Author Topic: The Walking Dead  (Read 556338 times)

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #630 on: November 21, 2012, 11:02 AM »
I agree, best show on TV as far as I'm concerned and they may compact the comic stuff like the phone, but I'm ok with that since I haven't read the comics.  I suppose if you read those though, your POV may be different.  I dunno. 

Yeah, I think the POV can be different for those that have read the comics vs those who haven't.  I have read them, and re-read them all a second time not long ago.  They are very good but there is actually slower pacing in the comics than on the show, in my opinion.  I kind of like how they've switched things up from the comics some, because it's kept me guessing a lot - for example, Lori does not die during childbirth - it happens quite a bit later, and in a completely different way in the comics.

This season has really picked up the pace and had a lot more action than I expected at this point.  I love it more each and every week.

Offline JediJman

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #631 on: November 21, 2012, 11:31 AM »
I am FINALLY caught up on the Walking Dead after three seasons with AMC.  Nice to be in the same timeline with the rest of the world for a change!

I took the time to go back and read through posts, so want to respond to some of the topics and latest events.

 - Sorry to see T-Dawg go, but very excited that we're getting Tyreese.  Hopefully they don't kill off black-prisoner-guy though - I like that character even if I can't remember his name.  I hope both the prisoners turn out to be pretty good guys.  It would be nice for the group to have an example where bringing someone in doesn't screw them over.  I can't help wondering if I would be more tempted to protect my own or willing to bring new people into the fold to make the group stronger.  Seems like a very small group still holding out in the Prison versus what they had in the comic, and that seems like trouble with the inevitable showdown coming. 

 - I am a little sorry to see Lori go before she and Rick could patch things up.  This is probably the most realistic way to go, but that's got to be hard on Rick.  I believe they patched things up in the comic when the baby was born, but she and the baby met a terrible ending shortly thereafter.  If you thought this storyline was gut wrenching, go read the comic.  Their fate is much worse.  Rick's performance/reaction was incredible.  That has really stuck with me as a father and husband - tough to watch, but fantastic acting.  I am wondering where they're going to go with the baby now though.  I can't see Rick leading the group and being full time caretaker.  To comments on the formula - those cans don't last real long, but they had a a good weeks supply and were obviously going to get more.  I beet Michone has some of the cans from town with her after Glenn and Maggie were nabbed.  My question is where are they getting clean water to mix it with?  I don't see a lot of bottled water laying around lately, and last I checked there was no river flowing through the prison.

 - I like the way they're handling the Governor/Penny/Woodbury.  The guy is nuts - of course he's going to let Michonne go and then go after her.  From his conversation with Merle, we know he wanted her head for his collection and the sword.  The fight with the hunters and Michonne was great.  I figured Merle is at least as good of a tracker as his brother, so no surprise that he finds Michonne.  That said, I'm a little surprised that he ends up in town at the same time as Michonne AND Glenn and Maggie, but I kind of figured he had a car in town and maybe tracked Michonne from there out into the woods versus catching up with her from Woodbury.  Maybe they found signs of her being there and tracked her from there.  She didn't have a lot of supplies, so makes sense to check a few surrounding towns.  I'm also not shocked at the weapons they used - why would they carry assualt rifles after a girl with a sword?  They don't know how bad ass she is, Merle can't really handle a rifle anymore, and any kind of heavy fire is going to draw more walkers.  Merle mentions that they're near the "red zone," so maybe that's not a good place to go making lots of noise.

 - Count me in with those that feel this is the best thing on TV.  Some people will complain about anything.   ::)  Yeah, the show about reanimated corpses isn't 100% scientifically correct on everything.  Shocker.  Much like any other show, there's dozens of of screen explanations for a lot of things.  Corpse that ate Laurie?  Probably one of many that smelled her rotting or heard the gunshot that killed her.  The rest of her bones and skull?  Maybe got dragged off or just around the corner.  Rick didn't look anymore after he found the bloated belly guy.  Don't like Michonne's conversation skills?  She doesn't strike me as much of a talker in either the show or the comic.  It is possible that people act a little goofy - I'm not sure how rational I would be in such an impossible insane situation.  Army guys not prepared for an ambush?  I wouldn't be expecting one.  I thought it was smart that they were way out in the open where they could ideally see walkers coming from hundreds of yards away.  Maybe they dhsould have had someone more on watch, but all eyes would be on the governor's truck when he raced in anyway.

