<![CDATA[Forum for We're Alive - Blogs - The Spoiler's Review by Zombiehead]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/blog.php?5-The-Spoiler-s-Review en Fri, 08 May 2026 08:06:44 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.forum.werealive.com/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Forum for We're Alive - Blogs - The Spoiler's Review by Zombiehead]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/blog.php?5-The-Spoiler-s-Review <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 25.1 - Insufficient Force]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?269-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-25-1-Insufficient-Force Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:09:59 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg * !!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!*





!!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!




Zomg zomg zomg zomg! WE’RE BACK PEOPLE! OOOOAHHH!!

I went off the drugs last year and now I’m *tweak* relapsing! Hit me with WA juice!

[insert tweaker photo]

If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! I started TSR somewhere in the middle of Season 2 but I’ve been listening since the hiatus days of Season 1. Basically I started this blog to offer an alternative view point to what’s happening in the show. I’m cursed with overanalyzing everything (its automatic) and this show always has my brain going. I pick things apart and try to decode cool little hidden messages that KC puts into every chapter. Some of them have turned out to be clues about the future. The rest have yet to be proven. I review and criticize the elements in the show (i.e. acting, sound, editing, writing, character development, consistency, etc). To ensure I only write about my perspective, I steer clear of WND and the forums until I’ve at least written my notes for the episode that week.

Updates are posted sometime after Monday when the show airs but before the next show airing. I’m behind schedule right now so this is going to be short and it's likely I won't get this post out until midnight. However if anyone’s ever paid attention to the actual post times (converted to Pacific) of my previous blogs, 12am is early! At the end of the 3rd part per chapter I give my thoughts on the chapter as a whole and speculate on what’s to come.

On with the review!

[fanart placeholder]




Though I’m excited about this next season, I’m carefully refraining from voicing any expectations because when it comes to trilogies I kinda go “eh.” Not that I believe We’re Alive will fall into that category, it’s just hard to top yourself a 2nd time. We know (mostly) of who the characters are and what they’re about. The last 5 or so episodes left us with hundreds of questions and only answered … two at the most. With that said, the audience expects to have some answers this time around. The problem that comes with giving away answers after so many months of suspense, it can kill the mood of the show because with one answer all the dominos start to fall into place and those missing puzzle pieces start to form a picture.

So some of the real challenges that Writing has this time is how to maintain that suspenseful tension that we all know and love and keep the story interesting without giving too much away at one time and build up to another awesome finale without overdoing it (long sentence). A third installment to an already great series can really kill a great story. You know, the kind that make you say “why did they make that?”





It feels like only yesterday when Burt fell to his demise! There wasn’t much to this chapter since it only focused on the Towers fall from a ground level point of view. Even though we mostly hear from Saul and Victor, there’s quite a few things to analyze in this exchange between the two.

When I gave my first thoughts about Victor in my 19.2 blog, I got the sense he was very guarded. He may say “I’ll protect your friends if you’re gone,” but his actions tell me he would gladly feed your friends to the wolves to make his escape. When he and Michael got in trouble for the radio at the Colony, he was all prepared to throw Michael under the bus. We don’t know Victors entire back story yet but he comes off as being the “doom and gloom” type of guy.

It’s fun watching listening to Saul keep a cool head while Victors flipping out at the thought of being the last two people alive. I feel sorry for him in the sense that he didn’t get a chance to see what it’s like to live around people with a conscience in this cruel, post-apocalyptic world. But I do think he ended up with the ideal person to put up with his freak outs. Burt would have shot him by now and Angel would have just argued with him all day until something ate them. A part of me wants someone to sit him down and bring him up to speed on everything. Lover Boy is on a personal mission to save his girl and Victor could give a crap less.

Now the problem with this set up… since Victor is unaware of the relationship the Tower residents share, and he’s come from a place where backstabbing is an everyday occurrence, if they’re ever in a tight situation, will Victor betray Saul? Right now he has no reason (other than companionship) to risk anything for Saul or his goals. At this stage he could comfortably defect to the Mallers as long as he’s guaranteed some kind of protection for himself. Hopefully we’ll see some kind of bonding in the coming episodes. I know Saul can handle himself just fine, but Victor and his current thought process is a liability.

I'm not surprised to see the helicopter go down in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to speculate too hard on this part because it's so easy to be wrong, but I got three words for you: hidden underground bunker.
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?269-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-25-1-Insufficient-Force <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review -- Season 2 Review!]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?268-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Season-2-Review! Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:38:32 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!* Hola friends! We’re...


!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!


Hola friends!

We’re Alive! We’re back!

It’s been a few…. months. Oh yeah I know what I said last entry, but I’ve been up to something since the S2 finale and it took over my life! But it was all worth it because after 35 months in a dragging economy I can finally rejoin the ranks of the employed! Hooray for finding work in town with a 14.7% unemployment rate! Go me!

SO… between that, the Fall enrollment rush, and night school. I kinda, sorta let my hobbies sliiiiiidddde.…




Now 2/3s into a 21 day vacation I’m suddenly like “hmm, maybe I should finish that blog post I started *looks at watch* 4 months ago.” I admit I find sweet relief in firing up a new document that doesn’t begin with the words “Dear Hiring Manager.”

So I'm going to do things a little bit different with this review because there's so much to talk about in this season that I could write a novel. I'm just going to overanalyze and offer my point of view on some key parts in the show that got my attention. Here we go:

[Locations]
Like all sequels, we have to expand the universe beyond what we already know or else the story becomes redundant and stationary. KC’s been telling fans since the beginning that he could take our heroes ANYWHERE he wants. I sense that’s a hint our next location involves leaving the country or at least the state. Writing really dragged us all over the LA area to show the audience how far the chaos has spread. This forced our main protagonists to separate and venture into the unknown with pleasing results. Through their eyes we got to see the beach, Anaheim, LAX, and the mystery location of Cain Hospital.

Allow me to expand on this.

We know the Colony monitors a wide region to the south. Anyone passing through their turf will be noticed. Thanks to radioman Glenn we’re left to “assume” (<-- bad word) that this disaster probably goes all the way into Mexico. The other great assumption is that Durai is heading South to join forces with the Colony however most people forget that a-whole-nother country exists just 2 ½ hours away from L.A. Anyone that’s lived in SoCal long enough has seen more than a few hard-assed criminals flee to the border to avoid the death penalty. The Mallers situation isn’t much different. What kind of results would we see if Durai’s crew actually collided with the Colony on the way to Mexico not knowing they were there?





[Plot]
Season 1 was chuck full of mystery but the main focus of the story revolved around the creatures and what the characters personalities were like before things changed.

After C13, we came off a huge adrenaline high and for a while it felt like things slowed down almost too suddenly. With the shift in power in the Tower and everyone revealing a side of them we hadn’t seen before, I asked myself a few times what the H was going on? M/P/K’s beach house side trip and even Angel & Kalani’s mission felt like filler as if Writing didn’t know where to take the story. Even my resident listener asked me “Did they run out of ideas?” Ouch.

I believe it was Kelly that switched the light bulb on for me. Her character’s sudden change in personality had me thinking the most. I finally realized that the trauma from having to deal with a chaotic situation WITHIN another chaotic situation was designed to spark change in everyone. This sudden shift in mood that began in Season 2 was merely set up for what was to come: War 2.0. Perhaps this is Writings interpretation of past experiences?

I really like that KC expanded the Maller’s universe as well. We entered their world briefly and got a glimpse and how they managed to survive all this time. We saw how the aftermath of the war affected their morale and finally forced them to take their show on the road. KC wisely took them out of the picture for half of the season and brought in a new antagonist, one just as deadly if not worse than the Mallers. The story moved away from all the things we already knew and introduced us into an alternative point of view at the Colony. Michael could have easily been like Marcus. And the situation he was forced into may have happened to Michael had he not stepped down. Both these characters are very similar and you can find my thoughts about that in my 19.2 blog.

What’s a Zombie apocalypse without real Zombies? I noted a while back in a few of KC’s interviews that he’s h-e-s-i-t-a-t-e-d or even s-t-u-t-t-e-r-e-d when he has to call the monsters the Z word. True he’s thrown it out there a few times but I can sense the deception in you, Sir. It’s common knowledge now but the thought has been in the back of my mind since C-10. We can’t fully know the extent of the creature’s change but there’s evidence that it’s happened to them too. Their bodies are different, their leadership is different, their priorities are different, and now their home base is different. The rest is still a mystery.

[Characters]
So much has happened with the characters this 2nd season, I can write a 50 pages about it. But I’ll try to save you from eye cancer and only pick a few characters of interest.

Angel –
Oh you knew he was going to make this list.

The Maller attack and the Tower fire was such a traumatic event that it altered many characters perceptions thus reprogramming their personalities. Some for the better, others for the worst. If that didn’t do it, the repercussions and events that followed tipped them over the edge. For some reason the Change Bug hasn’t bitten Angel . He’s the same selfish, snot-nosed brat from the Season 1 and I can’t help but wonder why this is.




I can forgive his cluelessness regarding his feelings for Riley because when you’re around someone you like, it’s hard pay attention to all the details. However every time he does something somewhat noble or shows some sort of devotion to brotherhood and friendship, he says or does something immature (usually within the same episode) that takes all his brownie points away (aka pick on Kalani, pick on Hope, pick on Datu, uncaring about Lizzy). It’s almost frustrating because I really want to see him do better. I want his character to bloom into this new man that every other guy in the show has already done. So what’s taking Angel so long?

I trust KC has his reasons and I’m hoping they are colorful.

I’m looking forward to having scene with Angel chained to wall and being tortured by none other than the almighty Scratch. Why not? Riley already knows he’s got a thing for her but she’s not interested. She made that clear earlier in the season. Even with all the emotional exchanges they’ve had, it feels like this couple was not meant to be. So who else is left for our loveless Casanova? If anyone can make a man out of Angel, it’s Scratch!

They have a history. He needs love. And she’s good at persuasion. I’ve mentioned this before but it’s long buried in the forums somewhere. Although the idea is far-fetched the WA creators have shown us time and time again that anything is possible. Even if they don’t hook up, she could be the one to knock some sense into him. Just how Marcus unexpectedly brought Michael out of his funk, Scratch can be the green thumb to make this manflower bloom (that didn't sound right).

Angel showed his first sign of change in the final moments of Chapter 24, by doing the opposite of what he did in Chapter 12. He showed courage not just by taking care of his love interest but also helping someone he barely knows with a handicap before thinking of himself in a crisis. Maybe he didn’t have time to make a smart-assed remark, but it’s definitely a noteworthy sign that something is happening inside of him. If he is alive, hopefully he’ll come back a changed man.


Pegs -
Chicken Little is little no more. Yes, she is my absolute favorite but I’ve been eyeballing this chick for quite some time now. I initially admired her because she was honest and stayed true to herself even when things were at their worst. No, I’m not talking about hiding in a back room crying or pouting because someone hugged Mikey. She had beliefs and she stuck by them. Though they may seem innocent, I have reason to suspect she’s not all that she seems. Whenever things go wrong who do we overlook first? Pegs. If this were softball and we needed heavy hitters, who is the last person to get picked? Pegs.

Despite all this she’s shown some strength. If she were a total wuss, she would be dead by now. Luck be damned, her passiveness would have killed her off a long time ago. Pegs appears to act only when she has to: the balcony, the helicopter, Latch, the radio in C-12, when she thought Kelly was after Michael, the beach house, etc. What do we know of her background? She flies planes with Dad and runs a flower shop. Gee, that’s tells us SOOO much.

I think she’s hiding something. I’m not saying she knocked the flower pot over on purpose, but what if…. What if? What if Dad is a pilot for the AirForce (at Fort Irwin?)? What if Pegs moved the guns to get the guys to give up and prevent bloodshed? Ya never know.

Scratch & Durai-
Just what’s really going on with these two? There’s multiple hints all over Chapter 21 showing how much our ruthless, unforgiving villainess respects Durai. She doesn’t want to disappoint him and enforces his will without question. She has the kind of loyalty towards him that doesn’t come easily. We haven’t seen much of Durai since Chapter 12 but I believe that’s on purpose. My best guess is that he’s not as evil as we think he is. He also has lots of unexplained knowledge about the creatures. So far Scratch has been the primary representative of the upper hierarchy within the Maller faction. If we could switch the story to their point of view, we’d understand their motives better and learn why they’re taking the rougher approach to survival. In a company of hardened criminals what other choice do you have?

There have been minor clues scattered across the seasons hinting that they’re both former military. Everything from their terminology, strategy planning, and the fact they keep an army of criminals in check. Marcus pretended to be military to get the Colonists to listen to him but he had nothing to back it up. I don’t think that’s the case with these two. I have no doubt we’ll learn more about their relationship in Season 3. I can’t wait!

Riley-
Although she’s taken a bit of a backseat compared to her involvement in Season 1, her presences is always felt. Since Lizzy’s disappearance, she’s become a ticking time bomb. The sad part is no one is clear on why she’s so upset. I’m guilty of having done this before. You’re pissed off and no one knows about it so you get even more pissed off! Her unchecked anger is dangerous under these sort of conditions. We’ve watched her attitude go from being a kind person to being a snappy bitch. Usually Riley is the one to give everyone a pep talk when they’re down. But who comforts Riley?! Angel would surely love the job, but as I said before, I doubt she has the slightest interest in him beyond friendship. She did say she was tempted but whether or not that changes has yet to be seen.

What I don’t doubt is Riley’s involvement in some of the strange occurrences happening at the Tower. I’m not saying she pulled the trigger on Pippin, but I don’t see her not taking some kind of action during this whole fiasco. She’s just as upset as Saul and I wouldn’t be surprised if we learned what she did about it later on.

