# Fear The Walking Dead "Pilot" 082315



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I'm in.

The most interesting thing so far is that WE know what is going on and none of the characters do.

Travis in the church. Might as well have been a blonde running in the woods.


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## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

Cainebj said:


> I'm in.


Same here.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

I liked it. I don't watch The Walking Dead anymore, but I'll watch this one for a while. I'm very interested in the story of how it transpired.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

The junkie is a very interesting character. Smart enough to know what he saw can't be real, worried about whether he's insane or just took some bad drugs. So he's jumping to incorrect but logical conclusions. It will be interesting to see what happens now that he knows it really IS real.

Plus, of course, we all know how difficult it can be to score good smack during a zombie apocalypse...


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## Craigbob (Dec 2, 2006)

I'm in as well, but not sold on the characters yet. I liked the addict's character the best. Had a good bit of dialogue with the cops. The daughter was too tv trope teenager as was Travis's son Chris. 

Hopefully they gel together. 

I wasn't overwhelmed by the episode like I was with the original version. 

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

I'm in, but that was never really a question. I always wished TWD hadn't skipped over that crucial time period, so it will be interesting to watch it here. Once they get a couple months into the ZA and it inevitably becomes TWD West, then I'll have to reevaluate. But for now, I'm in. 

I agree that having the entry into the story be through a junkie who knows what he saw but knows it couldn't have been real was a great way to go.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> The junkie is a very interesting character. Smart enough to know what he saw can't be real, worried about whether he's insane or just took some bad drugs. So he's jumping to incorrect but logical conclusions. It will be interesting to see what happens now that he knows it really IS real.
> 
> Plus, of course, we all know how difficult it can be to score good smack during a zombie apocalypse...




I enjoyed the first episode but was really impressed by the addict's performance. The friendly drug dealer seemed so nice with the parents so I was surprised by that reveal.


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## 2004raptor (Dec 31, 2005)

I'm in.

I know it's too early but I didn't really like any of the characters. Maybe the mom (I forget her name) was ok. The addict was OK but there was just something about him I didn't like. My wife kept commenting on why he was walking funny or with a limp. Seemed odd. 
At the restaurant talking with the dealer I knew something was up. That was played out pretty good. Although I did not see it coming when the mom and step dad talked to him (the dealer).


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

2004raptor said:


> The addict was OK but there was just something about him I didn't like. My wife kept commenting on why he was walking funny or with a limp. Seemed odd.


Being run over by a car may have something to do with it...


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## 2004raptor (Dec 31, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Being run over by a car may have something to do with it...


 Completely forgot about that.


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## ampad (Mar 6, 2012)

My premier failed to record the pilot even though I have a one pass for all channels. If i look at the "Upcoming Episodes" list for the One Pass, it lists several upcoming re-airings, but none are marked for recording. I had no conflicting recordings for that time slot. If I look ahead to next week, none of the airing of EP2 are marked for recording either. 
I'm on Time Warner in Raleigh, NC. 

Anyone else have this problem. I guess I'll try removing and re-adding the one-pass, but the fact that it failed is disturbing.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

2004raptor said:


> My wife kept commenting on why he was walking funny or with a limp. Seemed odd.


well (beside the car accident) - i thought it was interesting (although probably a cliche) that he was moving kind of like a walker. i think a lot of zombie movies go for the point that we are The Walking Dead already in modern life.

Generally, I am bored with junkies. There was a glimpse of hope for his junkie character when he was calmed down in the hospital bed so should be interesting to see where he develops if he turns into a zombie fighter.

so I am in but I was maybe slightly underwhelmed?... the pilot episode of WD was just so damned good.


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## 2004raptor (Dec 31, 2005)

Cainebj said:


> well (beside the car accident) - i thought it was interesting (although probably a cliche) that he was moving kind of like a walker. i think a lot of zombie movies go for the point that we are The Walking Dead already in modern life.


You know, know that I think about it, that's what my wife pointed out and this was right at the beginning while he was still in the church, before the car hit him. Of course it was much worse after. BUt his first seen showed him walking a bit odd. Maybe that was on purpose or something.

Anyway, not a big deal.


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## ampad (Mar 6, 2012)

It appears the problem was the channel setting of "All Channels" Once I changed it to a specific channel, it added the upcoming episodes to the to do list.


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

I'm wondering what this group is going to call the zombies.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Craigbob said:


> The daughter was too tv trope teenager as was Travis's son Chris.


If she is 17, I am 35.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Cainebj said:


> I'm in.
> 
> The most interesting thing so far is that WE know what is going on and none of the characters do...


Not for long....


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

ampad said:


> My premier failed to record the pilot even though I have a one pass for all channels. If i look at the "Upcoming Episodes" list for the One Pass, it lists several upcoming re-airings, but none are marked for recording. I had no conflicting recordings for that time slot. If I look ahead to next week, none of the airing of EP2 are marked for recording either.
> I'm on Time Warner in Raleigh, NC.
> 
> Anyone else have this problem. I guess I'll try removing and re-adding the one-pass, but the fact that it failed is disturbing.


I had this identical problem, but noticed it last week. So I deleted the 1P I had, then found this ep in the guide, and created a new 1P off it. That worked...


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Cainebj said:


> If she is 17, I am 35.


She's (the actress) actually 22...


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

All these comments make me not want to watch. Addict character? UGH. I'll keep it spooled up on my tivo for a few months. THen re-evalute.

Who am I kidding? I'll watch. Pray the addict storyline dies.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm in. Excellent start, even if it's not quite up to the prequel standards of Better Call Saul.

Cal the zombie bit the mother, although it was tough to tell if the sleeves of her blouse prevented broken skin or not.


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## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

KyleLC said:


> I'm wondering what this group is going to call the zombies.


The "infected" as per one of the show's producers when asked in an interview.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Bob Coxner said:


> ...Cal the zombie bit the mother, although it was tough to tell if the sleeves of her blouse prevented broken skin or not.


That's what I thought, too. But she didn't act at all like she had been bitten afterward. Even if they don't know that will turn them, anyone would react some way or another after being bit by someone (something)...


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## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

Bierboy said:


> That's what I thought, too. But she didn't act at all like she had been bitten afterward. Even if they don't know that will turn them, anyone would react some way or another after being bit by someone (something)...


I thought the same thing.


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## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

justen_m said:


> All these comments make me not want to watch. Addict character? UGH. I'll keep it spooled up on my tivo for a few months. THen re-evalute.
> 
> Who am I kidding? I'll watch. Pray the addict storyline dies.


Yeah, I'm assuming the addict son has to go through withdrawal (after all, his supply is going to cease, whether he'd want to quit or not), and we'll have to watch a bunch of jittery sweaty withdrawal scenes. It'll be bunch of FF button pressing for me. But once he straightens out, it'll probably be 'smooth sailing'.


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## NJChris (May 11, 2001)

Bierboy said:


> That's what I thought, too. But she didn't act at all like she had been bitten afterward. Even if they don't know that will turn them, anyone would react some way or another after being bit by someone (something)...


 I thought the husband pushed him out of the way before his mouth made contact.

I enjoyed this show. I just can't compare to the original WD premiere because in this one we know what's going on. In the WD we were learning as they did.

I really thought the old man in the room with him was going to die and try to get his zombie on with him.


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## Maui (Apr 22, 2000)

Bob Coxner said:


> Cal the zombie bit the mother, although it was tough to tell if the sleeves of her blouse prevented broken skin or not.


I think he tried to bite her but did not actually do so.

The actress is the most recognizable name in the cast so I can't see them turning her into a zombie right away.


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## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

NJChris said:


> I really thought the old man in the room with him was going to die and try to get his zombie on with him.


