Fear The Walking Dead 1x03 episode discussion...**SPOILERS WITHIN**

[MinionZombie]

Please keep all talk of episode 1x03 "The Dog" specifically inside this thread.

If you have a theory for a following episode, please use the "spoiler tags" (visit the HPOTD FAQ to find out how to use them if you don't already know).

Enjoy!

Directed by: Adam Davidson
Written by: Jack LoGiudice

[kidgloves]

Hurrah

[DayoftheZ]

I personally have lost interest after the break! ;):D

[babomb]

What up folks? Been awhile! I'm digging this new TWD offering. Not that I lost interest in the main show, this is just something I really wanted to see more of. The start of it.

[sandrock74]

Hm...airplane flying wonky after it was specifically said the airport was closed. Could that be the airplane of the dead special?

Also, has anyone else been having trouble getting on the forums? The last couple of weeks, I usually only got a white page with the M. Night Shamylan (however you spell his name) add instead of the forums. Until just now, obviously.

[AcesandEights]

Excellent episode! The drive-by scene at the hospital definitely got my wife's attention.

Her: Jesus... I wouldn't even know what to do in that situation!

Me: ...

Her: What?

Me: That's why you have to think about these things BEFORE they happen!

Her: ...

Me: *Shakes head, pulls drawstrings on hoody extra tight*



Hm...airplane flying wonky after it was specifically said the airport was closed. Could that be the airplane of the dead special?
Gotta be related, at least, right?


Also, has anyone else been having trouble getting on the forums? The last couple of weeks, I usually only got a white page with the M. Night Shamylan (however you spell his name) add instead of the forums. Until just now, obviously.

No issues here, aside from some page-freezing due to (I assumed at the time) one of the ads, earlier in the week.

[facestabber]

Babomb is back! Wow. I see the Red Devils are ranked 2 in State. Cool to see them playing St Bede again.

The airplane has a story to tell us in the future me thinks. Pretty good episode. It's building but just not exploding yet. The military has a pretty good handle on it, so it will be interesting how they portray it collapsing. I wonder how long police, fire and ems would stay on duty? At some point they are gonna bail to protect their families.

[AcesandEights]

Babomb is back! Wow.

Good point! Welcome back, Babomb!

[bassman]

Not a bad episode, but I'm still not 100% behind this spinoff series. Seeing the beginning is cool and all, but I guess I was kind of expecting more. Maybe in future episodes I'll get more dialed in. As mentioned before, I'm looking forward to seeing the fall of the military operations.

Clearly the barber(I keep thinking of him as the cop in Predator 2....) has a dark and secret past that will be revealed in the coming episodes. That was clear the moment he shot the neighbor's face off and walked off like a gangsta. :lol:

The Edward Scissorhands-looking junkie story is kind of wearing thin, IMO.

[slayerized]

Something that continually bothered me at least through the first half of this episode...at least while the Clark's had power in their house...wouldn't it have occurred to someone to turn on the TV to see what was happening in the rest of the city?

[facestabber]

Something that continually bothered me at least through the first half of this episode...at least while the Clark's had power in their house...wouldn't it have occurred to someone to turn on the TV to see what was happening in the rest of the city?

Damn you're right. Makes zero sense not to try. Also I'm worried about Minion. Normally he's chimed in by now.

[DayoftheZ]

Also I'm worried about Minion. Normally he's chimed in by now.

Yeah come on MZ, post my views for me so I don't have to!!

[MinionZombie]

Something that continually bothered me at least through the first half of this episode...at least while the Clark's had power in their house...wouldn't it have occurred to someone to turn on the TV to see what was happening in the rest of the city?


Damn you're right. Makes zero sense not to try. Also I'm worried about Minion. Normally he's chimed in by now.

Don't worry, face - I'm here! All is calm ... I made it through the checkpoints and riots and blood-stained birthday parties unscathed! :D

Also - yeah - why not check the telly? Maybe there's a deleted scene and the news organisations are out ... but I wouldn't have thought they'd be gone yet ... so it does seem like a very strange thing to not show. :rockbrow: I hadn't even thought about that, I was too distracted by Monopoly and enjoying another nice little bit of 'human coping mechanism' stuff getting layered into the show. I loved how they were playing the game just like old times - but then the gunshots bring them slamming right back to reality - until they get their heads down and just keep on keeping on with the game.