[I was right about]
So here’s the part where I get to gloat and brag. Some of these were predictions made within my blog posts or the forums before it went live in the show. I wrote this section in a rush so I probably missed a couple things. We get enough chest-puffing and ego-tripping on the boards so I’ll keep it short.

• They used helicopters (also buried in a post somewhere)
• They used a helicopter from a hospital! (got lots of criticism for this one, IN YO FACE!)
• Pippin’s evil connection to Scratch (1/2 credit, because I didn't go with my gut).
• WIFE SWAP scenario (Lizzy/Pegs)
• A death (though everyone predicted that)
• There aren’t any undead zombies.
• Pegs saved the day/daring rooftop escape (can't find the link but it's all over my blogs)



[Final Thoughts]
Season 1 gave us everything we could ever hope for in a “zombie” horror show and it made me wonder how in the flipping world they would every top themselves. I don’t know how they pulled it off but the WA team did it! The audience was thrown off by the slow parts in the beginning but they really pumped it up a notch by straying away from the monsters to examine humans in a post-apocalyptic world. We were introduced to a new faction to remind us that the world is a cruel place and everyone reacts differently to the same situation. We learned how close the little haven inside the Tower came to dismantling itself without intrusion from outside forces. Pure human instinct can make us kill someone we don’t agree with, enslave the weak, follow the person that speaks up without questioning why, and forget where we came from. Morals, ethics, and social etiquette goes right out the window when it comes to survival and I enjoyed watching listening to the characters experiences with those situations. There were a few far-fetched ideas such as the escape scene from the Colony that kind of felt like movie magic at it's best but the characters situation didn't make it impossible either. I had a few small issues with editing in some chapters but I understand they are trying new things. There were also a few minor mishaps with acting but I expect that to clear up with time. Overall I think the WA team did a wonderful job this season and I can't wait for the next one! Great work guys!
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?268-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Season-2-Review! <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 24 - The Best Showman Becomes the Champ]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?210-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-24-The-Best-Showman-Becomes-the-Champ Sun, 07 Aug 2011 03:02:19 GMT During the break, I’ll be writing reviews/recap for one chapter per week starting with #1 until Season 3 begins. I’ll begin writing shortly after my...
During the break, I’ll be writing reviews/recap for one chapter per week starting with #1 until Season 3 begins. I’ll begin writing shortly after my Season 2 Review is posted.


!! SPOILERS AHEAD - LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE !!

I’m so happy I got my wish! I got my attempted wife swap! I got my daring rooftop rescue! I predicted Pegs would be the pilot hero to pull it off! My research about Pippin was right! I’m sure there’s more in there but it’s (2AM) too late to go back for more material to gloat about.

[insert fanart here]

Chapter 24 - The Best Showman Becomes the Champ

Oh but enough backpatting, can we get an Oscar shipped to Jenna STAT?! I’m a big sucker for an antagonist that steals the show no matter how evil and cruel their methods are. Strong, likeable villains are the kind you want to stick around for long periods of time; the kind you hope survived the explosion to hear just one more witty comment. A great villain can make you sit through what otherwise would be a very bland film (not that WA has that problem).

Take the movie "Hostage" for example. The beginning sequence was a satisfactory but predictable at best but after that the action fell pretty flat. The story boiled down to rich people having too much money and that No-Good boys are always up to no good. Very blah. But then we have Ben Foster's character, who we learn through a series of conversations is extremely psycho, yet he’s acting eerily calm and gentle towards the daughter who in turn is rightfully freaked out. When everything goes wrong I no longer care if the hero survives, I want to see what kind of wacky crazy killer shit is this guy is going to do next! (psst, he burned the house down too!)

I would say Jenna McCombie’s performance stole the entire WA finale but in such a way that it didn't take away from the other conflicts present. She actually enchanced them and I loved it.



Saul’s good character remains intact which I already knew would not waiver. (I’m getting wiser to your trickery KC!) Despite his critical impression of Pegs character, they have solid history behind them that I believe most fans have forgotten over time. Many listeners used the bad “A” word and assumed he was careless enough to willingly sacrifice a friend. Of course, we critics know better.

Writing inserted a time lapse in the beginning sequence to throw the audience off the scent. Saul confirms my thoughts from the last blog and informs the other Tower that he has a plan to lure the Mallers out in the open. The producers have gotten very bold with these fancy editing techniques. I’m seeing a pattern here.

Through various discussions we learn that Tanya’s okay, the choppers are okay, the pilots are okay, the Tower is okay--

MICHAEL: I’m not okay! RAWR RAWR!! Saul, you acted on your own! RAWR BISCUITS!! RAWR!!

Down boy! Heel!

BURT: *giggle*

Even though the group isn’t thrilled about the plan they go along with it anyway. The chips are in place and the scene is set. What could possibly go wrong??? Right away its apparent Saul’s underestimating the Mallers intelligence level which we know is not wise. Since he witnessed Scratch in action way back in Chapter 5 (was it?) it’s a little odd to me that he wouldn’t expect them to spend 4 hours preparing for a trap. You’re dealing with career criminals Sweetie.

In the last chapter there was confusion amongst the listeners over the voices of Steven and Angel because they sound a lot alike, so I’m not surprised we saw heard these two alone in a scene together. I did notice Erik Wargo deepening his voice so we could hear a clear difference. It works, and I’m grateful the production team listens to their fans.

Although for now it doesn’t serve any purpose, I thought the call signs for the choppers were cute. Notice how Riley isn’t too concerned about changing clothes in front of a bunch of men, but those instant girl reflexes kick in when Burt accidently gets grabby. I thought the jokes (episode wide) were a little lame/cheesy. Victor’s funny was the only one that made me laugh hysterically.




The team arrives early at the designated meeting place, a golf course, and *gasp* the Mallers are already set up for the exchange! Upon hearing that their hostage has a bag over her head, I could already sense this wasn’t Lizzy (not to mention Scratch wasn’t there to pull the trigger so that was double red flag). So when the gun went off I didn’t buy into it, however I was thrilled to pieces at Nate Geez and Claire Dodin’s reaction. Even the remorse in Jim Gleason’s apology was spot on. He went from BIG ANGRY MICHAEL to little sad Michael in a flash.

Of course Victor is the only one not emotionally affected since he’s totally unaware of the bond among the Tower residents. He came from a place where no one cares about anyone else and hasn’t had time to assimilate himself into a family mentality. Running and survival is all he knows and I feel like his lack of attachment (and vice versa) to the Tower may serve a purpose in a future episode.

Oh Jenna, I think you’re turning me into a masochist. Just that one opening line over the radio made me quiver inside and damn did I want more. It’s not easy to create a well-rounded villainess out of thin air but not impossible. Yes we’ve seen many a heroine in one action film or another, but how many female evil-doers can we say were different from the last? Most are so over-sexualized that you can’t take their dastardly deeds seriously. For the ones that aren’t, they tend to be lifeless and one-dimensional.




But then we have those few that jump out at us as being more than just good body and a pretty face.They’re the ladies we can look at and explain her entire past to a newbie. We can observe a dangerous situation and form an idea of how she will and won’t react based on her personality traits. She sets herself apart from the rest forming an iconic image for herself and that’s the type of character Scratch has become.



I’m thrilled to see her true colors floating to the surface. I admit I was concerned after hearing the few bits she had in Season 1 because they weren’t enough to paint a clear picture of just how powerful a villain she really is. I can sense the actress has finally embraced the essence of her character and she’s working her part to the max. Jenna doesn't have the luxury of facial expressions and body language to sell her character with this kind of media. Her acting relies on pure skill and it pours off of her in waves. Through her we’ve learned that not only is Scratch a master tactician, she’s also a great manipulator. And our Lizzy used her psychiatrist skills to expose her lies to get revenge.

Steven and Blonde Boy try to figure out what to do. Without their most skilled fighters around, there’s little to do but last long enough for the others to arrive.

Angel: It’s Angel, NOT BLONDE BOY!

Okay, okay. Geez. Temper. Anyway, just as I started to get hopeful that Angel would come up with a great plan and lead Scratch cuts in to get under his skin in her own little calm way (love it). Audio creates a great filtered, echo version of the loud speaker as this devilish vixen gives the Tower folk an ultimatum. Writing exposes an exploitable weakness by showing us how much Scratch underestimates the Tower. She expects the whole team to rally up in fear and toss Pegs out the front door. It’s something you’d expect with the Mallers but not in this house.



As it turns out, Pippin truly was a plant but for another purpose we never saw coming. Although I was suckered into believing he was not a plant, I still correctly identified his name as a premonition through a WA-style double meaning. To reiterate, I discovered the word Pippin (which means “foreigner” and ”Apple”) was connected to Sin=Serpent=Lucifer(Scratch) in some way which turned out to be true. (Also note that the Apple is a symbol of wisdom,or in this case, Pegs whereabouts). Cool, eh?

David Pevsner seems to have gotten more comfortable with Tardust. The acting doesn’t feel quite as forced as in earlier episodes. As a whole character I prefer Smart Weasel Tar to Rapist Tar. (Yeah, that Scarlet Letter is NEVER gonna go away.)

Scratch: NO FUCKING WAY!

ZH: Right!

Angel takes initiative to disable the Tanker bomb and the others join in him to help. Finally Writing drops the boom on us… literally. Kalani makes the ultimate sacrifice and things become a little clearer. All the tension and build up around Burt and Saul blinded me from seeing that Kalani had been getting the “Losers Edit” for several chapters now.

Losers Edit = when an episode in a series suddenly adds attention to a person whose usually in the background or known for performing poorly, this often includes a back story and exposing personality strengths/weaknesses to make the person likable just before they are eliminated.
Anyone who watches BravoTV reality shows knows what I’m talking about.

Conscience: Dork.

ZH: Shut up.

Writing seizes the opportunity to plant seeds of mystery and doubt into our brains. Before he dies, Kalani says “That girl was my Hannah” but of course fails to mention what girl he was talking about. Then there’s an awkward moment between the army guys as ideas run out. Burt becomes suspicious of Angel and Michael is considering Scratch’s offer knowing backup is coming.

(My little Peggy continues to prove her worth and is already on her way back home on a hunch to save the day. WUV U PEGS!)

Saul and Victor arrive in time to ambush the Mallers and put a dent in their assault before a rogue RPG disables the hummer. Writing could have left their fate open ended and have all of us S&V fans paranoid during the break but they didn’t for a good reason. Saul’s fate has been a mystery this entire season so to have it happen a second time would be repetitious and overdoing it.

The Mallers assault weakens the building supports and they start to buckle. Angel redeems himself from Season one by playing hero at the last minute. With his whole heart he rescues Riley, Hope, and Lady and ensures their survival before thinking of himself. There’s a little spark of that fire in him I wish to see more of. In my opinion it’s the first sign of actual change for his character. HOORAY!

Everyone makes it over to Peg’s helicopter except Burt and Angel and their fate is left open ended. Rather than speculate I’m just going to trust KC to come up with the miracle for at least one man.




"The fight game today is like show business. There's no real fighters anymore, they're all actors. The best showman becomes the champ!" ~Nick Benko, THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956)

At the hands of one of the meanest woman alive in WA, the Tower falls and the remaining cast begin their journey to Fort Irwin. Before this chapter aired I was looking forward to some emotional send off with everyone bidding the apartment building farewell and ended up getting more than I bargained for. At the same time I wasn’t missing any of the extras. I realize now that Steven’s been the voice representing the unnamed survivors. His existance has served little more than a branded Popsicle stick to mark where the pumpkin seeds are buried. Up to this point he appears to be around just to remind us that there are others living in the building too. Since I’m not a fan of his whining anyway, I felt nothing for those that perished in the collapse (although he could still be alive). Maybe I’m just cold-hearted.

I’m more interested in seeing what our great antagonist Scratch will do now that her prey’s slipped through her claws. Writing threw in a 1 minute overhang at the end to tell us a few things and nothing. The Maller Trio survived the aftermath and they’ve found at least one person alive in the rubble. Listeners can theorize all we want about it but there’s no way to know until next season.

With most of the Tower residents dead, Writing can shift focus back to the mysterious apocalyptic world they live in. As KC has hinted before, he can take them anywhere and our crew has been set up with the tools to do it. Although it’ll be cliché, there’s still time to bring in another faction or stronghold in the SoCal area. History could very much repeat itself in the same way Hope found the Colony, only this could be surviving military personnel… or cannibals. *crosses fingers*

Since there wasn't much creature awesomeness in this chapter, you can watch this to get your fix. Season 2 Review/Analysis coming soon!

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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?210-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-24-The-Best-Showman-Becomes-the-Champ <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 23.3 - Idle Minds]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?168-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-3-Idle-Minds Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:40:48 GMT *http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg* *!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!* This chapter has...

!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!


This chapter has offered us so much material I hardly know where to begin. I can’t just simply recap and review. This will probably be a fairly long entry so bare with me. If necessary I’’ll break it into two parts. I feel like Writing’’s giving us a blindfolded taste test and said, "Here, what’s this?" It smells like celery. It tastes like celery. But no dammit, it’s parsnip! And then Chef Ramsey eats your brains.

**I had a heck of a time getting this post up. Between the power flickering and restarting my computer to the forums randomly logging me out and losing my formatting, it's been quite a test of patience these last 24 hours. If you see any odd punctuation or formatting errors, I apologize.**





Chapter 23.3 - Idle Minds

Welcome to the first episode of WA’s Wife Swap! If you’re not familiar with the show I encourage you to watch this 90 second video (it’s the husband edition but you get the idea). Basically the show finds two families that live opposite lifestyles and have them switch wives for two weeks. WA’s twisted edition is for more entertaining because they have contestants that will eat you.

