RECAP: The Walking Dead – S01E05 – Wildfire


Tonight's adventure: "Wildfire"

OR

"Worst Birthday Ever"

Sunrise. Rick crouches in the nettles, walkie-talkie to his lips. He delivers his daily report for Morgan and Duane, a plaintive plea for their continued survival. He warns that Atlanta has been taken by the walkers. He'll try again tomorrow.

Cleanup time. Daryl swings a pickaxe into the skulls of downed walkers and friendlies alike. Bodies are burned so they can't rise up again. Andrea sits vigil over Amy. Lori approaches to politely ask if they can blow the girl's brains out. Andrea is unresponsive. Rick decides to give it a shot, and Amy brandishes a gun. This vigil's gonna be a little longer.

Daryl suggests sniping Amy from a distance, and Shane agrees that the corpse is a ticking time zomb. Lori urges them to let her be, to give her time to cope. They all return to their activities, Daryl dragging a dead camper toward to pyre. Glenn freaks out, insisting that the fire is only for 'geeks'. They bury their dead, their fallen friends, in graves.

Jim has been hiding a hickey.

The campers turn on the man, circling him and forcing him to reveal the bite marks on his ribs. "I'm okay," he stammers. "I'm okay I'm okay I'm okay." But the others aren't so sure. Rick wants to take the man to the CDC, hopeful for some kind of cure. Shane's doubtful, wants to try the army base. Daryl sneaks off from the huddle, ready to send an arrow into Jim's head. But Rick's right behind him, gun raised. "We don't kill the living." Weapons down, they back off a ways.

Dale wanders over to hit on Andrea with a story about his dead wife.

Andrea draps the stolen necklace over the dead girl's throat. Happy birthday, Amy.

Daryl prepares to destroy Ed's brain, but the man's wife approaches, offering to do the deed. She looks on this corpse, the remnants of a man she both loved and feared, raises the pickaxe over her shoulder, and brings the blade down on his head. She's near reverent with the first blow, but then the dam breaks and a kind of fury spills out of the woman and she pulverizes her abuser's skull. She weeps. 
 

  


Amy begins to stir, breath passing from her lips to Andrea's ear. Her fingers twitch. Her eyes open, but the gaze is not Amy's. The thing reaches out slowly, tentatively for Andrea's face, and the woman helps the thing sit up. A dry rattle escapes its throat. "I'm here now, Amy." Andrea whispers, as the others begin to notice the movements. Rick and Shane approach slowly, cautiously, hands at their holsters. The thing gasps hungrily, and Andrea tells her sister that she loves her before unloading her gun into its brain.

And maaaaaany moooooooooooore!

Rick and Shane begin digging more graves because Jim was tied to a tree before finishing the job. Shane chastises Rick for going off to Atlanta for the Merle run, depleting their manpower. Rick reminds him that without the guns he brought back the body count might have been higher. A truck full of corpses shows up and Daryl complains about the lack of leadership. Lori wants time to mourn, stability. Normalcy.

Jim sits in the RV, upside-down American flag draped behind him, ready to play Bill the Butcher. He experiences fever dreams, snapshots of zombies.

Andrea sets the wrapped body of her sister into a grave.

Rick confronts Lori, wants her to choose a side. Was he right to have left for Atlanta or was Shane wrong about his leaving for Atlanta. Lori offers only that neither of them was entirely right. The cicadas rattle in the trees.

Rick comes to check on Jim, who asks if a grave's been saved for him. Rick wants to find him help. Jim is racked with a violent cough and strains over a pot.

Shane finds Lori and asks her to talk sense into Rick about the CDC. Shane is convinced that Rick is misguided and that Lori is only going along with him out of guilt, out of want to save her marriage.

The best thing now is for them to head out into the woods with some guns.

Shane is quick to play his trump card, that he protected Rick's family in his absence.

They're startled by some distant noise and split up. Rick heads down a slope and Shane scans the trees. He spies Rick down below and realizes how easy it would be to put him down, to kill him out here in the woods and pretend it was an accident. To cover it up and make it look like something else. He sets his sights on him and grins wide, excited by the prospect of the thing. Finally he relents and lowers his gun. When he does, he finds Dale at his side, watching him warily. He'd seen the whole thing. Shane laughs it off, suggesting that they get reflective vests. Dale watches as Shane skulks off.