In some ways just watching the news - when Travis is out there in the middle of a riot - would just make her worry far more than before. It'd just make the waiting much, much worse. There's little they can realistically do, so perhaps it was just a mutual decision (probably unspoken) that they didn't want to know right now.

Back to the monopoly thing, the coping mechanism stuff - it reminded me of a time when we received a call from the hospital to say that my Grandmother was close to the end and that we should get there ASAP (she'd been in for weeks at that point). We threw stuff into bags and got on the road quick and headed off on the road (the drive was usually somewhere between 6 to 8 hours to get to where she lived). Now, we'd taken this same journey countless times before to visit her (and other relatives too) over the years, so it strangely felt like old times - the road trip mentality kicked in - we felt relatively calm, weirdly enough ... and then someone said something that reminded us all of why we were on the road and it hit hard. Fortunately we got there to see her again before she passed, but anyway ... the monopoly scene in this episode reminded me of that.


I personally have lost interest after the break! ;):D

:lol::lol::lol:

You see, AMC! You see what your silly week off has done?! :p;):D


Hm...airplane flying wonky after it was specifically said the airport was closed. Could that be the airplane of the dead special?

I'd wondered if the plane we saw in episode 2 was it, but when I saw this one - particularly with it's red paint and the sudden change in direction it takes - I went "aha!" as that'll be the plane we see in the special.


Good point! Welcome back, Babomb!

Aye, I second that motion! :)

...

Loving this show, so I am!

The riot stuff early on was flippin' terrifying - when those thugs burst into the barber shop and smash the place up (as Daniel catches a parting glimpse of his life being destroyed), that was pretty damn intense, and properly scary.

I dug the ending, too - with people putting their bins out as per usual (albeit with bloody carpets inside etc) - and with the military taking care of the situation, clearing the houses and so on. It would appear to Madison and Travis et al that the peak has come, you'd feel safe in the cold light of day compared to the shadows of the night, so it'll be interesting to see if we see a little bit of calm before the inevitable storm. Daniel knows what's up ... perhaps he was in Vietnam as a young man (the actor was born in 1948, so it's entirely possible for his character) ... and yeah, I too know him best as Danny from Predator 2. Even though I've seen a bunch of the movies he's appeared in, Predator 2 was the first one of his flicks that I saw, so he's always been Danny from Predator 2 to me in a way, so it'll be nice to identify him with another role as he's shaping up to be an interesting character in FTWD. :thumbsup:

I had to chuckle darkly when he non-challantly handed back the shotgun to Madison just after blowing that dude's head off. :elol:

FTWD 1x03 Memes:


http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/fear-walking-dead-1x03-memes.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ClNuAbfB2E/Vfb5YbXiF_I/AAAAAAAAEMs/vZbnjEG0Xlo/s1600/Fear_The_Walking_Dead_Season_1_Meme_Nick_Window_Gi rl_Hook_Me_Up_Pills_Weird_Look_1x03_DeadShed.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQnXv5ySNxg/Vfb5WD3HeoI/AAAAAAAAEMo/WIxPGcUxMtA/s1600/Fear_The_Walking_Dead_Season_1_Meme_Foot_Crushed_T issue_Die_Feet_1x03_DeadShed.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OF73K3AvDOU/Vfb5TiMNmrI/AAAAAAAAEMg/FU6_BfitZKk/s1600/Fear_The_Walking_Dead_Season_1_Meme_Madison_Travis _Never_Lose_Me_Noah_Tempt_Fate_1x03_DeadShed.jpg



- - - Updated - - -


Yeah come on MZ, post my views for me so I don't have to!!

:lol::lol::lol:

I hope this week's thoughts are up to snuff, good Sir. :D

[DayoftheZ]

I hope this week's thoughts are up to snuff, good Sir. :D

Aye job well done there.

The bit I liked was the power going on and off. When they were driving from the riots and all the power was going out, I was thinking 'this is way too early in the fall for this to be happening'. Thankfully the power came on again and stayed on for quite a while later on so it hints that they managed to get that under control, a subtle hint at society trying to cling on to life.

I also really liked the little maze in between the houses, Madison and the daughter didn't have a clue where they were going while Nick had clearly used that as an escape route many times and knew the route perfectly. It was also tense because you knew there was going to be a walker (should we be calling them walkers or by name??) but you didn't know when so it kept you hooked.