On with the show!

The chapter starts off with the events taking place at Cain Hospital. Last time we left off with a tearful cliffhanger as the group was forced to split leaving Burt and Angel to remain trapped in a room. Between Kalani’’s bromance with Angel and Riley’’s loyalty(?) to the Tower, they’re not about just walk away with the boys deaths on their conscience. Instead they search for the buildings generators to power the elevators and stumble upon the mental health wing which is suspiciously not labeled on the map.


"Cain Mental Hospital:I bring relief to troubled minds."

A quick plug into Google brings up "Cane Hill" psychiatric hospital in Europe with this quote as its motto. However, for some reason it’’s this excerpt [from Wikipedia] that jumps out at me immediately:


"The water tower of the asylum housed a low-power analogue television repeater belonging to National Grid Wireless. This was powered by a diesel generator,since there was no mains power supplied to the site (asylum) after the switchgear was destroyed following an arson attack."

Hmm, now why does that incident sound familiar? What are you trying to say Writing? I sense there’s more information given here than we realize. I’ll try to explaining that later. Since it appears this place holds some significance, I’m reminded of our dear Lizzy’s former occupation as a psychiatrist. Her profession isn’t randomly selected. Nothing in this story is.






As our unlikely duo proceeds into the lair of the beast, they discover a little workshop of horrors. Based on the info given in Riley’s description, Writing’s cued us in that this place has a connection to the Little Ones (and probably the Big Ones too). Even with all these signs, the questions still linger and without facts any further speculation is just a guess.

A Smart One appears in the hallway, certainly aware of their presence. He giggles at Riley’s attempt to kill him and they flee. Kalani recognizes this one as the "one from the Arena." Now, this Smart One could have easily taken them both out but it allowed them to live. Why is this?

I’d like to think it smelled Riley’s alcohol on her and kept its distance. However it’s hard to determine if she actually got a swallow or two in before Burt made her put it away in 23-1. Since that evidence isn’t solid there’s the possibility that his priorities lie elsewhere. Maybe there's a reason he didn't want the other creatures storming that area? Based on the evidence they found in the mental ward, it’s apparent that he wasn’t following them, but actually returning there for a purpose.

I don’t believe this is the same Suit Zombie that visited the Tower. In fact, I’m not so sure this is even the "Colored One" that Skittles mentioned. In Chapter 10, Datu described the figure in the Arena as having "weird looking skin." If this is the one that ate Samantha, perhaps his authority is greater than that of Ink/Suit Zombie(?). Because everyone has their own way of describing the creatures, it’s difficult to determine just how many Super Smarties are really out there. But maybe that’’s the point. Perhaps this is Writings way of saying "there’s more than one."



Cue cute and eerie audio trill into the next scene. (I feel like I'm in an Abbot and Costello movie!)

The story shifts over to Burt and Angel still trapped into the room. Like the Vikings they are, they’ve accepted their fate and decided to go down in a blaze of glory after they hear the helicopter take off. Kalani and Riley step in to save them at the last minute and use a clever bomb trick to get everyone into the elevator. Numbers 8-2 and 2-1 are brought up. Unless I was looking in the wrong place I found no connections to any Bible stories. I re-listened to Chapter 8-2 and the only major developments involved was Cindy’’s missing body and something Riley said that I found a little interesting.

At 5:25 she says "While I was filling my pack I kept kicking myself for volunteering for this. But deep down, I knew why I did."

Riley never elaborates on her past, but maybe, just maybe, there’s someone out there she was looking for. A lover perhaps? Possibly the same "we still have her" Scratch was talking about in Chapter 20? There’’s no way to know or to even prove it, but it’’s something to note.

The major developments in Chapter 2-1 involve the addition of Lizzy to the cast, Michael and Angels power struggle, and Saul’’s colorful assessment of their small survival group. They mention Pegs reluctance to use guns (psst Writing! It’s all just an act isn’t it? She’’s really the friar eh? Eh?!) and Saul hints at his suspicions about Riley’s sexuality.

Burt’s bomb works and the group heads up to the landing pad. Apparently he stole the move from a movie. I haven’t had the chance to research it yet since there’s so much to look into already. The titles in the most recent chapters have forced me to pull up an e-encyclopedia, dust off the Old Testament, and recall memories of being held hostage every Sunday by the family elders so many decades ago. I’ll be lucky if I can get at least half this entry finished before the end of the week.

They breathe a sigh of relief that no one had to be left to die. Riley expresses how elated she is to see the boys made it. I laugh at Angel’s reaction. You really like me? You really REALLY like me?! Rip his heart out Riley. Rip it out and smash it into the ground. Do it! DO IT!




I don’t hate Angel. I just want him to turn in another direction. Compared to his two army buddies, he’s a late bloomer. Almost everyone in the main cast has matured in some way but Angel continues to be the same spoiled brat chapter after chapter. Every time I feel like he’s going to start a major transition, her elapses right back into that childish attitude that I cannot stand. I want to believe that one day he’ll become an honorable figure in the Tower or at least reach a status beyond tolerable.

The only thing that gets him going is Riley. So yes, I want her to break him. Strike him down! Crush his heart and soul to bring him over that threshold…… Or she can just give him what he wants. Whatever works.




The helicopter is dubbed "perfect." Of course it is. That’s why I was the first one to say "why don’t they just find a medical or police helicopter" or something to that affect. Yeah it was me that said it.*Puffs up chest* Yup. One daring rooftop escape later and the Tower now has one fully operational chopper.

We return to Saul whose on the Mallers trail, now armed with Tardust’s forgotten map of the city. After a brief chat with the Tower he sends out a broadcast on a clear channel to the Mallers demanding they respond. Scratch’s saucy voice answers his call and Saul makes the proposal that I've been waiting to hear for months.



Chapter 23 Review

High marks all around. I think nearly every Maller andTower voice actor was used for recording. This is the first time in a long timethat we’ve actually taken a step forward in the story. We didn’t move far butthe suspense was continuous throughout the chapter and kept us from gettingbored. Lizzy’s been gone since Chapter 20 and this search for her andhelicopters has carried on for months. Now with one (soon to be two)helicopters they should be able to get moving right?... WRONG! Of course it’snot going to be that easy. There’s no such thing as easy in the world of WA. “Easy”is as real as “obvious” or Bigfoot.

Saul is no fool.

I don’t care how love sick the boy is, he’s not going to willingly hand Pegs over to save Lizzy. I don’t think Lizzy would even go for that crap. I believe this is a clever scheme to get the Mallers to come to him. I don’t know what his plan is. For all we know, Victor and the others are in on it and waiting inthe wings. Yeah, no one is safe, I remember. KC can always throw in a twist and kill her off, and then we can watch Michael flip out and go on a Maller hunting rampage.
No one died in this chapter, but there’s still time. Worst case scenario, the Mallers take a helicopter (with Pegs flying it). Fort Irwin is probably farther away than we think.

Even though Riley’s been placed in the spotlight as oflate, I’m still having difficulty understanding her character. In 23.1, she showed reluctance to the idea of “running” away by relocating north. This is funny coming from someone who get’s scared just as easily as anyone else when those things show up. Her fear of heights is also being showcased in this chapter. Perhaps we’ll learn why soon.

Since the story has been stationary for so long, by adding the firefight in 23-2 to the beginning of the chapter, the audience at leastknew they had something to look forward to. With this Writing managed to keep us guessing to the end about the fate of the hospital crew. I felt this chapter is definitely worthy of a good grade and perfect for leading us into the season finale.

Chapter 11 can’t compare to all the suspense, suspicion, and questions that arose in 23. But that’s how Season 2’s are supposed to be: Bigger and better.

Now for the fun part.

Writing threw a bunch of puzzle pieces in our face and I’ve been sitting here all week trying to determine if anything fits. Do any ofthese dots connect in ways that we haven’t thought of yet?

The term “Cain” translates to “from the evil one” in Greek’sNew Testament, also said to be “the son of the serpent” aka the Devil. In the Bible, Cain and Abel were brothers. One was a crop farmer and the other was a shepherd. Abel sacrificed the best ofhis flock and God accepted it however Cain’s offering from his fields was turned away because he did not sacrifice in faith.

So this part of the scripture brought me back to Chapter 10 when the creatures gathered in the Arena. Maybe they’re not killing for sport. Perhaps Samantha was actually a sacrifice to the Super Smart One? I honestly can’t tell you. Between the scriptures and reading the history behind Cane Hill hospital, I determined that there’s just not enough info to draw up any solid conclusions. I’m stumped, but that’s a good thing.
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?168-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-3-Idle-Minds <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 23.2 - Idle Minds]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?152-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-2-Idle-Minds Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:06:54 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!* What! An early post?!...

!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!

What! An early post?! Yeah, I may be out towards the end of the week due to the holiday so I'm making sure this gets out now. Plus I want to share all the stuff I found. Although this is was a short episode, it was one helluva cliffhanger. I think it just start to hit me how close the finale really is. I'm not prepared for this. Not yet.


Chapter 23.2 - Idle Minds

With a heavy sigh of relief, I listened to Saul describe what was left of the Arena. Tardust’s calculations were correct. The remaining tanker bombs only took out part of the building but it caused enough damage for the surviving creatures to abandon it. I’m amazed that Saul was able to make it there alone without running into a huge wave of uglies on the road. I consulted the WA map in search of an answer.

The Arena is NE of the Tower. SW of the Tower is the place we know as Ground Zero, aka Inglewood, and just West of that is LAX. It’s never said where Cain Hospital is located but if the creatures are passing through the Tower area, it’s quite possible the Arena horde is moving toward Ground Zero. There’s not enough evidence to prove it, but it lines up a possibility.

Still if there’s some truth in my suspicions and they are moving SW as Saul travels NE, I’d have expected them to bump into each other at some point along the way. Anywho, Saul finds the truck Lizzy was held in along with her bag and tape recorder. I totally forgot she had that thing. Burt’s voice cracks on the radio and like a concerned dad, he begs Saul to answer him. After a few moments of silent thought he turns the radio off.

I really can’t blame Saul for taking matters into his own hands. His one and only purpose for leaving the Tower was to find Lizzy. Michael ordered them to take a detour to scope out the helicopter. Imagine losing something precious to you and having other people delay the search to handle a secondary objective. I remember a long time ago when my dogs escaped from the yard in the middle of the night. When I discovered it the next morning, I was ready to steal mom’s car to go look for them. I didn’t care about the consequences or what anyone had to say, I just wanted my babies back. Saul’s situation is no different. He came out here to find Lizzy and only Lizzy. Upon hearing the others talk about delaying the search even longer to get the other chopper, Saul did what he had to do and went on his own.

Saul, I’m right here with you Bro.

It turns out Lizzy recorded her adventures on the tape when the Maller boys weren’t looking. GOLD STAR! Lizzy, you are awesome. Yes you are. From this point on Writing goes all out to squeeze out those tears. KC rips out our hearts and feeds it to the undead hoards walking the earth. Blaire Byhower, yet again, beautifully acts out another emotionally driven scene. Her acting is so full of pathos that you just fall in love with Lizzy right along with Saul. She is the perfect actress for the perfect part. Blaire and Nate Geez make their characters sound so damn cute together that the audience continuously SCREAMS for them to be reunited.


We listen to the aftermath after the explosion at the Arena on tape. As expected, the Mallers kicked an anthill and caused the Uglies to swarm. We hear a gun battle and the sounds of Bricks (?) struggling to free Lizzy from the overturned truck as Tardust and Scratch (yay!) and party hold off the creature’s advancement. (Anyone else surprised she let Lizzy be rescued? Just what are her plans?)

“Tell Saul I love him!”

Excuse me, I need a tissue.

The tape continues to play as Saul reacts to what he just heard. We hear the sounds of a large truck speeding away. The creatures appear to stop near the overturned truck to watch them flee. Then we hear something else of interest:

@6:23 – “Move..ahe~*GROWL.*”
@6:29 – “Move.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard these creatures speak real words. Suit Zombie spoke in Chapter 11 to fool Michael and party at the Tower. However, we don’t know if this actually is Suit Zombie talking. Remember, we left him on the road at the ambush site with the Little Ones? So this has to be a different Smart Zombie speaking. We know it’s smart because it’s giving orders, therefore we can say that Suit Zombie is not alone in his rank. There are others, others with power.

LOOKIE AT WHAT I FOUND

A subtle nod to our nations soldiers.

The story cuts to Cain Hospital where Riley and Burt are lost looking for Angel and Kalani. Somehow no one knows where they are. I know for a fact that everything hospitals have to be clearly labeled. There are directories by every elevator and main entrance and emergency escape plans all over the place. Even if the hospitals are jammed packed with people after a disaster, there are signs swinging from the ceilings and placards pasted to the walls pointing everywhere.

Eventually the four meet up and decide heading up to the chopper is the only option. This would present a problem since directions the helipad aren’t common knowledge in hospitals, especially to non-employees. And with the power out, that makes it even more difficult. Instead of moving their asses, they bicker as fear starts to set in. The creatures catch up with them forcing them to run into an On-Call Room and barricade the door.

They spend a few minutes running around the room like chickens with their heads cut off. They’re so disorganized that I start thinking “WWMD?” (what would Michael do?) Oh! I know! He would USE RILEY’S ALCOHOL TO REPEL THE CREATURES! If you don’t know why by now, refer to Chapter 5.

