Chapter 37-3: Balance of Power

[scbubba]

First things first: Congrats Mr and Mrs Kc!!!!

Now, on to other things.....

I figured we were getting ready to choose up sides, I just wasn't expecting the Sean revelation to be the impetus for it. Honestly, I had just about forgotten about the events surrounding Sean and his death. Well played, Kc.

So, CJ plays smart and gets control of the Colony. Even does a good job of smoothing things with Tanya. Then goes into trainwreck mode with Saul and Victor... mainly Victor.... Then tries to pull it together with Michael.

Leading up to that, we get resolution of the heated conversation between Michael and Victor. They are buddies now. Michael pulls in Saul and tells him about Angel before anyone else. That solidifies Saul and Michael again. Puck;s comment about being excluded was an interesting one. I don't think it foreshadows a split between Michael and his Irwinite buddies. But an interesting line nonetheless...

The Burt/Riley scene was just what we needed. I've been missing the heck out of both of them. As soon as Burt revealed that Rilay was at Angel's grave, I could see exactly how the scene was gonna play out. It just had to. The key will now be in the "how will they execute on this" details...

Where does this leave us?

No way Saul keeps it all to himself. I don't buy that he will willingly decide to split up with Lizzie and leave her in the Colony. But he definitely won't be wild about traipsing her around Zombieland in her condition. I think Saul will have to tell Lizzie the truth about leaving. Lizzie will share it elsewhere and Michael will get the real story. Victor might even share some info, just in time for once, that CJ had designs on Saul. This might help motivate Lizzie....

I don't buy that Michael just decides to hang out in the Colony once he learns more about CJ's modus operandi. He has no loyalty to her and hanging at the Colony doesn't further his desires to avoid big groups to be attacked or take the fight to the zombies. And since the Colony peeps obviously have no loyalty to Michael, even have animosity in some cases, once Michael learns about Dunbar he will be chomping at the bit to get back into the fight.

To quote my favorite TV show (Firefly, of course). Inara is speaking about Mal and says "You're lost in the woods. We all are. Even the captain. The only difference is, he likes it that way." And Mal chimes in: "The only difference is, the woods are the only place I can see a clear path."

I see this being Michael's mindset now. In the fight, he feels like he's in the right place. Like he's making a difference and doing what he is supposed to do. He doesn't have to deal with the hard stuff in the "real world". Michael gets to be a soldier with other soldiers.

So, I see one split happening in the immediate future:
To Dunbar with Saul, Lizzie, Victor, Michael, Puck, Carl, Muldoon, and Robbins
In the Colony: CJ, Pegs, Kelly, Glenn and Colony crew

To be determined (either Dunbar or Colony)
Tanya, Datu, and Hope - Tanya wil be torn between Saul/Baby and the patients of the Colony (including CJ). Datu will want to go with Michael but will not want Hope to go into danger - Datu will not leave Hope.
Burt and Riley - They will side with (temporarily) which ever group seem to give them the best chance at revenge on Scratch. I'm leaning 75% to the Colony for now.
The helicopter - no good way to take it back up into LA but no desire to leave it in the Colony. May go, like someone else put it earlier, to LAX. But that may mean leaving it unattended for long stretches of time.

Ok, enough for now. I may have to recant some or all of this later....

Also - Great catch on the Crow, Grognaurd! I missed i completely....

[Arch_Will]

congrats to Mr & Mrs Wayland

great chapter end to set the scene...

personally, CJ, one of my favourite characters is shooting herself in her only foot. (har de har har!). Everyone's comments seem to be all around the same track and I dont think mine will be any different.

The exile is definitely going to cause a rift between all the characters.. Saul and Vicky are going to go swanning off to Dunbar, their "family" for want of a better word are going to remain loyal and follow on, Datu, Hope, Kelly(she'll follow Vick, that ole charmer) with of course the exception of Burt and Riley, the dynamic duo.

Tanya and Lizzy are a tough one.. how far along now is Lizzy? 7? 8 months? she can still move around but will the trip to Dunbar be too much? will Tanya prefer to keep them there with the hospital facilities that are available at the colony? or will she protect her own child and take all the med supplies.. as Tanya pointed out during her argument with CJ.. caring for people is not her Job, she's not being forced to do it, it's not her "role". its her choice.. so when forced to choose between unknown hurt people and your own child?.. sorry.. my kin wins every time.

Michael will more than likely side with his friends over the colonists who hold a grudge. Michael doesn't seem to be the type to want to mend bridges with people he has no affiliation with. He only went back to teh colony because Saul managed to call him.. so once Michael goes.. his soldiers will go. Their loyalties were established last chapter.. if the soldiers go.. so does the helicopter, heavy weaponry and all the strategical advantage the colonists may have in their defense..

