The way I understood it was that it would bring her air to breathe..........It's not like there's that much in a coffin after all... :)
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1. She could "see it in her eyes". She knew they'd be hunting her down, and with Tardust disappearing, it was mostly obvious.
2. As Storm has already mentioned, it was to bring her air, as she would of used it all up within the enclosed coffin. Also, i don't think Burt made concrete, he just piled rubble and dirt on top of it: he wouldn't of had the spare water to mix it.
3. I think he was saying, "Michael, you were right, you were right.....". I'm not sure what he was meaning by it, but i'm sure someone on here does.
6. Due to her mostly-blindness, she wouldn't of been able to aim far away with any gun. Unless her blindness was cured, which was not mentioned......
7. Think it was either a mutation that let them live with little food, or that they just got thinner due to not eating enough, but continued to live on, like some kind of minor anorexia
1. What Gooer says.
2. The vent might fulfill either of or even both tasks: get fresh air into the coffin and get CO2 out of it. Besides that: Burt mentioned something like "fresh concrete"; I have understood it the way that he not only dropped rubble on top of Scratche's grave, but he also enclosed it with cement in order to make sure that none would be able to free Scratch again.
3. I think this will remain a secrecy for the time being.
4. I agree.
5. I agree.
6. One of the recruits mentions that Hope still is limited in terms of her eyes; so I don't think she received gun-/rifle-/shooting-training.
7. We know that the zeeh-agent changes the human body in many ways. And I hold it as likely that this may include a certain sustainability regarding the necessity to eat stuff. And I also think that the number of zeehs has decreased in such ways that there "normal" or "typical" rules of eco-systems have started to kick in, which would mean that there is enough food available for the remaining zeehs to last for a long time as a species/bread/whatever. We may also safely assume that the zeehs, like the humans, are omnivore and thus are not limited in the choice of food making it more likely for smaller numbers to survive. Besides that: We're Alive is a Story of SURVIVAL ... *g*
Best wishes!
Liam
Sorry to bomb the party guys. But as long as people are still using these "attributes" as stickers to depreciate people, the situation will not improve in the foreseeable future. Though I wholeheartely agree to your points - I think that some of the prejudices will resurface once again when the social status of the survivors will start to reflect an increasing deversity.
Yes, I think that it is valid to ask if the future timeline is worth living in. We only got a glimpse at the world in chapter 48.
Just remembered.... we never found out if Max was actually executed or not. I mean, it probably did happen, but it was not confirmed......
I thought the same thing. The reason he might still be alive is that the Mallers were moving as fast as they could to get to Pegs. I mean they didn't even take the time to finish off Pete.
Haha...
If Riley is a representative of the French, she gave a good account on behalf of her people. Strong, courageous, fit (including defined abs), highly perceptive when it comes to emotions, excellent culinary skills, superb archery ability, bawdy sense of humor, a little drinking problem, though, but who's perfect?
Another thing I liked about this episode were the callbacks that people have mentioned already and some instances of parallelism.
I noticed two things concerning Scratch.
1) When Burt is talking to Pete on the landline. Pete tells him they need to get Scratch now. He ends with "Kill that bi*ch!" and Burt growls in response, "I WILL!" That is a callback to the scene when CJ is in the Colony hospital trying to rescue Burt. Burt, from within his cell, says "whoever you are, shoot that bi*ch!" and CJ shouts "I WILL!"
2) As for the parallelism (or maybe one could call it a callback):
When Scratch spots Burt lying on the ground after the fall of the Tower he tries to reach for Shirley on the ground next to him. Scratch kicks it away and then moments later knocks Burt out.
When Burt spots Scratch lying on the ground after falling from Dunbar Tower she tries to crawl on the ground for the gun. Burt kicks it away. Later Scratch reaches for her knife in her boot and Burt knocks her out.
One last post (sorry to monopolize).