Angel comes up with a plan to tie bed sheets together to make a rope and climb out the window. Smart thinking. I noticed Riley isn’t a fan of heights. She avoided going on the sweat jar mission in Season 1, she freaked out when they had to climb down to the fire truck, and now this. When it comes to heights Riley goes GIRLY!

No one’s eager to drop out the window with a sheet but no one else has a better idea. Angel sends Riley out first, which is the best idea. Kalani goes next to “test the weight limit” but really it’s just to get the hell out of there. For some reason this scene reminds me of an I Love Lucy episode:


PLAY FROM 3:15 ON

The sheets rip and there’s nothing they guys can use to climb down. Burt chucks a radio down to Riley and Kalani then tells them to go ahead without them. Angel’s not ready to give up so quickly and I was just about to give him points until he 180’d back into the same selfish Angel he was during the fire. The man has learned NOTHING. So much for that bonding he and Kalani did at the base. All that brotherhood went straight out the window… literally.

Burt, however, has matured. I think this is a sign that Burt’s completed his transition. The older man calmly explains his reasons for letting the “fat one” go first. He gives the radio to Angel so he can have one of the hardest conversations of his life. He tells Riley to leave them, even shouting at her, but she stubbornly refuses. He uses her own hurtful words against her and you can almost hear her heart break over the radio. Maybe this will be enough to take all that bitchiness out of her.

Oh Shane, you made this part sound so sweet. It’s moments like this that make me feel sorry for Angel. If there were more of them in the story I’d forgive him more often for the times when he’s being a douche. But then, he wouldn’t be Angel.
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?152-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-2-Idle-Minds <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 23.1 - Idle Minds]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?151-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-1-Idle-Minds Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:17:23 GMT

!!SPOILER'S AHEAD -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!

Tis the season of new seasons! All my TV shows are coming back as my primary addiction closes in on the finale. I just finished watching the new episode for True Blood which pissed me off so bad I did what all great critics do and ran straight to my computer to flame the crap out of it. Unfortunately most of the websites I visit haven’t come off hiatus status so I’ll hold it in a little longer. I’ll also spare you of what think about Heidi Klum’s desperate nudie photo splashed across Lifetimes website. Keeping those ratings propped up like a wonder bra, eh babe? On with the review!


"An idle mind is the Devil's workshop." ~Proverb


Chapter 23.1 - Idle Minds


My first order of duty is to pick it apart the title and search it for clues. My initial plug into Google brought up a book of the same name written by a Holocaust survivor named Adolf Burger. He and others were labored with the task of producing counterfeit money for the Nazis. Apparently it was so well produced that only the most senior of inspectors could detect it was a fake. They were meant to be distributed around England to throw off the British economy, financially crippling them in wartime. If we remember the conversation between Kelly and Michael in Chapter 21.3 when Pippin was on trial, they brought up the idea of Apple’s passport being a forgery. Kelly had her doubts but this chapter title could be cuing us in on the Tower traitor or we’re about to get another peek inside the Beast’s Lair.

(Gotta love double meanings.)

However, we could take this one step further and factor in that this survival story is being told through the eyes of many in journal form. Could one of these journal entries be a false account of events? And IF these questionable events are indeed separate and caused by more than one person, what we think we know could all just be a lie.


The opening scene starts with a firefight to cue us in that this anachronic storytelling format will likely continue all the way up to the finale. Although we hear voices that weren’t present in the previous chapter, this would-be spoiler isn’t spoiling anything. Burt recalls the events leading up to the battle which has apparently recently ended since he sounds like he's coming off an adrenaline high.

Saul’s not responding to his radio (big surprise) and no one else at the airport feels like chasing lover boy down. I like how Audio takes us from the hummer, past the front of the helicopter where the flying lesson is still taking place, and to the uh-thing that Datu’s working on. We’ve come a long way from just having one person enter the scene at a time. Victor anxiously wants to go on the next mission. I imagine cleaning up blood and guts is a quite boring and thankless job. It’s not clear at this point where they are headed but it sounds like some of the crew is staying here while the rest go after the other chopper.

After some “WHOSE GOT THE BIGGER BALLS” bickering, Victor gets stuck babysitting Peg Legs and Datu as the rest head out. Burt fast-forwards to Riley and Angel joining them. Note how he’s having difficulty keeping his story straight. Angel has a minor freak out on Kalani but I’m going to blame that on his lack of involvement in helicopter business. I can get flustered when I don’t know what the H is going on either. No negative mark this time.

Burt’s under the impression that he’s THE MAN in charge under Michael’s orders. Angel counters by flashing his rank at everyone. For safety reasons they decide only 2 people should go in after the chopper. Kalani asks his homeboy Angel to come with and he unconfidently accepts. Did we just miss a chance to be alone with our love interest by TALKING TOO MUCH? Riley jumps in with her bowing skills but it’s apparent that Kalani feels safer with his boy by his side.



Now this is irrelevant, but on my copy of the episode, there’s a section of this conversation that gets cut off and repeated. Some say their download had Riley stuttering, some had both, many had a clean copy and think I’m crazy. Whatever. No big deal. It just made me go “HUH?” for a few minutes.

The group arrives at Cain Hospital. It could be Kane, or Cane, or Kain. I couldn’t find any such medical facility on Google so I’m betting it’s made up. However from Burt’s description, it’s probably modeled after a real one. I’m spelling it Cain to fit all the religious references in WA. Since the main building of the hospital is cathedral shaped, it’s likely a faith based facility. Note that Cain committed the first act of murder (for those that don’t know) so I doubt the founders of this establishment would name anything after him if they actually wanted patients.

We return to the Tower with Tanya and Michael. It doesn’t surprise her to hear her son doing something reckless. In this case I wouldn’t call it neglect. She knows her son. Much like Michael who is aware of how he can be, she’s knows it can’t be helped. Michael’s only concern is if he makes it back in time to join the mission to Fort Irwin. Apparently neither Burt nor Saul made mention of their plans to stay behind. Tanya brings up the idea of leaving their supposed “bad guy” behind. She also points out that they can’t prove the creatures dug up the dead bodies. Did they get up and walk away? Before she can finish, Michael pisses her off and she leaves to go help relocate supplies to the other Tower.

Michael shrugs it off and lights up. Steven (who I initially mistook for Angel at the beginning) bursts in warning that Biters (?) or Fighters (?) are coming. I don’t know where he got that name from. Everyone but Michael calls them “Zombies.” This part confused me because I was thinking it could be Durai’s crew, the Colonist, or the creatures. Both of them rush to the other building where Kelly is leading the supply crew and warns them. Michael gives us a description of the monsters as they get closer. He notes a larger one dragging something behind it but keeping it safe from any others getting too close. Rather than wait to see if they go by, Steven opens fire.

W-T-F

As the gun battle continues, Kelly and crew arrive to fight. Yes Michael, you have girls that can shoot remember? It’s now known that the thing being dragged away is Tanya who is out cold. The large one carrying her has his priorities straight and he starts to leave the area while the others turn to attack. Michael moves in to rescue Tanya after it drops her and gives it a name: Randy. Randy, as we know, is the name Michael kept calling out in his sleep while recovering at the Colony.

ZZ Top

Randy shows signs of being one of the “Smart Ones” as he dodges the rest of Michael’s attacks. Steven notes that some of the creatures were burned. It’s possible these are survivors from the Arena explosion. Since we already know it’s been leveled, where they were headed, is a mystery.

They get Tanya to the clinic and handcuff her to the bed. By the time Michael gets to the guard room Steven has already warned the other people left in the adjacent tower on the walkie-talkie. More creatures arrive but they simply collect the bodies and start eating them. (CANNIBALS!) Now I could just be imagining this, but Steven seems to be well informed on how these monsters react. He also called them by a different name. He could just be very observant or… something else. Not speculating.

Back at the hospital, Burt’s feelings are hurt by not being chosen to go to the helicopter so he acts like an ass and encourages them to move forward safely. Riley’s also feeling underappreciated but Kalani says he feels safer having a gun escort. She gets personal calling him “Fatty” which is totally out of her character (or is it?) Up to Lizzy’s disappearance she’s been nice to everyone. It could just be the nicotine withdrawal but her inner bitch has been showing itself a lot lately and man it’s UGLY.

Burt gives us a description of the hospital as Riley guides them to their destination. The two blood brothers head up while the others return outside. Bored, Burt starts to tinker with his secret BOOM device as Riley decides to liquor up. A creature howls in the distance signaling others to charge the hospital. Burt and Riley are forced to flee inside. Hundreds of creatures approach the building carrying “others” as Burt described it. A mobilized army is heading straight for them.

Cue cliffhanger.

The story is still moving at a snail’s pace but we have some decent set up for next season happening in this episode. The curious Randy issue has resurfaced as has the debate about Michael’s broken wing which is widely presumed to be related. One thing we do know about him is that he’s a Smart One. Tanya is injured but it’s unclear if she will recover. Saul’s still at large but we don’t know where he’s going. Ground Zero and the Arena are the only places he showed interest in. The Tower is surrounded. The fate of the falsely accused man is up in the air and Michael is the only person there who knows he’s innocent. The hospital group is trapped. No sign of Lizzy and the Mallers. WHERE IS SKITTLES?

Tanya brought up a good point about the missing bodies. In Season 1, the boys assumed the creatures were carrying them off because they saw ants do it. However we never saw this actually happen. We do know that the creatures collect bodies but we never see where they are taken. In Chapter 10, we saw that some of these bodies were purposely burned in piles. The creatures eat their dead, but they keep some who aren’t turned alive to be killed by their superiors. Even in this episode they’re dragging bodies along with them. Are these injured creatures? Are they food? Are they turned? No one knows for certain.



There’s so much going on right now. So much confusion. Thanks to Chapter 22 putting so much doubt in all of what we know, we’re again left with the same uncertainty we felt towards the end of Season 1. Since it could happen any day now, for months now there’s been an eerie underlining tone in the story that could be foretelling the death of a cast member. Burt and/or Saul are the primary candidates. We know Burt’s been playing with a bomb and it feels like there’s going to be a “one man left behind to detonate” sacrificial situation. Or it could be an awesomely pulled off rooftop rescue by Chicken Little. Or Kalani can get the other one started and they make a narrow escape. Of course someone can always be bitten in the process and die on the way.

Although, Riley might still have her liquor and if they remember, it could be used to mask their scent, or even repel the creatures away. It worked for Saul. It might have played a role in Chapter 12. Who’s to say?

Must.post.on.forums.to.soak.up.all.credit.
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?151-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-23-1-Idle-Minds <![CDATA[The Spolier's Review - Chapter 22.3 - What Is Yours Is Mine]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?144-The-Spolier-s-Review-Chapter-22-3-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:33:24 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE !!* My chapter fanart this...

!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE !!

My chapter fanart this time around turned out to be more troublesome than I imagined. Originally I started working on an interior shot of a helicopter but after a weeks of struggling with the concept I realized my civilian eyes don’t know squat about what the inside of a helicopter is supposed to look like and so I burned it with Plan B. Behold, Plan C!



Chapter 22.3 – What Is Yours Is Mine

Pegs narrates us into the episode which perks me right up. Victor’s driving her to the airport to meet Kalani and the others. Of course Michael coolly chose one of his strongest warriors as an escort for his lady. As they bicker about directions I can’t help but wonder where Writing is going to take them. Will they run into the surviving Mallers? Will they come across creatures fleeing the Arena? Pegs complains of dizziness and a headache. Eventually they pull over for her to be sick.

OMG MICHAEL IS A DADDY! But wait, it’s only been like, like a week and a half? Oh no, she’s infected! But wait, maybe they strayed into ground zero. *GASP* Don’t kill my Peggy!

Both of them soon realize the area is not safe and they speed away. Phew!

There’s no narration into the next part where the boys at the airport are working hard to fix the helicopter. Kalani’s holding strong as a mission leader and keeping everyone moving. Burt’s talking to someone at the Tower via radio. No further details are given but it appears that he’s checking up on the Pippin situation. Since we can’t confirm this we can chuck it on top of the pile of unanswered questions left over from Chapter 21. Datu’s excited and hopeful that the bird will be functional in good time.

The group notices that Pegs and Victor haven’t arrived yet and start to worry. Burt suggests they halt repairs long enough to look for them. Saul’s evidently bitter about the idea since Lizzy’s search has been put on hold temporarily for the helicopter. Because of his injuries, he can’t do much other than watch everyone else work and as a result is becoming more anxious as time passes. Victor and Pegs pull up right on cue and inform the group about their detour into ground zero.

Interest in the area builds among some in the group, including Saul, as a place to investigate. As they discuss this, Burt and Datu imply that exposure to ground zero could cause infection. Pegs and Victor assure him that they feel fine. Burt takes this opportunity to criticize her judgment as the 2nd pilot but Vic and Kalani win points for coming to her defense. Saul assesses her abilities and is quickly convinced.

It makes perfect sense for the army guys to feel uneasy about giving her a job to do. From day 1 of the outbreak she’s always been the “damsel in distress,” THE ONE person you have to protect in a fight. In Season 1, you could hand any of the main characters a gun and be confident they’d use it to protect themselves and others. Pegs could be labeled as one of the “others” however there’s been someone or something to nudge her into a higher role (ie, Lizzy, Riley, Michael).

I still feel that Pegs is going through a character transition. She’s called upon a new level of confidence we’ve only caught glimpses of before. I noted some of it there in Chapter 12 and in Chapter 11.1 when she was the only one brave enough to climb balconies to warn the others about Suit Zombie. She takes action when she has no other option but doesn’t let bad things happen when she’s capable of stopping it. Sure some of her behavior can seem childish but it’s not hard to fake. Yes, I said fake.




