5th episode - "Wildfire"

[Thorn]

Don't you miss your coffee maker? I miss my vibrator. Strange scene that one was. But it gave them a nice human moment. Then bubba badass came in being a douche. It was nice to see his half eaten corpse and his abused wife crush in his skull with a pick axe.... I LOL'd, great reference. Yeah, I had to give this place a week long break because of that thread. . and other's that were pissing me off. I am glad I didn't read it I guess, or maybe someone could provide me with a link so I can suffer along with you not 2 mention the belittling and insults of many others! lmao Tell u what, the day this becomes a freakin tea party of old ladies..."im outta here!" lol "and then after, I want you to say 'Oh, what a lovely tea party.'" No but seriously I do not want it to be a tea party either, I am all for humor, fun, debate, and good matured ribbing. I think people know what I referring to. Nah man, they're nowhere near 100 days since the outbreak. Rick woke up in the hospital [at most] 3 weeks after the outbreak. Maybe the outbreak started 100 days before that point in time gut that does not mean that it hit Rick's town and the the crisis hit his hospital exactly at that time does it? We have no indication that his town was ground zero.

[MikePizzoff]

For instance, driving to the CDC, would it have killed them (figure of speech) to sprinkle some walkers in or around those roads? Also, outside the CDC they should have shown hordes closing in rather than just one or two stray walkers. Kind of makes the walkers overrunning the military posts a bit of a stretch doesn't it? No "geeks" on the backroads they were driving on didn't bother me at all because, after all, they are supposed to be in backwoods Georgia. Not only is the population count very low, but also, zombies return to places they were familiar with as humans - how many humans do you think just randomly walked around on a stretch of road in the middle of nowhere? As far as the CDC part, I completely agree with you. I was very disappointed that there were only a few zombies closing in on them. And in the final shot where you can see the street out front of the building, behind the characters, just before the door to the CDC opens, you can notice that there isn't a SINGLE zombie to be seen. Ummmm is this true?: http://tv.ign.com/articles/113/1137550p1.html Woohoo! I hope that's true. Darabont probably realized how far-off some of the scripts were going from the storyline, when it was too late. Now that the season is done, he can make his move.

[babomb]

Rick having been in a coma for say 3-4 weeks(est) after isn't so implausible if it actually were 100 days into the outbreak. Like legion2213 said it was a slow death. From the survivors perspective they consider the out break to be around the time when the media started reporting there was a problem, the guy at the CDC considers the start of the outbreak to be when they got the 1st reported case of the disease and then analysis of the samples taken will establish a more accurate timeline.

[DEAD BEAT]

I LOL'd, great reference. I am glad I didn't read it I guess, or maybe someone could provide me with a link so I can suffer along with you "and then after, I want you to say 'Oh, what a lovely tea party.'" No but seriously I do not want it to be a tea party either, I am all for humor, fun, debate, and good matured ribbing. I think people know what I referring to. Maybe the outbreak started 100 days before that point in time gut that does not mean that it hit Rick's town and the the crisis hit his hospital exactly at that time does it? We have no indication that his town was ground zero. see now was that so tuff to admit! lol Tell you dude very few on here get that....people shouldn't be so touchy there's enough crap in the world for them to veg on without bringing it in here!

[Debbieangel]

As for how long it took for the girl's sister to reanimate...like in Romero's universe, you really don't know how long it would take for it to happen. I think it would take possibly depending on the individuals and how they died? Like in real life some people just linger on for days or months before they die, why wouldn't it be the same way with a zombie? Just saying...

[Thorn]

see now was that so tuff to admit! lol Tell you dude very few on here get that....people shouldn't be so touchy there's enough crap in the world for them to veg on without bringing it in here! It.. was difficult, but I managed to push my way through Like three fat American women squeezing trough the Wal-mart doors on black Friday.

[Gryphon]

Ummmm is this true?: http://tv.ign.com/articles/113/1137550p1.html Hrm, following Torchwood's model, eh? Risky. I loved Torchwood, but there were quite a few clunker storylines in it.

[Doc]

Am I the only one who likes Rick better when he's a lone ranger? He's way more badass that way! To bad he has annoying wife, and his kid keeping him down!

[Legion2213]

Am I the only one who likes Rick better when he's a lone ranger? He's way more badass that way! To bad he has annoying wife, and his kid keeping him down! Yeah, Lonewolf Rick is better veiwing for us punters...we can all be "familly men" in real life, we can't be adventurers in a zombiegeddon scenario though...and thats what we all tune in to watch IMO.

