Chapter 37-1: Balance of Power

**scbubba** · Aug 26th, 2013, 12:24 PM

Wow! Finally got to listen to the episode after an agonizing couple of hours waiting for a meeting to end.

Awesome beginning! Love the action and the hunting. I did keep expecting Puck and Co to get in a bad situation the way he was saying "I can't change side fast enough". Glad Puck made it.... he's growing on me.

Speaking Little One?!?!?! Oh man. Gotta wrap my head around that one. Also need to listen a few times with the good headphones to see if I can make out what it says before the final "Die!"

Amy, Amy, Amy. Karma is a bitch but Tanya is a nice person. I was thinking how all the other patients in the infirmary would react if they heard someone crying out in pain and then Michael walked up and made her gobble a bullet. Definitely would not have won him any friends in the Colony.

I'm torn about CJ. Half of me says she's gonna have horrific leg amputation surgery (that will make the autopsy scene seem like a nice picnic) and then become Colonel CJ: Human Mastermind. The other half says that she will have horrific leg amputation surgery (see above) and then die on the table. Michael will get the blame because of the homemade chloroform. This will drive him nuts blaming himself and it will also drive a wedge between him and most of the Colonists/Mallers still around. This will cause Michael and a few of Our Heroes to depart the Colony and head for Dunbar to plan an offensive on their own. The left-behind Colonists will eventually be attacked again and a few of our friends will make it out alive to reunite with Michaels crew....

Ok, that went from episode to story theory in a hurry. I'll have to look for a good theory place to drop all that now.

Great start to Season 4 and great way to bring us all back home!

Thanks Kc and crew!

**EpiEpee** · Aug 26th, 2013, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by HardKor

Damn straight! You mess with Pegs, you gonna DIE!

But on another note. I was listening to WND last night to get ready for today's episode and now I keep thinking about the conversation about CJ's role in the story. It seems to me that she might end up becoming the "mission control." It makes me think of what Michael said about Angel way back in chapter 2 or 3 (can't remember exactly). He said Angel was in charge of the overall mission while Michael was in charge of the execution. Sounds a hell of a lot like what we've all been saying about CJ: She can plan but fails in the execution. She seems perfectly suited to play the role of coordinating everyone from the Colony. Look at what she did during chapter 36 when she was coordinating everyone over the radio. Now that she's been hobbled permanently I think she's going to take on that role full time. I can just see it: CJ coordinates everyone over the radio and then goes off to swap missing appendage stories with Burt over a bottle of Jack and they talk about how much they want to kill Scratch.
Also we know that the colonists have bad blood for Michael, but they sure as hell fell into line when CJ started barking orders at them. I wonder if they might not be more inclinded to follow her instead of Michael. And does she end up trying to play peacemaker? Or will she try to assert that she's in charge? Lot's of possibilities. I don't think her role in the story is over just yet.

This seems like a smart way the planning and execution could be set up, and keep CJ in the story which would be excellent.

Did anyone else notice how protective Saul seems of CJ now? Not wanting her to have the chloroform? I think there might be a potential conflict if Michael and CJ disagree and Saul has to decide which set of orders to follow. Presuming CJ makes it through her amputation alive and capable of forming plans.

**LiamKerrington** · Aug 26th, 2013, 12:30 PM

Hello.

Originally Posted by nikvoodoo

Liam mentioned mallers left over: Do we know there are Mallers left over? Yes, there was a division between Durai guys and Scratch..uh...sociopaths...but would any of them remained behind? I'm pretty sure the colonists would certainly know the Mallers by now having been enslaved for months.

I'm sorry. Misunderstanding on my side. They spoke about the Mallers who brought ressources with them, but left without it. 10:07 Burt speaks about having checked any corner of the Colony; and the only remaining Mallers were dead bodies. So forget my theory about the Mallers being involved in foreshadowing-theory ... Sorry.

Thanks, Nik.

**nikvoodoo** · Aug 26th, 2013, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by LiamKerrington

Hello.

I'm sorry. Misunderstanding on my side. They spoke about the Mallers who brought ressources with them, but left without it. 10:07 Burt speaks about having checked any corner of the Colony; and the only remaining Mallers were dead bodies. So forget my theory about the Mallers being involved in foreshadowing-theory ... Sorry.

Thanks, Nik.

I'm not necessarily poo pooing. Burt could have missed some in the sweep (though I do somewhat doubt that). I just think they'd have a hard time blending into the new arrangement at the colony. Mallers are still coming back, I just don't know when.

**HardKor** · Aug 26th, 2013, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by nikvoodoo

Liam mentioned mallers left over: Do we know there are Mallers left over? Yes, there was a division between Durai guys and Scratch..uh...sociopaths...but would any of them remained behind? I'm pretty sure the colonists would certainly know the Mallers by now having been enslaved for months.

Yeah the Mallers are definitely gone from the Colony. And I'm willing to wager that they may be gone, as a faction, completely. There were only about 20 or so at the Colony right? Then they split into Durai vs Scratch factions and started killing each other. THEN they had to fight off the Colonists that CJ, Saul, and Victor armed. I'm thinking the Mallers are history. It's just Scratch now, maybe with Tardust as a lackey.