Back in Camp, huddled in a circle, Shane tells the others he'd like to keep the group safe by sticking together. They'll leave in the morning if everyone wants. He trusts Rick, has known him a long time, and is willing to concede in his plan.

Good christ, True Grit looks great.

Another sunrise. Rick makes his report to Morgan and Duane, telling them of their movements. It's almost a prayer that this CDC thing work out.

Rick and Shane prep the Camp for a Caravan. They'll all communicate over channel 40 on their walkies and radios. Morales and his young family decide to head out to Birmingham to meet with family. Rick gives them a gun and Shane offers half a box of ammo. Families bid their farewells. Ricks leaves a note for Morgan on Glenn's scavenged sports car. The Caravan heads out.

They stop when the hose on the RV goes. Jim's not doing so well, complains of his bones feeling like glass. He wants to die. He wants to be with his family. Rick is convinced the man is delusional, too feverish to be rational. But Jim insists, pleads to be left behind.

"Another damn tree." The campers say their goodbyes, leaving Jim on the side of the road in the shade of a large tree.

Meanwhile, in the hatch…

An unkept man called Dr. Jenner records a video diary. He's alone, evidently trying to find a cure for what he's calling "Wildfire." He experiences a setback in the lab, a corrosive chain reaction which necessitates evacuating the room and ripping off his hazmat suit for a decontamination shower. The system automatically torches the lab, destroying his work. He needs new samples. "I think tomorrow I'm going to blow my brains out." he announces to an empty room. 
 

      


The Caravan arrives just outside the CDC compound, fortified by barricades and sandbag piles. Flies swarm around countless corpses. The campers make their way to the doors. The CDC is at full lockdown, the doors shuttered. Walkers approach and they take them down. They panic. More walkers will be there soon, and they need a plan. Rick sees a small camera move at his approach. Inside, Jenner watches and urges them to go away. But Rick roars at the silent camera, insisting that whoever inside is killing them through inaction. Shane tries to pry Rick away from the doors when suddenly the shutters rise and a powerful light pours out from the compound. 

Comments

  1. While I’m willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt, I was very disappointed in that turn.  With only 1 more episode left till next year, I was hoping to see them outside and on the move.  Maybe this will end up being interesting and unique, but its out of my comfort zone with how I think TWD should be and I’m legitimately skeptical.  We’ll see I guess…

  2. While episodes two through four each had their moments, this is the first episode that feels truly worthy of following the pilot. Really solid. So many terrific sequences. The walkie-talkie reports. Amy’s rebirth. Every scene featuring Dale. Shane’s temptation in the woods. Leaving Jim. And all of it set to the restrained pace we last saw in the pilot. Loved this one.  

  3. To me Walking Dead was never a “zombie” book to me. 

    I know thats abit odd, but i loved that part of the book and so far the TV series.  It made it feel unique, nothing like it before.

    But the moment the CDC was added to the mix it made this feel like a typical zomibe movie/show.  BOOO!

    Everything up to that point was wonderful.

  4. I am enjoying the direction of the show, I am sad to see that the first season is almost over though. My only complaint is that some of the sequences especially Jim were incredibly quiet.

  5. Loved this episode. I’m wary of this new twist, but they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt from me. Really wanted to dive into the next episode after finishing this one.

  6. I’ve got no problem with the twist.  Why? Because it’s a twist that makes sense.  If I were near Atlanta and there was a zombie outbreak I would think to go to the CDC also.  I’d hope there’d be people working on a cure or at least investigating the problem.  That’s what we’ve got. It’s completely logical, it’s clear that the guy doesn’t have all the answers and it’s almost certainly just a detour on their long journey. There’s no way they’re staying at the CDC building for very long.

    I’m also wondering if they’re having the first season end up at the CDC so they could have had more of a real ending in case the show wasn’t picked up.

  7. i really liked seeing Amy “re-animate” i was waiting for it to come and was always interested in seeing how that exactly happens since the first episode where it was mentioned. Now we know you have about 6-8 hours before it happens. 

    I didn’t love the CDC angle and the introduction of the “how” and “cure” angles. I thought this series wasn’t really about that kinda stuff. I would have liked them to wander a bit more and find survivors. I still enjoyed the show, but the part where the scientist comes on with his video-log kinda zapped me out of it. 

  8. I’m just worried that they are going to give a reason for why the Zombie outbreak started. Other than that this episode was really really good

  9. Not my cuppa tea. Bummed on a selfish level that I’m not loving this, but still very happy for the success it’s having broadly. There’s nothing but good that can come of this being a hit and Kirkman’s wealth and influence expanding; because he’s as ardent an advocate of supporting creator-owned comics as there is today.

