TWD 2x02 "Bloodletting" episode discussion... **SPOILERS WITHIN**

[Legion2213]

I am curious as to how the doctor knew there were 6 bullet fragments in the kid without access to xray equipment. When I heard the part about him being a veterinarian it instantly reminded me of Saul's mom in the "We're Alive" zombie radio play. Oh well, TWD still is the best zombie thing going right now. The Vet as a Doctor thing was first used in the UK TV series "Survivors", apparently, over here, Doctors are forbidden to opperate on animals, but a Vet is legally allowed to treat humans in an emergency! Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, great stuff from Shane and Dayrl. Also had to laugh at T-Dog moaning about who was most likely to be lynched. Hopefully it was fever talking, because he hasn't come across as somebody with a chip on his shoulder during the series. Oh, mad props to Merles stash - Hiesenberg FTW!

[sandrock74]

I dont have any problem with Grimes as Rick, I don't think anyone has a problem with Rick Grimes being himself

[babomb]

If a .308 round won't break up when it's smashed from a few hundred yards away into one of the biggest, densest bones/joints/what-have you, I had a hard time believing a rifle round went all frag-grenade in the kid's abdomen after a through-and-through. Any other hunters/individuals with rifle experience want to weigh in here? This all depends, IMO. All things being equal, I'd have to agree with you. A .308 round is a pretty powerful round though. If Otis' rifle was something like a .223 with a full jacketed round it might splinter like that off a rib. But it's likely just a plot device. About Dale taking Andrea's gun, one more time: He wrong enough for you guys now? Raise your hand if, having JUST been through what Andrea went through with that Walker, you wouldn't at the VERY LEAST deck that old man? Andrea called it, repeatedly. I don't think she should've used the gun in that instance even if she had it. It may have attracted more zombies but even if it didn't, she's a fuckin basket case right now. She needs to harden up, learn to handle herself. So does everyone else but Shane and Daryl. I think that's where all this is headed. So while it seems like Dale is being an ass, he might unknowingly be doing Andrea the biggest favor anyone could ever do for her. Shane had a plan for getting into the trailer and none for getting out short of opening the door and standing there? Any good military man, law enforcement officer, or person with half a brain always has an entry and an exit strategy. That annoyed me too!! And then they just locked themselves inside the gate with a tiny screw? WTF?? Rick is seen agonizing over the decisions he has to make for the group all the time, yet his attention to the less obvious details is consistently poor and shows little sign of improving with experience. He does EVERYTHING in haste. He doesn't even think before he makes many of these decisions. He needs others to help him make well thought out decisions. Shane and Lori are forcing him to make different choices. If Shane wouldn't have talked him out of going to get Lori, Carl would've died from blood loss. And Lori had to talk him into staying with her and Carl instead of going after Shane and Otis. Rick is a dumbass IMO. He's a control freak that doesn't think anyone else is capable of anything, he doesn't think before he acts, he's never there when he should be. In reality he never would've made it this far because of those poor decisions. He sees a situation and he reacts before he has time to think about anything. This has good and bad consequences. The others watched society fall and the vast majority of the world die. Which is why you would think they would be a lot more security conscious at all times, not just when they can actually see a zombie. This is a great point. All it would take is 1 attack and you would constantly have an always on situational awareness that would almost guarantee it wouldn't happen again. It seems to be happening backward. You would think that the only times they would be vulnerable would be in specific situations. Such as in areas that have already been cleared, they might overlook a specific part of an area once or twice, MAYBE, and then go to great lengths to make sure it doesn't happen again. Especially for Andrea, who had to shoot her sister in the head because the group was slacking and drinking wine and shit and allowed the whole camp to be overrun. So we have to suspend our disbelief about the dead walking, but then again that the survivors are incapable of evaluating their own actions and learning from previous mistakes. They have time to reflect on trips to the grand canyon but have never thought to themselves that maybe they should all know what to do in the event that a member of the group gets separated? They got 2 redneck cops and a Daryl, but none of them can do a bird call that Sophia would be able to recognize? And not a single member of the group has the forethought to talk about that with everyone? With 2 moms that would surely be already scared shitless for the safety of those kids?

[Ragnarr]

I don't think T-Dog is infected with the zombie virus, unless a zombie left some residue on that car door prior to T cutting himself on it. And yes, I think it was just the fever talking in that scene where he's thinking about driving away. It looks to me like they might kill off Carl. That will be a weird development if it happens because Rick and Lori are going to want that hunter dude's head from that point on. If I were to put on my Elrond the Elf hat for a moment, here's what I see for this season: 1) Carl dies. 2) Lori is pregnant as a result of Shane spooge. 3) After the survivors all settle in at the farm house, a large herd of walkers decend upon the farm and lay seige to the house (a la NotLD). 4) Corpulent hunter dude who shot Carl carries enormous guilt over the boy's death and sacrifices himself at some point to save the others. 5) Shane cuts all his hair off for no reason whatsoever. ***No spoilers here, just guessing***

[bassman]

I doubt Carl will die. He's a very important part of the story to come. I just can't see the show actually killing him off.