For a planner, CJ isn't doing too well.. her downfall is her bedside manner and social skills.. she's ruled by her own selfishness, self preservation and ability to let emotion cloud her judgement. Cj has this habit of very easily pushing away all those close to her.. can you count any friends that she has? and Tanya didn't cripple her, it was her own rashness that led to it and the death of the poor redshirt girl that accompanied her.

sounds like Nurse Britt needs to get in there and whoop some butt.

[Arch_Will]

Does anyone see multiple splits coming?
Riley & Burt - To hunt for Scratch
Saul & Victor - to Dunbar with any one else who'll join them.
CJ & Peg Leg - At the Colony

It would be a shame for the group to split on bad terms but better for them to split in a Fort Irwin/Boulder model. Don't keep all of your baskets in one egg, because if the SHTF then it would be good to have a safe place to run too as opposed to finding and building a new safe place amidst the turmoil.

Also, seems like there is a new character after all, Max.

haha Peg Leg with CJ.. i see what yoo did thar!!

Max is in the wiki for making a few appearances in season 3 :P helping hope and being one of the ones observed filling the water truck

[Kc]

Interesting responses and theories... Some I didn't expect, and some I did. Thank you all for your congrats! Mrs W and I are reading your comments by the pool in Florida see you all again soon!

[SmokeyZombified]

Interesting responses and theories... Some I didn't expect, and some I did. Thank you all for your congrats! Mrs W and I are reading your comments by the pool in Florida see you all again soon!

Congrats dude! Now tell me everything that's going to happen, I don't mind being spoiled!

[SmokeyZombified]

That's the one thing about Saul and Victor leaving and pretending like it's their own choice to protect CJ. It just wont make sense, especially to those closest to them. Why would Saul randomly decide to leave right before his first child is born? It's all going to come out and quickly, that's why CJ's butthurt attitude is going to doom the colony. Michael isn't the type to bend over and take anything. He'll give CJ and the Colony a big old "Fuck You". Its not like the Colonists even like him and they've made it clear they blame Michael for everything. It seems like CJ and the Colonists are a match made in Heaven. Selfish, ignorant, unable to see the big picture. The Colony will fall, not COULD fall but WILL fall.

And after it falls, the survivors will all run to Michael at Dunbar for protection and although Michael will obviously welcome them with open arms something deep inside me hopes he just tells them to "Screw Off"

[Jannit]

That's my exact point, if ONLY pegs stays behind, I don't think we hear how the colony falls, or what happens there otherwise, because we won't hear anything from her in general. 2 reasons, she doesn't have much to add for now, and she probably isn't writing in her journal. And I think we have some more to learn from CJ still, so someone has to stay behind that's WORTH listening to....so I think (read: I HOPE) Michael stays behind and puts together the Plan B for Towerites

Not necessarily. We could see a new addition to the journalers (I know that's not a real word but it works) later on that fills in the blanks the same way Kalani did with the mallers.

[werewolf]

it sounds like CJ and Micheal are good pairing. However, I don't know if Micheal will stay if Saul and Victor and Lizzie(Mrs Wayland) goes back to Dunbar. I also don't think Tanya will stay if Saul leaves either.
Now with Riley and Burt are a good pair to hunt down Scratch. In memorial to Angel when the baby comes Saul will want to call the baby Angel, and Lizzie would want to name him Bricks.

Saul now has respect for Angel now

[roberdn]

Congrats to the new married couple wish you all the best!!
This is the first time I ever posted on here but thought I had to put my two cents in. Some of the theories I believe are spot on.
I think Vic and Saul will want to keep Lizzie and Tanya from leaving the colony due to the baby and better medical care but I think Lizzie will not stay if she is told the truth and I don't think Tanya will stay if her boy is out. CJ is good at strategy but sucks when it comes to people on a day to day basis. I think she expect people to be machines and respond logically but she forgets that Michael's crew have been through hell and back and will watch out for each other. In the end it really depends on what Michael wants to do. I don't think Michael will not go along with her calling the shots now that Saul and Vic have to go and I think he will just go to Dunbar apartments with the crew. FYI I love the Burt and Riley pairing!! Can't wait for Scratch to meet her end. She is my favorite person that I love to hate!!

[Cabbage Patch]

...Thank you all for your congrats! Mrs W and I are reading your comments by the pool in Florida see you all again soon!

First, let me add my own congratulations. Second, you are going to do a "the Drive Home with KC and Blaire" covering the high points of your big event, right?