TWD 8x13 "Do Not Send Us Astray" episode discussion... **SPOILERS**

[Neil]

Good episode EXCEPT... 1) No one standing guard on the saviour prisoners? Really? They could just pull their fence down in a group? 2) No one standing guard on the walls at night (incase the saviours return under cover of darkness) to hear noisy walkers cross the camp? 3) Stupid kid unlocking door why?

[Moon Knight]

Good episode EXCEPT... 1) No one standing guard on the saviour prisoners? Really? They could just pull their fence down in a group? 2) No one standing guard on the walls at night (incase the saviours return under cover of darkness) to hear noisy walkers cross the camp? 3) Stupid kid unlocking door why? My criticisms too.

[JDP]

3) Stupid kid unlocking door why? The kid enters the area where the Savior prisoners are in order to try to sort out the guilty one. Why exactly did he feel like doing this, instead of just shooting all of them, considering he had previously killed Gavin without any second thoughts regarding whether he really was the one responsible for killing his brother or not, is anyone's guess. Maybe he had a change of heart and did not want to kill anyone else except the actual culprit. For whatever reason, not telling the kid that his brother's murderer had already been captured and identified him was an obvious mistake. They had nothing to lose by letting him know this information. Specially since for several episodes now they are trying to move away from the "kill them all" approach, and knowing the kid is in a full "revenge mode" and might try to do something crazy. No matter how you want to look at it, not telling the kid this bit of information was a mistake.

[Neil]

I also didn't quite buy into Rick Sherlock Grime's deduction about some blood on Lucille And yet more Storm Trooper aim didn't help either... But I enjoyed the episode...

[shootemindehead]

Ok episode, with some reservations. The one's Neil pointed out and the fact that folk were turning into (practically) instant zombies after getting hit with tainted weapons and all, conveniently, at roughly the same time? I would have thought there would have been a long fever first? Then death, then zombie. That didn't sit right with me. And I'd have shot that bleedin kid myself. Feckin ejit. It was ok. BUT...now that people have finially caught onto using the easily available poison that's walking around everywhere, if we don't see that method of warfare constantly from here on in, people are going to start asking the obvious question as to why. Arrows have now become more deadly than bullets in the world of 'The Walking Dead'. They're a garrunteed kill...eventually. Also, to answer Mini's question. Tara lives cos Dwight didn't dip his arrows into zombie guts. That's how they'll figure out he's still on their side.

[Neil]

Ok episode, with some reservations. The one's Neil pointed out and the fact that folk were turning into (practically) instant zombies after getting hit with tainted weapons and all, conveniently, at roughly the same time? I would have thought there would have been a long fever first? Then death, then zombie. That didn't sit right with me. And I'd have shot that bleedin kid myself. Feckin ejit. It was ok. BUT...now that people have finially caught onto using the easily available poison that's walking around everywhere, if we don't see that method of warfare constantly from here on in, people are going to start asking the obvious question as to why. Arrows have now become more deadly than bullets in the world of 'The Walking Dead'. They're a garrunteed kill...eventually. Also, to answer Mini's question. Tara lives cos Dwight didn't dip his arrows into zombie guts. That's how they'll figure out he's still on their side. When the Savours were slowly walking through the open gates in one small tight group, even my son was shouting at the TV Three or four automatic weapons from different direction, even with Storm Troop aim , would have finished them all! Or a single carefully planted charge under the ground? And not a carefully organised group of 3-4 folks to around the outside of Hilltop back towards the entrance to cover any retreating Savours? Anyway, it's clear Maggie can't plan a logical defense ps: Indeed, I wondered why they weren't simply waiting by the roadside immediately outside Hilltop to mow the Saviours down in their cars?

[shootemindehead]

/\ Sure, one would have thought that there were enough opportunities to set up kill zones and do some real damage to the Simon and his group. Although, in reality everything goes to shit once a firefight starts anyway, even for highly trained military outfits. So, a bunch of civvies trying to set up defensive areas would encounter a whole host of problems. But...script...and all that. Automatic weapons, though, are notoriously unweildy. After the first few shots, you've lost the ability to aim at what you're trying to hit. Also, what's up with Rick and his full auto wastage, then going to his popgun sidearm ? Has he not learned to fire in controlled bursts yet?

[MinionZombie]

Ok episode, with some reservations. The one's Neil pointed out and the fact that folk were turning into (practically) instant zombies after getting hit with tainted weapons and all, conveniently, at roughly the same time? I would have thought there would have been a long fever first? Then death, then zombie. That didn't sit right with me. BUT...now that people have finially caught onto using the easily available poison that's walking around everywhere, if we don't see that method of warfare constantly from here on in, people are going to start asking the obvious question as to why. Arrows have now become more deadly than bullets in the world of 'The Walking Dead'. They're a garrunteed kill...eventually. Also, to answer Mini's question. Tara lives cos Dwight didn't dip his arrows into zombie guts. That's how they'll figure out he's still on their side. 1) Instant? Pull the other one. Several hours passed by with the zombie slaughter happening not long before the sun came up. There's 'real world' elements of "ooh, why would they all get up at the same time?", but frankly you're making a TV show and you've got to orchestrate certain things within a very brisk shooting schedule in a very finite amount of screen time. You've gotta cut some corners here and there or you'd never get the episode made in time and on budget. But, also, the people injured by infected weapons were all injured within a very short space of time - so it's entirely possible for them to go through the fever/death/resurrection process in a fairly similar fashion. HOWEVER - that didn't happen to everyone, though, did it? No - because there was that dude on the bed, during the morning light, who was part of the post-zombie-attack chat when things had calmed down. So there is variation - but, again, within an organised and orchestrated setup (the realities of writing a script and doing a production return). 2) A weapon dreamed up by a sadistic madman, and a weapon that was used in the context of a planned siege. It's not going to be a useful weapon for regular use. 3) I missed that it was Dwight who shot Tara in the shuffle of the action. Talking Dead clarified the point. Indeed, I wondered why they weren't simply waiting by the roadside immediately outside Hilltop to mow the Saviours down in their cars? They'd be totally exposed out there, and they don't have enough lookout points high up on the fence to try that tactic from a slightly safer vantage point. Speaking of the vehicles rolling up to the Hilltop gates - did anyone make the connection back to Season 3? Specifically the planks of wood with nails in them laid into the long grass as traps to stop vehicles? They used that tactic to help defend the Prison in 3x16 IIRC. Nice to see that tactic reused, no doubt put in place by Maggie.