  10. Another fantastic episode. I’ve loved every one except for the second episode which was still pretty good.

    I’m glad they finally got on the move. Just as I was starting to think, “I think maybe it’s time to get out of this camp I think we’ve rung everything out of it that we can” they left. Which was nice.

    I’m really looking forward to next week and then the LOOONG wait for season two.

  11. It is interesting to hear you say this episode was the most worthy.  IMHO last episode with the nursing home was the most like the comic and most worthy since the pilot.  I know story wise it was different but in spirit and content I felt like it was straight off the pages.

  12. I had absolutely no complaints about this episode. It had great mood, great use of the haracter drama, touching moments, tense moments. The cast was parted back to what I think of as the core group. Great use of ensemble drama here. A question, though, do you suppose they are diverting from the comic story in order to create something new for long time readers? Do you think the few people who pick up the boom due to the show will be confused?

  13. I’m a fan of the twist. It’s something I was thinking we were going to get when I first read the series so many years ago. It’s logical they would go somewhere where the government might still be around and the idea of finding a cure is also realistic. Yes the characters never did anything like this in the comics; but the idea of a guy finding a cure at the CDC couldn’t have happened in the universe of the comic?

    This was the best episode since the pilot. The acting was top notch from beginning to end, the script was pretty good, and again the twist made this even more enjoyable. They handled the stuff from the comics pretty well to. My favorite moment from the first volume is Jim deciding to stay behind after being bit. Although it wasn’t a full on translation of that moment, the show did it very well.

    The only thing I could nitpick really is the bug sounds in the background. It’s been obvious from episode 2 that they are on a separate sound track in the editing of the show. But when I hear the same loop track over and over again; it takes me out of the scene a little bit. Other then that though, I really enjoyed the episode.

  14. @zombox  I don’t think the diversions are for long time readers of the book simply because there aren’t enough of them to matter. I think the diversions are more for the creative people on the show to tell their own stories, not just Kirkman’s.

  15. @Conor Good call. That is probably the primary reason.

  16. haha true grit does look awesome!

  17. The CDC surprise worked for me as did Amy reanimating.  My take on the CDC angle is that this is how they will realize that the world is gone.  Something awful will happen to the CDC building, something to render it uninhabitable, and that potential sanctuary will be lost.  I’m guessing they end up on the outside at the end of EP6 setting out to find a new place to land, like the prison, or a community or somewhere else they might learn about at the CDC. 

    As an avid reader of every issue of this book, I’ve been fine with all the changes to the story line.  I love being surprised, and the CDC angle felt right.  Felt more like the original Andromeda Strain than Lost.

  18. @spiderphilman  Well, I did say last week that episode four was the best since the pilot. I do think that this was exponentially better though. You cite the faithfulness to the original comic as the strength of “Vatos,” but for me, someone who’s honestly not really a fan of the comics, that faithfulness had little to do with it. I’m just looking at this as a new story, which is why the CDC twist doesn’t bother me in the least. Using the pilot episode as a springboard, I just want this show to succeed on its own. This episode felt like the strongest since that premiere, and that’s due to writing, performances, direction, and timing. Whether or not it adheres to the original story doesn’t have much influence on my enjoyment. 

  19. Paul, I’m glad you mentioned the cicadas, b/c they represent what is so great about this show – they are a small detail that could have been overlooked or edited out, but they set the tone and immerse you in the world immediately.

  20. The CDC plot is actually the addition/change from the book that I’m most enthusiastic about, because I really liked what we saw of the CDC guy we met and his life–reminded me a lot of the hatches in Lost.  But I agree with others above who are concerned that this could start to move too closely towards explaining stuff that is better left unexplained. 

    I am worried, however, that this first season isn’t going to end on the same note as the first trade, which I thought was the natural end point.  Without getting too spoilery for those only watching the show, I think the death at the end of the first trade, as well as how it comes about, are important parts of establishing that no one is safe and anything can happen in this world.  If that death doesn’t happen this season, I’ll be worried that the “there are no rules” mantra that the comic lives by isn’t the same in the world of television, where networks might get attached to their cast or might want to avoid turning off the audience by changing up too much.  The previews of the next episode suggest to me that there’s not a lot of space for that event to happen, but I suppose we’ll all find out in 6 days.

