be the Rick Grimes character. It sure won't be Travis. What a pussy.

 

[hollywood]

Reuben Blades character is a survivor (as is his wife, but her injury puts her squarely behind the 8-Ball at this point). He was the one that's lines were pointing out some ominous forecasting - "it's the good people who die first," and "Weak!," (after watching Travis) and talking to his daughter about how they managed to stay alive in the middle of a civil war/revolution in a society in throes of complete anarchy.

The pimply faced high-school kid also seems to have a leg up on the competition as he's already ahead on the information and planning game. I'm hoping he pops up again because he's one of the few of them seems to have any damned sense!

There was one overwhelming thought that kept hitting me while watching them "prep" for their attempted getaway: GET WATER!!!!! If you have to go and you're leaving your house without as much water as you can carry, you're a damned fool. Even if you stay behind, fill up your tub with water and every container you can get your hands on, because if the grid goes down, how long do they think potable water is going to continue to come out of the spigot? (And get one of those modern water filters than can render contaminated water clean enough to drink or get the supplies to make a "still" to distill clean water from even salt water or contaminated water - just apply heat.) Did Travis not at least get a "hint" from watching the cop load up all the freakin water he could carry.

And Travis' plan is to go to the desert to get away from things, the desert - the definition of the word means a place that is lacking in water and rainfall. That's just beyond stupid and virtually unbelievable to me as I fail to see how anyone with an IQ above room temperature would not realize it is a necessity to pack as much water as possible. Sort of like my criticism of not sharing info with your teen daughter as somehow keeping her in the dark was making it safer, instead of the protection that is provided by following the very wise idiom: Forewarned is Forearmed!

 

[CowboyPhil]

Much more enjoyable episode.

Travis reminds me of Herschel in season 2 thinking that they are sick and someone will come along and cure them. He just hasn't had the realization that they are truly dead and beyond help. The son's addiction will come into play as a hinderance and his constant search for drugs. The 2 women seem to be more in tune to the sh!tstorm that is coming than Travis. The injured wife will end up turning and be the event that forces the Blades character into action. He will only have his daughter to protect and realize the 'burbs ain't all it's cracked up to be. I imagine this will happen towards the end of the season with them all leaving and starting their journey to who knows where.

 

[Been Jammin]

@hollywood
I don't have a problem with the writing as it pertains to water. First off, we know a lot of things that the characters do not. The power has been cutting in and out, but that is not all that uncommon at times of crisis. I don't think it is totally unrealistic for them to take infrastructure for granted and not consider the possibility that potable water will continue to come out of their taps. Additionally, if they are planning to go to "the desert", their impression is that the problems are only present within the city, and once they get to "the desert", they should be able to find a hotel, campground, etc with a source of potable water. They have no reason to believe that the issues they are dealing with are likely to result in damage to the infrastructure in outlying communities. As to your point about Travis seeing the cop loading water into his trunk....Travis has proven himself to either be really stupid or living in denial. I think it is consistent with his character to not put 2 and 2 together. We also don't know that they didn't load a couple of cases of bottled water into their car. Or, maybe they were planning to stop on the way out of town and pick some up.

@CowboyPhil
I think it is very realistic for Travis to think the infected are curable. As I mentioned in the prior paragraph, his character is either stupid or in denial. In addition, I think we have to assume that the world we are watching is one in which there are no Zombie movies/stories. I say that because no one every uses the word "Zombie" in the show. If this stuff was happening where you live, you would be saying, "Oh my god, Mrs Smith is acting like a Zombie". So, assuming the concept doesn't exist in their world, we can see why Travis might think these people who are walking and vocalizing must be very sick and out of their minds. He probably thinks there is no hope for them, but he doesn't know for sure yet.

 

[Been Jammin]

One more point. One of my employees is from LA. (Anaheim). He explained something interesting to me. There are only a handful of major roads that get people into and out of the area. It is not like Oklahoma, where if I-40 or I-35 is backed up, you can get off the highway and take the farm roads to head in the direction you want to go. In the LA area, they are surrounded by ocean, mountains and desert. As a result, the main highways are the only way in and out of the area. When they do decide to leave, chances are that they are not going to get very far.

 

[mad4osu]

The only two that are being realistic at this point is the drug pusher and his mom. Travis needs to grow a pair. The Latino guy was right in his comments about the nice guys. They end up dead.

 

[hollywood]

Been Jammin,

I lived in L.A. for over a decade, so I know quite well how limited access and egress are, but there actually a few more options than one or two, depending upon where you are located in L.A. County (remember, we're talking about an area that is 4,750 sm - OK County for reference is 718 sm). There are actually quite a few surface roads that can get you out of the city, you just have to do a bit of zigging and zagging.

