Chapter 2 Discussion

[Britt]

Next week We're Not Dead will begin our chapter recaps, starting with Chapter 2 of We're Alive! (We already covered Chapter One back in April.) Feel free to listen to Chapter 2 and post any comments here and we'll definitely try to mention them!

Things to think about:

How much a character has changed since Chapter 2, were there any of those "AHA!" moments? (ie--Was Kc a sneaky squirrel and hinted at something that was to come?), etc, etc!

<3

[nikvoodoo]

The most obvious ZOMG! moment in chapter 2 is the reveal of Bill Roberts aka Ink. It's the second longest unanswered question in the entire series.

[Pikepaw]

So I really did not like Pegs much in this chapter, she had no common sense. I like the Michael/Pegs flirting scene, but every other moment when she talked I was slapping myself upside the forehead. My friend listened to this for first time this weekend and could not get over how dumb early Pegs was. Never trust cats, I might have shot Mr Whiskers, but at a later date. You know, for food. However the Mr Whiskers incident did hint at us that whatever makes zombies only affects human, which Marcus pretty much confirmed in Chapter 19.

We meet Lizzie, which was awesome because I love her so much. I find it hilarious that Angel was questioning the risks took in saving her as opposed to her usefulness, when she becomes one of the most useful people there. We also meet Bill and that darn Mr Whiskers, neither of which I am at all fond of.

I like that this is a slower chapter of sorts, kind of gives the characters a chance to fully realize what has happened and that this could be a long term thing. Angel and Pegs I notice are the most dramatically different in that they have higher confidence and know the new rules, when in this chapter they are still following the rules of the old world. There is more I could say but I will give others a chance

[Jake]

I HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE!

Sorted chronologically:

This chapter has my least favorite title, the second least being "The Lady and the Tink" because I kept thinking of Tinkerbell while I listened to it.

I love those advertisements. I keep hearing it as "Reef Systems INK", though.

Is that a clock ticking at the beginning of the intro?

Ah, the introduction of Bill! You know, there must have been something strange going on in his head for him to be so prepared for an outbreak. I'd expect a character like him several weeks after an outbreak, not several hours. Regardless, his original conversation with them (in which he thinks they're zombies) either proves that he's crazy or that he's encountered at least one smart zombie of Ink/Markings/"Move"'s caliber. I wonder what would've happened if Saul shot Bill. I also wonder what would've happened if Burt shot Latch and Scratch. You know, most of this series' problems could've been stopped immediately if people just shot first and tried to be peaceful never.

Pegs is a bit um, oh, like, valley-girl annoying, but is still, um, a bit, like, endearing, or something.

When Michael was asleep, he heard explosions outside, or possible footsteps upstairs. When the zombies break in, Saul is late because he was upstairs. I don't recall him ever explaining what he was doing there, although Michael may have been on the first floor at the time, making it not suspicious in the slightest.

Todd must've been a really bad boyfriend, considering Lizzy's romantic future not too long after his death. She said he was all she had, which gave me the impression that she's just clinging to him in light of the zombie menace.

Angel has one of his early jerk moments when he says that the needs of the many outweigh those of the few. At this point in the story, I agree with him. Good thing he made the opposite decision in The Harder They Fall. Or did he?

I'm glad KC gave us a sleep-jump twenty-four hours into the future. It probably would've gotten old listening to Riley collect things.

Saul inspires a heartwarming moment when he says "[Riley]'s like a wuh-MAN, if you know what I mean." Another comes when he's asked about his attraction towards Lizzy in regards to his "Lady", when he says "Oh, I'm sure my girl won't mind." If Saul wasn't funny by this point, hardly anyone would like him.

Another reason to hate Pegs or something: She's too, like, um, clingy.

A pretty weak first cliffhanger. "Saul, you give me an idea." It's definitely no "These cheetos might have just saved our asses!" or "We have to leave the Tower!". Baby steps.

"For all your fish-tank needs..." my favorite ad is the home-seller in Orange County, because the music reminds me of Mr. Rogers on PBS. I bet he survived.

Whingel goes to his room. He's really a jerk at the beginning, isn't he?

Did anyone else hear that clapping, wheezing sound? What was that?

Okay, I rescind my previous appraisal: Pegs is really annoying here. But she like, uh, made a nice stew or something with, um, fresh vegetables.

As a cat-owner, I have to ask: why was Mr. Whiskers purring so loudly if he was scared? To show to the listener that he's a cat?

And here's a better cliffhanger! I remember this one actuallyt frightening me, long ago when Season 1 was yet unfinished.

Why is Pegs afraid to fire a gun? I don't recall that question being answered, even though she ends up using one eventually.

Then there's the flirting scene between Michael and Pegs. D'awwwwwkward.

Pegs-Hate Reason 4: That army-thing. She's just a really useless person. I bet if she weren't a love interest, she would've died by now.

5. So, the spiders? Are they really that big? Ew! *giggle* It's amazing that I don't hate Pegs.

I hate to miss the point, but what question was Pegs not going to ask? Something like "What's it like to kill someone?"?

6. I could so totally do that. Who says "totally" ? Yeah, brah, I could totally do that. It'd be gnarly if you don't harsh my mellow and keep up with my hip lingo, dude!

