Can't argue with you. Agree on pretty much all points. But the buildup about the pirates was a couple of episodes ago when Alecia was on the radio. I actually expected to see them before now.

 

I agree. Lame writing is the hallmark of this series. We are asked to believe too much stupidity from these characters, oh look I fell in a pit, I always leave my headphones on in potentially zombie infested areas, and so on. It also seems there would have been some search for supplies or food before Nick and Luis left or Luis would have mentioned he had already done so.

If Strand has reformed from his tyrannical ways as the preview hinted maybe they can start moving forward together as a team and disagree about more zombie apocalypse related issues and not as many soap opera issues. All the actors play their characters well but are not given much material to work with.

This episode was the best this season and It does look like the next episode is set up to be pretty good. Hope they take advantage of it.

 

I really enjoyed this episode. I think it may be the first one that I felt engaged from start to finish. Actually my only complaint is that the ladies on the show are somehow able to maintain fabulous hairstyles in all that wind, warmth and humidity...several weeks into the ZA. Particularly, the pregnant pirate who had her hair partially french braided. She was able to ride that boat at a fairly high speed up to the Abigail, attack Madison and remain perfectly coiffed. Alicia just wakes up with voluminous, tangle free waves, I guess. Not really a big deal, just an observation. : )

 

I liked Nick's use of noise-making to detect zombies. For once, someone sees that usefulness. And doing it during the broad daylight with ample paths of escape/retreat makes complete sense. All of this "hush up - walk into dark traps of buildings without any clue of zombies" seems like the most stupid action except for dimwitted writers who need to stall and stretch out episodes needlessly.

 

After watching Rosita 2 years into ZA with perfect out-of-salon eyebrows, hair, legs shaved etc, etc, I don't even notice those things anymore, just take them for granted.

 

This was by far the best episode this season or last season except for the last episode. Still a lot of room for improvement in my opinion. But hopeful this will be a trend toward improvement.

My first suspicion about the strangers pulling up was that they and the boat they rode in on looked too clean. I can see the Abigail crew looking good they have some resources. The strangers also have some type of facility so maybe they can maintain reasonable grooming standards. I do think at least one of the crew especially the women would have noticed how tidy they all were and not wet and ragged like they just escaped a sinking ship. If Alicia or especially Nick were there they may have noticed this especially Alicia and the woman's hair.

I thought it was interesting the pregnant woman was actually pregnant and had cut her leg for the blood. Her drinking and attitude bothered me but she has a lot to cope with. Her character has a real chance to develop and could be very interesting if she sticks around. If not someone will have to kill or abandon a pregnant woman. Lots of things could happen next week.

The zombie baby may or may not be possible. I looked it up and the lower brain and brain stem are pretty well developed at birth.

 

That pregnant woman made me so mad this episode. How stupid/reckless/desperate do you have to be rob someone at gunpoint when you could give birth at any given moment?

Zombie babies at 36 weeks are definitely possible. They couldn't bite or scratch you but still...

 

Lol, good point. I had never even thought about eyebrows. Irl, most of us ladies would be looking pretty neanderthal by this time.

 

Heartily agree.

"Not showing damage" means less wasted camera footage and more chances for the writers to move this thing along. I always vote for that. I can always pull out John Cusack in 2012 and look at special effects damage. What scenery is shown (thus far) has been written to reflect a sailing time-table that POORLY explains SoCal geography. Of course, all the filming is done in Mexico so we can't use "shown footage" as an accurate gauge of SoCal coastline but as a sailor along those paths, "unpopulated coastlines" are easily seen from sea.

I vote that this is one of the more astute bits of writing where Nick uses the sound of his dribbling to draw out zombies - if they're around - and also to readily identify himself as The Living since he clearly should have been shot on-sight, otherwise - drenched in blood.

I think this was one good display of creative writing.

Luis himself says the housing development was empty - not populated because it wasn't sold to homeowners yet. And Thomas Abigail wasn't enthused about buying up a neighboring parcel of land since "that first development hadn't sold yet" - wasn't populated.

In an unpopulated, unsold development, "street signs" and even house numbers may not have been installed at this point. "Finding the contact" would be difficult enough on a "walk 9 streets, and it's the house on the corner" instructions. Since Luis said the place wasn't inhabited, he had it all to himself.

The bigger question is, "Why wasn't Luis on lookout, at the beach, signaling to Strand's boat?" Well... that was close to the border, and the Mexican patrols were obviously keeping watch on border activity, which Luis wanted to avoid. But still... out on the beach, with a flashlight - at least he could have done a Paul Revere - "One if by land, two if by sea" signal.

 

Neuro, we'll never disagree that the writers could all use some brains and creativity. I didn't catch that Luis said "90% occupied" - I remembered that Thomas Abigail wasn't sure about buying Parcel #2 because Parcel #1 'wasn't sold yet'.

One point that we could debate: there was ONE basketball. As you brought up, "If 90% occupied, why not more basketballs, as well as any other trace of residents" including the zombie population.

I am using this excuse: "The zombies chased the evacuees. They didn't stay behind to occupy Phase 1 either. Except for one woman." After all, where do the TWD 'herds' come from if not following the living?

This development was on the border fence and San Ysidro is not exactly the haven of high-dollar employment. This means the residents likely commuted into southern San Diego - Chula Vista, Imperial Beach - also fairly low-end blue-collar areas. And San Diego's Navy base - also a low-end employer unless you own a defense contractor business. "No residents at home" would be a typical day for this development's standard since they'd need to be commuting an hour or so in each direction.

Since this was so close to major military bases - and the border where tensions with the Mexicans were apparently Spinal-Tapped at "11" on a scale of 10 - I have also used the excuse "These would have been cleared out sooner than any LA neighborhood could have been."

(Hmmm... an additional thought... "so close to major military bases" - well, that's true but, when I think of it - once the bases were threatened, ya think Base Commanders would have told his force commanders to stay out in neighborhoods, or return to the base without delay? Yeah... so "near to a base" could also mean 'first to be abandoned are civilians - strongest defenses are saved for the base." That's what Base Commanders would be screaming for. But at some point, all those base personnel with civilian homes might have flipped the finger to Base Commanders and said, "My home is right over there and it deserves my defense, not this stinkin' gray base." Desertion under fire, therefore, and what happens? "That breeds more zombies." A most interesting situation. "Let 'em go to die at their houses, or kill them here and let them infect us from within?")

Say - did anyone notice if the Panamera's license was Calif or Mexican?