Chapter 41-1 Eye of the Storm

[Gooer]

Ugh, mixed emotions. In my opinion, just because you know stuff about someone, doesn't mean you care about them. I know tons of people that i hate, but i still know stuff about them. And with Michael, it's sort of the opposite, he used to care about them, despite not getting to know everybody, but since the start of the hunt for the zombies, he has been too absorbed by it, making it his one priority, or at least that's what we've been shown.

[Unit]

Ugh, mixed emotions. In my opinion, just because you know stuff about someone, doesn't mean you care about them. I know tons of people that i hate, but i still know stuff about them. And with Michael, it's sort of the opposite, he used to care about them, despite not getting to know everybody, but since the start of the hunt for the zombies, he has been too absorbed by it, making it his one priority, or at least that's what we've been shown.

This is the vibe I get from that interaction too. CJ may know things because she lives in the Colony with them but knowing random facts doesn't exactly translate to caring about them. My wife is a huge fan of tennis so I know several things about Nadal, and Federer, and Rodick but I couldn't care less if they all got crabs

I think Michael still cares about his OG tower crew, but I am not sure how much he knows or cares about the others either. In that area I think CJ was right.

[Witch_Doctor]

Normally she manipulates people when shit hits the fan (look at that, I can do it normally) or when things are at stake. This time, though, there was nothing like that. So in my humble opinion I would buy her seriousness about this.
Best wishes!
Liam

Reminds me of Scratch after Durai's Look at Us Now speech. We've seen her spin things at the drop of a hat, like when she was arguing with Saul over whether or not to risk going to the Colony. However, I agree. I feel that she is sincere. She sounds like she is really taking people's well being to heart.

[Gooer]

This is the vibe I get from that interaction too. CJ may know things because she lives in the Colony with them but knowing random facts doesn't exactly translate to caring about them. My wife is a huge fan of tennis so I know several things about Nadal, and Federer, and Rodick but I couldn't care less if they all got crabs

I think Michael still cares about his OG tower crew, but I am not sure how much he knows or cares about the others either. In that area I think CJ was right.

Michael cares about his old friends (aka the old tower group), but i agree, i'm not sure how much he does care about the rest of the colony. I think im the same..... rather let everyone from the tower live, not that bothered by the people we haven't been listening to the past 4 years.. (besides Victor and the colony exiles).

P.S. What happened to Pete?

P.P.S

And I am sorry for delays in the reptrivia quizzes too, I'll get some set up tonight or tomorrow so check back and test your skills!!!

I applied to the quizmasters group, hopefully i can give a helping hand with the quizzes.....

[Witch_Doctor]

Hmmm, so Datu was bitten on the lower neck. Tanya says that's where the zombies typically bite their victims. Now, if they are attacking humans for food then they must kill them before they turn, therefore, like natural predators, they bite in places that will likely kill quickly. Clamping the neck can make a prey pass out, biting the neck can make the prey bleed out. If the human prey is bleeding out, then perhaps most of the infecting agent is not potent enough to enter the body against the spewing blood.

I also wonder if Tanya or Saul will test their zombie invisibly by approaching zombies to see if they are attacked.

[LiamKerrington]

Questions and more comments:

1)
In #41-1 we saw most of the named characters at the same location - gathered around Datu and his fate. Is this a summary or foreshadowing of the team that will take the fight to them zombies? In other words: Will any other named character or character with a certain story, who was not at the windmill, die sooner than later?

2)
During the last days I thought about my personal "relation" to Michael and CJ. And I happened to realize that Michael has been established as one of the, if not the major "hero" or character of identification; this is something we did not have with CJ for a very long time. The first time we met her she was part of Saul's and Victor's story; with the Kalani-backstory she was just another role Kalani was writting about; later the relation between Saul, Victor, and CJ became more serious, but still she was part of their telling; and this did not even change with season #4, in which CJ - again - was part of the storytelling of other main characters. Maybe I missed one episode or scene which was told from her perspective; but if there is or was such a single event, this is "small" compared with what we know from any other major character on the show. And I think that is one of the many reasons why some of us - at least me - have trouble "accepting" her as a character to identify with and to feel sympathy for. Actually, I only have two recollections of situations in which I felt real sympathy for her - when she had her melee with Scratch, 'cause that was just plain awesome, and when she was treated like shit by tilting scumbag Michael; but at any other time I happened to notice her as being just one of those people you meet and talk about ... Will this change?

