The Walking Dead: TV Series (Comic spoilers in tags with warning)

[danzig]

Maybe so, but if we want to play this arbitrary blue vs. red game, then many of the red states have some of the biggest, sprawling metropolitan areas. Dallas and Fort Worth are pretty much one big city now. I also can't picture anything surviving in the Texas Triangle. When Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio get overrun, every small town inside that triangle would get wiped out as well. If I may, here is a map of the fastest-developing urban areas.

True enough but still that is one region vs North East, Southern California etc as shown by your map as well. So Id still much rather be in a red state then blue state (which I am in) when (!) zombies plague breaks. Plus the Texas Triangle might be a megaregion but its also going to have many more guns so even megaregion vs megaregion its chances are higher. Not that it matters since Ive argued against military being able to react quickly enough to matter.

*edit* For anyone watching it right now...heh, totally awesome scene glad they followed that part of the book

[Gelgoog]

I'm not surprised because I actually live in College Station, TX (Aggie here). Guns would be essential in fighting off zombies, but fighting zombies in a city would be an incredibly bad situation. Let's say you have an M1911 pistol. That's seven rounds with a standard magazine. You can easily handle a small number of zombies if you see them coming from a distance. if there are more than seven you can reload and pick them off. But what if you're searching an apartment block or grocery store for supplies? We're talking close combat here. Could you stay calm enough to fire off head shots if a bunch of zombies spill out of a locked closet or bathroom? If there are more than seven, could you reload in time? Unless you and your friends have trained together in the military or law enforcement, there is a very real possibility of friendly fire as well. And also remember that while you're blowing zombies' heads off, every other ghoul within earshot will make a beeline straight for you. You might kill a dozen zombies in one building, grab some loot, and walk out only to find that several hundred have gathered around.

I will agree, however, that a city like Boston (high population density, severely restricted gun access) would probably fall pretty quickly if the authorities couldn't handle it in time.

I am not doubting that there are problems with raiding....which is why I do not advocate it. If it must be done then you do it with a large enough group. That means parking a truck at the front entrence and keeping lookouts there. Then you shout at the top of your lungs when you enter the store so that the shamblers come to you. If there are only a few then a well organized group could take them down with melee weapons, if you have to use your guns then you very quickly load up your vehicles and get away. However the sound of firing a gun inside a large store will not travel more then a couple hundred yards....outside is a different story.

Now most post 50s cities in america are more of an example of urban sprawl with horizontal layout instead of your congested and claustrophobic cities like new york. This allows the so called neighborhood watch effect, in which the survivors in a neighborhood pool together and defend their homes. Even in quick outbreak a neighborhood of several hundred homes with only 10% of those having survived could create an effective permiter with pickets at the edges of the neighborhood. The rest could easily search and clear every house in their area for supplies and create a fortified core.

When a picket spots a zombie, they relay that info to the main group who then with sheer numbers can easily take down handfuls of shamblers without much danger and very quietly. A group like this would be fairly safe, and considering the amount of homes they have to pillage they could survive for quite a while without needing to venture into town. They could also make an effective stand with firearms if need be. I for example have enough weapons to arm a good 30 people, and enough ammunition (if used wisely) to take out 10,000 shamblers if not more. Now just calculate how many zombies could be wiped out if there were a handful of others like myself in my city which you can bet there are.

Now its hard to imagine that there would be less than a 20% survival rate a month after an outbreak here in the US. Now that number will dip a bit more over the coming months due to malnourishment, disease (yes tons of walking corpses means diseases will be rampant), suicides, and well zombies. However even at 10% there would be more guns and ammo laying about in the US to take care of every single shambler out there. Most countries can not say the same.

For example if you lived in england you would be lucky if there is one firearm for every 1,000 people. In the US its more like a 1:1 ratio. Alot of people have the idea that they will raid a military base for equipment, but even in the US that is an unlikely scenario. All arms and munitions are stored in armories which are heavy defended and very difficult to break into unless you have a cutting torch and some C4 laying around.

[Kamos]

After tonight's episode I'm certain this is the start of something beautiful.

[therussian]

Channeling their inner "Shaun of the Dead"

[Emperador Carlos]

After tonight's episode I'm certain this is the start of something beautiful.

That was a brilliantly done episode. I haven't read the comic, but I expect we'll see the racist guy again...

[danzig]

After tonight's episode I'm certain this is the start of something beautiful.