  21. I’ve not read the series….yet! I’m waiting until the last episoide of this season to start. This one was great and I can’t wait to find out what happens!

  22. ONLY 1 MORE LEFT , NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!, Ok this show continues to have me sitting on the edge of my seat, this emotional rollercoaster keeps finding new ways to keep the avivid readers and the new viewers guessing at whats coming next. A few people who have read the books balked lastnight when they mentioned the CDC and going to it. To me im not sure Id want anything to do with going to the city and I think the Army Base would have been a better idea, but for the sake of the story it fits better for them to be near Atlanta. This show continues to develope the relationships of our cast as we start to see them coming closer together as things continue to get worse. Now with half of their camp eaten and the rest deciding what to do next  the internal stress begins to build between our leaders Rick and Shane, Rick leading with his heart and morals , and Shane seemingly with his head , and some what of his cowardess, but that does nt feel quiet right , shanes not a coward , but he isnt so eager to put people in harms way. This lends way to an intresting situation, to stay or Go, now Rick doesnt want to sit around on their hands, he wants answers and he wants help, Shane wants to gather who he can and protect that and to hell with anyone else. The story is about the Living and about the difference between doing whats right and doing what has to be done. The writing continues to amaze me, we can feel the peoples turmoil and pain we want them to live and push on, and deep inside all of us are just waiting to see who gets picked off next.  

  23. I like the CDC idea.  It makes sense.  It’s what I would do.  However, I hope they move on.  I don’t really want this to be about a cure.  If they can make it about a cure, and still make it genuinely entertaining, then I’ll enjoy it, but I’d rather see something unique.

    Excellent review, Paul.  “Ticking Time Zomb” is wonderful.

  24. What Conor said. The % of the audience that has read the comics is miniscule in the grand scheme of things. This is simply a case of the writers doing what they want to do. They clearly are doing their own thing. Simply using the book as a jumping off point and taking the setting & characters and their psychological arcs. I said it before. But that is for the better. Creative people do their best work when allowed to be creative. Not ape someone else’s work note for note.

    Going into next season (however long that may be), I really think as comic readers watching the show we need to distance ourselves from the books. They are two separate things at this point. Will some stuff from the books pop up from time to time? Sure. But I really doubt much more. I’m sure we’ll get a few characters from the book. But we’ll also get plenty original ones. Same goes for storylines. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them visit a prison or neighborhood setting. But it’s not like that’s all they’re going to be doing. And even then, they’ll have their own take on whatever they use from the book.

    Here’s the thing. I’m guessing for the most part, most of the writers/creative people working on the show haven’t read the books. And if they have, maybe a volume or two. Maybe you have the one hardcore writer who went and read them all. But beyond that, the only person working on the show with the level of knowledge that we the readers have is Kirkman. And we don’t really know how much he is actually contributing. Probably depends on how many episodes he gets to write. We saw that he killed off Amy in the episode he wrote. The more influence he has on the show behind the scenes, the better the chances for more things from the book to find their way into the show. Otherwise, it’s a group of professional writers who pride themselves on being smart, original, creative people. And they’re going to make their own show. And good on that. I have loved not being totally sure of what is going down. Makes for a better show.

  25. As much as I love LOST, it did pretty much ruin that sequence of seeing the guy at CDC.

    It screamed “Hatch” and “Desmond” waaayyy too much.

  26. As for this episode. I’m with Paul and those who have said that it’s the best ep since the pilot. The stuff with Andrea/Amy, the scenes with Jim, all excellent. This episode embodies exactly what I was hoping the show would be in terms of character drama. Tensions boiling amongst the camp. Characters pushed to their emotional limits. Gut wrenching decisions needing to be made. Also, the score in this was great. The one theme that played as they drove away leaving Jim on the side of the road is fantastic. I think it was used before in the pilot. Great stuff from Bear McCreary. And does Rick’s one way conversations with Morgan remind anyone else of a certain series of one sided phone calls he had in the book? Not as dramatic or disturbing. But similar pyschological reasoning behind it. If even on a much smaller scale.

  27. Loved this episode, can’t wait for the season finale next week. Also, I’m kinda glad they broke from the books so epically, mostly since now I can stop wondering if I’m remembering things correctly. 

  28. Others have already said it. But I just wanted to agree with them. I highly doubt the CDC stays all that safe for all too long. Something bad is going to go down there, and our survivors are going to be in more danger than ever. The way I look at it is a tease of safety, that will prove in the end to be simply a means to the next big danger. That, and possibly an introduction to a new character. As those of us who’ve read the book know. You got to get creative in the ways you bring new characters into the fold.