This one has to do with the uplifting/crowd-pleasing tone of the finale. I remember while listening to all of the WND podcasts nikvoodoo kept pointing out that zombie fictions never end on a positive note. I agree with his assessment and certainly where "We're Alive!" ends is a completely different place than "The Walking Dead" (comic book series). The former makes survival seem more difficult (so long as their are Smart Ones out there) whereas the latter makes survival seem pretty manageable. But the former ends with a feeling of hope for the human race where the vibe of the latter is of despair and resignation that no matter what you do, everyone will ultimately end up dying. A similar phenomenon is true for Romero's "Night of the Dead" series and the "28 Days Later" series. Even though none of the zombies in those mythologies are as scary as the We're Alive special ones, their tone is pessimistic about the future of humanity.
So once again KC broke with convention by having the majority of the main characters survive in the end and I'm happier because of it. it's clear to me that the strength of "We're Alive" lies in the rich development of its characters. The zombie apocalypse subject matter (with a twist) while important, is not what kept me coming back for more. I think KC said in an interview how difficult it is for him to kill off one of his characters and I think it showed. We didn't have to deal with that many deaths and so when they happened the deaths were incredibly emotional and powerful (I cried during 42-3 and 44-3 like I haven't cried for anything else in a long time, even in my real life). I'm glad most of the heroes survived. I like to think that most of these folks I have come to know on such a personal level are still out there somewhere, fighting to stay alive.
But back to my first point, most zombie fiction I see tends to devolve into a critique about humans like "as bad as the zombies are the humans are worse to each other" or the "zombies are really a reflection of the worst that humanity has to offer" In contrast "We're Alive" is very pro-humanity. I feel empowered that we can overcome anything (with a few bad apples like the Mallers to contend with) and continue to survive. And thus I totally dig the optimistic ending to this series.
@airrunner:
Keep it spinning. There is nothing to worry about; if you monopolize, go ahead, just because. If no one else steps up with his/her/its thoughts, so be it.
Your final reflection about the overall "theme" of We're Alive wraps it up very good. But I need to disagree with - no, not so much with you, but with Nikvoodoo - : Not all Zombie-Stories necessarily end up negatively. The best example would be World War Z - no matter, if you look at the book or the movie, which is very different from the book. But both versions of WWZ end up with a positive prospect, though traumatized through the events of the zombocalypse as far as it went. So WWZ was kind of a milestone in the zombie-genre, as it showed the possibility of the survival of the humans.
Kc did an amazing job displaying the bad, mean, even worse than that sides of the humans during the zombocalypse. There was a lot of desperation and actions based on that as well as willfull and planned mayhem humans deploid against each other. And sometimes it even raised the question of acts justifying the means. With some decisions of Kc's writing I would not want to agree; and sometimes I really have a hard time not to become hypocritical - for example if it comes to Burt, who I really enjoyed listening to on the upside, but some of his actions I simply cannot agree with on the downside (especially the final grave-thing with Scratch, 'cause it simply is inhuman and makes Burt a messenger of the death-sentence (edit: exaggeration /edit), which I cannot accept on any term).
Besides things like this I am very happy about Kc's story, because after all it remained THE Story of Survical although there was a lot of pain involved.
Best wishes!
Liam
Hmm... I didn't get this from Burt. I didn't take his actions against Scratch as evidence of a larger pro-death penalty stance for either him or the show. Actually the show is ambivalent about what it would have done with Scratch given that Pegs did not want to kill Scratch once it was clear she was helpless even if Burt and Riley did. And as for Burt, on the one hand, the notion that certain people's offenses are punishable by death wouldn't phase him, but on the other hand, he's anti-authority and anti-establishment so I doubt he'd want a governing entity to have the power to decide who deserves capital punishment and who doesn't.
In any case this specific instance of Burt killing and emotionally torturing Scratch is all within the context of his desire for revenge for what she did to him. Objectively speaking nobody (that we know of) has suffered as much at the hands of Scratch than Burt. He was starved for four months, had the symbol of his beloved wife pulverized, and lost his primary trigger finger (when we already learned in Chapter 13 that Burt feels helpless and scared if he can't use his firearms). And he knew that the torture would never let up and there would never be away out of it until he came clean about the whereabouts of the rest of the Tower folk, which had to have inflicted emotional pain to Burt on top of the physical. We also know from Burt himself that after the loss of Shirley and his finger the ONLY thing that kept him living was the dream that he could take revenge against Scratch somehow. Burt's desire to kill Scratch was completely personal to him.