3)
The more I think of it the more I am convinced that R2Da2 is one of the, if not THE 'richest' character on this show. He was through up and downs like really no one else; he had his moments of comic relief as much as of pure heroism, tragedy, importance and what now; if it was not for him, many things of the story simply wouldn't have worked in any way. I really have trouble realizing anyone else aside R2Da2 having this kind of roller coaster on this show (Saul maybe). Yes, sure: Everyone on this show had his or her tragic moments, dark fates, moments of relaxation or relief; but who else has such a vivid and colorful "vitae" within the WA-storyline like R2Da2 has? R2Da2's personality is probably one of the most "human" compared with anyone else, 'cause he vividly expressed anxiety, anger, sorrow, happiness, cynicism, sarcasm, helpfulness, etc. like very few other (are there any at all?). Up until now I have the impression that most other characters (exception: Victor) had his or her specific role and task to fulfill, which was much more focussed than what we see with R2Da2 - he was the maintenance-guy as much as the chief-engineer beginning with the generator in the tower, fixing helicopters several times as well as gates, and finally creating 'new technologies'; but aside from that he also was the tragic hero in the Arena with a very strange love-interest story upon which his 'quasi'-father-hood for Hope was established, and for her he cared a lot. Besides these things there are only very few characters available of which we know details of their past; mostly things are reduced to "I was in the miliatry" or "I was a lawyer", but that was that; R2Da2 comes from the Philipines, worked as the service craft of the Tower in order to send money to his family in the Philipines, did evening-classes to become more professional, seemed to socialize a lot with the inhabitants of the Tower, was a very poor car-driver ... Really - up until now in my eyes R2Da2 is one of the, if not the one character on the show with the most detailed personality. I don't say that this is not true for any other character; but what I say is that we as the audience know more about him than about most other characters on the show. And that, actually, makes him "the ressourceful"; this title - I guess established by Nikvoodoo (not certain about it) - was given to him when he seemed to be able to work on absolutely any technological issue; but this title is especially true for his personality or him as a (fictitious) person.

And that is why his announced death (will this really happen) makes it even harder to stomach. If this really happens, the WA-verse not only looses one of the key characters within the story, but one of the richest and most human characters at all. That is why I 'enjoyed' it very much that most other named characters were around and cared about his situation - each and everyone in his or her own way. This is a perfect mirror image of what R2Da2 actually means to anyone. I really hope that he "survives" as much as Saul and Tanya do it; but with the certainty Tanya mentioned his upcoming death within the coming few days it does not seem likely to happen. Really - a real loss. The gap cannot be filled in easily; and currently I do not see it.

4)
Speaking of which:
What are the characteristics for the various "stages of infection"? Tanya mentions something about "stage 1" about R2Da2's situation. Any ideas how you would characterize those stages? And would there be any difference from z-type to z-type?

Best wishes!
Liam

[zombiesurvivor]

Will datu turn or will he be alright

[scbubba]

Questions and more comments:

The more I think of it the more I am convinced that R2Da2 is one of the, if not THE 'richest' character on this show. He was through up and downs like really no one else; he had his moments of comic relief as much as of pure heroism, tragedy, importance and what now; if it was not for him, many things of the story simply wouldn't have worked in any way. I really have trouble realizing anyone else aside R2Da2 having this kind of roller coaster on this show (Saul maybe). Yes, sure: Everyone on this show had his or her tragic moments, dark fates, moments of relaxation or relief; but who else has such a vivid and colorful "vitae" within the WA-storyline like R2Da2 has? R2Da2's personality is probably one of the most "human" compared with anyone else, 'cause he vividly expressed anxiety, anger, sorrow, happiness, cynicism, sarcasm, helpfulness, etc. like very few other (are there any at all?). Up until now I have the impression that most other characters (exception: Victor) had his or her specific role and task to fulfill, which was much more focussed than what we see with R2Da2 - he was the maintenance-guy as much as the chief-engineer beginning with the generator in the tower, fixing helicopters several times as well as gates, and finally creating 'new technologies'; but aside from that he also was the tragic hero in the Arena with a very strange love-interest story upon which his 'quasi'-father-hood for Hope was established, and for her he cared a lot. Besides these things there are only very few characters available of which we know details of their past; mostly things are reduced to "I was in the miliatry" or "I was a lawyer", but that was that; R2Da2 comes from the Philipines, worked as the service craft of the Tower in order to send money to his family in the Philipines, did evening-classes to become more professional, seemed to socialize a lot with the inhabitants of the Tower, was a very poor car-driver ... Really - up until now in my eyes R2Da2 is one of the, if not the one character on the show with the most detailed personality. I don't say that this is not true for any other character; but what I say is that we as the audience know more about him than about most other characters on the show. And that, actually, makes him "the ressourceful"; this title - I guess established by Nikvoodoo (not certain about it) - was given to him when he seemed to be able to work on absolutely any technological issue; but this title is especially true for his personality or him as a (fictitious) person.

And that is why his announced death (will this really happen) makes it even harder to stomach. If this really happens, the WA-verse not only looses one of the key characters within the story, but one of the richest and most human characters at all. That is why I 'enjoyed' it very much that most other named characters were around and cared about his situation - each and everyone in his or her own way. This is a perfect mirror image of what R2Da2 actually means to anyone. I really hope that he "survives" as much as Saul and Tanya do it; but with the certainty Tanya mentioned his upcoming death within the coming few days it does not seem likely to happen. Really - a real loss. The gap cannot be filled in easily; and currently I do not see it.

Best wishes!
Liam

Damn Liam! Very nice post on Datu's character arc. I think my eyeballs almost started sweating somewhere in the reading of this and thinking of poor Datu at the end of 41-1... <sniff>

[Gooer]

Didn't Tanya say there were 4 stages of turning, or am i making that up....?

[Gnex]

I'm not sure if someone has mentioned this yet or not........ and this could just be my underlying hate for CJ............. But did anyone else find it strange that the only people that CJ "knew" anything about were 2 dead guys???? They aren't alive anymore to confirm or deny her story...... How do we know that entire speech wasn't just a made up tug on your heartstrings to get what I want story???