I thought that, too. I was thinking the son is probably already infected because of his time in that church, and the old guy has how caught it from him, and then he'll die and turn.


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

ampad said:


> My premier failed to record the pilot even though I have a one pass for all channels. If i look at the "Upcoming Episodes" list for the One Pass, it lists several upcoming re-airings, but none are marked for recording. I had no conflicting recordings for that time slot. If I look ahead to next week, none of the airing of EP2 are marked for recording either.
> I'm on Time Warner in Raleigh, NC.
> 
> Anyone else have this problem. I guess I'll try removing and re-adding the one-pass, but the fact that it failed is disturbing.


I had the same problem but caught it before the show aired. Had a 1P set for all channels but it didn't schedule the recording. Fixed it by updating the 1P to record from AMC (ch 54 in my lineup). Not the first time I've seen this happen but never got the chance to look up the problem.


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## crazywater (Mar 7, 2001)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Being run over by a car may have something to do with it...


Or running out of the church barefoot prior to being hit by the car...


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## Tracy (Mar 12, 2000)

The daughter said something to the mom about how she shouldn't just send him away "like she did when he was little" or something to that effect. It made me think that the addict had been troubled since childhood. I thought mental problems but maybe he has a club foot or something as well. Are club foots still a thing? The limp doesn't seem like a "my ankle is sore from being run over" kind of limp. It seems like a "I'm totally used to this limp" limp.

I liked the episode but thought they were going to start earlier in the zombie process. I would like to see how it happened more slowly.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

Jeeters said:


> I thought that, too. I was thinking the son is probably already infected because of his time in that church, and the old guy has how caught it from him, and then he'll die and turn.


Are we allowed to reference The Walking Dead? I think the odds of someone seeing this show and not seeing TWD is pretty slim, so what we've learned in TWD should apply here, and vice-versa.



Spoiler



Everyone is "infected". At this point, as people die, they add to the hoarde.


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## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Being run over by a car may have something to do with it...





crazywater said:


> Or running out of the church barefoot prior to being hit by the car...


Or falling out his hospital bed during his escape. I'm sure that didn't help either.


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## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

Tracy said:


> The daughter said something to the mom about how she shouldn't just send him away "like she did when he was little" or something to that effect. It made me think that the addict had been troubled since childhood. I thought mental problems but maybe he has a club foot or something as well. Are club foots still a thing? The limp doesn't seem like a "my ankle is sore from being run over" kind of limp. It seems like a "I'm totally used to this limp" limp.


I don't remember her saying anything like "little", but maybe she did. What I remember getting from that conversation is the daughter just basically saying that can't send him away like they used because he's now over 18 and an adult.

Besides getting hit by the car, the soles of his feet are all torn up from running on the sidewalk and asphalt when he left the church. When the police visited him in the hospital, they even made a comment about what he did to his feet.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

Tracy said:


> The daughter said something to the mom about how she shouldn't just send him away "like she did when he was little" or something to that effect. It made me think that the addict had been troubled since childhood. I thought mental problems but maybe he has a club foot or something as well. Are club foots still a thing? The limp doesn't seem like a "my ankle is sore from being run over" kind of limp. It seems like a "I'm totally used to this limp" limp.
> 
> I liked the episode but thought they were going to start earlier in the zombie process. I would like to see how it happened more slowly.


He started off barefoot in the opening scene. He seemed fine. And getting hit by a car messes up the whole body. He's probably got lots of sore joints.

There's certain kinds of expectations I would have if the infection broke out like this. I'd think that news would travel quickly since everything that happens is broadcast across the internet almost instantly now. A zombie breakout would be covered on all the news websites. I'm a bit surprised that since there's already been outbreaks across five or six other states (according to that student), there's not more news stories. It's not like once there's an outbreak, it gets contained.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

KyleLC said:


> I'm wondering what this group is going to call the zombies.


Also, has anyone at any time ever used the word "zombie" in TWD? That's one thing that bugged me about the show. During the time I watched it, the word "zombie" was never used. Even though the producers never used it, we all saw the ads for the new series and thought "zombie apocalypse". It's like, what universe are they living in that nobody in that show has heard of zombies before?


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## Tracy (Mar 12, 2000)

bobcarn said:


> Also, has anyone at any time ever used the word "zombie" in TWD? That's one thing that bugged me about the show. During the time I watched it, the word "zombie" was never used. Even though the producers never used it, we all saw the ads for the new series and thought "zombie apocalypse". It's like, what universe are they living in that nobody in that show has heard of zombies before?


I totally agree! That drives me crazy.

Is anyone else getting a James Franco vibe from the Nick character?


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## Flop (Dec 2, 2005)

bobcarn said:


> Are we allowed to reference The Walking Dead? I think the odds of someone seeing this show and not seeing TWD is pretty slim, so what we've learned in TWD should apply here, and vice-versa.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I watched this but have never seen an episode of TWD... That said, reference all you want, it doesn't bother me in the least.


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## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

bobcarn said:


> Also, has anyone at any time ever used the word "zombie" in TWD? That's one thing that bugged me about the show. During the time I watched it, the word "zombie" was never used. Even though the producers never used it, we all saw the ads for the new series and thought "zombie apocalypse". It's like, what universe are they living in that nobody in that show has heard of zombies before?





Tracy said:


> I totally agree! That drives me crazy.


According to this interview with Robert Kirkman, zombies and/or zombie movies don't exist in The Walking Dead universe.

http://www.thewrap.com/why-walking-dead-walkers-are-called-walkers-and-an-episode-3-preview-video/


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

trnsfrguy said:


> According to this interview with Robert Kirkman, zombies and/or zombie movies don't exist in The Walking Dead universe.
> 
> http://www.thewrap.com/why-walking-dead-walkers-are-called-walkers-and-an-episode-3-preview-video/


Ahhhh. Interesting. It does create a bit of a disconnect though in that mentally, you see this world as a _different_ world, not "this is our world if the zombies hit."

Well, thankfully _this_ world has zombies in the media, so we know the proper way to fight them from the beginning.


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## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> That's what I thought, too. But she didn't act at all like she had been bitten afterward. Even if they don't know that will turn them, anyone would react some way or another after being bit by someone (something)...


The infection has two effects that we know about from TWD. 1) when you die, you become a walker. 2) When a walker bites you, you die. Do we know for sure that at this stage of the infection, the second effect is occurring? Maybe that's a mutation that hasn't happened yet. We have not yet seen anybody turned from being bitten in FTWD.



bobcarn said:


> Are we allowed to reference The Walking Dead? I think the odds of someone seeing this show and not seeing TWD is pretty slim, so what we've learned in TWD should apply here, and vice-versa.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Same issue. This is early in the epidemic. Not everybody is necessarily infected yet. Remember, in TWD in the traffic James on the highway, for instance, there were dead bodies in cars. Those people must have died after the chaos began but before they themselves were infected.


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## Jeeters (Feb 25, 2003)

bobcarn said:


> There's certain kinds of expectations I would have if the infection broke out like this. I'd think that news would travel quickly since everything that happens is broadcast across the internet almost instantly now. A zombie breakout would be covered on all the news websites. I'm a bit surprised that since there's already been outbreaks across five or six other states (according to that student), there's not more news stories. It's not like once there's an outbreak, it gets contained.


I think the writers are trying to address that (but not very well) there was the student that tried to get a knife past the metal detector. He was saying something about talks on internet forums about some things happening that havent made to the news. The teacher tried to dismiss it all by saying something, if something was really happening, the authorities would tell us. Implying, I think were to assume, that things are starting to happen that authorities are deliberately *not* telling people.


