Season finale - "TS-19"

[Wyldwraith]

Gonna go out on a limb here, And say that TWD as a show may very well deviate from the Romero-ish "Everyone who dies, reanimates." For one thing, it complicates matters/plots without giving back enough value in return for the complication. I'm with you all on an unknown causes, but I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE this magical "The entire world population has responded biologically IN THE EXACT SAME WAY, to ANY outside stimulus." It's good enough for me that zombies pass on an Unknown Microbial Agent, Which Causes a 100% Terminal auto-immune/inflammatory response throughout the body's tissues, and then reactivates the brain stem as an anaerobic system, thus reanimating all exposed cadavers. I mean, I know some people will fight to the death in defense of this plot device but, from an episode to episode, or even a season-wide perspective, what is really lost by dispensing with the harder-to-sustain suspension of disbelief plot device depicting all casualties in TWD world as subject to reanimation? I just don't see it. Anyways, I enjoyed the season finale's opening scene, and then Dr. Jenner's explanation-that-was-not-an-explanation, and several other scenes. However, I had a difficult time really feeling the absolute despair that Jenner's words were supposed to convey. All in all, FAR PREFERABLE to a cheesy cliffhanger, so I am well-satisfied until Season 2.

[Neil]

I think the only think that let TS-19 down were just a few walkers were required in some scenes. ie: After the *boom* there should have been a couple around (maybe one/two on fire)? And definately as they drove away, there should have been a good number heading towards the sound? As it was, it really didn't seem very dangerous out there at all?

[bassman]

There were quite a few as they were exiting the CDC. They shoot/axe/decapitate a good five or ten. And that explosion being as big as it was, I imagine there would be any walking around for a few minutes.

[Phildogger]

Gonna go out on a limb here, And say that TWD as a show may very well deviate from the Romero-ish "Everyone who dies, reanimates." For one thing, it complicates matters/plots without giving back enough value in return for the complication. I'm with you all on an unknown causes, but I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE this magical "The entire world population has responded biologically IN THE EXACT SAME WAY, to ANY outside stimulus." It's good enough for me that zombies pass on an Unknown Microbial Agent, Which Causes a 100% Terminal auto-immune/inflammatory response throughout the body's tissues, and then reactivates the brain stem as an anaerobic system, thus reanimating all exposed cadavers. I mean, I know some people will fight to the death in defense of this plot device but, from an episode to episode, or even a season-wide perspective, what is really lost by dispensing with the harder-to-sustain suspension of disbelief plot device depicting all casualties in TWD world as subject to reanimation? I just don't see it. Anyways, I enjoyed the season finale's opening scene, and then Dr. Jenner's explanation-that-was-not-an-explanation, and several other scenes. However, I had a difficult time really feeling the absolute despair that Jenner's words were supposed to convey. All in all, FAR PREFERABLE to a cheesy cliffhanger, so I am well-satisfied until Season 2. It won't happen simply for the fact that too much of the upcoming events are hinged on the fact that everyone who dies re-animates, regardless of cause of death. I am a big fan of this school of thought anyway, so I hope the cheesy "Virus" theory dies entirely in all Zombie movies. Besides, Viruses cannot survive in a dead host, so it always was a stupid plot device in general.

[Gemini]