    Also, question for everyone. We got zero Merle Dixon in this ep. And not even a single hint about him. Given the new developments with the CDC bunker, I’m guessing ol’ Merle isn’t going to come back into play til sometime next season. Prior to this episode, my guess was that he was going to factor in somehow with the finale. But like Rick and Shane, I’m now thinking that he’s a character/plot that is going to be left for more development.

  29. I never watched Lost so the only thing the CDC reminded me of was the CDC in The Stand mini series that was on abc years ago

  30. @j206: Yeah I really doubt we will be seeing Merle until later down the road and I am all for that because rushing Merle’s story would just not be any fun. The factor of not knowing when Merle could pop back up is exciting for me.

  31. @zombox  When you have 5million + viewers of a tv show, i doubt the producers are giving much thought to the thousands readers of the comic readers, they’re peanuts. I would think they’ve diverged because 1) it’s not interesting to regurgitate someone elses story 2) they had their own ideas that they thought should be told. I like it when they diverge, Sin City and Watchmen have shown me that i don’t want direct translations, i want to see someone elses vision of the work (i just cross my fingers that they are good)

  32. I think the CDC is decent twist. It felt weird to see anything from Dr. Jenner’s perspective though.  I’m not sure why.

  33. This series is SOAPY. For people scrambling towards survival during the zombie apocalypse, they sure do not move with any kind of efficiency. I can hardly believe there would be this many maudlin speeches if humanity were indeed looking at its demise at the bitey-end of a zombie head. Also, for battle-hardended survivors, they sure do a lot of stupid things to ensure disaster, i.e. keep the bitten guy in the Winnebago, and not immediately beheading Amy. I get there’s a limited budget, but I’m not detecting that same grim, relentless air of desperation Zack Snyder so adroitly wove in 2004’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead.”

    And yet, I keep watching… and watching.

  34. I have the comics. Why would I want the TV show to give me the exact same experience? This is really making all the right decisions as far as I’m concerned. The writers are forging their own path and they’re giving me the same level of excitement and anticipation that I get at the end of each of the trades at the the end of each episode of the tv show.

  35. I’m trying to keep the same open-mind regarding the TV show as a separate storyline. The CDC is a logical step, but it drew me out of the “feeling” of Walking Dead as a human study, and it feels more like a zombie series now. Not too sure how I feel about it in all honesty. I’m going to let the final play out, and then make a final judgement.

  36. You guys do realize that more than likely they’re going to the CDC and it’s going to sooner than later become infested with zombies and turn into an impending tomb, right? And that the goal will turn into how to get out of there. This isn’t Lost, where they have 25 episodes for a season. Even next year it will only be 12. They are not going to do what Lost with with the Swan station and use it as their HQ for an long period of time. I’m not saying it’s impossible. But overreacting to a new setting that will likely be nothing more than a pit stop, is a bit silly IMO.

  37. @j206  I don’t think anyone’s overreacting

  38. Great episode. Couldn’t stop discussing the episode on twitter last nite, and yes the scene at the end reminded me of the Hatch, and the CDC guy as our Desmond in Lost. It was fantastic.

    I’m happy they aren’t being a slave to the comic. I don’t want to experience the same story I’ve already experienced in the comic. Plus to echo someone else’s comments, creative minds are at their best when they are allowed to create their own ideas instead of copying the comic, and using that as your script.

  39. I thought this was an episode full of some good moments that suffered from the short short season. Some of the character moments that should have been important were lacking because they were developed more in the comics than in the show, since the show spent so much time in Atlanta.

    I thought the change to Dale’s wife’s death was strange. Why change it to cancer? Wouldn’t Andrea connect with him more if it were death via zombie? And it seems odd to me that he would have an RV and be on the road if he were alone or had a wife going through intensive chemo, though maybe I just don’t know enough about RV culture.

    It feels like they’re sacrificing what made the comic great in favor of a more standard-issue zombie story. I’m enjoying it but there are a lot of little moments that make me hesitate.

  40. @cutty  Overreacting might be strong wording. But there definitely are people on here getting bothered by the idea of the characters going into the CDC. All I was saying is that it shouldn’t be much of a concern given that with how short the seasons are. The odds of them being there for too long are very small.