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## jr461 (Jul 9, 2004)

Tracy said:


> I totally agree! That drives me crazy.
> 
> *Is anyone else getting a James Franco vibe from the Nick character?*


Yes!!!

I thought it was a good first episode looking forward to how things develop.

I liked the opening scene from the son's perspective and the misdirection of the environment where he was running as it appeared to be all zombified and vacant, as towns started to look in TWD when they were running rampant. But then they pull back and you see LA functioning as normal.


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

trnsfrguy said:


> The ***** as per one of the show's producers when asked in an interview.


I guess I should've added that I didn't want to find out ahead of time.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Good interview with the showrunner breaking down the pilot:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fear-walking-dead-premiere-spoilers-817004

Interesting tidbit: Nick is played by Frank Dillane and is the son of Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon).


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

I found it interesting that people were getting sick first, not just dying and becoming a zombie. The teacher said there were only 4 or 5 kids on one of the busses.


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## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

They said two things when there were only 4 or 5 kids on the bus. 1) hope you got your flu shot and 2) parents were keeping kids home because of the shooting. So we don't know that people are getting sick.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

JETarpon said:


> They said two things when there were only 4 or 5 kids on the bus. 1) hope you got your flu shot and 2) parents were keeping kids home because of the shooting. So we don't know that people are getting sick.


Except when Madison first showed up at the school, the principal wondered if she was sick as well, like so many others, and she said she had her flu shot. This happened before the shooting. So people are getting sick, or parents are keeping their kids home for some other reason.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

JETarpon said:


> Same issue. This is early in the epidemic. Not everybody is necessarily infected yet. Remember, in TWD in the traffic James on the highway, for instance, there were dead bodies in cars. Those people must have died after the chaos began but before they themselves were infected.


Or they were infected and died of head trauma.


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

2004raptor said:


> You know, know that I think about it, that's what my wife pointed out and this was right at the beginning while he was still in the church, before the car hit him. Of course it was much worse after. BUt his first seen showed him walking a bit odd. Maybe that was on purpose or something.


I kind of thought so too. When he first woke up from his drug-induced haze, he was kind of staggering like a TWD "walker". I kind of took it as a wink/nod/homage.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Note that the medical staff in the hospital clearly know about the plague; remember the panic to get the dead guy "downstairs" with the "others". Also remember that the video of the infected attacking the EMT was suppressed by the authorities. And of course the speech by the boy with the knife, who wanted the safety of numbers. Authorities are actively controlling news of the outbreak.

As far as limping in the church goes, my feet ached in sympathy as the kid ran through a junk-filled ruin. I was surprised not to see his feet bleeding in that scene.


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

I think the kid was still high when he was in the church. That's why he was stumbling, and that's why he doubted what he saw.


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## Peter000 (Apr 15, 2002)

Philosofy said:


> I think the kid was still high when he was in the church. That's why he was stumbling, and that's why he doubted what he saw.


I think that stumbling in the beginning was very deliberate to make us think he might have been a walker. And he heard a "bang" and was attracted to the sound. But when he started to call out the deception ended.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Peter000 said:


> I think that stumbling in the beginning was very deliberate to make us think he might have been a walker. And he heard a "bang" and was attracted to the sound. But when he started to call out the deception ended.


Yeah, they enjoyed playing with us. Like when the principle was listening to the PA monitor.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

10.1 million live + same day viewers. That's the most watched series premiere in cable history.

6.3 million adults 18-49, which would give it a 4.9 rating, which is better than all but a small handful of scripted shows on TV (broadcast or cable) over the last couple years.


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## NJChris (May 11, 2001)

Peter000 said:


> I think that stumbling in the beginning was very deliberate to make us think he might have been a walker. And he heard a "bang" and was attracted to the sound. But when he started to call out the deception ended.


i didn't get that. As soon as he woke up he said "Gloria?"

I figured it was just echoing what he was to see and as a result of his drug induced state of mind.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I'm like 2-3 seasons behind on Walking Dead. Now there is more of it!! I'll have to jump in and see what this one is like.


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

Jeeters said:


> I think the writers are trying to address that (but not very well) there was the student that tried to get a knife past the metal detector. He was saying something about talks on internet forums about some things happening that havent made to the news. The teacher tried to dismiss it all by saying something, if something was really happening, the authorities would tell us. Implying, I think were to assume, that things are starting to happen that authorities are deliberately *not* telling people.


That line cracked me up. Oh yeah, if there's a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion, the authorities are going to tell us right away. 

I think that while things hit the internet quickly, there's still a level of skepticism about items posted there--especially if they're hard to believe to begin with.

At first I hated the druggie and hoped he would be eaten, but by the end I liked him pretty well.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Bierboy said:


> She's (the actress) actually 22...


Wasn't there some dialog with her brother that she was the good child, going to Stanford (or something like that), and he was a drop out... That would put the character right at 22, assuming she graduated HS at 18 and got out of college in 4 years...right?


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

MikeekiM said:


> Wasn't there some dialog with her brother that she was the good child, going to Stanford (or something like that), and he was a drop out... That would put the character right at 22, assuming she graduated HS at 18 and got out of college in 4 years...right?


She's starting her senior year in high school, and is going to Berkeley (I think) next year. The boyfriend is bummed, because he's not Berkeley material.


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> She's starting her senior year in high school, and is going to Berkeley (I think) next year. The boyfriend is bummed, because he's not Berkeley material.


Oh yea...it was Berkeley... Not Stanford...

And yes, I guess I missed the details of that conversation


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## Flop (Dec 2, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> She's starting her senior year in high school, and is going to Berkeley (I think) next year. The boyfriend is bummed, because he's not Berkeley material.


Points in his favor.


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## bruinfan (Jan 17, 2006)

Here is what I don't get:

it seemed like the fact that everyone is infected and turns after death was a big reveal in TWD, for both us and the characters...

but here, we see right away that dead=turn... it would seem like if this was a known fact this early in the epidemic, that it would be common knowledge by the time TWD is going on...

and where are we in the timeline anyways?


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

I almost did not watch because the Firewall and Iceberg podcasts trashed it. Good thing I did watch. Thought this pilot was terrific. And they especially trashed the drugged out kid. I thought he was very convincing as a confused teen.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

Peter000 said:


> I think that stumbling in the beginning was very deliberate to make us think he might have been a walker. And he heard a "bang" and was attracted to the sound. But when he started to call out the deception ended.


Really? I didn't for a second think he was a zombie and didn't get the impression they were attempting misdrection. His eyes weren't foggy and he was adjusting his pants. I didn't know why he was all woozy, but it makes sense if he woke up from a drug slumber.


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## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

bruinfan said:


> Here is what I don't get:
> 
> it seemed like the fact that everyone is infected and turns after death was a big reveal in TWD, for both us and the characters...
> 
> ...


That's a very good point. It would seem like that's one of the things they'd pick up on pretty early. Hospitals would have people dying of natural causes, so it would stand to reason that they'd have reanimated ones popping up and wreaking havoc. Maybe the agent hasn't settled in yet to everyone, and it's only now reaching the point where non-bitten people are reanimating.

As for timeline, I'd venture that it's very early. Just a couple weeks, judging by what the one student said. That makes me wonder though.... if it's really been long enough that outbreaks in half a dozen cities could generate internet speculation, then those cities must be further along and it'd be surprising that there's so little news. I guess it's just starting to reach a point where it's unavoidable that people find out and we're coming in when it's just about to explode.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Ratings record -- 10.1 million watched it...most watched series debut for total viewers and across all key demos in cable TV history.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

gossamer88 said:


> I almost did not watch because the Firewall and Iceberg podcasts trashed it. Good thing I did watch. Thought this pilot was terrific. And they especially trashed the drugged out kid. I thought he was very convincing as a confused teen.