But here's where it gets stupid, why would they count on getting water at their destination, or there even being a place available to them? Do they think they're going to be the only ones who have had a similar bright idea to head to the desert to insulate themselves from a virus? (They kind of an idea there is a virus or similar that is causing this.) Are they living in some parallel universe where the incredible problems of trying to evacuate to deal with the aftermath of Katrina never happened? And New Orleans only had a population of around 450,000 at that time, the population of L.A. Metro and surrounding areas is more like 14,000,000. Accommodations out towards the desert area east and southeast of L.A. are incredibly sparse to begin with, even a few thousand others headed that direction would eat up all the rooms and resources.

Sorry, if pimply faced teenager can figure out the necessity of stocking up on food, water and essentials, I would expect someone who has a bit more worldly experience and education to at least be able to grasp the fundamentals of a "bug out." You don't have to be a devotee of "Doomsday Preppers" to understand that in a survival situation, water is the #1 priority by a long-shot. You can a week or so without food, your typical max time without water is about 3 days in an arid climate.

 

[OSUDirt]

The mother is going to be the Rick Grimes character. It sure won't be Travis. What a pussy.

Agree, she is going to be the one to lead everyone. Liked this episode. Especially the Nat'l Guard or whoever coming in at the last second and everyone sticking around.

 

[Chillwell]

As a So Cal resident of nearly 16 years, my wife and I both said, the freeways are going to be impossible. Hell, I commute to Orange County (45 miles one way) three days a week, and it's brutal...and the zombie apocalypse hasn't even begun yet.

BTW, I think I'd be a lot like Travis at this point, knowing what he knows...call me soft or whatever...

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

As a So Cal resident of nearly 16 years, my wife and I both said, the freeways are going to be impossible. Hell, I commute to Orange County (45 miles one way) three days a week, and it's brutal...and the zombie apocalypse hasn't even begun yet.

BTW, I think I'd be a lot like Travis at this point, knowing what he knows...call me soft or whatever...

You'd get upset with another (more gun knowledgeable) man showing your son how a shotgun works? And still feel like the biters are "justt sick" after your neighbor tried to eat your face/neck before the same man blew him away?

 

[Been Jammin]

You'd get upset with another (more gun knowledgeable) man showing your son how a shotgun works? And still feel like the biters are "justt sick" after your neighbor tried to eat your face/neck before the same man blew him away?

MJD...

You and I find the behavior you referenced to be incredibly naive, but there are a lot of people out there who are very naive or who go into a state of denial when the S hits the F. I still think it is important to remember that this is a world where there are no zombie movies/stories.

Also, remember a couple years ago when the guy snorted some "bath salts" and ended up eating some homeless dude's face? Was that guy curable, or was the only option to shoot him in the head? I think there are a lot of people who, this early in the zombie apocalypse, would be of the opinion that there must be a way to cure these people who are clearly out of their minds. Especially if you haven't seen anyone who is clearly dead, suddenly get up and start trying to eat living people. Travis has yet to see a dead person re-animate, so he doesn't know that these crazy people are actually dead.

 

[CowboyPhil]

The drug dealer, the patients at the hospital, the cops on the ground in the middle of the riot, hell, the guy in the stretcher just reached up and started gnawing on the EMT. He's seen plenty that he should have realized his friend wasn't just "right" in the head. I mean he's sitting there eating a dog's internal organs.

 

[Been Jammin]

The drug dealer, the patients at the hospital, the cops on the ground in the middle of the riot, hell, the guy in the stretcher just reached up and started gnawing on the EMT. He's seen plenty that he should have realized his friend wasn't just "right" in the head. I mean he's sitting there eating a dog's internal organs.

I guess. He has seen some crazy stuff for sure. I just think it takes a big paradigm shift to get to the point that you accept that nothing can be done to get those people back to normal. Especially in a world where the concept of a zombie does not exist.

I agree that Travis is a pussy and that he is a guy that would never survive without someone strong to keep him alive. I'm just arguing that his character is not a totally unrealistic one, IMO.

 

[JonnyVito]

I would even go so far as saying the guy who smoked bath salt and ate the other guys face should have been shot. Just can't be to safe with the whole zombie thing you know.

 

[Chillwell]

You'd get upset with another (more gun knowledgeable) man showing your son how a shotgun works? And still feel like the biters are "justt sick" after your neighbor tried to eat your face/neck before the same man blew him away?

I forgot about the gun scene; that probably wouldn't have bothered me. I most likely would have accepted that in Travis's situation. I was thinking about "killing" the neighbor. Not knowing the full extent of the situation, I doubt I could "kill" a friend when I wasn't in danger. I think I'd be like Travis or say Hershel in that situation...hoping against hope...that maybe something could be done for them. I guess that's what I was getting at.

Obviously, I'd be freaked out, but still... killing another "human being," especially one I knew, that would be very difficult for me with Travis's knowledge. Now, if I'm living in Rick Grimes season two's world, I wouldn't hesitate. But that's not where Travis is at this point.