  41. i hope this doesnt intrude on the spoiler bubble.  But im just mad no one is being trained to use weapons.  I guess it would ruin the whole, “they’ll hear us” thing and the conservation of ammo aspect.  Some characters NEED to be shown learing to shoot. 

    As far as the twist, i am not crazy about too many liberties taken with the story.  I will say that i am not making an official decission until the finale.  Upon finding out it was the cdc NATIONAL HQ, it made me much more understanding.  Also glad to see we are down to only a few non comic characters. 

    @flakbait. i agree with that it feels like they are catering to general America and the traditional zombie story.

    …but that’s just me

  42. @j206  You’re right.  I definately wasn’t that excited for the CDC turn but it’s more because I know there’s only 40 minutes left of TWD until next year.  Plus I’m one of the people who pretty much hated LOST after season 1, and we all know the similarities – it was a little too familiar coming out of that late commercial break.  I didn’t like taking the POV away from Rick or the other survivors in “our” group.

    I don’t want this to come off as bitching, because I recognize that the show is in good hands, and I’ll probably post next Monday about how great it was. 

    Another thing I’ll throw in there is how tense and awesome it was while they were outside of the CDC and everybody was scrambling and freaking out that it was getting dark; that sequence was handled particularly well.

  43. my concern about going into the CDC was that i wasn’t expecting that twist because everyone has been saying Walking Dead isn’t about the “how” or “why” the Zombie Apocalypse happened or finding the cure. Its about surviving it. It seems like its changing that a bit and thats ok. Looks like they are making an effort to create something different from the comics to avoid spoilers and keep the comic readers engaged in a new thing. Cool. 

  44. Loved the new twist with them going to the CDC! I’ve been reading the comics in trades, and I was excited to see the new turn. It feels more like the comic to me after this episode since I’m now in the same position of not knowing where the story is going or what will happen next.

    As for the concerns about them introducing a cause and a cure, it seemed to me that the one suicidally desperate scientist in the empty CDC building was not having much luck in that regard.

    Anyone else get the feeling that Merle might have lead all those walkers to the camp at the end of the last episode?

  45. Just thought of something – one episode to go, we still haven’t seen that grenade (from episode…2?) used yet. Odds of it being used in the season finale…?

  46. @Cooper  good call

  47. That last scene from this episode reminded me of LOST for whatever reason. I’m excited for next weeks episode though. The alcoholic crazy CDC guy is awesome!

  48. I like the idea of going to the CDC.  Whenever I watch zombie movies I’m always wondering about how the government would react and find ways to survive.  I think it’ll make for interesting stories.

    Also, where has this score been??  The music cues as they were leaving camp and again outside the CDC were brilliant!

  49. @j206  i agree, its a logical step to goto the CDC, but i dont get the comment about how it takes them out of the show, first off its one dude , whom seems to be kinda nuts himself, so i really dont see there being much help there. Also im pretty sure all his research went up in smoke and like some people have stated i think its going to be more about how they are going to get out and where do they go from here. It may also serve as a link to their next stop or more then likely the Doc was infected when the acid started to eat through his glove when he was wiping the sample down.

  50. @mikegraham6 I actually loved Sin City because it was an almost perfect, moving recreation of the books. Watchmen was mediocre entirely.

  51. @LocoLobo73 — well it took me out of the show a bit in that it was right after the commercial break so it was kinda of a 4th wall break out of nowhere introducing a new character that was slightly contrived. I wasn’t sure if it was the show or a commercial or something else. Also the idea of the scientist character talking to a video log is something i’ve seen before and just felt a bit out of place for this show. I liked the scenes later where they are pulling back across the CDC command area and he’s talking about how futile everything is…That was nice filmmaking.  From next weeks previews it looks like this CDC thing is going to be crazy. I dunno…i didn’t love the idea of it at first…i kinda wanted them to remain in the pack on the run looking for more survivors and so on. 

  52. This may be my least favorite because of the differences to the comic. I know that’s ignorant, but the CDC  part just felt off to me. We’ll see where this will go…

  53. The best moments in the film ‘Day of the Dead’ is where we see the crazy scientist studying the zombies. In fact, any type of zombie movie that does focus on the scientific aspect intrigues me a lot.

    So this little diversion works for me.

  54. @bigben2012  I don’t think they will. I have a feeling it will be kind of like Y: The Last Man, but no definitive answer.