I agree; I thought he was excellent in that role. Fortunately I don't know personally anyone really addicted to hard drugs so I can't say definitively that it was a realistic portrayal, but I felt a lot of empathy for Nick and didn't get any "oh that's so fake" vibe at all. To me he was head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, acting-wise (although he clearly had more to work with as well).

In fact I saw an article posted earlier panning the show for being unrealistic, but I have to say I think it was just click-bait: all the "unrealistic" things they complained about seemed pretty normal to me! In fact I was impressed with how realistically they dealt with things. The only somewhat unrealistic thing, IMO, was the one thing they liked about the show: they liked that online media got wind of everything long before there was any official announcements. While I do agree with that, to me the unrealistic thing was how _slowly_ the online community reacted. In our world today (even without any knowledge of zombies) I think this would have gone viral in minutes. All I can assume is that the video of the car crash zombie must have been the first one that was shot ... I mean, something has to be the first one!


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> Ratings record -- 10.1 million watched it...most watched series debut for total viewers and across all key demos in cable TV history.


Sounds familiar.


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

I liked it a lot.

1. I thought the use of music was excellent thought the episode.

2. Anyone else catch that the diner the son met Cal the dealer in was either the diner from Pulp Fiction or a pretty close counterpart?


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

danterner said:


> 2. Anyone else catch that the diner the son met Cal the dealer in was either the diner from Pulp Fiction or a pretty close counterpart?


I mentioned the same thing to my son while we were watching it!


----------



## Jim_TV (Mar 4, 2006)

danterner said:


> I liked it a lot.
> 
> 2. Anyone else catch that the diner the son met Cal the dealer in was either the diner from Pulp Fiction or a pretty close counterpart?
> 
> Yep, noticed that immediately.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

danterner said:


> 2. Anyone else catch that the diner the son met Cal the dealer in was either the diner from Pulp Fiction or a pretty close counterpart?


Pretty much all LA coffee shops from that period look alike. It could also be a couple of stores near where I live. There are two reasons why it's not the actual "Pulp Fiction" coffee shop:

That store (the Hawthorne Grill) was in the south bay area, in Hawthorne, not anywhere near where the story takes place. (Of course, by that logic it couldn't have been in "Pulp Fiction", either.)
The "Pulp Fiction" coffee shop was demolished soon after the movie was filmed.


----------



## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

bobcarn said:


> Well, thankfully _this_ world has zombies in the media, so we know the proper way to fight them from the beginning.


and we have the CDC to help us be prepared http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

I liked it.

Zombie did bite her, albeit on the sleeve of her jacket...she recoiled but apparently it did not break the skin

No way they turn the son...at least not yet. The character has redemption written all over him.

He reminded us of a younger Johnny Depp, in Edward scissor hands.

The heroin story-line is difficult for SO to watch, so I hope that falls into the background.

Cool to see cliff Curtis...always like his characters


----------



## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Shows some potential. 

I expect we've got a few episodes of "unite the family". 

Do wonder how long stuff's been happening. Obviously the medical staff know something. That kid with the knife had heard secondhand.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

kaszeta said:


> Do wonder how long stuff's been happening. Obviously the medical staff know something. That kid with the knife had heard secondhand.


Can't be too long...days, I'd guess. In the original show, it was two months between nothing and total zombie apocalypse (i.e., when Rick wakes up).


----------



## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Tracy said:


> I totally agree! That drives me crazy.
> 
> Is anyone else getting a James Franco vibe from the Nick character?


Absolutely! It's not just the vibe, he looks like Franco's brother from a different mother.


----------



## NJChris (May 11, 2001)

MonsterJoe said:


> I liked it.
> 
> Zombie did bite her, albeit on the sleeve of her jacket...she recoiled but apparently it did not break the skin


 I'm going to have to re-watch because I thought the husband pushed him away just in time to miss the bite.


> He reminded us of a younger Johnny Depp, in Edward scissor hands.


I thought this too. I didn't get the James Franco things others mention.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

Craigbob said:


> I'm in as well, but not sold on the characters yet. I liked the addict's character the best. Had a good bit of dialogue with the cops. The daughter was too tv trope teenager as was Travis's son Chris.


I was extremely disappointed when I saw the actress that is playing the mother. I can't put my finger on it and there is really no valid reason for my feelings, but I can't stand her! Ugh! Maybe she'll get eaten first! 

The rest of them seem okay so far.



Beryl said:


> I enjoyed the first episode but was really impressed by the addict's performance. The friendly drug dealer seemed so nice with the parents so I was surprised by that reveal.


The addict is my favorite so far, too. I was SHOCKED by the drug dealer reveal!! He seemed like such a nice boy.



Rob Helmerichs said:


> Being run over by a car may have something to do with it...





Cainebj said:


> well (beside the car accident) - i thought it was interesting (although probably a cliche) that he was moving kind of like a walker. i think a lot of zombie movies go for the point that we are The Walking Dead already in modern life.


I commented out loud that he moved like a walker during the very first scene inside the church. It was one of the first things I noticed.



Bob Coxner said:


> Cal the zombie bit the mother, although it was tough to tell if the sleeves of her blouse prevented broken skin or not.


Is it bad that I'm rooting for Cal? 



Maui said:


> I think he tried to bite her but did not actually do so.
> 
> The actress is the most recognizable name in the cast so I can't see them turning her into a zombie right away.


Ugh! One can be hopeful.



Rob Helmerichs said:


> Yeah, they enjoyed playing with us. Like when the principle was listening to the PA monitor.


Speaking of the principle, my daughter pointed out that he looked like Barak Obama. I agree!



MonsterJoe said:


> He reminded us of a younger Johnny Depp, in Edward scissor hands.


He very much reminded me of a young Depp!

I'll admit to being a little disappointed overall, but it wasn't bad. I think my expectations were probably a bit too high. I'm willing to give it time to gel.


----------



## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

NJChris said:


> I'm going to have to re-watch because I thought the husband pushed him away just in time to miss the bite.


Happened so quickly, I doubt we can determine whether there was an actual bite or not...


----------



## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

Jstkiddn said:


> I was extremely disappointed when I saw the actress that is playing the mother. I can't put my finger on it and there is really no valid reason for my feelings, but I can't stand her! Ugh! Maybe she'll get eaten first!


Not Joanie Stubbs! This is the first time I can remember seeing her since Deadwood.


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

heySkippy said:


> Not Joanie Stubbs! This is the first time I can remember seeing her since Deadwood.


I didn't know her name, but yep....her. I only know her as the hooker from Sons of Anarchy.

edit: and now that I know her name is Joanie, I'm even more irritated.  

edit #2 - OOPS!! LOL! Can you tell I never watched Deadwood?  But thank gawd her name isn't really Joanie!


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Jstkiddn said:


> Speaking of the principle, my daughter pointed out that he looked like Barak Obama. I agree!


PRINCIPAL! Sheesh, what kind of doofus can't tell the difference between principal and principle?


Rob Helmerichs said:


> Like when the principle was listening to the PA monitor.


Never mind.


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

She was also Sawyers Con partner(ish) on Lost. Oh - and House of Cards.

I'm the opposite - I think she's great and I can't quite put my finger on why.

SO was a little disappointed, too...I think this is intentionally going to take a few episodes to get rolling.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> PRINCIPAL! Sheesh, what kind of doofus can't tell the difference between principal and principle?
> 
> Never mind.


HA! Want to know something that makes it even a bit more funny? Principal and principle are two words I always get confused over (along with capitol and capital) and I usually look it up to make sure, but since I was quoting you and you are a really smart guy, I just *knew* you used the correct spelling.   