The whole thing with Susan and then her husband was brilliant. It gave Team Travis a chance to have close look at somebody they knew and they could see how who they were, was no longer there. They can be in no doubt now that Susan was dead as was the neighbour.

Also when the dead start rising "Put Wood Int'Ole" (or if you aren't from northern England. Shut the door!!)

[slayerized]

Daniel is quickly becoming my favorite character -- he seems to be somebody that is in the know. The way he blasted Peter -- he didn't waste a body shot - he went straight for the head - and when the first shot didn't do the job he re-aimed straight at the brain...(awesome KNB makeup effect by the way!) also at the end when the Guardsmen were spray painting the house across the street with the FEMA "X" showing the number of dead recovered he knew it was already "too late" and that the battle to save civilization had already been lost...he's going to definitely turn out to be the resident bad-ass...

[AcesandEights]

...wouldn't it have occurred to someone to turn on the TV to see what was happening in the rest of the city?

Just because we did not see a TV on, doesn't mean there wasn't an attempt, it just means it didn't fit into the narrative. Maybe they tried it and it was all static, maybe there was something on and it will be revealed later when relevant to the plot...we can only assume that it was either not yet material to the narrative, or overlooked (which obviously we hope is not the case).

But yeah, it would've been nice for it to have been addressed in some way, since media is an important part of 99.9% of the average viewing public's (and one would assume the average person in the TWD Universe's pre-apocalypse) life.

[Buzzbomb]

I didn't think I'd be able to watch this show... but thanks to geektv.me I won't have to wait until it's out on DVD... :D

The barber character probably had some exerience in the El Salvador civil war.

[Neil]

Something that continually bothered me at least through the first half of this episode...at least while the Clark's had power in their house...wouldn't it have occurred to someone to turn on the TV to see what was happening in the rest of the city?

Good point!


On other reality check points, I was a bit annoying with zombies walking around the area, how laid back they all seemed just leaving doors open, and as a dad myself, I know for one I would be making sure everyone was inside and I knew they were inside... Not just wondering around willy-nilly... Even down to making sure people's car windows were shut!


And the biggest question of them all. Why is Nick still seemingly wearing the old man's clothes he stole? Am I imagining that?

[MinionZombie]

The barber character probably had some exerience in the El Salvador civil war.

Ah! That sounds like a good theory to me.


The bit I liked was the power going on and off. When they were driving from the riots and all the power was going out, I was thinking 'this is way too early in the fall for this to be happening'. Thankfully the power came on again and stayed on for quite a while later on so it hints that they managed to get that under control, a subtle hint at society trying to cling on to life.

The whole thing with Susan and then her husband was brilliant. It gave Team Travis a chance to have close look at somebody they knew and they could see how who they were, was no longer there. They can be in no doubt now that Susan was dead as was the neighbour.

1) Same here, and it was rather chilling to see the entire city descend into darkness as they drove away from it. That thing of mankind clinging on to their life is one of more the lingering aspects of this show, one of those things that really wiggles its way into your mind and chills you.

2) Agreed. I also liked when Nick said matter of factly "It's the truth" when Travis asked him why did he say Susan was dead. The others don't want to accept what's in front of them, and it would be an extremely bizarre notion to get your head around - it goes against one of the most fundamental and inevitable things about human biology (we all die, no exceptions), so it'd be a messed up thing to get your mind around.

Seeing Pete and then Susan all messed up and walking around puts it out there on front street, so-to-speak. They have to accept what they've seen.


On other reality check points, I was a bit annoying with zombies walking around the area, how laid back they all seemed just leaving doors open, and as a dad myself, I know for one I would be making sure everyone was inside and I knew they were inside... Not just wondering around willy-nilly... Even down to making sure people's car windows were shut!


And the biggest question of them all. Why is Nick still seemingly wearing the old man's clothes he stole? Am I imagining that?

I did think "why did you leave the door open?!" when they all ran off to Susan's, which was irksome. I know they have to get the walker inside, but it was a little thing that annoyed. As for the car windows - well, again, to be fair, these people don't really know what's happening - and they either didn't know that dead people were attacking the living, or in the case of Madison at the end of the episode it is day light and she can see all around her ... these people have had one bad night versus an entire lifetime of normality, so you're not going to rewire your instincts on such things in a flash.