Gonna go out on a limb here, And say that TWD as a show may very well deviate from the Romero-ish "Everyone who dies, reanimates." For one thing, it complicates matters/plots without giving back enough value in return for the complication. I'm with you all on an unknown causes, but I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE this magical "The entire world population has responded biologically IN THE EXACT SAME WAY, to ANY outside stimulus." It's good enough for me that zombies pass on an Unknown Microbial Agent, Which Causes a 100% Terminal auto-immune/inflammatory response throughout the body's tissues, and then reactivates the brain stem as an anaerobic system, thus reanimating all exposed cadavers. I mean, I know some people will fight to the death in defense of this plot device but, from an episode to episode, or even a season-wide perspective, what is really lost by dispensing with the harder-to-sustain suspension of disbelief plot device depicting all casualties in TWD world as subject to reanimation? I just don't see it. Anyways, I enjoyed the season finale's opening scene, and then Dr. Jenner's explanation-that-was-not-an-explanation, and several other scenes. However, I had a difficult time really feeling the absolute despair that Jenner's words were supposed to convey. All in all, FAR PREFERABLE to a cheesy cliffhanger, so I am well-satisfied until Season 2. I disagree for (2) reasons: 1.) bite only + shamblers = totally unrealistic global takeover. Without the dead pouring out of morgues, funeral homes, hospitals and the steady stream of the undead created from death by natural causes all over the world there is no F-ing way this plague would be any more than a macabre and occasionally deadly situation. 2.) This goes against canon in what is the greatest living dead film of all time, NOTLD '68. As I have backed up in other threads here the Venus probe and resulting radiation fallout was put forth in the film not as a "possible cause" but THE cause for the zombie menace. I don't care if GAR later back tracked. Not saying TWD needs to follow this canon, but the idea of some kind of global chemical fallout (OR act of God) is a cool idea and imo makes up for the almost comic vulnerabilities of shamblers. I guess I have a 3rd reason and that is it greatly adds to the drama as not only would a bite cause a loved one to turn but death of any kind would also evoke the same human drama. I do agree on one point - that the series is headed toward the 'bite only' theory. Which sucks. ---------- Post added at 06:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:07 PM ---------- As it was, it really didn't seem very dangerous out there at all? That's my biggest problem. The danger does not seem to justify the desparation.

[CooperWasRight]

Were is all of the speculation coming from that the series is moving to a bite only rule? This would totally be breaking with the comic and Darabont's Night is the bible for him.

[MinionZombie]

Were is all of the speculation coming from that the series is moving to a bite only rule? This would totally be breaking with the comic and Darabont's Night is the bible for him. Well of course, considering season one didn't end like Volume One of the comics, we won't yet get a chance to see if it's a 'any kind of death = zombie' situation - because Rick only figures that out in Volume 2 of the trade paperbacks (somewhere in issues 7 to 12).

[Neil]

That's my biggest problem. The danger does not seem to justify the desparation. Yeh, like one minute being terrified in the city, and the next being able to get around it without a problem at all...

[BillyRay]

Yeh, like one minute being terrified in the city, and the next being able to get around it without a problem at all... Maybe all the zombies went to the mall...

[EvilNed]

To be honest, on the topic that is: "lack of zombies", that is something that has distracted from the Pilot and onwards. Well, maybe not lack of zombies per-say, but in The Walking Dead the zombies don't seem to be the relentless homing missiles of slow death like they usually are. It's made pretty clear throughout the series that you can just avoid zombies by staying out of sight for a few hours. That just makes it so much easier avoiding them. When zombies never, ever give up then escaping them becomes so much harder. You have to pick your hiding places with more ease. A huge facility like the CDC would make sense because there the zombies wouldn't see, hear or smell you down there in the basement. But a house (like in the pilot) would just be impossible to hide in, because there'd always be a way for them to spot you - either by smell, hearing or seeing. I like it that way. Makes the zombies scarier. As it stands, the zombies in The Walking Dead aren't that scary. And that's been holding the series back from that extra mile of greatness. As it is now, it's a good series. But it's not great, methinks. Oh, and the "cover ourselves with entrails and avoid zombies" bit was just lame.