That's what I get for copying from the smart kid instead of doing my own work.


----------



## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

So.. Where did the Walkers from the church go to? LA is crawling with humans (walker food). Gloria and her mini herd had to go somewhere.


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

You can see them ambling about in the background unnoticed by people throughout the episode


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

Question...

So this show is supposed to cover the time between when Rick lands in the hospital, goes into a coma, and wakes up post-apocalypse, right?

How much time does that represent? Weeks? Months?

And if it's a short duration, is this show designed to be a mini-series? Or does this show have the potential of some longevity (multiple seasons)?


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

MikeekiM said:


> Question... So this show is supposed to cover the time between when Rick lands in the hospital, goes into a coma, and wakes up post-apocalypse, right? How much time does that represent? Weeks? Months? And if it's a short duration, is this show designed to be a mini-series? Or does this show have the potential of some longevity (multiple seasons)?


He was comatose for two months. I haven't heard anything suggesting that this series is constrained to that time frame, though. Why can't it continue to play out beyond that point, eventually catching up to (and perhaps even crossing over with) the east coast original WD?


----------



## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

danterner said:


> He was comatose for two months. I haven't heard anything suggesting that this series is constrained to that time frame, though. Why can't it continue to play out beyond that point, eventually catching up to (and perhaps even crossing over with) the east coast original WD?


Yes, nothing stopping it from doing what you are suggesting...

So this would be basically an identical show to the Walking Dead, but perhaps following a different set of people, and starting 2 months earlier so that we have some more context of how it got from there to here...


----------



## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

MikeekiM said:


> Question...
> 
> So this show is supposed to cover the time between when Rick lands in the hospital, goes into a coma, and wakes up post-apocalypse, right?
> 
> ...


Rick was in the hospital for 2 months. This show is supposed to show us what happened during those 2 months, then I guess carry on.
Fear The Walking Dead has been renewed for a second season, so as long as it makes money I think they'll keep cranking episodes out.


----------



## BrandonRe (Jul 15, 2006)

Jstkiddn said:


> HA! Want to know something that makes it even a bit more funny? Principal and principle are two words I always get confused over (along with capitol and capital) and I usually look it up to make sure, but since I was quoting you and you are a really smart guy, I just *knew* you used the correct spelling.
> 
> That's what I get for copying from the smart kid instead of doing my own work.


For some weird reason, a little silly saying I heard one time has always stuck with me: "The Principal should always be your pal". That helps to remember that the person ends in -pal. Now Capitol/Capital- I have to look up most of the time to remember which is correct.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I suspect in LA, civilization will hang on longer than in Georgia. Not because that's the way it would necessarily be, but because that would make for better drama (and better-differentiated from the mother ship).


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> Yes, nothing stopping it from doing what you are suggesting...
> 
> So this would be basically an identical show to the Walking Dead, but perhaps following a different set of people, and starting 2 months earlier so that we have some more context of how it got from there to here...


I suspect this show will go a little slower, at least at first. I suspect they won't get to the point where the majority of humanity has been wiped out until mid-to-late season 2.

After that, it will essentially become TWD West, so hopefully we really grow to like the characters.


----------



## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

I thought it was very good. The characters are uneven but the way it was written really made it enjoyable. If I hadn't seen The Walking Dead I would have missed a lot of things that made it shine for me. Lots of dramatic irony and playing with the audience's expectations.

The Walking Dead question:


Spoiler



I cannot recall specifically why zombie bites cause death. I thought it was just that the zombies are old and festering with tons of bacteria that infects the blood. Otherwise wouldn't someone who is alive biting someone else who is alive cause the issue?

As such, I would think that the mom should be fine because he was only just killed? Did this ever happen in The Walking Dead (someone getting bitten by a freshly-made zombie and then not dying due to the wound itself)? Who bit Hershel, for example? Newly dead or long-since dead?


----------



## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

TAsunder said:


> I thought it was very good. The characters are uneven but the way it was written really made it enjoyable. If I hadn't seen The Walking Dead I would have missed a lot of things that made it shine for me. Lots of dramatic irony and playing with the audience's expectations.
> 
> The Walking Dead question:
> 
> ...


The jury's still out on whether she was, indeed, bitten...


----------



## trnsfrguy (Apr 28, 2005)

TAsunder said:


> I thought it was very good. The characters are uneven but the way it was written really made it enjoyable. If I hadn't seen The Walking Dead I would have missed a lot of things that made it shine for me. Lots of dramatic irony and playing with the audience's expectations.
> 
> The Walking Dead question:
> 
> ...





Spoiler



IIRC, the zombie bite causes fever which kills you and then you come back. As for Hershel, his leg was amputated before the virus had run it's course and he didn't turn.


----------



## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> The jury's still out on whether she was, indeed, bitten...


True, but even if she was, I'm not sure what will happen because I'm not sure what they have established in the canon.

After I posted I read a few discussion threads on TWD and:



Spoiler



In the CDC episode early on in TWD, The virus itself is said to be "dormant" until death, at which point it activates. Based on that, getting bitten by someone with the "live" virus could therefore be much more serious; sort of like how someone with Shingles can infect someone who has never had chicken pox but if the chicken pox is just dormant in their system, another person is unlikely to catch it.


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

TAsunder said:


> I thought it was very good. The characters are uneven but the way it was written really made it enjoyable. If I hadn't seen The Walking Dead I would have missed a lot of things that made it shine for me. Lots of dramatic irony and playing with the audience's expectations.
> 
> The Walking Dead question:
> 
> ...





Spoiler



Amanda was bitten by freshly dead. She shot herself before she turned.


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> The jury's still out on whether she was, indeed, bitten...


just grabbed this


----------



## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

I have to watch it back but that could be just the sleeve.


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

It is just the sleeve.


----------



## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

Might be hard to penetrate skin through the sleeve.


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

TAsunder said:


> Might be hard to penetrate skin through the sleeve.


I agree.



MonsterJoe said:


> I liked it.
> 
> Zombie did bite her, albeit on the sleeve of her jacket...she recoiled but apparently it did not break the skin
> 
> ...


----------



## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

I read that the plan is for 6 seasons but only 2 have been given the green light for sure. Six this season, 13 next season. If they do 3-6 it will be 16 each.


----------



## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

MonsterJoe said:


> She was also Sawyers Con partner(ish) on Lost. Oh - and House of Cards.
> 
> I'm the opposite - I think she's great and I can't quite put my finger on why.
> 
> SO was a little disappointed, too...I think this is intentionally going to take a few episodes to get rolling.


I like her (Kim Dickens is her actual name). She gives all of her characters a certain amount of level-headed smartness.

She also played Matt Saracen's estranged mom in FNL.


----------



## thebigmo (Feb 12, 2005)

DreadPirateRob said:


> I like her (Kim Dickens is her actual name). She gives all of her characters a certain amount of level-headed smartness.
> 
> She also played Matt Saracen's estranged mom in FNL.


She was also the teacher in The Blind Side who figured that Big Mike wasn't dumb.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

MikeekiM said:


> ... So this would be basically an identical show to the Walking Dead, but perhaps following a different set of people, and starting 2 months earlier so that we have some more context of how it got from there to here...


That is a very BROAD definition of "identical" you must be using there. 



TAsunder said:


> Might be hard to penetrate skin through the sleeve.