 - That said, my only real complaint I have is with Andrea.  I get her character moving through suicide to wanting to survive to being an amazing shot then getting sick and cut off, having to reinvent herself and wanting some semblance of calm and "normalness" in her life.  I guess I can even stomach her sleeping with Shane and the Governor - she's fairly attractive and maybe attracted to complex guys in a world where you might not live another day.  Not crazy that she would sleep with two people in the course of a year.  That said, I like comic Andrea a lot more.  She's more of a leader and gets progressively tough as nails throughout.  I think they're just doing too much with her - it makes her more of revolving plot point than a real character slowly adapting over time to her situation.  Now they're pushing her into someone that loves combat with the jumping over the wall and secretly liking the arena.  I hope she quickly catches on to the Governor, escapes with Glenn and Maggie, and gets back to being a badass with the prison crew.

It will be hard just digesting an episode per week, but can't wait to see what they've got lined up next.  Does anyone else think the scientist guy is not a fan of the governor?  I think he's going to be pivital to the group.  Nothing brings people together like a common enemy.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #632 on: November 21, 2012, 02:10 PM »
Quote
why would they carry assualt rifles after a girl with a sword?  They don't know how bad ass she is, Merle can't really handle a rifle anymore, and any kind of heavy fire is going to draw more walkers.

I have to disagree with this...  WHy not?  A gunshot is a gunshot is a gunshot...  Short of a silencer of course, which I'd have liked to have seen an explanation on how they made them.  That's not easily done, nor do I think they'd work so well, but maybe Darryl did them up?  He seems like he might know how to do something like that.

Anyway, you have assault rifles...  they have range, better knockdown power, and likely larger magazines.  So why not take them since Michonne's not your only problem out there, and that's assuming you don't know Michonne's abilities.

I'd argue they are aware of what she can do.  The Governor has her attack him right before she leaves, and so he's well aware she's fast and tricky.  I imagine he relayed that to Merle.

Granted, Merle can't use a rifle, and Merle's a dope and prone to overestimation, but the simple logic lacked in that whole scenario bothers me.

I think complaints about things that are simply "real" are valid...  There's obvious things in the show that would be hard to dispute because how are you going to argue the zombies themselves or whatnot?  But I think arguing things like a home made silencer being a feasible thing, or why a group didn't take an assault rifle with them when they SHOULD have them in heavy supply, makes some sense.

On the issue of the soldiers not being prepared, I think they're dealing with the world as it is almost from a newbies perspective.  They mentioned being holed up in a base and were doing well till someone inside turned.  I've always bet that it was someone who died of a cause other than a zombie, and turned because they're all infected and they didn't know that.

Anyway, I figure these soldiers and their base have been fairly isolated since the outbreak.  They held out, but **** happened without the knowledge that everyone who dies, regardless of how, turns.  And so they escaped, but they went out into the world a little naieve and expected all survivors to band together...  Obviously that's not how it is, and human nature being what it is, people are at each other's throats for their stuff and to put down perceived threats.

So I can see the soldiers being a little lax in their defensive posturing against the living.  The Dead are slow to them also, so they're maybe lack much caution with them either aside from a tight perimeter.  I can buy all that.

Andrea's probably my least favorite character right now...  Just smacks of "dumb blonde" at the moment.  She's sort of jumped around a lot too, in personality.  So yeah I'm not into her at the moment, though she's fun to look at.

Michonne I like...  I'd like to know HOW she gets this good at killing, and I think some of her closed off nature is due to how she got where she is (since her pets were those closest to her).  She's bound to be messed up a little bit.  It'd just be nice to know how she became a master with a Katana.  Not a skill most people have on their resume. :P

I can buy Merle and Michonne winding up at the same spot for any number of reasons.  Michonne because she wants supplies.  Merle because he's looking for a ride, or left his ride there, or because maybe that's the road to Woodbury?  Who knows.

I'm curious about the main group's run for ammo...  I'm surprised they're that sure they'llj ust run into WM and find it.  In a situation like that, ammo's going to be in short supply, I'd imagine.  :-\
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Offline efranks

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #633 on: November 21, 2012, 03:40 PM »
I think we got an answer to the silencer in the second or third show this season.  There was a scene after they were in the prison where Carl had a can of some type and was stuffing it with steel wool.  Which is a way to make a cheap silencer that's good for a limited number of shots.  Probably enough to be effective clearing a half dozen walkers out of the yard or a hallway before it would need to be replaced.

