2.02: Fear The Walking Dead - We All Fall Down

[ctg]

Madison Clark and Travis Manawa (Photo by Richard Foreman/AMC)

Our group seeks shelter with a survivalist family. Madison tries to uncover the family's true motives. Salazar works to uncover Strand's intentions.

 

[REBerg]

Diametrically opposed methods of dealing with the zombie apocalypse – run or stand your ground.

I can't fault George's survivalist stance, despite its fatalistic "power pill" overtones. Running will buy the Abigail's passengers some time. If everyone is eventually doomed, why not meet your end on home turf rather than the middle of nowhere?

Of course, such an abandonment of hope would not be good for the series longevity.

 

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If everyone is eventually doomed, why not meet your end on home turf rather than the middle of nowhere?

That is a good question, and there is no easy answer. To some home turf is exactly the kind of place where one could survive - if there is everything one needs. But the problem with most people is that they tend to live in highly populated places instead of countryside or remote locations, like the Catarina Island. In the zombie apocalypse none of the places are exactly safe as we saw from the floaters coming to shore, and knowing the fact that eventually everyone turns in their moment of death - if their brain isn't damaged.

What I did find incredible in this episode was that even though the people have the knowledge, they still tend to do the stupid thing, as we saw happening to Melissa, when she ran upstairs to take care of Willa. She forgot everything. Melissa didn't seem to grasp the fact that there is no way save anyone after they've died. CPR doesn't work, because the patient will turn and bite the carer.

The pill Willa took was either a lithium capsule or then it was an antibiotic called minocycline, according to the drugs.com medicine identifier. But for the sake of storytelling we have to take it granted that it was possibly something else that George had hid inside the globe. What for? I don't know and I doubt we will ever find out because I doubt FTWD crew will ever return to that island.

Thing is that for the sake of survival they should have tried to gather supplies to Abigail, instead of just being shocked about the fact that the dead has an ability to cross long distances that the Pacific Ocean presents to them. The one thing they should have done was to top of Abigail's fuel tanks as nobody knows when they have another chance to do such a thing.

But they didn't. Nobody didn't even thought about that. Not even Strand, who seem to have an idea of heading down towards South and possibly meet with whoever was at the other end of that line. My suspicion is that it was a cartel man.

A question: how long it will take for these people to really learn that the living are the worst? And that given an opportunity scavenging supplies should be the top priority?


Additional musing goes to Nicholas doing to the usual thing. Addiction will never go away.

 

[REBerg]

Thing is that for the sake of survival they should have tried to gather supplies to Abigail, instead of just being shocked about the fact that the dead has an ability to cross long distances that the Pacific Ocean presents to them.

This brings to mind your comment made about 2.01 "Monster" concerning the fish not nibbling on the walkers turned swimmers.
All that aimless flailing about and noise should be very attractive to sharks. Are the fish just too smart to dine on the floating dead?

 

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All that aimless flailing about and noise should be very attractive to sharks. Are the fish just too smart to dine on the floating dead?

I don't know. It's one of those things, where we just have to turn our brains off.

 

[Dave]

I thought this episode was interesting and surprised to see there are still different stories to tell in this universe that weren't covered in TWD (and now never can be, since that world is so far gone from ours.) I just hope that this format for the show (sail into an island, stuff happens, almost take child away... then reset button, leave island before next story) isn't one that they will continue. I hate that kind of format and it is very old-fashioned on TV where we now tend to have longer story-arcs lasting several episodes and even seasons. I like the characters to react to their experiences and to advance and change because of them.

Some of this inertia is likely to not knowing what to do next. They were going south but now realise that everywhere is the same. (Before the series began I read that it was set in Hawaii. Clearly, it isn't but Hawaii was mentioned by a character last week, so maybe that is the ultimate destination.) Some characters this week spoke as if they had no hope at all. They do have a vessel that is good for 3000 miles and can fish. There must be an island somewhere that is safe, but they need to start planning before the fuel runs out. They are in a better position to survive that anyone else in this world.

Who do you think was in the other boat tracking them? Is it known enemies of Strand or was he just being suspicious of everyone? Do you think Stand stole the boat (Daniel thinks so)? Strand doesn't strike me as a ruthless crime lord, but much more of a con man. My theory is that he was a drug dealer but stole the boat from his drug cartel bosses and that is them in the other boat.

 

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Who do you think was in the other boat tracking them?

Radar returns aren't like what you saw in this episode. But taken it can go over "25 knots" my suspicion is on military boat. Especially as the "echo" was so large. It could even be a captured coast guard vessel.

Do you think Stand stole the boat (Daniel thinks so)?

Nope. I think he owns it, like he owned that gated bungalow in LA.

Strand doesn't strike me as a ruthless crime lord, but much more of a con man. My theory is that he was a drug dealer but stole the boat from his drug cartel bosses and that is them in the other boat.

You are right on cartel suspicion, but I think he's more like a kingpin from States site. So equivalent to a cartel boss from other side of the border. But in the same time I think he's very used to smuggling routes, and therefore he might have a lot of contacts up and down America (North, Central and South). If he would head west, Strand could take them to Hawaii, or to other island nations. But for now I think he's wise on heading south and getting in contact with the people who can protect him.

 

[Gnrevolution]

What I did find incredible in this episode was that even though the people have the knowledge, they still tend to do the stupid thing, as we saw happening to Melissa, when she ran upstairs to take care of Willa. She forgot everything. Melissa didn't seem to grasp the fact that there is no way save anyone after they've died. CPR doesn't work, because the patient will turn and bite the carer.

I'm not sure how much can blame Melissa. This early into the outbreak, there's no guarantee that people know what we do. I'm not even sure they know that those who die of natural(ish) causes will come back, have they seen this yet? It wasn't until the end of Season 2 of TWD that we first saw this (with Shane I believe), so how would they know? I just saw it as a grieving mother holding her daughter, and was then so shocked at the turn of events that she couldn't react...

 

[svalbard]

I don't know. This was a humdrum episode for me and I have the same fear as Dave that this will turn into a new port every episode with little or no continuity in the story.

The most interesting characters are Daniel, Nick and Strand. At the moment I am losing interest in the others.

 

[ctg]

At the moment I am losing interest in the others.

Would you like me to put them on a kill-list (remove only, if they show to be worthy)?

 

[ctg]

The kill-list. Not a real-life, but a fictional one for those who we deem lacking means to survive in this unforgivable world. Only way to get removed from this list is to show the character has a quality and means to live in this world.

For this once, no ranks. Characters to go: Madison, Alicia, Travis, Christopher and Ofelia

Main characters who died and didn't redeem their name: Elizabeth.

 

[nixie]

I think Chris will be the only one on list who may make the grade,

 

[nixie]

I think Chris will be the only one on list who may make the grade,