Yet in TWD there were scenes where an old decomposed walker torso grabbed somebody trying to get away from it and the walker successfully bit them through cowboy boots and denim jeans and was ripping out tendons and arteries in one chomp! So Madison (the mother) must be wearing chainmail bracelets beneath that cuff of her sleeve.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

getreal said:


> Yet in TWD there were scenes where an old decomposed walker torso grabbed somebody trying to get away from it and the walker successfully bit them through cowboy boots and denim jeans and was ripping out tendons and arteries in one chomp! So Madison (the mother) must be wearing chainmail bracelets beneath that cuff of her sleeve.


The physical properties of walkers has proven to be remarkably malleable over the seasons, it's almost as if they change depending upon the needs of the plot.

FTWD up to this point seems to be following horror movie rules, the only person we've seen turn so far is a person of questionable morals and we have scenes like the one where we suspected the principal. I hope this does not continue. Other than that, it's working for me.


----------



## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

The TWD zombie virus clearly causes two important structural changes to the body of a person who has turned (besides reanimating it, of course): 1) It somehow increases the bite force from that of a human (approximate 150 psi) to that of a gorilla (approximately 1350 psi), while also 2) dramatically weakens the structural integrity of the skull to where it can be punctured relatively easily by all sorts of impromptu weapons, whether they be blunt or sharp. 

I have no problems accepting those 2 changes because they appear to be mostly consistent within the universe of the TWD.


----------



## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)

Tracy said:


> Is anyone else getting a James Franco vibe from the Nick character?





Bob Coxner said:


> Absolutely! It's not just the vibe, he looks like Franco's brother from a different mother.


Hmmm. Not seeing it.

James Franco and his brother Dave:










Frank Dillane (Nick):










Like it was said above, he reminds far more of a Edwards Scissorhands-era Johnny Depp:










The Franco brothers have squinty eyes, and their faces are a little more angular. Dillane and a younger Depp have more rounded eyes and features.

Interesting tidbits about Dillane: he played the young Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort) in Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, and he's the son of Stannis Baratheon himself (Stephen Dillane).


----------



## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

My wife said he reminded her of Gilbert Grape.


----------



## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

Wait until something eats him


----------



## Maui (Apr 22, 2000)

thebigmo said:


> She was also the teacher in The Blind Side who figured that Big Mike wasn't dumb.


I thought she was excellent as the investigator in Gone Girl.


----------



## SoBelle0 (Jun 25, 2002)

Maui said:


> I thought she was excellent as the investigator in Gone Girl.


Thank you!! All of those mentions, and I kept thinking "that's not how I know her... where have I seen her before?"

I thought Johnny Depp, did not see the Franco comparisons.

This was an excellent pilot. I was really drawn in, and enjoyed the intro to each of the characters.


----------



## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

SoBelle0 said:


> Thank you!! All of those mentions, and I kept thinking "that's not how I know her... where have I seen her before?"
> 
> I thought Johnny Depp, did not see the Franco comparisons.
> 
> This was an excellent pilot. I was really drawn in, and enjoyed the intro to each of the characters.


She was also in Treme. I can see why people think Franco, but definitely closer to a Depp.

The characters, especially the daughter, are a little bit more trope-ish, but hey, it's off to a better start that way than TWD.

As long as we don't spent an entire episode wandering through the forest looking for a missing kid....


----------



## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

I recall while watching the show that there was a scene where I was taken aback by how much he reminded me of a younger Johnny Depp. It was just the right angle at the right time with the right expression on his face, I suppose.


----------



## bc0312 (Dec 25, 2002)

These people have to be the worst parents ever.


----------



## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

SoBelle0 said:


> ... I thought Johnny Depp, did not see the Franco comparisons...


----------



## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

That's not either of them. ??


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

SoBelle0 said:


> Thank you!! All of those mentions, and I kept thinking "that's not how I know her... where have I seen her before?"


I have seen probably 80% of the mentions, and I don't remember her at all!


----------



## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I suspect in LA, civilization will hang on longer than in Georgia. Not because that's the way it would necessarily be, but because that would make for better drama (and better-differentiated from the mother ship).


Actually, I was thinking the opposite. I'm thinking that the more dense a population, the faster it will crumble. Deaths from drug overdoses, street violence, accidents, old age, etc. leave each reanimation with a lot of people readily available to attack and infect/kill. A mass of zombies can build up much faster than in a less-populated area.

I was even thinking that the more rural areas would likely fare well and have time to put up defenses and contingency plans. Though they haven't explicitly said so in the shows, I'd be surprised if there were no areas that fared much better and have retained most of their populations.


----------



## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

DreadPirateRob said:


> ...
> Like it was said above, he reminds far more of a Edwards Scissorhands-era Johnny Depp:


Yeah, James Franco never came to my mind for a second, while a younger Johnny Depp did.


----------



## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

bc0312 said:


> These people have to be the worst parents ever.


 ??


----------



## bobcarn (Nov 18, 2001)

DreadPirateRob said:


> The TWD zombie virus clearly causes two important structural changes to the body of a person who has turned (besides reanimating it, of course): 1) It somehow increases the bite force from that of a human (approximate 150 psi) to that of a gorilla (approximately 1350 psi), while also 2) dramatically weakens the structural integrity of the skull to where it can be punctured relatively easily by all sorts of impromptu weapons, whether they be blunt or sharp.
> 
> I have no problems accepting those 2 changes because they appear to be mostly consistent within the universe of the TWD.


Humans can bite harder than we first imagined.
http://news.discovery.com/human/evolution/human-bite.htm

Also, zombies don't have a subconscious sense of self-preservation. Many actions that we do that require our muscles, including biting down on things, is usually tempered subconsciously so that we don't hurt ourselves. Zombies will put the full force of their jaws into it.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

bobcarn said:


> Actually, I was thinking the opposite. I'm thinking that the more dense a population, the faster it will crumble. Deaths from drug overdoses, street violence, accidents, old age, etc. leave each reanimation with a lot of people readily available to attack and infect/kill. A mass of zombies can build up much faster than in a less-populated area.
> 
> I was even thinking that the more rural areas would likely fare well and have time to put up defenses and contingency plans. Though they haven't explicitly said so in the shows, I'd be surprised if there were no areas that fared much better and have retained most of their populations.


Yes, and I suspect LA will be one of those places. Because otherwise, what is to distinguish this show from the Mother Ship?

Again, I don't think this will happen because it is what would happen. It will happen because that makes for much better TV than the alternative.

Not that the civilization that will be preserved in LA will necessarily be a pleasant one. But I think LA will be a recognizably modern human society much longer than anything we've seen in Walking Dead.


----------



## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

I'll watch a few more episodes, but I'm not really feeling it. Yes, I'm one of those people who doesn't like when TWD gets too slow. It generally does not do straight drama very well - the acting and writing are usually not good enough, and bog it down. Felt the same thing here. I'm not really interested in a family drama with zombies, at least not how this went. 

I do agree I was pretty impressed with the performance of druggie kid, and they did do a good job of making me root for him by the end when at first I wanted him to just die already.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

A bit odd that they're taking Labor Day weekend off...a skip-week already in Week 3 of a six-episode event?


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

bobcarn said:


> Actually, I was thinking the opposite. I'm thinking that the more dense a population, the faster it will crumble. Deaths from drug overdoses, street violence, accidents, old age, etc. leave each reanimation with a lot of people readily available to attack and infect/kill. A mass of zombies can build up much faster than in a less-populated area.
> 
> I was even thinking that the more rural areas would likely fare well and have time to put up defenses and contingency plans. Though they haven't explicitly said so in the shows, I'd be surprised if there were no areas that fared much better and have retained most of their populations.


Compare Herschel's farm to downtown Atlanta. People in the country will have firearms and know how to use them, and are likely to have stores of food and fuel. Farms will have fences, barns and building material for stockades. And experience handling dangerous and powerful livestock. Far fewer raw materials for zombification. Not to mention the healthy innate suspicion of city folk they all have.