Yeah - why is Nick still wearing that old dude's clothes?! It's not been long in story terms (I think like 24 hours or thereabouts), but I would have thought he'd wanted to change into something else ... or is he not living there anymore, and so wouldn't have any other clothes?

[Neil]

Yeah - why is Nick still wearing that old dude's clothes?! It's not been long in story terms (I think like 24 hours or thereabouts), but I would have thought he'd wanted to change into something else ... or is he not living there anymore, and so wouldn't have any other clothes?

Any bets he's wearing those clothes for the rest of the series now? :)

[Moon Knight]

I kinda had mixed feelings about this one. I guess I went in with higher expectations. With that said, we kinda now know where our characters stand. Travis being labeled as "weak" I kind of understand but wasn't he the first one to believe Nick's story of people eating other people? Also, he DID see Nick hit someone with the car multiple times; not to mention it was someone who has been previously shot. To me his character kind of went backwards but I guess we're just gonna have to wait and see how his story plays out. His decisions this week were frustrating because out of everyone there I would think he'd be the more accepting of what's really going on.

Daniel's character is definitely hiding something from his past as he just doesn't give a ****. I really dig him.

Liza and Maison's conversation was really good. Madison knows what's up.

Nick's character continues to shine. His actions are believable as an addict but underneath he really shows he cares for his family.

With only 3 episodes left, things should finally begin to fall apart to the point of no return.

[Neil]

Travis being labeled as "weak" I kind of understand but wasn't he the first one to believe Nick's story of people eating other people? Also, he DID see Nick hit someone with the car multiple times; not to mention it was someone who has been previously shot. To me his character kind of went backwards but I guess we're just gonna have to wait and see how his story plays out. His decisions this week were frustrating because out of everyone there I would think he'd be the more accepting of what's really going on.
Agreed!

Although his comments about killing the neighbour were spot on... Who knows if in truth she couldn't be helped (at this point in time)...?

[Moon Knight]

Agreed!

Although his comments about killing the neighbour were spot on... Who knows if in truth she couldn't be helped (at this point in time)...?

Yeah, I can see that. It would have been really stupid if everyone just quickly turned into a murderous badass. Still, he should have known Peter was at least "Dangerous". The dude was eating a dog after all. :D

[DayoftheZ]

I did think "why did you leave the door open?!" when they all ran off to Susan's, which was irksome. I know they have to get the walker inside, but it was a little thing that annoyed. As for the car windows - well, again, to be fair, these people don't really know what's happening - and they either didn't know that dead people were attacking the living, or in the case of Madison at the end of the episode it is day light and she can see all around her ... these people have had one bad night versus an entire lifetime of normality, so you're not going to rewire your instincts on such things in a flash.

I think we need to remember the mistakes that Team Rick made on TWD in the first couple of seasons. They were two/three months down the line and didn't have a full handle on how to stay safe. Team Travis have had a matter of hours to get used to all this so it is obvious that they are going to make mistakes even more stupid that those in the sister show.


And the biggest question of them all. Why is Nick still seemingly wearing the old man's clothes he stole? Am I imagining that?

Ha, great observation!! I suppose you could forgive him with the dead coming back to life and him being ill after going cold turkey, but it is pretty funny that he is still wearing those clothes!!


Yeah, I can see that. It would have been really stupid if everyone just quickly turned into a murderous badass. Still, he should have known Peter was at least "Dangerous". The dude was eating a dog after all. :D

I am with you on Travis, he did take a step back, but maybe he has slipped into a bit of a trance like state with the you know what hitting the fan. I think it is more likely to be a continuity error in the writing but I like to reason my way to make it more enjoyable!!

[rongravy]

The barber character probably had some exerience in the El Salvador civil war.
Too bad they didn't bother to make them sound very El Salvadorean. My wife, who is from there, cringed when she heard them talking. Even I could tell.
Nothing super major, but still...

[AcesandEights]

Yeah - why is Nick still wearing that old dude's clothes?!

I think the character has more important things on his mind, trying to stave off the more negative effects of withdrawal and, like any junkie worth his salt, trying to figure out how he can fake it while getting his next high.

He is either going to be wearing those old man clothes or some other baggy clothes, as I'm sure the producers want him to look skinny, like the popularly accepted image of a junkie.

