I knew some of this from research into the canonical story line. I think it's pretty awesome, and not at all obvious.

 

Never thought his secret had to do with pregnancy. Too simple and easy to predict. Did think that everyone was already infected and needed to die before turning but with the highway scene and all the dead bodies that are just dead bodies that can't be true either. How did all of those people die in their cars? Did the military just start killing people caught in traffic jams?

 

Good call Loc!! Rick putting a 3rd round in fatty, let alone the head, was unnecessary unless he knew to do so, which I believe he did. It was a very intentional shot that was even underscored by the additional scene later of fatty’s head wound.

 

I want to recall Darryl introduction scene way back in season 1.
"It's gotta be the brain, don't y'all know nothing ?" and then he shoots his crossbow at the severed head snapping around on the ground.

So they know from experience early on that:
A. People that die, get back up to bite you.
B. Brain trauma prevents this.

 

No. What they know is that if you are bitten you turn into a walker. What we have yet to encounter is somebody dying from something other than a walker bite and turn into a walker. Say, a car crash or something.

 

Maybe you are right, I might be mixing it up with other, similar zombie-media.
I just rewatched the first episode, and Morgans talk with fresh from the coma Rick was very different from what I remember.

 

Okay, I am going to take a different approach to this. If Jenner's secret was that everyoen one was infected and when they die they reanimate, why wouldn't he have said that to Morgan into the radio at the beginning of season 2? That would be something that woudl be beneficial to Mrogan in surviving I think.

I'm of the mind, that is something that will be pretty good tv for the group to find out on their own, too good to hidde it by being the secret. I believe the secret was somethign like this: "Survive as long as you can, eventually, the walkers will decompose so bad that they will not be a threat, JUST SURVIVE".....another reason i believe this is eventually this show will have to end.....this is the only way I see it ending.....finding a good group of people to start over again with and the threat of walkers just going away....

 

Has anyone in the group asked Rick what Jenner said? It seems that it was never brought up again on the show. I'm sure it wll come up later on. Did Lori ask Rick about it in the episode "secrets"?

 

This is a TV show, so not trying to warn people via Rick's radio helps build drama. No one knows for certain yet what the secret is for sure but I suspect it's what everyone else suspects and that is everyone is infected.

 

Just started the comics the other day, I enjoyed how this was discovered and I think it can easily be done in the show...not to say that everyone being infected is not the secret Jenner told Rick; the secret and someone reanimating that was not bitten could very well parallel each other in the show. That said, you're right, this is a TV show, there is no way it can go on like the comics seemingly have/will, I was just thinking the secret could eventually lead to an "ending" of the show eventually....

 

If everyone is already infected, then why are they asymptomatic for being a zombie? It doesn't make sense.

From the story so far, you must get bitten in order to be infected. Once you are bitten you WILL die and turn. Regardless of how healthy you are to start with, remember Jim.

So if the secret Jenner told Rick is that everyone is aready infected, and once they die of natural causes, they turn into a zombie, why is the infection transmitted by a zombie bite more virulent than what they are already carrying?

Why does a zombie bite kill you and turn you on its own, no matter what, but carrying the virus right now will only turn you if you die by non-zombie bite?

That doesnt make sense.

 

Not sure, Maggie, but that is definitely the way it is set up...

You also have to consider we are talking about the existence of Zombies...does that make sense?

 

Yes... true.... but as Greyone keeps pounding into our heads... suspension of disbelief will only go so far - as long as the story makes sense within the over-riding premese that zombies are real, then you can enjoy the story within the framework - but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this is indeed what Jenner told them.... if it is, i'm going to be bummed because it makes no sense.

 

I always figured that the bites kill you because of the bacteria festering in their rotting undead mouths, not unlike the komodo dragons in indonesia. The strains of really sadistic crap they have going on in their saliva, makes makes sure to end the life of any prey that managed to wrestle itself free and run away, so the lizard can find his meal again later and eat it anyway.

So zombie bites would kill, but would be completly unrelated to whatever makes you turn.

 

Now this is interesting.... so with Jim, he got bit on his stomach and the infection without antibiotics killed him? So... by that argument... if one of them got bit, and Hershel loaded them up with antibiotics, would they survive the fever and infection? or turn anyway?

 

I guess I look at it as, once the brain dies, no matter how/what causes it - the "brain" comesback to life, reanimating the body, creating a zombie.....so if the brain survives (infection caused by a zombie bite does not kill the person due to being pumped with antibiotics), you do not turn.....

 

I would assume if my theory was correct that if you loaded up on antibiotics, and they acctually worked (the strain was not resistant) then yes you would get better and not turn.
Or if the zombie was really really fresh then it would not have the bacteria built up yet and also would not cause sickness beyond what a bite from a living human would.

The komodo dragons get their bacteria buildup from being scavangers and rotten corpses are their main diet (how's that for a ZA pet ?) komodos in captivity have weaker or no bacteria in their saliva due to their "cleaner" diet and being given antibiotics.

Note that this is just my personal and general zombie theory, there is nothing on the show that even remotly suggests this is the case.

 

I don't think it would be as simple as Herschel pumping someone up with antibiotics to stop the infection. I don't think even the CDC at that point had strong enough antibiotics to stop the zombie bites from spreading fast enough to kill, nor reverse the infection.

The way I interpret this, is that the infection is airborne and everyone already has it. Like if Carl had died from the gunshot he still would've come back a zombie. Because he has the infection and it got triggered by him dying. Though he didn't.

The bite from the walkers is pretty toxic, and will cause death. And just like all other things that die other ways, they come back.

Just my theory on this. Which was also reinforced by last weeks Talking Dead. They said the title "Walking Dead" actually refers to the survivors, not the walkers. Which reinforces the theory that they're all already zombies, they just have to die first.

 

Did you guys notice that Shane commented that they guards weren't bit? Perhaps they starved to death and then came back as zombies?