I don't think Burt has any illusion that what he did to Scratch is morally acceptable from a societal perspective. He actively dissuades Riley from her plan to kill Scratch because he wants her moral compass to remain pure. In fact when Riley began to embrace the concept of torturing Tardust in order to get information from Scratch, Burt specifically asked her if she wanted to go down that road. He also tried to stop her from shooting Tardust when he was goading her. It's clear to me that Burt views himself as damaged (probably from his time in Vietnam) and that he knows he is capable of doing dark things if angered or hurt enough, but that doesn't mean he wants other people to behave similarly.
Put it another way, I'm not convinced that Burt on an abstract level would condone what he did to Scratch out of revenge but I think he accepts that it's something that works for him, given whatever life events he's had to experience, because he is not a morally pure person.
LIke you, Liam, I do not support the death penalty at the societal level. But I can't judge Burt for what he was compelled to do against Scratch.
Hope that makes some sense as I thought I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to say before I started responding. :)
--Eric
Okay after yet another listen through, I had to offer some Hope love from this finale.
For once her petulant attitude may have helped save the day. As CJ explains to Pegs what she needs to do to get herself, Hope and Nick out of danger, Pegs is reluctant. First she has to shoot a gun down the stairway to stop the Mallers from advancing towards her. She does not want to do it because of her distaste for guns and for shooting at people, but Hope snaps her into action: "You heard her. Go!!" Later on Pegs is waiting to give the signal to release the CS cannisters on the Mallers and Hope again forces her to stop hesitating and act: "Then do it already!"
(As a rule if someone talked to me in that tone of voice, I'd snap back at them, but Pegs needed the metaphorical slap in the face to get her to move. Haha.)
And then at the end Scratch orders Hope twice to come up the steps and hand Nick over to her. Hope says "no" with this perfect tone of defiance. That is incredible for a 14-year-old girl to do staring straight into the eyes of a crazed killer. I was very proud of her. :)
And while I'm handing out the love, I liked the side of Pegs I heard when Scratch starts threatening to take the baby ("No. You stay the f*ck away from him!"). I'm not sure I've heard her speak with such authority except maybe when she was piloting the pelican.
Dang Eric/Airrunner... Only 11 posts, but every one of them is like spot on. One thing to add to what you're saying... Burt's moral compass is still damaged in the epilogue. He says to Nick something along the lines of "Revenge never makes the pain go away"... He still suffers for what he did to her. The reasons him doing it are all properly motivated- she did take away everything that made him happy, and trust me that wasn't much. This disaster may have re-ignited his soul, but he was suffering before.
And what else could he have done? If Scratch was let to live, the future could have been much darker. It's the same as the Z's... it had to be done. He shouldered the burden of her death himself. But he also couldn't just execute her- maybe because the direct action was actually too hard to do for him. It's not a firefight Scratch dies in. In a way, it's killing from a distance. Smashing the radio also severs any type of conscious dilemma when she gets desperate and dying in there. He knows this is going to hurt him as well as her.
It's a dark fate for her, but is no worse than what she subjected others to. One of our Hero's could have sacrificed part of their soul for the sake of others, while at the same time divided by the amount of personal suffering and thirst for revenge. It's a very complex character motivation.
Hi.
Again and it's getting usual for you: Your analytical mind is incredible.