  55. I’m calling it now…Merle will be The Governor.

  56. @MikefromGotham  I can’t see that, Merle doesn’t strike me as somebody that dozens of people would put their trust into. 

  57. I got the impression that the CDC declared “Wildfire” to signal that the pandemic had passed the point of containment, rather than referring to the zombie-ism as Wildfire.  Kind of like moving to DefCon 1.  From that, I was far less concerned that the CDC will have any answers or cures.  Very curious about where every other employee went (unless they went to take care of their elderly relatives in a nursing home – that would be disappointing).

  58. I would love to know that the show would at least get us to the point that we are in the book. At this pace I don’t think we are going to get there unless it goes on a Simpsons-like run. I love the show and in Noob’s perfect world we would be assured of it. That being said, it’s a wonderful complaint to have because no one said we were going to get such a quality adaptation to begin with.

    Wanna know what really worries me. The kid that plays Carl outgrowing the role. Remember Walt?

  59. seems like the CDC guy knows more about what happened on a global scale…he thinks his videologs are being watched etc….plus the previews for next week kinda gives the scale of the zombie thing away…

  60. @wallythegreenmonster  Yeah, the “global scale” aspect is pretty unexpected (if that’s where they go).  One of the things I appreciate about the comic is that the POV of Rick and co. doesn’t really stretch outside of 100 yards in any direction.  They don’t have the slightest clue about what’s going on 5 miles down the road, let alone the rest of the world.  I love that.

    The idea of showing video footage from before Rick woke up does sound cool though, even if the comic hasn’t embraced that kind of 10,000 foot view

  61. @cutty–thats what i was expecting and was kinda interested in seeing. A lot like The Road in that vein. Leaves so many questions, that aren’t necessary to answer and lets your mind go wild…so much more fun i think. 

  62. The scenes where Amy turns into a zombie and where Jim was dropped off were great.  They moved my wife to tears.  And the whole CDC part is the first time where I feel that the show has departed from the book, which I think is great.  It’s the first time where I’ve felt that I don’t know what is going to happen next. 

  63. @wayne2001bc  —the part where Amy re-animates drove my wife to cover her eyes and look away. haha “oh no…she’s gonna get it!!!!”

  64. @wallythegreenmonster  yeah, that scene was pretty intense. Especially when she shot Amy in the head.  Luckily Amy didn’t bite off Andrea’s nose!

  65. @AmirCat  I hope I wasn’t just spoiled the ending to Y the Last Man………………..

    Also I hope your right that they don’t say why the dead started walking.

  66. The Woodbury people didnt trust the Governor, they feared him, but he kept them safe from the walkers.  makes sense in an “arm for an arm” kinda way if you think about it….

  67. But…what about the grenade?!

  68. This series is certainly one of the best (if not the best) TV series out there right now.

    I’m okay with the story going a different way than what happened in the comics, especially the CDC thing, but I hope it doesnt derogate from the main plots of the source material like Herschel’s farm, the prison, and so forth…
  69. @GiantRaven  –that grenade thing has the potential to be a giant “oh brother” moment. They bring attention to the fact that he has it, and then you never see it on him ever again….until some dire circumstance where he needs an escape and then he’ll magically have it on him. That would be such a bush league, typical action movie maneuver….i hope they are above that.

    Sure its a nitpick, but its not like a grenade is easy to hide or fit in your pockets. I think it woulda been fun if we see it on his holster teasing us the whole time. I kinda think they’ll never use it. 

  70. The ending is quite ironic. The scientist lost his only sample of living issue that was infected with that zombie virus. If they had brought Jim to the CDC a s per their original plan, the scientist would have a fresh source of a sample, and hopes for a cure.

  71. @IroncladMerc  —great point. this could set up a rather interesting conflict….a scientist turned desperate…and survivors entering his secure world with zombies all around….hmmmm

  72. @bigben2012  You were not.

  73. I wonder If the scientist might infect someone with that virus just to get his sample. Rick and company better be careful inside the facility.

  74. @IroncladMerc –yeah thats what i was getting at as well…the previews for next week make it look pretty crazy inside the CDC. 

  75. I love that the show is based on The Walking Dead, but if it is just going to become another Sc-Fi Soap Opera like Lost I wish they would follow some different characters.

  76. I almost posted a question about when the grenade that Rick grabbed in episode two was going to be used but then saw that others already thought of that question. Now I’m just bragging that I read others’ comments before posting.

  77. Bumping my own spoiler(?) off the front page.