Hehe

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The chopping up of the dead zombie was absolutely fantastic and atleast it answered any questions I had whether AMC would hold back on some of the more violent stuff.

Really happy how they are doing Glenn too, its pretty much on the mark from the comic and he is one of my favorite characters. The beginning does trail off from the comic but still stays true.

[Niles Crane]

Welp, that was fantastic.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Episode 3 prediction:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Group reunited, drama between sheriff and his wife regarding her boyfriend, son caught in the middle. Group is guilt tripped into launching some sort of rescue mission to find rooftop racist jerk. The group gets to the rooftop to discover that the racist has freed himself using the tools that "Black Butterfingers" tripped on trying to uncuff him. They're all like "oh noes" and a battle ensues with zombies as they try to find him in which someone is bit and we get to see the whole process of fever -> death -> zombification. I really need to learn their names too...

[MathiasOfAthens]

Last episode was good and I think Maximus made a pretty accurate prediction. Love the charger. The boyfriend is also the sherrifs best mate.

[Manco]

I wonder if they've changed the storyline to perhaps incorporate an ongoing affair, dating from before the outbreak? And I'm pretty sure they'll draw out the conflict between Rick and the other guy.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Thats what it looks like. No way they got that friendly after the zombie death everyone dies rampage of horror.

[Cougar109]

Usually don't get into TV series but this was is pretty damn good so far, might be the first series I really get into in years. Never checked out the comics, are they any good?

[Jaketh]

the last scene with the challenger was awesome, exactly what i would be doing

[IronBrig4]

Usually don't get into TV series but this was is pretty damn good so far, might be the first series I really get into in years. Never checked out the comics, are they any good?

The comics are great. If you want to buy them I'd suggest saving some money by getting Compendium One. It has the first four books in it.

And incidentally, my university library has every issue thus far.

[Ramashan]

The comics are great. If you want to buy them I'd suggest saving some money by getting Compendium One. It has the first four books in it.

And incidentally, my university library has every issue thus far.

I just finished reading Compendium One and OMG. I couldn't believe the ending. It is definitely worth the money and is large enough to keep you with Walking Dead stories for a few days in the very least.

I liked the expansion of the group in the city. Got to see more of how the whole thing is affecting people together as a group and right in the middle of the zombies. And yeah, that is not the last time we're going to see the dude on the roof I'm sure.

[danzig]

Usually don't get into TV series but this was is pretty damn good so far, might be the first series I really get into in years. Never checked out the comics, are they any good?

The comic is one of the best comic books out there period...part of the reason AMC gave us a tv series

I just finished reading Compendium One and OMG. I couldn't believe the ending. It is definitely worth the money and is large enough to keep you with Walking Dead stories for a few days in the very least.

The ending of that storyarc imo is one of the best ever...its just so wild I imagine we wont see it til season 2 and hope they can do it justice on tv

[Ramashan]

The ending of that storyarc imo is one of the best ever...its just so wild I imagine we wont see it til season 2 and hope they can do it justice on tv

Its rare when a story can leave me sitting silently in open mouthed shock for any period of time, and Walking Dead achieved that, several times actually through the course of reading the compendium. Lets hope they keep much of the show true to the story.

I watch the show and as the characters are introduced and knowing what happens to them, I can't help but be curious to see how AMC handles it all.

[charles the hammer]

i watched the episode it was good, but the overly racist guy was annoying and I cant see why the group kept him around beforehand without checking him somehow, and also the zombies jumping the fence was retarded as it could lead to problems later in the series, if you read the comic you know what I am talking about.

[Ramashan]

i watched the episode it was good, but the overly racist guy was annoying and I cant see why the group kept him around beforehand without checking him somehow, and also the zombies jumping the fence was retarded as it could lead to problems later in the series, if you read the comic you know what I am talking about.

The no-prize for the racist would be that from Shane's line later to Amy where he says that Andrea 'volunteered' we could deduce that arian boy (can't remember his name) volunteered and the group probably doesn't know each other all that well at the moment.

Also, regarding the fence thing. Yes, it did jump out as odd that one could jump the fence. However, it was just one and the fences your referring to later are much different.

[Jaketh]

The no-prize for the racist would be that from Shane's line later to Amy where he says that Andrea 'volunteered' we could deduce that arian boy (can't remember his name) volunteered and the group probably doesn't know each other all that well at the moment.

Also, regarding the fence thing. Yes, it did jump out as odd that one could jump the fence. However, it was just one and the fences your referring to later are much different.

he reminded me of Francis from Left 4 dead