I’m not afraid to line my favorite up as a suspect for wrongdoing. Who’s to say she jumped balconies when in reality, she could have been in the room alone the entire time! Suit Zombie was beating on a door when Michael and the others arrived. Maybe she got caught hiding in there just before they showed up? Ooooo, smell the mystery! I'm just saying she has good aim for someone that’s had virtually no target practice.

Moving on!

Jobs are assigned and everyone gets back to work. Audio does some cool fading tricks to cover each group. As Kalani teaches Pegs how to fly the copter, we hear the voices of the other members speaking softly in the background to remind us that everyone’s in the same closed space. Between the echoes, scrubbing, groans of the controls, and Burt’s heavy footsteps I feel like I’m actually in the helicopter with them.

Over the radio they learn the other search team has found a 2nd helicopter. And guess what? It’s at a hospital (or at least near one).

***HIGH-FIVES YARRI*** BOOYAH!!



Upon hearing this news, with a courageous heart, Saul runs off to go rescue his lady love! Go man! Go!



CHAPTER 22 REVIEW

Okay so, we got NO answers out of 22.

Like the previous chapter I felt this was mostly filler. The story’s definitely slowed down to a crawl and that’s likely because the end of the season is so close. *CRY* Writing is a teaser (and crowd pleaser!) but thankfully the most loyalist and diehard fans are weekend masochists so we shall endure!

The great thing about this story is that all the filler or seemingly “useless” information becomes useful somewhere down the line. Writing put in overtime to blow all common plot theories apart and confuse the audience on who is doing what and why. (It’s going to be one heck of a break) So it’s best to just take notes and keep them in mind for Season 3 when the story starts to move forward again.

I must comment that there was almost a feeling of normality when the crew was working together in 22.3. Having all these personalities in one place nearly sent my awesome meter into overload. The actors meld into these characters so well you’d swear they all live in the same house in real life. The bar’s been set so high that when new voice actors come in, the audience expects the same quality from everyone. We should remain attentive and remember that it takes significant time to get a feel for the role.

The obvious is not always the right answer. Although there are other incidents, I'll forever refer to this chapter as an example.

OBVIOUS = MAY NOT BE TRUE. SEE 22!



The primary highlights of this installment reminded us that the Rat is still around, Michael is a different leader, and how close this group has gotten in all this time. Saul’s gone straight up lover boy. And though Michael is still playing leader with a cool head, I sense a hint of overprotective B/F in the works. This could play out well when they run into Scratch again. (WIFE SWAP!!!) Kalani ‘s leadership capabilities are shining bright! I wouldn’t believe this was the same guy sucking up to Burt a few chapters ago. Victor’s showing more and more that he’s a person who can be trusted. It’s good to hear Datu sounding so perky after becoming so disgruntled during the fire. Having Hope now appears to have changed his whole attitude about survival. But take her away and he’ll relapse in a snap.

Burt’s been very laid back since stepping down and he's watching over Saul like a concerned father. It’s unclear if Michael told him the truth over the radio (doubt it) or not but I’m not certain how he’d handle uncovering the lie. His suspicion alone is enough to cause skepticism amongst the Tower residents if he wishes it. Pegs’ time to shine is in the works. I’m happy for her but I know Writing’s just looking for a place to stick a monkey wrench. *Random thought: Scratch forces Pegs at gunpoint to fly the helicopter of supplies south to Durai’s encampment while Michael watches in horror. Season cliffhanger.* Stop it! Stop it! Focus!

With no journal narrations and Saul running off to ground zero, I fear for his life. The cards are all lined up: no Tower radio to call for help, he’s alone, he’s weakened, and not thinking straight. Now that he’s unrestrained, his recklessness can very well mean his end… or the end for someone else.

NO RATINGS

**My rating system is flawed. I’ve known about it for a while but haven’t gotten around to doing anything about it. As soon as I talk myself into going back to fix all my entries, I’ll change it to something that better reflects my feelings about the episodes (Promise!). Otherwise at this rate everything will always be over 90%! (No, really the show is just that good.)**
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?144-The-Spolier-s-Review-Chapter-22-3-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 22.2 - What Is Yours Is Mine]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?135-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-22-2-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:43:08 GMT


!!SPOILERS BELOW -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!


Phew I’ve had quite a week. I don’t want to go too much into details but it began with several days of stress, repetition, and lengthy practices in preparation for a test. On the big day, I sat in a room for 4 hours with 30+ people who were in worse shape than me. A handful of them couldn’t even sit because they were so on edge and spent half an hour pacing around the room. It was a humorous sight indeed! After my test I had a minor panic attack for about 10 minutes while waiting for results after I realized I’d forgotten an important step. When I was told thatI’d passed, I ended up celebrating… really hard, so I'm apologizing for the spelling and grammar errors now. There’s only a few hours left until the chapter finale, so before that happens, I want to get a word in or two.



Michael’s being a good leader and getting everything that can be prepared ready for easy transport to Fort Irwin. With her son up and running, poor Tanya has nothing better to do than scan all the journals into digital copies so they can dump the books for a lighter load. I still don’t understand why this is a good idea. Paper and the written word will outlive technology long after humans are extinct. However technology makes things easier to duplicate, protect, and transfer. I’m certain this will come into play in the far future. Is someone reading all these archived journals in a PDF file or on microfiche right now?

After reading some of the journals, Tanya finally takes an interest in wanting to learn more about the creatures. She notes they have animalistic traits even though they’re assumed to have originated from humans. Being a vet, of course, we knew her expertise would come into play eventually. I’m probably wrong but I don’t foresee her getting to experiment on anything this season. It’s just something to look forward to.

The characters are making it a point to note what the audience already knows. All signs of the creatures are few and far in between. Wouldn’t it be funny if they were migrating to the same area that our heroes are going? Maybe to some breeding ground further north? Are they preparing to hibernate?



Durai went south, Michael wants to go East. These are two very opposite directions. We don’t know how well informed the Mallers are but seeing as how they’re repeating the same actions that caused the Other Tower to fall, they know something our guys don’t. Tanya says the Colony has never encountered Behemoth’s in the south which means the new mutations haven’t made it that far. It appears Durai may have the better idea.

The alarm goes off and Michael runs off to the Armory, bumping into Angel on the way up. This POV switch of the same event is becoming a regular rhythm in the story telling. It’s a clever (yet frustrating!) tactic that Writing’s using to keep the audience in the dark about who’s the Rat. I made the mistake about using the “A” word in my22.1 blog…. Assume. I should know better than to assume anything in regards to WA. I’m so confused about who is doing what that I’m even starting to suspect my pretty Peggers is guilty. She’s the first one we look at and say “nah, she’dnever do that” and immediately omit her from any list of suspects. However we don’t know JACK about her. Yeah she plays in the dirt and flew planes with daddy, but what else Pegs? What else?

My brain hasbeen buzzing since the last episode. I’m almost certain this is all happening because of several different people acting alone. However I believe they’re happening for different reasons and we only think that these incidents are related to one area. In the story the chapter title is taken from, someone of importance disguised themselves as someone non-threatening to observe the people around him and came out after he’d discovered their misdeeds. So who’s pretending and who’s plotting? Who is the friar and who is the judge?



As we know, the Armory is fine and Pippin is dead. Oh look, Angel’s picking on a blind kid. Why am I not surprised?

So while Michael and Blonde Boy go back and forth trying to figure things out, I’m digging the clarity of the sound effects here. I can sense Michael pacing angrily and probably mangling his hair in frustration. Angel’s standing off to the side trying to be calm. The music is also very fitting for the situation. It reminds me of something out of an old Mission Impossible episode. I also think it’s funny that the dialogue here mirrors the everyday forum conversations. Way to tease.

There’s so many possibilities in this whodunit setup that I’m not even gonna begin to try and sort it all out. Some people stink. Some have certain smells. Everyone looks guilty as hell. Either way, here’s where I put up a big WTF sign. Michael’s made some great observations to profile the Rat. But for some awkward reason that makes no sense to me at all he wants to LIE to the Tower people by convincing an innocent person to be the Rat. Everything in me screams that this is a terrible, TERRIBLE idea. It’s the worst decision he’s ever made. I’ll tell you why.

Colony leader Marcus came to power using a lie. It was necessary for the time, but it inevitably sparked an uprising against him. He wasn’t able to keep it contained for long. Even Gatekeeper had his suspicions before he knew the truth. Michael is making the same mistake. The Tower residents could come after the fall guy or try to leave him behind when it comes time to fly. They’d have to waste more energy protecting him. All it takes is for the Rat or murderer to strike again for this lie to be blown out into the open. Angel and Michael are running a huge unnecessary risk. If they lose the trust of the resident’s, both of them can be ousted out of power.

Burt’s narrating….again…


Kalani accesses the bird and gives us civies a clue on what kind of helicopter it is – a big one – and it can fit everyone in the Tower. Great! But he stresses that it’sbetter to have two birds. *Random thought, Pegs drives the helicopter with all the supplies, steals everything, Rat revealed* Concentrate! Datu catches the boys up on the Pippin situation but Burt’s nose works even if his eyes don’t. I noticed that Kalani’s taking a stronger stance with this new task. I still don’t like him but his attitude has turned for the better. Now that he’s in charge of something he’s actually good at, we’re seeing his character strengths surfacing.

Kalani reluctantly reveals that Peggles is the second pilot! Surprising! Nope. Burt’s already hating which is also not surprising since he’s still unaware of Peg’s transformation at the Colony. To him, Chicken Little is still a little girl. I hope she kicks him in the knee.

In a way this chapter felt like borderline setup material and filler. We haven’t learned anything we didn’t figure out months ago. However we did get a few clues about the creatures but still no answers. This big lie scheme is the dumbest idea Michael’s ever had in my opinion. If Lizzy were there she’d be the first to point it out. If he’s wrong about the Rat being loyal, that person (or anyone) can easily ruin his name among the people. Angel’s involved in this as well so he too as at risk for being overthrown if this lie’s ever exposed.

It’s 2am PST. The weather man said nothing about rain. 7 Hours and counting.

Audio 100%
Writing 99%
Acting 98%
Episode Rating 99%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?135-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-22-2-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 22.1 - What Is Yours Is Mine]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?126-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-22-1-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine Fri, 27 May 2011 03:03:38 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!* *“Our doubts are...

!!SPOILERS AHEAD -- LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!


“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”
~William Shakespeare - Measure For Measure~

What a mind twisting title but by a respectable source. I cannot yet fully speculate on how it will relate to our WA world, so I’ll save my commentary for another entry. I tip my hat to you dear KC.



Michael leads us into a scene that closely resembles thatof a mother coming home from a long day of work to the sounds of a bunch of bickering children in the house. Although I’m not sure what Victor’s job is in the Tower, he makes one helluva law enforcer. It does make me wonder why these actions are so widely accepted by the others? If this came from say Kalani or even pre-War Kelly, we’d all just roll our eyes and groan. Victor is still very new to this crew but seems to have his hands in everything as of late. One can only speculate on what’s Writing's plans are for him.

The asshole that got Lizzy nearly raped, killed,or injured claims that he’s not “comfortable” being in the same room with Apple(Pippin) while on guard duty. Of course this raises some red flags which are almost as obvious as Pippin being a “Maller spy” so I’m having a hard time buying the possibility he has other reasons for not wanting to be on guard duty. Rather than question this, Mama-Michael lets the brattiest of the bunch have his way and sends him to the roof for cleaning duty. Victor says what we’re all thinking: WTF?

I'd have preferred to hear "I'm sure Lizzy isn't comfortable where she is either! Now get your ass in there!" with the standard raising of an open palm.


But no, Michael switches to peacekeeper mode. Through the following conversation we also learn that he’s purposely kept Pegs off monitor duty too. Since she’s been tricked fairly recently, I can’t say that decision isn’t entirely unfounded but I get the feeling he just wants to keep his flower girl safe. However not only is that unfair to everyone else, it’s also insulting and I wonder why she didn't fight it. I doubt Pegs would get friendly enough to let Apple loose or put herself in danger in this situation. It’s flipping guard duty!

In the monitor room, Kelly’s salivating over European cuisine with Pippin. We're still waiting for a good scene with Victor and Kelly together but it looks like we'll have to wait on it. Still Vic’s punch-lines here are worth a smile. Pippin kindly offers his services and mentions that he used to be a salesman in the old world. By now Writing's got us so damn confused his story sounds believable.

Angel arrives with a perky Hope in tow (a little too perky). The guys use lots of coded jargon to keep their guest from knowing their travel plans. I like Hope, but placing her on duty alone over Pegs just seems silly. At first I took this as a sign of Michael’s declining judgment but now I think I get why he made that decision. Marcus said "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Hope had a rough time at the Colony due to her disability and therefore was labeled useless. They didn't want to cater to her needs and we learned in Chapter 2 that people that people needed two things to keep their sanity. One being a sense of safety. The other being something to do. Idle hands in this environment can cut already dangling bits of hope. It's evident that he's given this idea some thought.

They say, best men are moulded out of faults,
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad. (A5, S1)

Burt narrates us into the next scene at the airport. They didn’t head over to the explosion at the Arena which is probably best considering the creatures left alive will be running the streets nearby. He tells us that Datu and Kalani are on the way to help patch up the grounded helicopter. Still no voiceovers from Saul…

Burt’s fiddling with wires and explosives and not giving any details. He sets off a small experimental explosion which gains the attention of a nearby ugly (WTF?). I’m boggled as to why this couldn’t wait until after the helicopter was airborne or at least until they had backup. Why would you draw the bad guys to an area containing precious cargo? Burt misses several times before Saul shoots the creature dead. He easily puts two and two together and knows something’s eating the old man. Burt confesses that he’s had problems dealing with his wife’s death (which we all knew) and it’s affected his shooting abilities. Saul consoles him with a glass half-full speech. I just adore the interactions between these two!