I've almost talked myself into moving back to the farm.


----------



## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> A bit odd that they're taking Labor Day weekend off...a skip-week already in Week 3 of a six-episode event?


I agree it's no ideal, but the other options weren't great, either. There are six episodes in this first season. They wanted to end this first season the Sunday (10/4) before S6 of TWD starts (10/11).

So they could start the week before Labor Day, run episode 2 on the night before Labor Day, and take the risk that people will be on vacation, will not care that they missed it, and then just decide not to bother continuing with the series.

Or they could start the week after Labor Day and run six episodes in four weeks, meaning they'd have to run double episodes at least twice.

Or they could start S6 of TWD later and then air the last episode or two in December, when they'd be competing with holiday specials, parties, and just an overall less appealing time to be showing bleak and grim zombie fare.

Or they could start FTWD a week sooner, show three eps before Labor Day, take LD off, and then show three eps after, but then they either have a dead week between FTWD and TWD, or they have to move TWD up a week earlier.


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> Or they could start the week after Labor Day and run six episodes in four weeks, meaning they'd have to run double episodes at least twice.


I would have done this. Start with a two hour episode, run three weeks of one hour, finish with a two hour.

Not only does it avoid a gap week, it might have solved one of the biggest complaints I have heard from many people--it's too slow. Lots of buzz on various sites about how slow this 1st ep was. Assuming the 2nd hour is better (and if it's not, this is all moot and viewers will drop 30% by week 3), that way they grab & hold more viewers, leave a better taste in our brains, and avoid the gap.


----------



## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> I agree it's no ideal, but the other options weren't great, either. There are six episodes in this first season. They wanted to end this first season the Sunday (10/4) before S6 of TWD starts (10/11).
> 
> So they could start the week before Labor Day, run episode 2 on the night before Labor Day, and take the risk that people will be on vacation, will not care that they missed it, and then just decide not to bother continuing with the series.
> 
> ...


Or they could have looked at a calendar a year or two ago and figured out for what they wanted to do they'd need 7 episodes, not 6.


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## retrodog (Feb 7, 2002)

I liked it, but felt it was a bit weak on action/content. I love the leading lady and have enjoyed her in other roles. I really like that they are taking the time to transition through most of the changes, unlike most other zombie movies/shows. Typically, this detailed transition doesn't even take place, as they are in such a rush to get to the end mostly changed environment. And I think this is something they can successfully do since they have developed more of a mature drama with the franchise, instead of just a horror movie/series. 

What I'm looking forward to is seeing if anybody who survives this mini-series (for lack of a better term) shows up later on WD, in a transitioned state (goes from victim in this to a full on Jedi walker killer).


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

retrodog said:


> What I'm looking forward to is seeing if anybody who survives this mini-series (for lack of a better term) shows up later on WD, in a transitioned state (goes from victim in this to a full on Jedi walker killer).


I think a better term would be "series." It's already been renewed for Season 2.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

dswallow said:


> Or they could have looked at a calendar a year or two ago and figured out for what they wanted to do they'd need 7 episodes, not 6.


So three before Labor Day and four after? There's still the issue of taking off a week when a show is relatively new and habits have not yet been established.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

astrohip said:


> Not only does it avoid a gap week, it might have solved one of the biggest complaints I have heard from many people--it's too slow. Lots of buzz on various sites about how slow this 1st ep was. Assuming the 2nd hour is better (and if it's not, this is all moot and viewers will drop 30% by week 3), that way they grab & hold more viewers, leave a better taste in our brains, and avoid the gap.


I think complaints that the pilot was too slow are very short sighted. The whole purpose of this show is to explore the outbreak in depth rather than just rush through it and get to the ZA like most other zombie stories. If the very first episode already has lots of zombies and killing, then they haven't really done a very good job establishing the baseline world that will soon be changed.

Personally, I'm glad it was slow and I hope it remains that way for a while. I want to see a realistic depiction of how people would handle the early stages of such an outbreak. If it takes them two full seasons to get to the point where Rick woke from his coma in the TWD pilot, I think that will be great. I'm not interested in just more generic scenes of people killing zombies. We have way too much of that on TWD as it is.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

DevdogAZ said:


> So three before Labor Day and four after? There's still the issue of taking off a week when a show is relatively new and habits have not yet been established.


Pretty sure he means two before Labor Day and one on Labor Day.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

cherry ghost said:


> Pretty sure he means two before Labor Day and one on Labor Day.


I don't see how that solves anything. Clearly AMC has data that leads them to believe it's not smart to air a new episode on LD weekend.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

retrodog said:


> What I'm looking forward to is seeing if anybody who survives this mini-series (for lack of a better term) shows up later on WD, in a transitioned state (goes from victim in this to a full on Jedi walker killer).


According to conversations with Kirkman etc.,


Spoiler



there will never be any crossover between the two shows


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> I think complaints that the pilot was too slow are very short sighted.


There is slow and boring and then there is slow and building tension and suspense. I saw a movie this weekend that was the latter (The Gift). This was the former.


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## retrodog (Feb 7, 2002)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I think a better term would be "series." It's already been renewed for Season 2.


But it's only like 6 episodes or so. So it's a big mini series, with sequels. 

My fear is that they are kind of up against a wall called time, and they might go too far trying to make the most of the success. And over saturate us in the process. We'll just have to wait and see.l


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Zevida said:


> I'm one of those people who doesn't like when TWD gets too slow. It generally does not do straight drama very well - the acting and writing are usually not good enough, and bog it down.


:down::down::down:

Boy do I disagree with THAT statement.

Straight drama is actually the HEART of the show and I think they do it very well. 
Both in the acting AND the writing department.

Anyone who is watching either TWD or now FTWD just for the zombies is going to be severely disappointed.


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## Cearbhaill (Aug 1, 2004)

Yeah, I love the slower, character focused episodes.


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## NJChris (May 11, 2001)

I am looking forward to the next one.  All you haters can't stop me!


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## NYHeel (Oct 7, 2003)

So there has always been so much I've never understood about TWD's zombie apocalypse and this show just brings it out to the forefront. According to the internet, on average about 165 people die per day in Los Angeles. Shouldn't all those people turn a few minutes to an hour later. Wouldn't a zombie virus like TWD's version have a super quick zombie uprising and not a slow burn like we're seeing?

Almost 7,000 people die per day in the US. Once the zombie virus hits this should be a mass event that would immediately be recognized by everybody. Not an underground internet discussion issue.

One of my issues with TWD is how we frequently see so many fully intact zombies. If the uprising ocurred bite to bite the way they seem to show it, shouldn't most zombies have significant body parts missing. Sure we sometimes see zombies that way but most are fully intact. Are these just the newly dead (my 7,000 per day) and those that got bit a little but got away? That doesn't seem likely. I always assumed that the zombie virus just caused a whole bunch of people to get sick (flu-like symptoms), die and then turn. That's why there are so many that are intact.

This idea also helps explain how the zombie apocalypse happened so quickly. If 7,000 people who die in a day turn then everybody should immediately see what happens which, after the initial hysteria, should actually lead to a reasonable defense against the zombies, like in World War Z (I mean the book, the fast zombies in the movie would pulverize the human race in days). The military should have a reasonable ability to cordon off areas of issue after a quick understanding of what's wrong. However, if it's just a virus infecting random people and causing them to turn and die, then the military has no chance and the zombie apocalypse should proceed quickly like we saw in TWD.


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

NYHeel said:


> Almost 7,000 people die per day in the US. Once the zombie virus hits this should be a mass event that would immediately be recognized by everybody. Not an underground internet discussion issue.