[bassman]

The images of rick riding into town with his horse and hat were great. And dare I say iconic? I was so glad when he got his hat back in episode 4. There's something cool about him having that hat. It was the same in the comics. It's a cowboy kind of image that somehow fits the undead world so perfectly.

[Ghoulman]

The images of rick riding into town with his horse and hat were great. And dare I say iconic? I was so glad when he got his hat back in episode 4. There's something cool about him having that hat. It was the same in the comics. It's a cowboy kind of image that somehow fits the undead world so perfectly. Perfect! I couldn't agree more.

[MinionZombie]

Alright fellow Brits - chime in now that we've seen it. As always, I'll pimp my full thoughts in due course, but suffice to say I absolutely loved episode 5 - the best episode outside of the first, no questions. Wall-to-wall awesome, in my opinion. And the use of music from Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" gave me chills. When I saw the preview of it last week I was wondering how this step outside of the comic's path would work, but episode five ended on a real high note, and a cliffhanger too. I think I might have to watch a downloaded version of the sixth episode, I can't be avoiding spoilers for a whole week ... in which case I'll record the finale on Sky+ and watch it again, so I get to see it straight away, but also show my official support as I've been doing these past five weeks. ---------- Post added at 07:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 AM ---------- Okay, here are my thoughts-in-full on the excellent "Wildfire": http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2010/12...-wildfire.html The penultimate episode of the first season of the AMC/Darabont/Hurd/Kirkman show The Walking Dead has been and gone, and blimey was it a great episode - indeed I'd say it's the best episode of the season outside of the pilot (unless the finale steals the win at the last minute - time shall tell on that matter). The opening of the episode was superb, with Andrea swamped by her grief while everyone else in the camp knows what will have to be done - not only is this whole portion of the episode very dramatic and moving, but it's tense - "when will they turn", you wonder to yourself. Furthermore, when the expected finally occurs, it's a wonderfully played scene that plays the 'resurrecting as a zombie' angle, which we've seen so many times before, in a new and fascinating way. Similar to the dispatching of the 'bicycle zombie' from the first episode, the scene is full of pathos. Speaking of pathos, Dale's moment with Andrea was nothing short of truly moving, and establishes the pair's relationship, which - in the comics - was already thoroughly on-the-go by the time Rick showed up at camp. So once again the television adaptation is taking things in a slightly new direction along the same path - and in a way that feels more real, and ultimately more satisfying as a viewer. Meanwhile, dealing with the bodies left over from the night before, we're treated to yet more awesome gory treats from KNB Effects, who have continually shown throughout this season that they are (and have been for some time) the current masters of the macabre. This adaptation has taken some significantly different turns along the already established path from the comic books, and I was wondering how this would play out (after last week's preview of this fifth episode), but I'm pleased to say that it's working really well. The intelligent group dynamic of the comics continues to be expressed in the show - a real treat in itself when you've seen countless zombie movies where idiots make even dumber decisions as a matter of course. There was a chillingly good moment where the Rick/Shane dynamic's crumbling is illustrated in very clear terms. Again, in the comics it's much quicker to appear, and somewhat comes as a surprise, but throughout the show the key players have taken quality themes that were already established, and explored them in different ways that make for very satisfying viewing. The moment where Dale discovers Shane in a less than favourable position was pitch perfect, and further established Dale (as expertly played by Jeffrey DeMunn) as one of my favourite characters on the show. Speaking of the characters, there are some great beats littered throughout - most notably in connection to Jim, who (in a way direct from the source material) has to come to terms with a troubling realisation. Indeed that entire portion of the show really signalled the sort of tough drama we'll be in store for when the second season rolls around. It was good to see, or rather hear, a track from the soundtrack for Danny Boyle's Sunshine, a piece of music that has always given me chills - but considering the context in which it is used in this episode, it was doubly chilling. Moving into the second half of the episode, the part that I was most concerned about for this episode (based on last week's preview of this episode), was all the stuff centering on the CDC (which was established in the first episode). This is a significant change of direction from the source material, but fortunately it works out very well indeed - to see the 'science of the dead' examined in very realistic terms (as further evidenced by the online preview scene from episode six, "TS-19") was very, very cool. Finally, outside the CDC, the sight of Rick's impassioned desperation as he pleads with a CCTV camera above the sealed-off doors of the CDC complex, was absolutely fantastic - and importantly further suggests the sort of dramatic treats we'll have in store for us come season two (when you consider what takes place over the next couple of volumes of the trade paperbacks). To say that the cliffhanger ending left me wanting more - immediately - is an understatement. Roll on episode six - the season finale!