I wonder why this bit of info was just now added? There were plenty of opportunities to bring up Burt’s disability but for Writing to bring it to light now of all times seems like set up for disaster in the near future. There’s something else I took note of too. Since we know Lizzy is alive based on her journal narrations, if she has access to the Maller’s CB radio, there’s a chance she could catch their conversation over the airwaves and know that help is nearby. Crossing fingers…


Back at the Nest, Angel trains Hope on how to operate the monitoring system by touch and sound. A security alarm goes off in Burt’s shop which prompts him to run off to check it out. It’s the logical thing to do seeing as how they were robbed blind just before the War. Audio uses volume to cue us that someone else steps into the room before Pippin confirms it. He’s killed and poor Hope is left alone fearing for her life. After a moment’s pause there’s another shot heard and the person dashes out the door!

If I must die,
I will encounter darkness as a bride,
And hug it in mine arms. (A3, S8)

Well we can certainly draw up some ideas here. Right away it's assumed this murderer is the Tower Rat and weapons thief. Since Pippin sounded like he knew this person, it’s possible they used to be with the Mallers but I don’t think they were originally planted as a mole from early on. I want to believe this individual escaped the clutches of the Mallers but had to leave someone precious behind. In order to get them back unharmed they cut a deal and became an inside informant. It's too early to speculate the motive without more clues.

Every true man's apparel fits your thief. (A4, S2)

As previously stated in all 3-parts of my Chapter 21 Reviews, all sources pointing to Pippin being a Maller mole was WAY TOO obvious and therefore untrue. So I'll proudly mark that on my scoreboard as a ZH told-you-so moment. Don't bother editing your forum posts because YOU'RE ALL WRONG! Okay, okay it's out of my system now...

...

...

...


Writing 100%
Acting 96%
Audio 100%
Episode Rating 98.6%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?126-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-22-1-What-Is-Yours-Is-Mine <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 21.3 - Blondie and the Beast]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?121-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-3-Blondie-and-the-Beast Sat, 14 May 2011 05:50:54 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN THE THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!* It’s almost...


!!SPOILER ALERT -- LISTEN THE THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!!

It’s almost blissful... there are no startup adverts this time. We go from Michael Swans always-awesome introduction and straight into the eerie ambience of a Michael Meyers movie. I was watching Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds the other day and marveled at the scenes which foretold of the danger to come without the use gloomy music in the background to spell it out. Whenever I see an A.H. movie, I have a bad habit of pretending it’s the 50s and 60s and that I’m seeing it for the first time. You know you’re watching a good thriller when it invokes the same emotions in you through every viewing.



Chapter 21.3 - Blondie and the Beast

Pippy Long Stockings goes on trial before the Tower authorities. Audio’s amplifying the suspicions of the general audience that this man is clearly a mole with harmful intentions. Writing conveniently made sure to plant that idea in our heads at the beginning of the chapter. You’re up to something Writing… I’m 50% sure of it.

The interrogation bounces around the room as each Tower vet plus Victor gets their piece in. Super Lawyer Kelly is on the job to sniff out evil, a wise move indeed. I must say that it’s good to hear from her again. Pippin's vague on the detail which makes us shake our heads and say “Ha! A likely story.” His frustration and exasperation doesn’t seem convincing. Given the circumstances I can’t tell if that’s because the character is supposed to be genuine or false or if it’s over-exaggeration on part of the actor. We know nothing about him or his intentions so I can’t give an accurate evaluation for either counterpart.

Otto Sturcke, has anyone ever told you that you sound sexy when you’re suspicious? Just saying.

Kelly brings up a notable point that Pippin doesn’t look like prison bait. Still, it’s not hard to bribe or blackmail someone into being a rat. Since Scratch's little "We have her" comment I sense that I'm not too far off at least. On the other hand I’m a bit surprised at Kelly’s reaction to the idea of a forged passport. I put my vote in for her being the rat so I could just be imagining it.

Michael says he doesn’t wear his ID or dog tags anymore. If memory serves me correctly I don’t think it was ever mentioned when he took them off. Before the trip south? I smiled at this bit of symbolism with his character transition. Michael is not the same soldier he once was in Season 1. And Post-Colony Michael is not the same leader either. Originally he probably would have thrown Pippin to the wolves to get information, but having seen the affects of such cruelty within the Colony, he’s altered his thought process to be more lenient. However, it’s still questionable how far this leniency will go.

Pippin’s full name literally means “an old apple tree” and “foreigner.” The obvious is obvious. But I don’t know how that’s supposed to play out, if it does at all. Maybe Writing threw it in there as a joke or to disguise his true purpose in the Tower from us literary types that enjoy finding clues and connections. Either way, I’m seriously frustrated that I don’t even have an ide-

Wait a minute…

An apple tree. If we continue with the religious themes that our forum members have brilliantly discovered through uncoordinated collaborations… Eve sinned with an apple. It’s universally known that apples don’t fall from trees. We also know that one bad apple spoils the bunch. (If you have anything else I’m open to hearing it!) So does this mean Writing is hinting to us that Pippin has some connection to sin? Hooray for double meanings!



I swear I just thought of that as I was typing. Must.. post.. on …forums... must.. finish.. blog…

Burt narrates the next bit and his voice sends chills through me. Good chills. How long has it been since Scott Marvin got to narrate from his journal like this? It has to have been a while (I’m not counting the tidbits in 20.3 as narration). With that in mind, I’m a little anxious about Saul. Granted he’s been too busy or too sick to write anything but the fact that he HASN’T weighs on my mind. Lizzy’s passing through zombie hell right now and even she has had time to write. But we haven’t even heard a “We’ve been searching for Lizzy for days and haven’t found any sign of her” voiceover from Saul.

Don’t die, baby, don’t die.

The guys search the Costco of all airports for an airworthy bird while actually expecting to find something left. They make a pact to stay behind to find Blondie when the Tower makes it’s move north to Fort Irwin. Expected but necessary. The light-hearted exchange between these two is most relieving given the circumstances. I don’t think I’ve laughed with the podcast since we met Tanya. It’s a much needed break in the serious atmosphere that’s loomed over these recent episodes.

Writing keeps the following events somewhat vague (it is Part 3 after all). The guys find a helicopter surrounded with blood and body parts, note bullet holes have been shot into it, and then Burt makes a comment that could mean a million different things. It’s not much of a cliffhanger but it does leave one wondering. If we take his words literally it could mean that the chopper was intentionally disabled or accidently damaged in the firefight. Both causes have a different effect but the same result. The helicopter cannot fly but the “WHY?” is something to speculate. We could be heading in the direction of 28 Days Later or into the realm of Resident Evil.

No point in making guesses without facts.

Writing 99%
Audio 99%
Acting 98%
Episode Rating 98.6%

Chapter 21 Review

This is our first chapter since the 3 week break and Flesh Event in April and it was almost worth the wait. The zombie creature ambush in Part 1 certainly surpasses anything Part 2 & 3 have to offer. However I realize that these episodes are merely set up for the future. They opened up new questions about the Mallers but answered nothing. For the first time we're able to get a better view of the Mallers working together as a team. We saw a hint of depth in Scratch's character. When you piece all her parts together we learn that she's extremely loyal to Durai, almost as if she's indebted to him. She wants to please him and not fail but of course we don't know why. I'm glad to finally see one of the "original" bad guys getting some character development. My interest in the Maller's just jumped several notches.

Writing made Pippin's character all "too obvious." Everyone immediately determines that he's been planted as a mole for unknown reasons. If you and I have been listening to the same podcast, you'd know that the obvious answer is not always the correct one. Seriously, think back to Season 1 (for those of you that started back listening then) or Season 2 when you just KNEW you were right and turned out to be wrong or things didn't pan out the way we expected. Kelly, the Catalyst, Tower residents breaking up, etc. Obvious is not part of KCs writing style. I don't even think it's in his vocabulary therefore I'm suspicious as hell.

As of right now I'm not seeing a connection between the title and the content of this chapter. It's been assumed that Scratch and Suit Zombie would play a major role based on their appearance but their parts ended up being quite minor. Bricks and Tardust have been in the spotlight since they were introduced. The ambush was not just a remake of what happened to The Other Tower convoy. It was also used as a subtle way to tell the audience that Suit Zombie was nowhere near the Arena explosion and is therefore still alive.

Riley's outburst suggested that she views Lizzy as being more than just a friend. We all knew that. Still Angel hasn't figured it out (nor anyone but Saul). Seeing her breakdown also made this character seem more human but I don't feel like it was enough. There are enough pieces of the puzzle put together to get the big picture so why hasn't Mr. I View the Whole Picture caught on yet?! Huh!? Tell me that Ra1th!

Chapter 21 presented us with a lot of "WHYs" and "WHATs" but no answers. I think the most new information we got out of this installment was that Durai is still alive. The cliffhangers of 21.2 and 21.3 aren't as intense as they have been in the past. Lizzy has to have time to write in her journal about the Mallers at some point so I'm not at all worried about her. Saul however has me on edge. As I stated in 21.3s blog entry, his lack of journal narrating scares me. Burt's been doing all the talking for quite some time now and I'm fearing the worst. Since Chapter 20.2 I've had this foreboding sense of doom that one of our favorites is going to meet his end by the time the Season finishes. The show must go on.

Overall I felt this chapter was well-written and well-acted but in light of all the new questions I expect to get some answers in 22.

Chapter Rating Average 97%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?121-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-3-Blondie-and-the-Beast <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 21.2 - Blondie and the Beast]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?118-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-2-Blondie-and-the-Beast Fri, 06 May 2011 08:26:45 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *!! SPOILER ALERT !! - LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!* What…. Who the...

!! SPOILER ALERT !! - LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!


What…. Who the hell….am I on the right podcast? Did I accidently turn on the iTunes radio?

Oh it’s an advert.

I promise I’ll refrain from spamming LOTR references (Lord of the Rings) because that’s no doubt going to be smeared all over the forums until this character passes away and that just stinks. However I can forgive its usage since we are nerds after all. Good nerds though… because we like zombies more than hobbits.

I absolutely must bring some attention to this thread started by member iheartkc (I know right). She noted that the characters of WA have names with origins that correspond with their personality or situation. Such as the name Durai meaning “chief, leader” in the Tamil (Indian) language, or how the pilot Kalani means “the Heavens.” Most of names originate from Bible stories but you don’t have to be religious to see the connections. Regardless of your beliefs, it’s an intriguing read and quite foretelling of what may come.


Chapter 21.1 - Blondie and the Beast

Angel lets Pippin (Latin for foreigner, stranger) in the Tower for inspection. Michael describes him as a hot swollen mess. He has an accent of some sorts, something European. Tanya is allowed to fix him up and comments on how fresh his wounds look. This smells even fisher than the last episode. Scratch told us she was going to drop Pippin off in the last chapter so the assumption is that he’s been planted into the Tower as a mole. But whhhhhhhhhyyyyy is this all so obvious? Writing, what are you doing? This isn't your style. What kind of trickery is this? You NEVER just hand over answers this easy. I think you’re trying to poison me, poison me with lies. You are, aren’t you?

Post-Colony Michael 2.0 seeks advice from Angel on what to do with him but, as usual, instead of showing off those officer training school skills he puts control back in Michael’s hands to play second fiddle. Dude, do you really need to get laid in order to show some balls? I mean-*sigh*… nevermind.

Moving on.

An explosion up north steals their attention. The Arena is burning. Dun dun duuuuunn.



We cut over to what’s left of the Maller’s convoy. They count their losses which unfortunately includes some of the tankers they’ve spent months collecting. A light bulb goes on when the happenings of chapter 5 start to make more sense. I’m digging the two extra voices portraying the Mallers by the way.

Through this conversation we learn that Durai is alive (yay!) and headed South (eh?) with the other convoy; this convoy is headed north to the Arena (ruh-roh); they have a mission to destroy (or at least severely cripple) the creature base; Tardust is brainier than he appears, go figure.

Bricks character is starting to show some consistency but not in a good way. It’s given that he’s a brute but a little slow on the uptake. He had to be told to protect Lizzy from Tars Johnson (yeah, I’m not gonna let that go) and now he’s walking around with a mutated severed arm looking for a recycling bin. Writing has made him out to be a big softie and the audience falls right into the love trap. Thankfully the voice actor plays this character well and naturally.

Cue creepy music as Lizzy (Bible, a woman who was told by an angel that she would bare a son) describes the mysterious arm. It carries over the rest of the conversation beautifully adding to the eeriness of the scene and ends abruptly in a great spot. Audio, great job with the volume changes on the rigs.

I note Scratch’s amazing devotion and loyalty to Durai (Indian, chief or leader). She doesn’t want to disappoint him or lie to him and even killed a man to cover the loss of their tanker in Chapter 5. What is she to him? What is he to her? I don’t sense that they’re lovers. It’s more like he’s a father-figure of some sort… I can’t put my foot on it. She tells the others that Durai understands something about the creatures. Since the Mallers have been collecting tankers since the beginning, that means he knew about the Arena HQ early in the game. Too many questions.

Cue more cool creepy music.

Angel runs into drunk Riley on the rooftop (the perfect opportunity, no?). She’s bitter towards Burt (Old English, meaning memorable) and blames him for losing Lizzy, and everybody. This is unusual behavior for her character since she’s the one that gives everyone a pep talk. I think almost everyone from the original Tower group has gotten some kind of boost from her. She vents her frustration on Angel who is more than willing to listen. Her “tall blonde” is gone and probably dead. Angel, you can be a real sweety when you’re in love but you just don’t get it.