And the awkward kiss! How nostalgic.

7. After a second-long kiss, she starts breathing like Darth Vader. If they've ever soul-kissed "off-screen" in the series, the whole Tower would hear her wheezing.

Woah. Angel calls the car a Behemoth. Coincidence, or KC's nod to us from the past?

Saul is relatable but highly unlikeable if you ignore his humor. I've only now realized this.

And Ink!

I agree that Ink is a big unanswered question in the series. I might be encouraged to think that his TV mention is just pointless scenery for the rest of the story (as in a realistic demonstration of the existence of the television and news channel in the radio play), if not for the fact that we listen to a whole lot of stuff about him, which means that we're supposed to know about him. Although, by that logic, Mr. Abernathy the Crossdresser should be showing up any time now.

Oh, yeah: How is it that all television goes out one hour after the first noticeable outbreak? Surely the zombies didn't shut off all the programs?

And now a word from our sponsors...

I REALLY HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Bravo Team Leader]

The whole cat thing at around 11:11 makes the chapter interesting. There's a difference between a cat and a human moving in the shadows. " It's Pegs not peeegggs". Plus It's one of the only times Angels rifle works.

[Cabbage Patch]

...my favorite ad is the home-seller in Orange County, because the music reminds me of Mr. Rogers on PBS. I bet he survived.

Sorry, Mr. Rogers died in 2003.

[Cabbage Patch]

In the original version of Chapter 2 Michael describes Lizzie as having blue eyes. We know that Lizzie's eye color is actually green, and that that line was corrected when Season 1 was released in its unabridged form. I was wondering if anyone has listened to that version of "We're Alive", and if there were any other changes made.

For instance Michael also described Lizzie as being a "bleach blonde", and at the end of Season 2, at least 3 months later, Saul is still calling Lizzie "Blondie". But after that long if Lizzie was a bleach blonde she should have 3-5 inch dark roots. So was Michael wrong and Lizzie is a natural blonde, is she secretly re-bleaching, or is it just that Saul is so smitten that he hasn't noticed (he had been semi-comatose for a while)?

[Penguin]

Please excuse me if i just go on and on.. but I have a few things to talk about...

Michael tells everyone to NOT shut their doors when they all go up to bed.. Didn't they take all the doors off to put up in the lobby?

Where would the story be right now if Tod wouldn't have been caught by the zombies? Whose skirt would Saul be chasing? Would the mallers have captured her? Would the tower be gone?

I would like to say that Angel has learned respect now but me personally, I think he is the rat.

Who took Michael's shoes and pants off? And why?

In the beginning, Michael makes it seem like he rather have Angel in charge.. for instant, Riley asked Micahel about putting her shop in a room and he was carrying on about asking Angel if she could do it.

I belive Peggs has matured a lot. She doesn't act so much like a 2 year old anymore.

When they found Mr. Whiskers, he was purring.. What cat purrs when its scared?

Didn't Lizzy know where Peggs and Riley were staying? She asked them what apartment they were in.. If Riley didn't take her up to their room when she got there, where did she take her?

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
REMEMBER THE TEVO......
BILL ROBERTS... "INK" (NUMEROUS TATTOOS)
MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY..
I THINK HE IS THE COLORED ONE
RILEY TRIED SHOOTING HIM AT A MENTAL HEATLH FACILITY IN THE HOPSITAL
JUST SAYING

[Cabbage Patch]

In the beginning, Michael makes it seem like he rather have Angel in charge.. for instant, Riley asked Micahel about putting her shop in a room and he was carrying on about asking Angel if she could do it.

I think that it shows two things, first that Michael is still trying to make the military chain-of-command work at this point, and second, that he really doesn't understand that civilians often don't grasp that concept. As a Sergeant it would be an ingrained habit for Michael to route long-range decisions to an officer, planning is considered "officers' work", and pushing an issue up the chain-of-command is a way to avoid having to do the work yourself. He probably wasn't even consciously aware that he was doing it. And he seems a little confused over the fact that Riley and Pegs don't understand why he wants them to do it that way, since it's something that another soldier would understand immediately.

Chapter 2 is pretty important in sorting out the leadership question in The Tower. Only Angel and Michael make any effort to prop Angel up as the leader by virtue of his military rank. Riley, Pegs, Datu and Saul all clearly look to Michael as the leader at the start of the Chapter. And by the end of Chapter 2 even Angel tacitly admits that Michael is really the one in charge during the discussion of the supply run.

[Dr_Marshall]

Has anyone else caught this?(Chapter 2 - Part 3 of 3 - 20:00)

When Lizzy finds the TV recording, that has news broadcast when everything had begun. They mention a Paranoid schizophrenic, named Bill Roberts(a man distinctly known by his tattoos)that's being transported to a mental institution. I thought this could be significant because Lizzy mentions the tape is from when everything is beginning. Could Bill Roberts be "The One With The Markings"? Did he start this all?

-Covered head to toe with tattoos
-Convicted of Multiple Homicides(perhaps he was "feasting on people", would explain the plea)
-Insanity Plea
-Was being transported to a mental health facility(When everything was going down).