What percentage of 300,000,000 is 7,000? It would take a bit.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Zombie epidemiology is a complex process, driven by a combination of:

1. The zombie re-animation virus and it's propagation, and it's effects on the living and dead
2. Secondary infections or venomous activity associated with zombie bites, and
3. The current requirements of the plot.

Of these, #3 is the most important.


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

NYHeel said:


> According to the internet, on average about 165 people die per day in Los Angeles. Shouldn't all those people turn a few minutes to an hour later.


You're assuming everyone is already infected. We don't know that yet.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

KyleLC said:


> You're assuming everyone is already infected. We don't know that yet.


Right, there's the question of the infection rate, and then the question of how long it stays dormant after you've caught it (which must be at least a little while, or as he said you would have had a lot of people turning a lot sooner)...

So it has to spread quickly enough to become universal; before anybody knows what's going on, but stay dormant long enough that almost everybody has it when the dead start rising.

I wonder how much they've thought about the epidemiology of it all (and that's a serious question, since in the original show they didn't have to worry about it, and now they're pretty much struck with the decisions they made there)?


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

We do know that some sort of flu-like sickness has been going around with a large infection rate....

But that said, I think they are going to have to wing it a bit, and maybe even retcon things a little bit, since I don't think they ever really though out the epidemiology much past "things go to hell quickly"


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

kaszeta said:


> We do know that some sort of flu-like sickness has been going around with a large infection rate....


More accurately, we know that a lot of kids have been staying home and the staff blames it on the flu. But we don't know if it's people who are actually sick, or people who are afraid of what's going on and are just keeping their kids home. Probably at least mostly the former, but who knows?

Maybe it's a faulty flu vaccine that caused the Zombie Apocalypse! Jenny McCarthy was right!


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> I wonder how much they've thought about the epidemiology of it all (and that's a serious question, since in the original show they didn't have to worry about it, and now they're pretty much struck with the decisions they made there)?


According to a TV critic I was listening to, apparently TWD creator, Robert Kirkman, has been pretty adamant that we'll never know the exact specifics of how the humans originally got infected and how virus spread. I think he (wisely) realizes that he couldn't ever come up with a satisfactory explanation, so instead he just glosses over that part, as do pretty much all Zombie stories.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> According to a TV critic I was listening to, apparently TWD creator, Robert Kirkman, has been pretty adamant that we'll never know the exact specifics of how the humans originally got infected and how virus spread. I think he (wisely) realizes that he couldn't ever come up with a satisfactory explanation, so instead he just glosses over that part, as do pretty much all Zombie stories.


Is he still saying that? Because now that they're at Ground Zero (more or less), it will be a lot harder to avoid than when they were just dealing with the aftermath...


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Is he still saying that? Because now that they're at Ground Zero (more or less), it will be a lot harder to avoid than when they were just dealing with the aftermath...


I think with FTWD he's actually doubling down on it. Which is why we had the vague thing about "reports from 5 or 6 states" and why the zombies will roll out at the speed required for the plot, and not at a speed that would be realistic based on any epidemiology models.


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

I was under the impression from TWD that you only turned after a severe zombie bite, or after dying from another cause. Of course, in an apocalypse situation, even without zombies, lots of people die. Also, each zombie eats quite a few people past the point of turning, or at least getting up and walking around. If everyone has the virus, but the virus alone doesn't kill you, then it could spread a little slower.....maybe...


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## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

I push the *IB* (I believe) button when watching TWD and FTWD. I flat out enjoy both shows.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

stellie93 said:


> I was under the impression from TWD that you only turned after a severe zombie bite, or after dying from another cause. Of course, in an apocalypse situation, even without zombies, lots of people die. Also, each zombie eats quite a few people past the point of turning, or at least getting up and walking around. If everyone has the virus, but the virus alone doesn't kill you, then it could spread a little slower.....maybe...


In the TWDverse, everyone is infected, meaning no matter how or when they die, they'll turn unless they experience significant head trauma. The only thing that happens when you get bit by a zombie is it accelerates your time of death, but it doesn't cause anything as far as the infection goes.


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## retrodog (Feb 7, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> In the TWDverse, everyone is infected, meaning no matter how or when they die, they'll turn unless they experience significant head trauma. The only thing that happens when you get bit by a zombie is it accelerates your time of death, but it doesn't cause anything as far as the infection goes.


That's the part I don't quite understand, or at least they haven't explained, or I haven't heard. What additional toxins are in the saliva of the walkers that causes the death. It's not the infection because everyone already has that. So there is an additional virus or bacteria.


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## Balzer (Nov 12, 2006)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Maybe it's a faulty flu vaccine that caused the Zombie Apocalypse! Jenny McCarthy was right!


I personally think it was Walter White's blue meth.. or someone trying to replicate it. That's why the junkies are the first to turn zombie!


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## Ereth (Jun 16, 2000)

I'm unclear.. do the 12 Monkeys have anything to do with this particular virus? Or is that a different apocalyptic virus?


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

retrodog said:


> That's the part I don't quite understand, or at least they haven't explained, or I haven't heard. What additional toxins are in the saliva of the walkers that causes the death. It's not the infection because everyone already has that. So there is an additional virus or bacteria.


I discussed this a bit earlier in the thread. I think a somewhat reasonable answer is that the virus is "dormant" in people and "active" in walkers. When a walker bites you, you are now infected with the live virus and the virus starts taking over your body.


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

NJChris said:


> I'm going to have to re-watch because I thought the husband pushed him away just in time to miss the bite.
> 
> I thought this too. I didn't get the James Franco things others mention.


Same here. A young Johnny Depp circa 21 Jump Street.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Jstkiddn said:


> Speaking of the principle, my daughter pointed out that he looked like Barak Obama. I agree!


I had guests over for the pilot and we were referring to him as "Obama" throughout the episode.


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

Finally got around to watching this last night and I'm in no matter what, but I was a bit disappointed in it.

I'll add that I knew I'd be disappointed going in, so it wasn't a surprise. I love TWD, but I'm not big on character development. I knew they'd need to do character development in this episode (and maybe the next one), but I much preferred TWD when it jumped right into it.

I just have to be patient.



MonsterJoe said:


> He reminded us of a younger Johnny Depp, in Edward scissor hands.


Exactly what my wife said.



Cearbhaill said:


> Yeah, I love the slower, character focused episodes.


Not I


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## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

Tracy said:


> Is anyone else getting a James Franco vibe from the Nick character?


I got a Johnny Depp vibe from Nick. Even looked a bit like Edward Scissor hands.


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## Jolt (Jan 9, 2006)

Spoiler



Was the cop loading water the Governor?


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

Jolt said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Was the cop loading water the Governor?


I dont think so.. Also I remember the governor tell Rick his back story at one point. He was like a salesman or something.


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

MonsterJoe said:


> You can see them ambling about in the background unnoticed by people throughout the episode


I liked how they did that. Were they homeless people? Were they walkers? We really don't know for sure, and it's a sure bet the good folks of LA will assume homeless (or drunk) before anything else.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

jradosh said:


> I liked how they did that. Were they homeless people? Were they walkers? We really don't know for sure, and it's a sure bet the good folks of LA will assume homeless (or drunk) before anything else.


...or out-of-work actors...


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Bierboy said:


> ...or out-of-work actors...


??? They didn't look like waiters to me...


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## Jolt (Jan 9, 2006)

robojerk said:


> I dont think so.. Also I remember the governor tell Rick his back story at one point. He was like a salesman or something.


Sorry I meant to post this in the episode 2 thread. It has been bugging me since Sunday and I did some research and it is def not him.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

rob helmerichs said:


> ??? They didn't look like waiters to me...


:up:


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