Enter Kalani and Datu who are going over landing preparations for the helicopters. They catch the tail end of Riley’s BF (bitch-fit) and fail to realize how lucky they are when she walks away at that moment because my God, she probably would’ve defenestrated them all. We then have an awkward moment where the three guys try to figure out female problems while sad music blares in the background. I guess it is a sad moment because, guess what, they’re ALL wrong.

Please Riley, just come out already. Stop prolonging what we already know. I want Angel to be totally broken before he sees Scratch again. Then let the unforeseen hookups begin! Yeah, Ra1th I said it.

We get back to the Mallers just as Scratch gives her team the green light to move in on the Arena. Tar lets Lizzy in on a tidbit of notable info. The Mallers aren’t entirely aware of how the creatures operate. Surprisingly slow Bricks is the only one to realize that the Tower folks actually called the creatures to the War in chapter 12. Consistency FTW?

Congratulations to the zombie growl winners! You’re now WA Zelebrities! Nice job working them in Audio!

The End

So the story was told out of order in this episode. Since we’re telling two sides of the story from different POVs I think it worked well. The storytelling was much smoother and cleaner than the juxtaposing format used in 20.3. Again I like that the producers are trying new things. This chapter really opened up new questions that we’ll likely have to wait for Season 3 to hear an answer for. Who is Durai? Who is Scratch? What’s their relationship? How does Durai know what he knows even though he was locked up at Eastern Bay before the fallout? I’ve become more interested in the Mallers and what they can bring to the table in this post-apocalyptic world.

I know Lizzy is alive from her journal entries. Scratch better be too (W.I.F.E.S.W.A.P.). I expect a whopper of a cliff hanger next episode. If the Tower people don’t intercept the 2nd convoy on their journey south, they’ll probably never find Blondie and have to deal with the creatures trailing them. If the Tower does manage to capture the convoy (after Riley comes out of course) then that’ll give Angel and Scratch some time to “catch up.” Heheehehehehe!

Writing 92%
Audio 97%
Acting 97%
Episode Rating 95.3%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?118-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-2-Blondie-and-the-Beast <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 21.1 - Blondie and the Beast]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?116-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-1-Blondie-and-the-Beast Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:22:47 GMT http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg *SPOILERS AHEAD!! -- LISTEN THE THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!* Good Morning...


SPOILERS AHEAD!! -- LISTEN THE THE PODCAST BEFORE YOU COME HERE!


Good Morning Angels!

Once there were three little boys who went to the Army. And they were assigned very hazardous duties, but the zombie apocalypse took them away from all that. Now they work for no one. They are the Survivors.

It was revealed weeks ago via chatbox by KC himself that Wayside Flowers advert in Chapter 20 was indeed an Easter Egg. So right away I take a few minutes to listen to this advert over again. Heh, you guys can’t fool me this time. I head over to www.outbreakundead.com assuming it’s a fake creation made by the WA staff. At first glance I think it is but I click over to the forums for confirmation. The posts go back to Fall 2010. I also find this from a website rep:

“We are actually very good friends with we're alive folk,I'm even a voice on a episode. Really great guys. You'll be hearing a commercial for us on their podcast soon.” –Hydra_Lord (Septemeber 2010)

So I guess they are real!


Chapter 21.1 - Blondie and the Beast


YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!

Cowboy Bricks and Gunslinger Tardust are rolling through (I assume) the California countryside with Lizzy in back. I’ve had these kind of arguments over the radio station many, many times. It helps me concentrate OKAY? It sounds like they’re part of a large convoy. Scratch is cracking the whip over the radio. Pucker your buttholes boys, boss lady is angry. Audio is doing awesome here with all the clicks and ticks and tires spinning on dirt. Everything from the filtered voices on the radio to the paper rustling is clean and crisp. I’ll forgive the lack of lyrics in the music since the dialogue is more important and song writing is time consuming.

Gunslinger is whining about his legs hurting and Bricks tells him to shut up. Hmm, maybe not so whimpy after all? Scratch, why do you sound like me when I drive?



Tardust lets us know that the Mallers have been bird watching around the Tower for some time. He teases them for continuing to use CB radios. Perhaps this flaw in their system may resurface when our Good Guys encounter a new faction… or an old one? Durai is mentioned and the audience’s ears perk up but there’s no details regarding his survival but we remain optimistic. Convoy 1 is ahead of them and there’s a good chance he’s leading that group while Scratch is taking care of Convoy 2. Bricks allegedly “ripped” the head off one of the “non-scary”creatures. This is interesting. Perhaps their bodies are becoming more brittle as time passes?

During the 3 week break whilst curled up on the floor rocking back in forth in my room, I had an epiphany! I won’t take credit for the whole idea since it was briefly suggested by others before me, but I analyzed the radiation theory and it mostly makes sense. The explosion in the beginning, the toxicity of ground zero, the mutated humanoids, their appearance, etc. Hell, it could even be chunks of a shattered meteorite that broke off in all corners of the Earth. Who knows.

Back to the story.

I’m not sure I get Bricks character. He’s been made out to be the friendliest of this duo obviously but are you a tough guy or a pushover? He kind of goes back and forth during this car scene. In Chapter 20 he sat back like a good boy and did what he was told. Now he’s threatening to put hands on Tardust JUST because Scratch said so? Do you really need to be told that rape is unacceptable?

On the flip side, Tardust’scharacter has made notable improvements. He’s not perfect quite yet but believable in this episode. He’s taken on a nastier tone and whining like a pre-teen who got his Gameboy taken away. It makes him appear somewhat more realistic. In the last chapter, I was having a difficult time picturing him as a villain in a post-apocalyptic world. Now he reminds me of a character from a Stephen King book-to-movie called Dolores Claiborne.

Kathy Bates Oscar-worthy scene.


I’m reminded that it takes the end of the world for a $500 deductible to disappear when Tar rear-ends the car in front of him. The charted road that Convoy 1 took earlier is now blocked by an overturned dumptruck. Uh oh. This sounds familiar.




Lizzy, take a hint from Scratch. Don’t ask them to listen, TELL THEM to. The inevitable happens and the convoy is attacked by the creatures and the crowd goes wild! Suit Zombie drove the kids out for a buffet in a dump truck for stuffed Maller Chops (Do these monsters procreate? Is there a nest somewhere? Are these stored bodies meant to feed their young?). Unfortunately Tardust lives through this attack and he, Bricks, and Lizzy escape the ambush with what’s left of the convoy including Scratch. Oddly enough I was more concerned for a moment that Scarface wouldn’t make it. You can’t kill her yet! I need my wife swap scene!

Even though Lizzy shouldn’t have anything left in her stomach to puke, she somehow manages to again. I’m starting to doubt this is morning sickness but it’s too early to call. It’s no surprise that the Mallers kept slaves. No doubt these are average everyday folk who sought shelter with the worst group and they are left behindt o die. It’s amazing how humanity becomes so primitive in a time of crisis.

Victor is assimilated into the Tower and relunctantly keeps a journal while watching the monitors. Sucking on cancer sticks is bad mmk but pissing off Kalani is fun. Michael and Angel arrive expecting the worst but all’s quiet on the western front. We get more info about Kalani’s flying skills. The good news is that he flies helicopters, not planes. In a situation such as this, I prefer helicopters anyway. Vertical takeoffs and landing are much better suited for a “zombie” apocalypse. I don’t know jack about helicopters so I’m not even going to pretend but I remember a pilot telling me on a field trip in grade school that they could get up to 10 people in one. Kalani is confident they can fit everyone into two choppers and that he can train someone else to pilot (gee, I wonder what flower that could be…). That’s great but I’m left wondering if they can haul their survival supplies along as well.

Now they must find a couple of birds and track the Mallers. They might have luck in finding a medical chopper still parked on the rooftop of a hospital. I know sometimes the police and paramedics keep them parked on the ground. We’ll know soon enough.

The Tower goes on alert as a battered up stranger appears at their door who calls himself Pippin.



Hmm, but this just seems too easy to me. Writing never gives us the answer in such an obvious way. Last chapter Scratch mentioned that they haven’t heard from the Tower Rat in a while. If the Tower Rat is too busy to snitch then it’s quite possible it was someone who was out of the Tower during the last couple chapters. Scratch also said “we still have her” before Tardust clarified who he meant. Perhaps this “her” is the lover/spouse/relative of the Tower Rat? If the Mallers have slaves, I would imagine they were using this as leverage to get that person to work for them. Fascinating.

As part of my Monday ritual, I listen to the podcast, jot down, notes and forbid myself to view the forums until my blog post has been written. I do this to prevent any cross pollination between my views and others. With 2/3 of my weekdays already planned out in advance that 1/3 I get to myself makes me vulnerable to interruptions and prolongs my contribution to the forums. It’s very difficult to hold all this stuff in till the end of the week. I will survive!

Overall this was a great opener episode to have after such a loooooong break. I think everyone overworked the crap out of every theory we've ever discussed to pass the time. I was so driven by my withdrawal pains that I broke my vow to not make up theories! I've had my fix, and now I want more.

Writing 97%
Audio 100%
Acting 97%
Episode Rating 98%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?116-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-21-1-Blondie-and-the-Beast <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - To Bare Flesh]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?112-The-Spoiler-s-Review-To-Bare-Flesh Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:01:50 GMT http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5637/nerdomatic.jpg Who was excited about the live “In the Flesh” show?! I know I was. Sadly I’m one of those...

Who was excited about the live “In the Flesh” show?! I know I was. Sadly I’m one of those dirt-poor Americans you hear about on News, so I got the honor of joining my internet buddies to watch the show live on Justin.tv. My Nerd o’ Matic meter was already teetering at a whooping level 8 by 7:00pm. Had I been in the right state of mind I would have remembered to take notes to write a better review.


The WA fan juices were simmering in a pot of nerdly lust and erupted in a boiling inferno BEYOND what anyone could comprehend. The oh-so-charismatic Greg Miller appears and the Justin.tv chatbox flashes by in milliseconds. Fans went into overdrive causing several people to migrate back to the comfort of the WA chatbox. It was definitely a good thing because we got the privilege of giving shout outs to the cast members which I imagine were just chilling backstage enjoying Pete’s water. (Good things happen when you join the forums *nudge nudge*)

The camera is focused on stage but from the sounds of roaring applause I know there HAS to be at least 100 people in attendance. I’m elated to be aware of this because WA deserves this kind of support and needs more promotion like this. WND does their intro announcements and plays a trivia game. YES, I’m good at this. The Internet can’t see poor Britt very well because she’s standing in the corner and her gorgeous yellow blouse is clashing with everything on camera. Answers in the chat box pop up instantly and accurately unfortunately the live audience struggles…. painfully. One wrong answer… two wrong answers… six…. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF PEGS FLOWER POT!

Meanwhile a bigger buzz is shaking up the WA chatbox. Our very own inside man Ra1th is in the audience. Surely a hardcore fan like him would rise to the occasion and show these kids what awesomeness is made of. Represent Bro! The forum regulars continually harass the poor Zombie Intern to forcibly pluck him from the audience. As the number of wrong trivia answers increases, the intensity of our demands rises.

Oh Ra1th, wherefore art thou?

The actors are introduced one by one and the fans go nuts. The guys are handsome and the women are beautiful. I clap hysterically. The shock of seeing so many people in the audience reads on their faces. The Internet notes how some actors are dressed to resemble their characters. We finally get a look at Tommy and Skittles! *wave* YES! SKITTLES! When Nate Geez (Saul) showed up on stage it was as if he had risen from the dead. The reaction from the audience was insane. Saul’s return to the spotlight is still fresh in our minds. The fans are absolutely in love with him and it shows.

If anyone didn't get enough of him that night (or hasn't seen it yet), I happened across his demo reel a while ago. Enjoy.



No, Shane, you cannot fire him.


I note that Marcus and Tardust are there and I can’t help but take that as a hint that their characters aren’t quite so minor as they appear. And yet I notice some of the people with the most forum controversy aren’t there (naming the characters because I'm lazy) such as Durai, Bill, and Latch. Of course the answer could be they simply weren't able to make it, but my wheels are forever turning.

For the record I want to state that I’m not responsible for anything I say while Nerdgasming. The thing about Nerd Rage and Nerdgasms alike is that if you don’t catch it early, you could make a complete ASS of yourself online and never realize it. The only way you know is if someone who is mature, coherent, and thinking clearly provides you with an outside observation of your behavior. But in an environment such as this, we’re ALL nerdgasming together and it’s a beautiful thing.

Chapter 1’s reading goes off without a hitch. Something about seeing what the actors do every time they show up for work gives me a rewarding feeling. They were comfortable and natural and animated. I swear I was staring at the screen open-mouthed through the whole thing. I kind of figured Audio would incorporate the sound effects and music together and just overlap it with the live dialogue. It’s just the easiest way to do things. No need to rate anything. A’s across the board! I’m proud that this is something I get to witness. By the way, great panning and zooms by Zombie Intern. The Internet loves you for taking that job seriously.

We get a 10 minute break in which the WA chatbox goes back to harassing the Purples to capture Ra1th but that illusive jerk isn’t around. The longer it takes, the more desperate we get and collaborate to find new ways to invade his privacy rights. Quick, J0be, hack his cell phone! Spam his Facebook! Load up his email! You’re already on it? Good. As long as we keep doing it, he’ll see the message. I'm not gonna get into details since Ra1th explained it so much better. Break is over and we’re gearing up for the Q&A! But then…

The feed dies.