[Trencher]

I think the episode was good although the cdc stuff looked really cheap.

[Wyldwraith]

Well, I LIKED the idea of going to the CDC. It made sense, made Rick seem intelligent and show some guts in taking his stand, and it was one of those "that's what I'd do" decisions that a lot of people enjoy. That said, I was INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED in the inside of the CDC itself, and its (apparently) lone inhabitant. The CDC doc's character meandered all over the place, jumping from fatalist whimsy to near tears to "who gives a shit, guess I'll just do what I want" at close to the speed-of-melodrama. Then there was the whole "Just go away.." followed by hesitation/indecision about letting the group inside. You know, because EVERY human being who's been isolated for 100+ days is just DYING for unbroken solitude. Lastly, I'm with whoever pointed out there were like next to no zombies in sight or during their approach of the CDC. While not as sensitive about this issue as some, I agree that when the phenomena is THIS pronounced that the writers DO need to make up their mind whether Atlanta is literally crawling with the walking dead or nearly deserted. It does get frustrating when one episode it seems like 10 secs in the open and a loud fart and bring hundreds of zombies down on you from all directions, but at other times people can have scuffles, shoot someone in the ass with a crossbow, others can run around and kidnap someone, and the people who didnt make their exit via the car STILL have no trouble making their escape from the area. The CDC scene was just the culmination of that phenomena. Here we've got a whole pack of live people, some shouting, few keeping their tone low, and Rick's SHOUTING LIKE A LUNATIC...and what happens? Two, MAYBE three zombies can be seen, approaching from some distance. I can happily deal with either way they want to go with it, and if we were talking about wholly different areas then the relative density/scarcity of zombies could be easily explained, but this is Atlanta, Atlanta, more Atlanta, and literally from one trip to the next its either swarming with Dawn '04/Day-like hordes, or its a relative ghost town that its pretty easy to traverse only seeing one zombie here, one zombie there. With the next-to-no-zombies in the CDC scene, Rick's "You're KILLING US" just seemed overdone and a touch melodramatic, where it would've been PERFECT with 10-12 Walkers where those 1-2 were, and another few dozen far off in the distance. It's not just a nitpicky thing. It affects other elements of the dialog too. Lori's urgent declaration "We can't be this close to the city this near dark!"...Why? It visually looks like they can simply retreat the way they came easily enough. Maybe if they stayed on the move more the sudden peaks and valleys in overall zombie numbers would seem much more natural, but so long as they focus on a single metropolitan area of a single city, I feel they do need to make up there minds about this. Other than that, I'm looking for a HELLUVA GOOD EXPLANATION for why this ONE doctor is all by himself in the CDC, because right now I can't imagine how an apocalyptic scenario that took something like a hundred days to play out, that occurred slowly enough for the military to settle into defensive positions in numerous places and have time to get overwhelmed would ALSO somehow be quick enough/total enough to prevent the collection of and transport to the CDC of the personnel named in the Wildfire Protocol. Anyone who's seen any version of the Andromeda strain has seen a good version of how fast the military can just scoop up personnel from all over the country and deposit them in one location. Was the zombie epidemic really so initially overwhelming as to prevent such? Thus my desire for the good explanation of where his colleagues or should-have-been-colleagues are located.

[bassman]

Wyld....do you have like a Cliffs Notes book or condensed version to go along with your posts? EDIT Okay, now that i've read your novel I can comment. The guy was lonely, but that doesn't mean he's going to immediately open the doors with a warm invitation to the first people to come knocking. There are lots of things to consider. His safety, for one. Contamination of the facility. Protocol. Etc. That was the whole point of the scene. He wasn't hesitating because he DIDN'T want company... As for the zombies....Atlanta's a big city, guys. There are concrete jungle areas.....then you drive five minutes down the road and there's nothing. And the CDC isn't in Downtown Atlanta. It's actually on the edge of the city. So where the CDC lies, it's perfectly acceptable that the zombies had swarmed the place and then moved on after all the activity died(maybe even going toward the sound of Rick and Glenn in episodes one and two? Then just sticking around the city). They actually showed that it wasn't in the main city with the buildings in the background and trees surrounding the CDC. Which, btw, wasn't the real exterior of the CDC...