They didn't really highlight it, probably because they didn't want kids running around making silencers, but I'm sure someone put that in there for people to pick up on.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #634 on: November 21, 2012, 03:57 PM »
Will that really work that well though?  I mean, their shots are dead silent...  no pun.  Even real manufactured silencers sound a little bit.  :-\
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Offline BillCable

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #635 on: November 21, 2012, 04:46 PM »
If you press a gun against a pillow it acts as a silencer.  You can make one with an empty 2-liter plastic bottle.  Anything to capture/muffle the sound.  A pipe full of steel wool would actually be pretty effective.  Not James Bond movie effective, but it'd reduce the noise considerably.

In close quarters an assault rifle can be less effective than a pistol.  They're better suited for long-range attacks.  So in dense woods if you don't expect a lot of warning before you see your prey (or hunter, in this case), you might be better off with a pistol.

What was the dude who lost his head packing?  I remember some sort of bandolier or strap across his chest.  Going purely from memory, though.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #636 on: November 21, 2012, 07:54 PM »
I would say it muffles it, but I don't think it acts as a silencer...  I've heard real supressors fired, and they're still audible.  The ones in the series have been quite silent, and so I just don't see it as realistic, but I find it interesting that home made silencers using steel wool have been done.  I don't think they'd be that quiet but I guess it's at least realistic.  Wonder whose idea it was?  Darryl or Rick?  Don't think anyone else in the group would've come up with it.  Seems more Darryl to me.  Looks like the kinda guy that liked shooting at old cars.

On the assault rifle, I'm just still not in agreement, at all...  You're not doing a sweep and clear of a house, you're out in the woods.  At the very least, you'd take a rifle and a pistol, if you're doing both.  Dense woods, which I don't know I'd call those dense woods particularly, you'd still be better off with the capacity, range, and power of an assault rifle if it's at your disposal.

If they were clearing houses, I could MAYBE buy pistols, if you've not got access to a shotgun or smaller assault weapon which we saw actually one of the Woodbury gang had something similar I think to a Tech 9 at one point, IIRC.  So even then, they STILL had superior "close range" weapons to a pistol and a knife.  Not to mention the knives they had didn't even look big...  Why not take machete's at least?  Surely they have those!  I have like 5 just at my house.

I recall a bandoleir too Bill, but also forget what he had.  Could've just been to sheath his knife and some extra stuff, who knows.  I don't recall any of them having anything bigger than a pistol though.

Part of me wonders if Merle half-assed the whole thing together quickly.  For my mind, it's the only thing that makes much sense.  The Woodbury people seem a little inept to me save for the Governor, and maybe he likes it that way.  When Merle's your 2nd, I suppose that's actually probably as likely a reason why they went out there poorly equipped.

He also didn't seem to respect Michonne much till she'd f'd up the whole group but him, so perhaps he just half assed it thinking she'd be a quick easy kill.  I still say the lack of some of that military gear they had to have pilfered was an oversight though.  I'll chalk it up to Merle being a knob.  He's a good catch-all.
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Offline Angry Ewok

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #637 on: November 21, 2012, 08:16 PM »
I've got a pretty decent gun collection and I've tinkered around, but I've never seen a homemade silencer that actually... well... worked.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #638 on: November 21, 2012, 09:35 PM »
I almost want to try it but my guns are too valuable to put anything on them like that.  Might piss around with it on a .22 pistol I have, but really I value all of them that I'd be afraid to mess with something homemade like that, haha.  It's interesting though, if it works, even a little bit.
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Offline CloneF13Y35

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #639 on: November 22, 2012, 11:06 AM »
One of the best things about this season is they are telling better stories; like someone mentioned, it's a series and so they can take time to let things develop. As the middle to end of season two got so freaking slow and "soap opera-like", the last two episodes really rocked. I like that they are going in slightly different directions from the comics, which definitely can drag on and on and on etc. Probably 20 issues of the comic from this same time frame of Prison/Woodbury to what comes after that is so repetitious it makes GL's writing seem eloquent LOL ;)
the mid season finale is in a couple weeks then it starts back up in either Feb or Mar next year with the back 8 episodes. 
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #640 on: November 22, 2012, 02:39 PM »
I think the show's writing is outstanding...  It's complex, and takes a totally fictional situation and asks how people would really behave.  Some will go nuts and kill themselves.  Some will go nuts and attempt to dominate the situation and those around them.  Some will retain their humanity.  Some will cower in the corner.  Some will just follow and grow at their own pace, or as the situation warrants.

It's really a show about humanity I think, and that's far more interesting than zombies.  I've always explained it to friends who think it's just a horror tv show, as much more than that.  The Zombies are the situation, but the people are what make the show.