With my death-sentence I exaggerated, and my statement needs to be set into a "meta-level-understanding". I live by such standards, that I cannot accept any killing of a human being no matter what he or she has done before that. But that does not mean that I don't understand why people do it. All the reasons you have mentioned about Burt, why he has killed Scratch, make perfect sense; and I won't or cannot blame him for doing so. And from a "lyrical" point of view it is even important for the story that the epitome of evil within the human community must be removed by whatever means in order to give the story a positive prospect; so even from that angle it makes more than just sense that Scratch was killed by Burt. I see that, I understand that, but regardless: on a meta-level I consider Scratch a human and thus cannot accept it, when I look beyond the realm of the WA story. (I tend to make things complicated, because even elements of pop-cultural might have an impact on how someone views the real world, which is why I cannot skip this level of thought as well.)
Best wishes!
Liam
Ok so where is it? It's not in my podcast feed? Don't have a card (I can't trust myself to have a credit card haha) so I can't buy it early and apparently I'm the only one who hasn't gotten to listen to it!!
Damn I'll be at work! Thanks KC I think I just misread the news, I thought it said the 28th not the 29th
😰 I'm torn on how I feel about the finale! Why why why?!?
Michigan in the house!
Thanks again Liam. I'm a lawyer by trade. I'm a big fan of Kelly as a result. I also like CJ, her attention to details, and how her mind is always churning coming up with a Plan A, B, C, D, E...etc -- she always wants to have options going forward no matter what decision she has made in the past. In fact, when I'm dealing with anxious or stressful situations, recently, I've been asking myself "what would CJ do?" to help me get through them.
The words can't describe how I will miss this podcast.
There been a few times I dislike a chapter and then the next one it blows my mind......this is one of my favorite podcast of all time..
KC you did a magnificent job with the series and I can't wait for the next project
It was bittersweet for me....why Saul why? Lol
Will the Q & A be recorded so we can listen to it?
Looks like it's downloadable from the place that streamed it... Works for me at least. I tried recording it too, but due to a few refreshings of the page now and then I lost a few minutes... Gotta relisten to it one day. Hehe. I stayed up all night to be sure to get it, went to bed around 9AM or so.
I'm sooo glad that someone asked him about the petroglyph... I'm minus glad that Kc didn't give his source for it though. Lol. I'd love to know more.
I was worried I wouldn't be satisfied by the conclusion of this epic listening adventure, but I am. It's been years waiting for this moment and I'm slowly coming to the realization that it's over. It's bitter sweet. The aftermath and closing story was just as imaginative as the whole series, it kind of reminded me of Attack On Titan. I really, really loved it. Well done KC, cast, and friends. I wish you much success in your future endeavors. Thanks for allowing us to tag along for free and letting us into such a creative experience. True Artists, all if you. Peace!
a sketch of a moment from the finale.
Attachment 3205
I knew Burt would get her, like I said before he can handle it. Burt never fails and when he does he shoots it in the face. I am also glad that my guy VICTOR! Survived, Saul on the other hand was kind of a surprise because after all he went through he didn’t survive, but he got to KILL BILL! aka pin stripe suite. Thanks to KC and the whole cast, this was so awesome! I am definitely waiting for the next project which is probably the continuation to We're Alive! Write? No really am I write? There better be another story! What the hell am I going to do at work now!!!!!!!!!! LOL Thanks to my boy Victor for making bomb ass arroz con pollo and putting down for the RAZA!
VICTOR IS TO MUCH MACHO ALL THE TIME! TO MUCH A! TO MUCH! ORALE
Wish Tanaya didnt Die! and what happend to pete I think is his name, the one that Burt called and he told burt that they where getting attacked. I think that fool must have died because I didn here nobody go pick him up or I didnt here him in the ending when everything was over. thats messed up left the dude stranded and bleeding. LOL
I am pretty sure Pete survived. You can hear him over a loud speaker doing a promotion for his store at the colony. Its around the 53 minute mark.
Absolutely epic, loved the ending! Burt's voice when he says "I will" after Pete told him to kill the bitch put chills down my spine. Robbins had a kid!! His legacy lives on!! Yes!! Thank you KC for giving us such a fantastically written and acted masterpiece of entertainment. I look forward to the side stories!
Well, i mean, if you want to go that deep, sure.
But, if you want to save 49 hours of your life for something else less important than We're Alive, you could go to 52:50 of chapter 48 to listen to it.....