[Moon Knight]

Nick is one of my favorite characters. He's quirky and his mannerisms are great. Also, like I stated before, he's open to accept the worse possible scenario and is willing to do what he has to do to survive; all while battling addiction and withdrawals. It's crazy how this guy is the real life son of Stannis Baratheon. :D

[sandrock74]

Nick is one of my favorite characters. He's quirky and his mannerisms are great. Also, like I stated before, he's open to accept the worse possible scenario and is willing to do what he has to do to survive; all while battling addiction and withdrawals. It's crazy how this guy is the real life son of Stannis Baratheon. :D

No way! I just watched Game of Thrones last month. I never would have put that together...

[MinionZombie]

I think we need to remember the mistakes that Team Rick made on TWD in the first couple of seasons. They were two/three months down the line and didn't have a full handle on how to stay safe. Team Travis have had a matter of hours to get used to all this so it is obvious that they are going to make mistakes even more stupid that those in the sister show.

I am with you on Travis, he did take a step back, but maybe he has slipped into a bit of a trance like state with the you know what hitting the fan. I think it is more likely to be a continuity error in the writing but I like to reason my way to make it more enjoyable!!

1) Aye, a fair point, with which I agree. I guess it's also with me being a very fastidious kind of person - I'd never personally leave the house with the door open for any period of time, so to me it's madness, but to other people it's nothing. As I said elsewhere, they've got a lifetime of the normal world in their mindset and - as you say - a few hours of this crazy new world (that they fully believe to be set back into order soon by the authorities).

2) He's also a teacher, so he's not some badass fighter. He's an academic, a thinker, not necessarily a doer - that's something he'll have to change when things get really messed up. I remember the showrunners saying that these people are just like you and me facing the apocalypse. In TWD you had trained police officers, you had Daryl with his survivalism, so there were strong and capable people from the start - although there were also normal people (pizza delivery guy Glenn, for example), but even they mostly got into the groove fairly well (not all, but some) ... and of course we met them a few weeks down the line.


I think the character has more important things on his mind, trying to stave off the more negative effects of withdrawal and, like any junkie worth his salt, trying to figure out how he can fake it while getting his next high.

He is either going to be wearing those old man clothes or some other baggy clothes, as I'm sure the producers want him to look skinny, like the popularly accepted image of a junkie.

Another fair point well said.

I'm likewise impressed with this guy playing Nick, and find him to be one of the most interesting characters. His family are all very suburban and safe, whereas through his addiction he'll have seen - and met - very rough people, and strange people, dangerous people etc, so ... in a way ... he's kind of better prepped to accept this kind of crazy situation, or better prepped to adapt to it.

[shootemindehead]

Nick is one of my favorite characters. He's quirky and his mannerisms are great. Also, like I stated before, he's open to accept the worse possible scenario and is willing to do what he has to do to survive; all while battling addiction and withdrawals. It's crazy how this guy is the real life son of Stannis Baratheon. :D

WOW. I genuinely thought he was a Yank.

[MinionZombie]

WOW. I genuinely thought he was a Yank.

Cor, I don't know, these bloody Brits going over there and taking all their telly jobs! :p:D;)

[sandrock74]

Cor, I don't know, these bloody Brits going over there and taking all their telly jobs! :p:D;)

Of which I will be ever grateful for you boys shipping Hayley Atwell over here for just that!

[MoonSylver]

Cor, I don't know, these bloody Brits going over there and taking all their telly jobs! :p:D;)

http://board.crossfit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11863&d=1362162646

[AcesandEights]

Cor, I don't know, these bloody Brits going over there and taking all their telly jobs! :p:D;)


http://board.crossfit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11863&d=1362162646
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/DougOBrien/Trump_zpsv2d1xza8.jpg
***This message brought to you by the Tied2theTracks Committee on Border Reform***

[MinionZombie]

Of which I will be ever grateful for you boys shipping Hayley Atwell over here for just that!

http://static2.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/the-avengers-age-of-ultron-agent-carter-haley-atwell.jpg
You're very welcome.