[blind2d]

Needs more Glenn. Also, um... yes, Carl definitely won't die. And... hm... still a little bugged about the zombies just sitting in church. Zeds aren't big sitters, in my experience...

[Ragnarr]

Well, the writers could go with Carl surviving, but isn't that what most people would expect? I agree with blind2d; more Glenn and while we're at it, more T-Dog too. Maybe an episode where both are developed more during a sub-adventure. Also agree about the zeds going to church service. As the door to the church was closed when the survivors arrived, I can only assume that the three zeds were already sitting in the church when they died. Btw, where was the zed minister/pastor? I was waiting for him to pop out from around the corner during the scenes when individual survivors were praying. ...and a Methodist church would not have a R.C. crucifix in it. It would have just a plain cross.

[kidgloves]

Dont forget T-Dog had a body on top of him. Can't remember if it was a walker though

[Ragnarr]

Dont forget T-Dog had a body on top of him. Can't remember if it was a walker though Good question. I remember Daryl killing the zed that was heading for T-Dog, and that zed's body dropped among the other dead bodies that were there. Daryl then covers T-Dog (holy crap, with which body) and then pulls another body out of the vehicle to cover himself with. This could be bad. Was also thinking about that Talking Dead show. How kool would it be if instead of the David Letterman set they use, they had boarded up windows with zed extras moving outside the windows trying to get in. Periodically, the host has to get up and secure a lose plank on the window, then return to his seat to continue with the interviews. So many people blessed with money lack an imagination it seems.

[Mr. Clean]

Great read of one of the zombie extras in the High School chase scene. http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10...99/?hpt=hp_bn8

[blind2d]

Oh yeah, good point, that cross totally didn't fit with the church! Oh well... Television...

[babomb]

All I know is they're gonna survive this specific set of dramas that's playing out and realize they have to get their shit together. Hopefully that happens in the next couple episodes and then we have several more episodes of them becoming stronger and tighter as a group. I hope they don't draw all this drama out for the whole season and make us wait til the next season for the redemption.

[Ragnarr]

Just took a look at The Walking Dead comic on wiki. Looks like bassman is going to be right afterall; if the television series follows the TWD comic, Carl survives being shot. Have to get my Elrond hat fixed I suppose. Hmm.

[Wyldwraith]

Yea, Killing Carl would be too plot-derailing for the show. Would eliminate all future Carl-related material, and THAT would be waaaay too much screen time to give these TV folks to "get original" with. There's a reason TWD is award-winning for makeup, NOT acting. One of the drawbacks to breaking ground in a media-transition is the need for not just middle-of-the-road writing (for the conversion to the TV screen I mean, TWD the comic stands proven on its own well above anything I could choose to say about it. Would be like spitting on an elephant: Something you could do I suppose, but not a terribly rewarding act...and one with a chance of being hammered into the floor like a tent-stake) and acting. Don't get me wrong. TWD is bar none my favorite show atm. Doesn't mean I'm any less aware of the show's shortcomings. The biggest thing TWD has going for it isn't award-winning source material, isn't us fanatical zombie-apocalypse-worshippers....Nope, it's how HARD the actors work. Not overacting, (well, at least very little of that) but you can really tell that Lincoln and the other all-but-unknowns are VERY aware that this is their shot to make a mark onscreen. Sure, some of them no doubt have hopes of TWD being a stepping stone to a major box-office production. All of them know however, that when their acting days are done and they've been dead for years there will STILL be people watching them portray Rick, Shane, Lori etc., in the same way people endlessly rewatch the various Star Trek shows. They all very well may pay the same typecast price as the crew of Kirk's Enterprise, but because of shows like Star Trek (and more recently Stargate: SG-1 to a lesser extent) these actors are aware that what they're doing right now, assuming they keep making it fun to watch, maybe isn't for posterity...but it's a damned close multi-generational legacy they've got a shot at. Isn't that what all the REAL actors want even more than huge houses and enough cash and celebrity to be a total douche and still be above the law?

[Thorn]

I do not think this has been mentioned. How is this for a slice of fried gold? Wyld and I are tasked with going into the FEMA trailer. We grab a walker who is isolated, Wyld kills him with a knife through the head (or arror take your pick). I gut it, and we wear his entrails for a necklace... we dance in grab the meds and casually shamble off into the sunset. How is it no one thought of this? Sure these two were not in the city when this happened but don't tell me that it would not have come up around a campfire, or in zombie survival 101 discussions. DUMB.