[JDP]

1) Instant? Pull the other one. Several hours passed by with the zombie slaughter happening not long before the sun came up. There's 'real world' elements of "ooh, why would they all get up at the same time?", but frankly you're making a TV show and you've got to orchestrate certain things within a very brisk shooting schedule in a very finite amount of screen time. You've gotta cut some corners here and there or you'd never get the episode made in time and on budget. But, also, the people injured by infected weapons were all injured within a very short space of time - so it's entirely possible for them to go through the fever/death/resurrection process in a fairly similar fashion. HOWEVER - that didn't happen to everyone, though, did it? No - because there was that dude on the bed, during the morning light, who was part of the post-zombie-attack chat when things had calmed down. So there is variation - but, again, within an organised and orchestrated setup (the realities of writing a script and doing a production return). But you would think that by now they would be more than well-acquainted with the "zombification" process. Everyone we've seen get injured/bitten by the zombies shows the same symptoms: gradual health deterioration, death, come back as a zombie. They should have been on their guard that all these injured people were showing all the signs of zombie infection. And even if you want to argue that they would not have suspected it must be zombie infection, the fact that their health was getting worse, not better, would be enough to quarantine these people. EVERYONE who dies, no matter what the reason, eventually comes back as a zombie. So even without suspecting zombie infection, these wounded people should have been carefully isolated from the others, just in case any of them would eventually die for whatever reason.

[shootemindehead]

1) Instant? Pull the other one. Several hours passed by with the zombie slaughter happening not long before the sun came up. You missed the point. It seems that folk can get cut or pierced by tainted weaponry, be in recovery, then suddenly die and return pretty fast. I would have thought there would have been a "Roger-like" period of fever as the infection cruised through their bodies, while their bodies were trying to fight it and that it would take place over time. I get that such an approach would have meant elimination of the "surprise zombie" scenes. But, it still doesn't sit right with me.

[Moon Knight]

You missed the point. It seems that folk can get cut or pierced by tainted weaponry, be in recovery, then suddenly die and return pretty fast. I would have thought there would have been a "Roger-like" period of fever as the infection cruised through their bodies, while their bodies were trying to fight it and that it would take place over time. I get that such an approach would have meant elimination of the "surprise zombie" scenes. But, it still doesn't sit right with me. “You’re just not playing with your life you’re playing with mine.”

[shootemindehead]

"Perfect baby...perfect."

[Harleydude666]

"Perfect baby...perfect." “I’m out of lighter fluid”

[Neil]

I must admit, in the previous episode where Rick slung Lucille (covered in walker blood) over his shoulder, I was waiting for him to go, "Owww" as a single spike of barbed wire pricked his shoulder

[MinionZombie]

We've also seen numerous incidents where someone has been bitten and returned fairly swiftly (as well as situations where someone is bitten and it takes longer), so it all depends on each individual - but the point being, why not swift reanimation by a wound from an infected weapon? If a bite can bring back someone swiftly, why not the infected weapon wound? And they all didn't resurrect simultaneously - again, I point out the guy in the bedroom who was still alive and kicking (albeit in a fever) in the bedroom when Rick, Daryl, and the gang first meet up post-zombie attack. His days are numbered, but he hadn't turned yet. I also liked that they inserted the bit about the temperature - justifying the open doors and a lot of people sleeping in the foyer of the main building. They've got cover, but also some air (as much as they can get with the generator off - which was also referenced in the dialogue). But you would think that by now they would be more than well-acquainted with the "zombification" process. Everyone we've seen get injured/bitten by the zombies shows the same symptoms: gradual health deterioration, death, come back as a zombie. They should have been on their guard that all these injured people were showing all the signs of zombie infection. And even if you want to argue that they would not have suspected it must be zombie infection, the fact that their health was getting worse, not better, would be enough to quarantine these people. EVERYONE who dies, no matter what the reason, eventually comes back as a zombie. So even without suspecting zombie infection, these wounded people should have been carefully isolated from the others, just in case any of them would eventually die for whatever reason. They didn't figure out the weapons had been tainted until after the zombie attack. Tainted weaponry wasn't even on their radar as a possibility. Many of them were fine until the small hours of the night, exemplified by Tobin - he was banged up and resting when Carol met him, but it wasn't until everyone was sleeping that the infection took hold, snuffed him out, and resurrected him. I must admit, in the previous episode where Rick slung Lucille (covered in walker blood) over his shoulder, I was waiting for him to go, "Owww" as a single spike of barbed wire pricked his shoulder Likewise.