The video flickers a few more times but the Internet is inevitably cut off from the Flesh event. We learned later that they tried to hold off on the announcements for us which was awesome of them. The chatbox EXPLODED! All we can do is wait helplessly…. Or harass Ra1th, whichever is funner.

After about 10 minutes, our inside man gives us the 411 on the special announcement. Basically WA is getting a distribution deal which is pretty awesome. It will help bring in more income which is great news for the production staff. These are just baby steps towards a greater future. I’m happy the creators held off on other offers until they found something that works for the show. As a fan, I can appreciate that.



With knowledge that the feed is forever lost, like kids coming off a sugar high, the Internet trickles off to bed to have sweet zombie dreams. I don’t know if it’s because I couldn’t go to the show or because I haven’t listened to a new episode in 3 weeks, but seeing this gave me a lasting emotional high (extended nerdgasm). We all loved it. Complaints were minor and everything that could be fixed was fixed swiftly with fantastic Purple work. Even with the glitch, as an internet viewer, the show successfully put me in a state of euphoria. I can totally imagine this whole reading taking place inside a huge theater in front of a few thousand fans.

I can’t wait.

Oh, before I forget. Admins and bloggers are making a united effort to increase internet traffic on Fridays. We want to strain the limits of our bandwidth EVERY DAY of the week and not just on Mondays. So most blog entries will (should) be released at the end of the week with the exception of a few. I will do it for this coming chapter and we’ll see how many people forget over the next week month.
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?112-The-Spoiler-s-Review-To-Bare-Flesh <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Review - Chapter 20.3 - What Did I Do Last Night?]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?95-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-20-3-What-Did-I-Do-Last-Night Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:39:14 GMT *http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg* *SPOILERS AHEAD!! -- Listen to the Podcast Before Coming Here!* *Chapter 20.3 –What Did...

SPOILERS AHEAD!! -- Listen to the Podcast Before Coming Here!

Chapter 20.3 –What Did I Do Last Night?

To my current readers and (future ones), I decided to change the official title of my blog because it contains numerous spoilers and I don’t feel my banner is enough. Even we Mods have to respect the censorship rules in place. The second reason for a title change is that the phrase Too Early To Tell can easily be confused with another “predictions” blog. This is a chapter review blog reflecting my thoughts and observations about the production, acting, writing, character development, and all that great stuff. Now that, that’s out of the way…

Let’s Do This


I had to wait until 5pm to listen to this episode. 5PM! I was dying all day. Again I must type as I listen…

Hey it’s that guy Bixby Tardust! That Bastard! It’s okay Lizzy. It’s okay boo-boo. They’re coming... Bricks, Bricks. Why are you so submissive when you obviously don’t approve?

Faking falls
Stop and stall
Take it all back
'Cause I'm taking mine
I'm taking mine

Saul and his sidekick Burt are on the trail! But whose trail did they find? There’re several abrupt transitions between S/B and L/T in this section. Normally when we have a switch between scenes or POVs, there’s a shift in the ambience or the music fades in and out to notify the audience. Since this is the first time we’ve ever seen this format used in We’re Alive, it was a tad confusing at first but after the 3rd or 4th exchange I understood. I expect some confused buzz about it on the boards but I’m not looking at those yet.

Time is up
Out of luck
Should have stood up
When you had the time
But you're out of time

I found the evil laughs from Tardust excessive. Hitting her was enough, we know you’re one of the bad guys. What? Oh, so you want ME to do YOU a favor to make an act of rape easier? *evil laugh* Why didn’t you just say that before? Burt and Saul’s findings were more emotionally unsettling than the dialogue between Lizzy and Tardust, but that’s just me. We already know Lizzy lives because she had time to write the event in her journal. Still…

*evil laugh* GOOD GIRL. Defense Class 101: How to Deter a Rapist. Section A. Paragraph 2E: Puke on it. *evil laugh* But why I am I feeling like this is more of a symptom rather than a sign of emotional distress?

Huzzah for convenient interruptions! *wave* Hi Scratch! What’s up girl? Kick his ass! Kick his ass! *evil laugh*

Let's do this (fight, fight, fight...)
Lock and load
Rock and roll
Bitch it's all over
You're going down
You're going down

Defense Class 101: Section B. Paragraph 6. Leave Behind Evidence at the Crime Scene. *evil laugh*

Get ready to settle the score
And get ready to face the floor
Cause it's time to remember its…

WAAAAAARRR!!

Our rescue team is assembled which consists of all our main characters except for Pegs, Kelly, and Datu. Datu has been taking a backseat to the missions lately and it’s understandable why. P/K deserve a rest but this also gives Kelly a chance to move in on Victor. I understand the gravity of the situation but why does someone who’s emotionally, mentally, and physically compromised have so much pull in the rescue group? Why hasn’t Michael handcuffed him to the steering wheel so they can come up with a more rational plan? Anyway, moving on!

And it's on tonight
So get up and fight
Get up and fight
You had all your life
To run and hide
Now step up, now step up
Let's do this

THIS IS WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-- or not.
...
...
WHAT!!! NO NEW CHAPTER UNTIL APRIL 25TH???!!!

KC: *evil laugh*


Writing 84%
Audio 95%
Acting 86%
Episode Rating: 88%


Chapter 20 Final Thoughts

This chapter took us home to the Tower where we witnessed multiple character transitions. After the southern Colonial excursion, Michael’s showing more of his human side. One sign being that he’s allowing Saul to act irrationally on Lizzy’s behalf. Pegs successfully jumpstarted his sympathy bone and took the business out of the business man. The military training will always be there but their ranks have taken on a new meaning. The soldiers are no longer representing their country, they are soldiers of the Tower. They’re a united force out to protect their own and preserve their piece of the world from outsiders.

As I mentioned in my other blog post, it appears that some form of uprising and attrition have occurred within every faction. We don’t know everything that happened with the Mallers yet but they've lost people after suffering heavy casualties in The War. It's a repeat event of what happened with The Other Tower. In reality this kind of thing would happen. Everyone gets sick of looking at the others face, conflicting personalities collide, one demoralizing event later and the next thing you know everybody wants to jump ship or take over. The Tower was on the brink of destroying itself from the inside. Though I’m sure tensions have eased with Michael’s return, he hasn’t had a chance to instill faith in the surviving residents. I fear they’ll disagree to spending so many resources to find Lizzy since she broke an important rule. Will they continue to follow Michael after this side quest is over?

Burt took a pounding in this chapter. All the fight and fire has burned out of this character. Now he’s working on fumes to make amends for his mistakes. I feel for the poor guy. Scott Marvin, you do an AMAZING job delivering this character.

This is the second time we’ve heard from Saul since Chapter 12. He’s got his mother, his woman, and his dog. What more can anyone ask for in a zombie apocalypse? Saul was never all “business” to begin with but what bit his character showed seems to have washed away in light of this Lizzy situation. I might be saying that too early but his priorities have totally shifted since we last saw him in action. What good is a rank without Blondie?

I’m not surprised to see Riley out on this rescue mission. She’s always been the supportive one of the group. It’s hard to conceal any emotion from her. I hope we get into her back story someday. Angel has had no real character improvements in these latest episodes. As I said in another entry, I’m hoping his past with Scratch will make this character shine better in the next chapter. Speaking of the devil! How great it is to hear Jenna McCombie kicking butt?! I think 20.3 is her best acting yet. I really can’t wait to hear more from her. I love me an evil woman. Nice work missy.

Overall I enjoyed the mood shift in this chapter. We went from “OMG WHY DID THEY KICK LIZZY OUT!” to “SAULS OKAY AND HES GOTT A MOM” to “WE GOTTA SAVE LIZZY!” The storytelling format in the 3rd part was a little awkward. I wish could think of a movie scene to compare it to but I can’t come up with one off the top of my head. At first I was going to complain about the sharp POV changes but I’ve seen this type of thing done before so I was able to pick up on it right away. It’s tricker to pull off in a first person radio show without visual aids but it's refreshing to see the editors aren't afraid to take on a challenge. I suspect it might be confusing for some.

I personally would have preferred the episode be told in the standard way perhaps starting with Saul/ Burt’s findings to freak us (the audience) out and then clarifying everything with Lizzy/Tardust POV. Since we know she had a moment to jot these parts down in her journal, we’re already aware that she’s okay (at least for now) and still have hope. So the flip-flop scenes, although clever, lessened the shock value IMO. Still I was sent through a rollercoaster of emotions. I was hoping that Burt and Saul caught Tardust in the act for the entertainment value but at the same time I didn't want Lizzy to be hurt in any way. I was fearful something did happen yet elated to hear Scratch is still kicking ass. Then I was all amped up for a Maller/Tower showdown/rescue (YAH YAH KILL KILL!) ... and then unexpected cliffhanger. CURSES!

I haven’t overlooked the new information on the “zombies” but I’m not going to discuss it since, at this point, there’s nothing to do but guess.

Can’t wait for the BIG announcement at the April 16th show!

Chapter Rating 93%


Lyrics/Music by Sick Puppies - Street Fighter (War)
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?95-The-Spoiler-s-Review-Chapter-20-3-What-Did-I-Do-Last-Night <![CDATA[The Spoiler's Reivew - Chapter 20.2 - What Did I Do Last Night?]]> https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?85-The-Spoiler-s-Reivew-Chapter-20-2-What-Did-I-Do-Last-Night Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:16:40 GMT *http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/2843/srlogo.jpg* *SPOILERS AHEAD!!! -- Listen the Podcast Before You Come Here!* *Chapter 20.2 – What...

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! -- Listen the Podcast Before You Come Here!


Chapter 20.2 – What Did I Do Last Night?

Huzzah for advertisements! Why did I envision a commercial of Pegs smelling flowers in a greenhouse smiling sweetly with a bottle of Mircale-Gro? Anyway, typing as I listen to the new episode…


Writing gives us a quick recap of what’s been going on while MPK were away. The Tower has been restocked on water, food, and supplies. We already know the doc and extra guns filled the last known needs with the exception of finding a sturdier establishment. They speak of mobilization in the back of our minds we know they don’t want to go anywhere without recovering Lizzy first.

It’s the moment of truth… everything we’ve been waiting for. Tanya explains what she knows about the infection on the way up to see Saul. Note that she mentions they had to euthanize a man at the Colony that didn’t turn right away. PROOF that the zombies aren’t actually dead heads. Guns are drawn…. Steady… we’re waiting… “Just what I thought.” (What the hell does that mean? Tell me!)…

IT’S TRUE!!!

All past suspicions about Tanya are confirmed. Angel rudely questions the doc’s qualifications. (Really Angel? Still questioning one person’s worth?) In reality, animals and people aren’t that much different. Even veterinary clinics will hire medical professionals who have only had experience with human patients. So now we know why Saul’s so in love with dogs among other things. I suspect Tanya’s profession isn’t just coincidence. We know the infection doesn’t travel through animals. Perhaps she can give us some insight on how that’s possible.

Who else thought it was cute that Saul wanted Lizzy to meet his mom?


Having Tanya here adds some much needed depth to Saul’s character. He’s a cool guy, slick, quick-thinking, and EVERYONE likes him. Up till now we only knew he did bad things when he was younger and now lives alone. The only other known person who had family in the Tower was Kelly. We as the audience can now better identify with him.

I grew up around personalities like Tanya and I felt this exchange between parent and sibling was convincingly done with respects to both Acting and Writing. Had it been a wishy-washy, teary-jerky reunion I would have had more to say about it. But knowing all this, I can’t shake the feeling worry. Saul’s up and out now but I don’t think it’s safe to say he’s going to be okay. I feel like at this point he’s willing to sacrifice his life to save Lizzy. *knock on wood*

We know sooner or later someone is going to have to sacrifice something. I don’t know guys but I sense another death in the works.

Watching Burt’s transition is almost painful as it’s a sure sign he’s feeling the guilt of his actions. He left Saul to die, took his time getting him help, let Lizzy leave, and now he’s lying to him about where she is. He’s just taking blow after blow and it's affecting his confidence.

Fort Irwin is far northeast of LA in the desert and on the way to Las Vegas for folks that don't the layout of SoCal. Since I know nothing about military bases I can’t comment on that. I can still speculate on the route however. No matter what direction they go, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Marcus told us that the North side was the most dangerous area. We also know that if anyone gets too close to the “center” they start to feel sick. The Waterworks and the Arena (Ink) are up North as well. If our party takes this route, we’ll definitely find out more information on the “zombies.” Perhaps Michael will finally tell us how he broke his arm.

If they want to avoid that and have to travel a little East and then North (my neck of the woods!), I can only guess they’ll run into more survivors and I can’t guarantee they will be any nicer than the Mallers. From a storytelling prospective I don’t think the introduction of a new faction is necessary (unless it’s military). At the moment our party has everything they need (with the exception of Lizzy) to make a trip forward.

The other option is to simply fly there (LOL I wrote this part before I finished the podcast, genius!). They have a pilot (Kalani) and a co-pilot (Pegs). [Calling it early: Kalani will black out and Pegs will have to take the controls] I lost count of how many Tower residents there actually are so we know they’ll need something bigger than a Real Housewives jet to get them there safely. If they can’t get to LAX they can probably make it to Ontario Airport or check some other place. There’s all kinds of little air fields scattered all over SoCal. It would be entertaining to watch them try and get to one.

But first things first, Lizzy.


Writing 100%
Acting 97%
Audio 100%
Episode Rating A 99%
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]]> Zombiehead https://www.forum.werealive.com/entry.php?85-The-Spoiler-s-Reivew-Chapter-20-2-What-Did-I-Do-Last-Night