That's why Woodbury, the Prison, the Philly crew, The Vato's...  They make the most interesting story expansions.  Zombies are what they are, but people are like a Whitman Sampler and sometimes you get a ****** one... to paraphrase Forrest Gump.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2012, 02:39 PM by Jesse James »
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Offline efranks

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #641 on: November 22, 2012, 07:12 PM »
The thing about silencers is that you have to  combine them with heavier, slower moving ammunition to get a really quiet firearm.  All movies and TV shows overdue it on how quiet they make their stuff sound.  The two things that make the most noise are the expanding gases as the bullet exits the barrel and the sonic boom from the bullet.  Steel wool in a can will capture those gases and help eliminate some of that sound but if there's still going to be some noise.

I'm with Jesse on the weapons for the hunt. Ideally they'd have shotguns with slugs loaded.  In woods you want something with range but also that fires a large, heavy bullet that can cut through brush better.  Maybe a rifle from the AK family or a good .308 would be okay but without really pouring over the show, I got the impression a lot of what they had were 9mm or .223 military rifles with some hunting rifles.  But bolt action hunting rifles wouldn't necessarily be the best choice either, for woods like those.

If I was hunting someone in the woods I'd want shotguns and some decent revolvers (.357, .44) or a nice .45 auto.  I'd take a good 9mm for backup but I wouldn't make that my first choice necessarily.

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Offline JediJman

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #642 on: November 22, 2012, 08:29 PM »
And what story would you give the rest of the town for why you're headed out armed to the teeth after someone you supposedly let go?  How comfortable would you be giving those weapons to guys you dont really know on your hunting trip?  I think massive weaponry to hunt Michone would have looked silly, so I guess you cant please everyone.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #643 on: November 22, 2012, 11:33 PM »
For my argument, you're sending guys out with AR-15's (this is assuming you now have a decent stash of them, courtesy of the GI's you cut down).  SOmeone with a shotgun with slug rounds would be nice but maybe not possible.  Tough to say who has what in the town.  I have a 12 gauge and have a variety ammo for it, so who knows what whoever maybe brought along or they found.  I can see someone taking one though.

I'm only basing my thought on the fact they killed military guys who most likely had AR15's or something similar, and I think one guy in the chopper had a LMG too but I can't recall.  That's maybe a bit overkill not to mention more difficult to use and learn, or at least I'd imagine it is.



As you can see, not a particularly large weapon.  It's an assault rifle, but I believe it's smaller than the AK-47, and for my money looks less intimidating, though that's partially the AK's being the "bad guy" gun IMO.  Perception and all that.  It's used for clearing houses and just about everything else.  Its versatility is a big reason it's so popular.

If you have that, I  can't see much of a reason you wouldn't go out with it.  At least one guy, anyway, incase.  I don't think they'd have to it justify to people inside the fort, why the guys going outside of it are carrying a rifle, a pistol, and something a little longer than a tooth pick for dealing with them hand-to-hand.

With basically a rifle, a pistol, and a weapon for killing up close more than a knife, they'd be about as armed up as Rick's group has been at any given time when they're running around with shotguns and pistols as well.

The only thing that works for me, at all, is Merle's a bit of a moron and didn't respect Michonne at all, so he didn't think to actually gear up at all and that it'd be just a quick jaunt out and back with her head and sword.  That's a little far-fetched still, but Merle is a dope and could easily make a mistake like underestimating who he's going out after.  It still stands to reason any group out there is better off with a staggered ability to fight though, rather than just relying on pistols and knives.
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Offline Greg

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Re: The Walking Dead
« Reply #644 on: November 23, 2012, 12:05 AM »
The only thing that works for me, at all, is Merle's a bit of a moron and didn't respect Michonne at all, so he didn't think to actually gear up at all and that it'd be just a quick jaunt out and back with her head and sword.  That's a little far-fetched still, but Merle is a dope and could easily make a mistake like underestimating who he's going out after.  It still stands to reason any group out there is better off with a staggered ability to fight though, rather than just relying on pistols and knives.

Merle's cockiness was what I thought of when this gun discussion was brought up. I'm guessing Merle and his henchmen thought they'd be out in the woods for ten minutes, and surely they could easily shoot a crazy sword-wielding lady. Based on the first encounter and Merle's taunts it seemed like they expected Michonne to bonzai charge, rather than get the jump on them and wind up being an extremely dangerous attitude. Plus they didn't think to drive a car out, so why would they be smart enough to bring heavier firepower?