**Litmaster** · Aug 26th, 2013, 01:02 PM

[As usual, this Lit-Treatise is sectioned and color-coded for easy skimming and perusal]

Aaaaaaaand We're Back!
So great to finally have a new episode to look forward to every Monday! I've missed the flurry of activity that inevitably follows every drop. And THANK YOU Kc and the Sunshine Band for creating that great app-- I had my episode downloaded on my phone like an hour before 12pm (EST). That is definitely the best way to get new episodes!

About the Length
A few people bitching in this thread about the episode being too short. Guys-- the episodes are always about 20 minutes long, except for a season finale. You should know that each 20 minute episode takes dozens of hours to produce. You want a longer episode? Then donate a few hundred grand to Kc so he can quit his job and work on this shit full time!

The Hunting Party
I thought it was interesting that the characters seem to have gone on the offensive so soon after the attack by Ink & Randy. Seems to me that this opening 'hunt' scene only takes place a couple of hours after the events of the previous episode. I was expecting a slower period of planning and information sharing, but this apparently hasn't happened yet. Speaking of that....

"Little Ones"?
I don't remember anyone from Irwin or Boulder using that term to refer to our grisly clawed fiends. In fact, none of them even saw them when they were 'little'. So how was it that term was used several times by the members of the hunting party? Little plot hole there, or have I missed the bit about when that name would have been adopted?

'Walkie Talkies'
The fact that 'Little One' #1 speaks brings up again the Intergenerational Zombification Theory of Successive Dilutional Transpondence: you know, the idea that if Ink has, say 100 pts worth of 'Intelligent Linguistic Bad-Assedness', then those whom he directly infects and turns will become zombies of 90 pts worth of 'ILBA', and then any infected by these '2nd generation' Zeds will be 70-80 pts, and by the '4th generation' will be down to 50 pts of ILBA', etc. This could explain why the weirdest and most powerful Zeds are found in close proximity to the L.A. 'hot spot', with weaker and more pussified versions found further out.

Burt's Hurt
He'll be fine. Just a little nap and a tuna sandwich and my man will be as right as rain.

Imbalance of Power
Mike's impeccable social skills were yet again on display, what with his "Datu! Fix!" and sundry assholinesses (and yes, I just invented that word). He automatically assumes command, which Vic pointed out may not sit right with the locals who remember his antics back on his first visit. In particular, I am looking forward to the impending power struggle between Michael and CJ when/if she recovers from her amputation surgery. It is going to be really entertaining watching him have to kowtow to this 'young Asian girl' who isn't going to take one bit of his shit! CJ is sure to become the brains of this operation, and any final answers about the plan to defeat Ink & Co. will invariably come from her. Michael will have to get his ass kicked a few times before he finally realizes that.

Zed Amy
Several of you (Nick, Cabbage Patch) have already alluded to the fact that Amy's Zed scratch and subsequent death is bad karma for her turncloak treatment of Pegs back on their first Colony visit (remember how she locked Pegs in her house right before the Marcus coup?). Payback is a bitch... bitch!

What Next?
Well, since there was no time jump, I expect that the next immediate order of business is to chop of CJ's leg and have some disagreement & grumbling about Michael assuming command. Then there will be more of the same once CJ awakens and sees how the running of this place has been far below her standards. I DON'T think we will be heading back to Dunbar up in LA until CJ gives her content and an attack plan has been formulated, so I think we'll be staying at the Colony for the rest of this chapter, at least. It's also possible that a forward attack team could head up to LA, while the rest of the group stays put in the Colony (Lizzy is going to need someplace to deliver that baby, after all).

That's all I got! Peace!!

**Merlin1274** · Aug 26th, 2013, 01:07 PM

Man... I want More.. Now... It was awesome.. I hate the CJ will have to loose the leg.. I am not sure she will deal with it well.
Will be an interesting next 2wks waiting for this chapter to play out.. Wish this episode would have been longer..

**Grognaurd** · Aug 26th, 2013, 01:19 PM

Crow

Listening to WND Season 3Finale' a caller spoke about Hearing Crows with Scratch. I have not had he chance to follow up on it to see if crows do correlate with Scratch or if it is random background.

I liked the concept. Giving the importance of the opening a new season, what do we hear? A CROW! I have called what KC does as painting with sound and voice. I cannot help but "see" Scratch skulking away from the colony, plotting revenge.

Did you all dig any deeper on that concept?

There is SO much in the back ground sound we take for granted or do not even notice. One example I posted years ago, when Burt is being confronted Michael after Lizzy is kicked out of the tower, we hear him shake out a couple of his pills. We do not even hear a specific about pills until he is with Saul at the Air Port.

**nikvoodoo** · Aug 26th, 2013, 01:25 PM

@Litmaster: I'm pretty sure Little One's was used at Irwin, and if not it's easy to give them that nickname quickly. In fact...I'm pretty sure the term was used when they had their brief pow wow in 36 just before electing to go on the offensive.

I'm saying this without having the luxury of going back to investigate properly. Either someone can take the step, or maybe I'll find time later to confirm.