Speaking of whom, I just recently finished watching Agent Carter on Fox and rather enjoyed it. Atwell rocks. The show isn't great - restrained as it is by being a network show and following that general level of quality - but it's good fun. I had no interest in watching Agents of Shield, but the setting, the character, and yes Hayley Atwell, piqued my interest. I really dug Captain America, and the Marvel One Shot with Peggy Carter was groovy, so it had my interest.


http://board.crossfit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11863&d=1362162646

:lol::lol::lol:

I was waiting for that. :cool:

[AssassinFromHell]

Regarding the whole television issue, I'm actually more surprised we didn't see a teenager pull out their smartphone to either check their Facebook or Twitter to livetweet the apocalypse. ;)

[MinionZombie]

Regarding the whole television issue, I'm actually more surprised we didn't see a teenager pull out their smartphone to either check their Facebook or Twitter to livetweet the apocalypse. ;)

Good point ... although I suppose that hadn't quite caught on to such a degree as it has in the last two or three years, being that FTWD is essentially set five years ago when TWD originally started. So therefore Season 6 of TWD would essentially be somewhere in 2012 judging by the time that has elapsed over the six seasons.

Imagine if it had been set in 2015, though - there'd be a bunch of social justice warriors pissing all over themselves to be the first to find some angle on the outbreak to make themselves look superior on social media. However, then you could have glorious scenes of these live-tweeting morons, who would be too busy showing off how "caring" they are in their own little corner of the echo chamber, to notice a walker sneaking up on them. Their flesh could be torn from their bones as their fingers struggle to make one last, poorly-informed socio-political statement that conforms to the prescribed opinion of the day. :p :elol: :D

[MoonSylver]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/DougOBrien/Trump_zpsv2d1xza8.jpg
***This message brought to you by the Tied2theTracks Committee on Border Reform***

:lol: Nice crawl. :lol:


:lol::lol::lol:

I was waiting for that. :cool:

I knew you were. Someone had to do it. :D


Regarding the whole television issue, I'm actually more surprised we didn't see a teenager pull out their smartphone to either check their Facebook or Twitter to livetweet the apocalypse. ;)

They did have a bunch of girls clustered around watching the video of the cops on the freeway shooting, commenting that "that HAS to be fake!", which I thought covered the "social media" aspect nicely. :)

[Buzzbomb]

Regarding the whole television issue, I'm actually more surprised we didn't see a teenager pull out their smartphone to either check their Facebook or Twitter to livetweet the apocalypse. ;)

I'd like to see a well-decayed Zombie trying to operate a dead smartphone... preferably with drool & a very bemused look on it's face - grandson/daughter of Bub!

[AssassinFromHell]

Good point ... although I suppose that hadn't quite caught on to such a degree as it has in the last two or three years, being that FTWD is essentially set five years ago when TWD originally started. So therefore Season 6 of TWD would essentially be somewhere in 2012 judging by the time that has elapsed over the six seasons.

Imagine if it had been set in 2015, though - there'd be a bunch of social justice warriors pissing all over themselves to be the first to find some angle on the outbreak to make themselves look superior on social media. However, then you could have glorious scenes of these live-tweeting morons, who would be too busy showing off how "caring" they are in their own little corner of the echo chamber, to notice a walker sneaking up on them. Their flesh could be torn from their bones as their fingers struggle to make one last, poorly-informed socio-political statement that conforms to the prescribed opinion of the day. :p :elol: :D

I'm a little surprised, to be honest, we haven't seen TWD/FTWD or any given zombie production, take on the social media issue. It's become a prominent part of our society and zombies are an excellent plot device, if done right, for social commentary. Take Romero and malls for example.

A lot could be said for society collapsing around people while being stuck inside Facebooking and tweeting, or being more focused on social media followers and Internet popularity as opposed to survival. The top dog from the television network in the beginning of Dawn 78 comes to mind to some degree.

But I think we're more likely to see that happen with FTWD. While TWD has been excellent, it's missed out on a number of opportunities by beginning after the collapse. Hopefully we'll see FTWD deliver on its promise, I really dig the show a lot right now.




They did have a bunch of girls clustered around watching the video of the cops on the freeway shooting, commenting that "that HAS to be fake!", which I thought covered the "social media" aspect nicely. :)

They did, and that was a nice inclusion. But my overall point is I'm more surprised there isn't more Internet usage as opposed to television watching. Whereas in the original NIGHT and DAWN had leaned on television for information, where do a majority of people nowadays get their news? Trending topics on Facebook and Twitter, social media posts, Youtube videos, etc.

There's a lot more to be said regarding what we've become as a society.