[Wyldwraith]

Something to remember, The comic-TWD seems more source-material/guideline as its been used, rather than a plot arc by plot arc rendition of the comics. This being the case, it isn't uncalled for to wonder just where they'll deviate from the comics. One thing that Jenner's little show-and-tell demonstrated was that the "Unknown Agent" was INTRODUCED INTO the victim. He was EXPLICIT about this. This was the CDC, which was in contact with its sister agencies around the world until they too went dark. Don't you think a critical detail like "All of us are carriers of the Unknown Agent responsible for reactivating the brain-stem and jump-starting reanimation" would have been a ridiculous piece of info to leave out? NONE of these investigating scientific agencies discovered and conveyed this absolutely critical detail? I don't want to go round and round about this YET AGAIN. Some people can't accept a pathogen/microbial agent as the responsible party for the undead, while others (like me) find their blithe acceptance of a completely global cause that all human beings respond to biologically in precisely the same manner just as incredulously unbelievable as they find the Pathogen Theory. And, for the record, QUITE A FEW virii are capable of remaining active (and transmissable) in a body that's been dead for up to (7) days, and still more sorts of virus can adopt a cyst/spore-like protein sheath, which allows them to survive otherwise unsurvivable (for them) environments, until they come into contact with another host. As for needing all the dead rise as zombies to make a zombie apocalypse feasible, there's just as much error in the way the military is constantly depicted as being unable to hold even the most advantageous of bottlenecks/defensive position against an enemy incapable of adapting its line of attack due to changing circumstances. For instance, again and AGAIN, we see the survivors in TWD moving past a sandbag machine-gun emplacement with a couple dead soldiers lying nearby. No problem, until you look around and only see 15-20 bodies which fell in a position suggestive of approaching the defensive position. Even if we assume the soldiers knew NOTHING about headshots being required (someone obviously knew before the hospital was lost, or there wouldn'tve been a loading bay full of sheet-wrapped corpses with gore-stains on the sheet over their head) a .50 machine-gun at close range would simply rip the undead bodies to the point they'd be rendered immobile. (How many center-mass .50 rounds need to hit before one smashes into the spine?) So, the genre's staples are at times obviously not predicated on easing suspension of disbelief. Still, I'm not a genre-Nazi. What suits me won't suit others and vice versa, and thats perfectly fine.

[Ghoulman]

And thank you for sucking the fun right out of the entire zombie genre for me... Sheldon!

[bassman]

Don't you think a critical detail like "All of us are carriers of the Unknown Agent responsible for reactivating the brain-stem and jump-starting reanimation" would have been a ridiculous piece of info to leave out? Yeah....that would be like not telling everyone that they'll be locked inside the next day while the building is incinerated.

[fishfast41]

Finally! I was able to find the time to watch TS-19. I think this entire series seriously kicks ass. every bit as good as the original trilogy in my opinion. Most everything I thought was off, or didnt make sense is already mentioned here, so I'll just point out what intrigued me. I absolutely loved the portrayal of Dr. Jenner. His speech to our heroes about why it would be better just to stay and be incinerated was great. You could really relate to his feelings of hopelessness and doom about the situation. His comment about this being "our extinction event" was perfect. The writers were right on here. Too bad he had to be incinerated, might have been a great character had he decided to accompany the group. What the heck, I'll comment on two things that don't make sense... I'm nowhere near as surprised at Carol having the grenade then I am at Rick's apparently not wondering what the heck happened to it. If I had a frag grenade, I'm pretty sure I would be keeping close track of it. I also think that they should have at least hinted or given some snippet ,or clue anythingggggg... about Morgan and Duane. Should at least have had a broken up message on the walkie talkie. As far as the cause of the Zombocalypse, I'd like to see it just be left as an Act of God,that no one ever figures out, as John says in "Day".I think that adds a good comment on our society, and also a feeling of finality, that that situation will not be fixable by man. OMG---Oct 2011?????????? AGHGHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[acealive1]

did anyone besides me think jenner was gonna kill himself as soon as they saw him all dressed up sitting at his desk with a picture of his wife? i just knew it was coming. ---------- Post added at 11:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 PM ---------- I think the only think that let TS-19 down were just a few walkers were required in some scenes. ie: After the *boom* there should have been a couple around (maybe one/two on fire)? And definately as they drove away, there should have been a good number heading towards the sound? As it was, it really didn't seem very dangerous out there at all? we saw the scene out there in front of the CDC, it looks like there was a full on massacre a week prior and all the zombies had moved on or been killed