Chapter 45-3: Distorted Truths

[Merlin1274]

I think Burt's hesitance on the Torture thing is because of what he went through with Scratch...

[pmchawk]

How times change people. Riley wasn't willing to Kill Bill if she felt threatened but now she is willing to torture an unarmed person for information.

[Osiris]

I think Burt was hesitance on the Torture thing is because of what he went through with Scratch...

Or because he hasn't lost his head completely. Riley done went off the deep end.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

I do not know what to say, my brain just popped this memory out for Riley, torture, Tardust and being ... stuck in the middle with you...

[Osiris]

How exactly would this make her not-evil?

Did I say it would? I don't see that in my post. I'm merely pointing out something important:

We all love Burt and Riley, right? They're decent people pushed too far. We only know this because we're given their stories, we're made to love them. Now we're being shown how their history twists them to do terrible things. All the people who've cried out for Scratch's blood are going to revel in Riley getting her information... by whatever means necessary, and they're okay with it because they understand what she went through to get to that place. That's a luxury Scratch was never given. You can say, "But... but she's evil," all you want, but the fact is Riley is about to head down the same road, taking Burt along with her. What does that say about either of them, about us? I've said from the start Scratch is misunderstood, and has a great deal of trauma in her life that shaped her into the person she had to be to survive, a theory that was proven by the reveal of her sexual and physical abuse. Riley has reached a point of no return, there will be zero redemption for her in the eyes of all but the hypocrite if she goes through with her plan to torture the information out of Tardust. I'd be very surprised if Kc pussed out during the writing process, and lets Riley back down--or be talked down by Burt. BUT! We'll see what happens.

[Verse]

I think Burt was hesitance on the Torture thing is because of what he went through with Scratch...

There was a episode of Gang Land I watched a few years back. They were talking about a gang called Zoe Pound. They interviewed other gangs that went "Nope. Those Cats are nuts" due to the level of violence they were willing to do. Mainly in regards to torture and their willingness to slice you open/kill you with machetes.

I can not remeber the quote 100% but it basicly said "It is easy to kill someone/something with a gun. Anyone can do that. To toture someone, or kill them with knives, means you have to get up close to them. That takes it to a personal level. That changes you."

You have gang bangers that have killed a lot of people get bothered over the idea of killing with knives and torture. It is like the difference between shooting a deer... and beating one to death with a hammer. It is a level of cruelty you can't come back from. When you go past a level it changes who you are.

Pegs became a lot less needy after she shot and killed Latch. She started to become her own woman. Violence changes a person. Burt knows that Scratch is nuts because of what she did to him. He knows what that level of cruelty does to a person. I don't know if he will stop her from starting though. I think he will stop her once she gets started. That when he sees Tardust going through it it will get to him. That it will ruin how he sees Riley. Burt is chasing Scratch because he feel he has to do it to protect the group. He has to have a mission in life. Isn't ok with just being one of the people and taking orders. He will see how his reasons and Rileys are really different. The goal is the same, but the ideals are different.

[LiamKerrington]

All the people who've cried out for Scratch's blood are going to revel in Riley getting her information... by whatever means necessary, and they're okay with it because they understand what she went through to get to that place.

No. Not all the people. I, for example, have a lot of trouble accepting anything in that direction. Riley turns to the dark side of things, and I don't like it, appreciate it, support it, love it, or whatever; the opposite is true actually. And from what I read there is quite a number of WA fans that have bad feelings about Riley acting that way, too.

But in general I tend to agree with you: there are enough Riley-fans or Survivor-fans which seem to live by double-standards, which is btw quite common especially with civilized people.

edit 1:
[Actually I would like to "like" your posting; but since you put all Riley fans into the same pot of argument/ opinion or whatever (ie accepting her to do some torturing), I don't feel like doing so.]

edit 2:
As for Riley performing torture on Tardust: As for now we only have reason to believe that she is going to do it; but yet she has not done it, right? So maybe Burt and/or her own sanity will hinder her enough.

Best wishes!
Liam

[LiamKerrington]

The file length is 44 minutes and 10 seconds. When I listened to it the first time I thought Winamp was just playing it over Again, but the file has two of the same episode in it instead of just one... I only realised this because a friend of me pointed it out. The episode starts Again at 22:05, more or less.

Weird... anyone else getting that?

Nope. I just have the first and the second version of #46-3. Both are about 22:05 long. I downloaded the files from Feedburner - as usual. So, maybe, Storm's issues might have occurred with one of the other feeds?

[Elisa]

I think Riley's character progression makes perfect sense. She is not very stable. Her drunkness because of Lizzy and not being able to cope with the ZA, and now her need for vengeance and torture. Do I like it, no, but it makes perfect sense. Burt's actions do too for that matter. He was tortured and mutilated by Scratch.

I personally still do not trust Tardust, so maybe their decision to torture or attempt at torture needs to happen. How many times did Scratch and co play these double cross tactics?

Regarding Skittles aka Duncan, I don't know but I am starting to believe that he does have a connection with Ink and maybe Raydon labs. Perhaps he was one of his experimental cases pre ZA and that's why Skittles let Ink into Dunbar and why the other zombies ignore Skittles. Maybe also the craziness and memory lapses are because of shock and experimentation. I mean Skittles said he hides from the zeds, but he was hanging around them in the video footage that CJ called out. Weird.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

An innovative and obvious method of torture for Tardust might just look like this: