Chapter 46-3 Under Pressure

[Hoff4D]

Well...So THAT happened...

Okay so this episode had three acts to it, so I'll take them one at a time:

Act 1: Pegs and Tanya
So it does seem like the zombies have been around before and created pockets of z-gas underground. Or at least Tanya thinks so. Not much new here, just nice to know we are starting to get on the right track with all this theorizing.

Act 2: Exit Tardust
Well...damn. So it was starting to look like maybe Riley and Burt might pull out of this vengeance cycle and start to return to a bit to sanity but then Burt get the reveal about Lizzy dying dragged out of him, setting things on edge, then Tardust decides to grab the Idiot Ball and run with it. Seriously I always figured Tardust to be a little more thoughtful and deliberate than that. But no, he just had to go and open his mouth....
I can't say Tardust will be missed by any stretch of the imagination, but now Riley and Burt have reached the point of no return. Either this will wake them up and force them to see that their obsession with revenge will be their undoing and give it up, or they'll continue on and it will end up being their undoing.

Act 3: Randy, Saul and the Tunnel 'o Love
Soo...looks like we're gonna get a definitive answer on the whole "Are Saul and Tanya immune?" question, at least for Saul. My guess is Saul's not gonna be effected by the bite and Michael and Vic are gonna end mounting a rescue party. I mean, how else are we gonna get to explore the dark labyrinthine tunnels of zombie horror and intrigue? Who goes on the mission and how do they deal with the gas? I don't know. But I do know that my whole "Release the gas, kill the zombies" theory just pretty much got shot to hell. That hole was belching out gas like crazy and Randy didn't seem to mind one bit.
So I guess I should move on to my next theory: The zombies are using the haze to terraform the earth. Someone else brought up the Doctor Who Episode "Blink" so I'll keep the theme alive by bringing up "The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky." Using poison gas to create a new environment for another species to live in. I'm not saying the zombies are alien (although at this point I won't discount anything) but maybe just something primordial that is trying to reclaim the earth and the release of the zombie gas will help them do so by eliminating any threats to their place as the dominant species.

P.S.
The line of the episode: "She'll hug you one day and slit your throat the next. Literally! That actually happened once!"

So...the scent wore off, but Saul smelled different (Or Randy just has different sensory perception than the normal ones, I mean we've already counted him as different in some capacity) and maybe Randy knew, at some level, that biting Saul wouldn't be your run of the mill change. Maybe saul's "Immunity" we've discussed at length isn't necessarily an immunity. Maybe he becomes something different. We know Randy changed into something different, maybe Saul maintains even MORE of his previous consciousness. Randy bites Saul knowing he can save him from this hell he's trapped in. Randy HAS to do things for Ink, things that may include turning others, but Randy knows turning Saul might create a super human, not super zed. Saul comes barreling out of the tunnels holding ink by the back of his neck swatting aside any normals that dare combat him. Plops ol Inky-poo on the operation table and lets momma get after him with her devices, cure the world, everything back to normal. The end.

[Kc]

So...the scent wore off, but Saul smelled different (Or Randy just has different sensory perception than the normal ones, I mean we've already counted him as different in some capacity) and maybe Randy knew, at some level, that biting Saul wouldn't be your run of the mill change. Maybe saul's "Immunity" we've discussed at length isn't necessarily an immunity. Maybe he becomes something different. We know Randy changed into something different, maybe Saul maintains even MORE of his previous consciousness. Randy bites Saul knowing he can save him from this hell he's trapped in. Randy HAS to do things for Ink, things that may include turning others, but Randy knows turning Saul might create a super human, not super zed. Saul comes barreling out of the tunnels holding ink by the back of his neck swatting aside any normals that dare combat him. Plops ol Inky-poo on the operation table and lets momma get after him with her devices, cure the world, everything back to normal. The end.

There was a reason Skittles avoided "the brains"... they could tell he wasn't changed regardless of anything else. You could consider Randy a "brain" if you like.

Just from curiosity, if you were to change the scene to be clearer to more people would you do it verbally or by description? I mean, would you have the characters describe what was going on or use different sounds or words? What would have the most impactful change?

I could have included Tardust trying to make up more excuses about him living at the colony and knew who she was, but ultimately would have just made the scene longer. Riley was already seeing through his bullshit the second he mentioned Lizzy.

[Grognaurd]

Riley was already seeing through his bullshit the second he mentioned Lizzy.

We should not forget how well Riley can read people. This is established as far back as Chapter 1, but the way the story has progressed, she has not had many opportunities to demonstrate it.

Zoinks, anyone got a shovel, I can feel it changing me...

[Osiris]

I could have included Tardust trying to make up more excuses about him living at the colony and knew who she was, but ultimately would have just made the scene longer. Riley was already seeing through his bullshit the second he mentioned Lizzy.

This show is filled with murderous fucks.

[Witch_Doctor]

There was a reason Skittles avoided "the brains"... they could tell he wasn't changed regardless of anything else. You could consider Randy a "brain" if you like.

Skittles says of the Brains, '...Those are the worst, I can't get away from them or hide." Chapter 17 Part 3
I just woke from a nap to write this and found that KC beat me to it.

[Eviebae]

I could have included Tardust trying to make up more excuses about him living at the colony and knew who she was, but ultimately would have just made the scene longer. Riley was already seeing through his bullshit the second he mentioned Lizzy.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant, if you approach making a scene clearer, is it more effective to use dialog or description? Maybe it differs according to content? Just wanted you to muse.

I read/watch a lot of Sci Fi and really appreciate creative exposition. I get so frakin' tired of paragraphs of history lectures but I've noticed that if a lot of readers seem unhappy without it. I tried to watch a CSI and after 10 minutes of professionals explaining elementary procedures to one another in a lecturing tone I was done.

[Hoff4D]

There was a reason Skittles avoided "the brains"... they could tell he wasn't changed regardless of anything else. You could consider Randy a "brain" if you like.

I kinda figured as much, but had to throw on the tinfoil hat to cope with the idea that Saul has been captured by Randy in a place no one else (save Tanya) can go, as far as we know right now. But thanks for the confirmation!

[Verse]

I could have included Tardust trying to make up more excuses about him living at the colony and knew who she was, but ultimately would have just made the scene longer. Riley was already seeing through his bullshit the second he mentioned Lizzy.

This settles my biggest issue. This is why I enjoy the forums. Also want to agree with what a few people have said. We pick it apart b/c we love it. I recommend this show to everyone and use every excuse to bring it up.

Cutting down the scene time makes sense. Knowing that, I think it was a good call. We may have not had time to get to the scene with Michael and Co. Thanks for clearing that up.