AMC's The Walking Dead

[TrooperBari]

And there has to be people out there. You could have nuclear subs or weather station outposts that could be still existing. The key is trying to communicate with other people. How do the remaining people find each other?

And what was whispered?

My guesses are...

The CDC started this entire mess.

The zombies will wear down and die. You just need to outlast them.

That is my other questions for World Wide Z readers, do zombies die? Do they wear down? They need food for energy, right? A staple of science is all living things need energy, and outside of the sun, nothing creates its own energy from basically nothing. So zombies will wear down and die unless they start eating each other.

HAM radio and CB operators would seem to be the best option for finding survivors, especially if they have units that can operate off a dynamo or hand crank.

As for whether zombies wear down, it all comes down to what kind you have. If you read the "Zombie Survival Guide," it mentions zombies that were found with distended stomachs full of undigested flesh. That would suggest that while they exist only to feed, they may not necessarily have to feed in order to survive. If they digested what they consumed, then one could assume their body still needed to create energy. Rather, I think the feeding activity comes from a subconscious, evolutionary drive deep in the reptilian brain.

If, as Max Brooks suggests, zombies do not necessarily need food but also lack regenerative abilities, it could come down to trying to outlast the undead. The problem is the process of outlasting could take up to a decade, and it would take quite a hard individual to go suddenly from a life of modern convenience to the pioneer lifestyle and not suffer some kind of long-lasting trauma. That's why the ZSG makes clear that survivors eventually have to go on the offensive in order to accelerate the end of the invasion.

 

[TrooperBari]

I would think a second or third floor of a secure building would be the best refuge. They can't climb the outside of walls, and you've got a good sniper to just sit and pick them off as you have opportunities. If you're in a non populous area, eventually you could get the zombie count down to manageable. Trying to do that in a major metro area would be pissing on a brush fire, though.

In a low-level invasion, absolutely. Even a two-story house would do, provided you're able/willing to take an ax to the stairs and use a rope ladder or similar implement to get up and down. That came to my mind when watching "Shawn of the Dead." Instead of hanging out on the first floor of the Winchester -- behind the glass, where they were in full view -- why not bar the doors and set up shop on the second floor? At the very least it would've forced the zombies to pile into that narrow stairway (think Battle of Thermopylae) rather than pouring in from the windows and back door.

The problem with sniping is that gunshots tend to attract attention. One other concern is zombie pile-up -- if they do break into the evacuated first floor, is there a risk of them piling on top of each other and inadvertently creating a human bridge to the second floor? It's not the most pressing concern, of course, and one would hopefully be smart enough to bug out before things got that bad.

 

[NDub]

I'm not sure we'll ever get the answer as to how the outbreak started and how we got to this point with so many zombies. It seems no matter the answers given, they always fall short of expectations.

I believe Jenner said in the finale that the global outbreak was 60-something days in. Although, an origin or ground zero is never given.

Does there need to be a reason? I don't say that to be snarky. It's just that why zombies suddenly exist almost seems secondary compared to the human drama that takes place in the middle of the outbreak. The original "Night of the Living Dead" only mentioned a theory in passing (something about radioactive contamination from space). Unless the production is catering to hardcore zombiephiles or the cause is something average people can relate to/control (such as additives or preservatives in food), it might be best just to avoid the issue altogether.

Has a movie or series proposed, and actually came up with, a cure for zombies other than destroying the brain? I can't think of one. There was something along those lines in the alternate endings to "28 Days Later," but the director panned it as being unworkable.

No. There doesn't need to be a reason. And that was my point, although I didn't really convey it. The beginning of 28 Days Later gives us an idea of how it got started. But doesn't say how the rage virus was created. That was a sufficient answer, and probably as good as they could've done. But I didn't need it. And I don't need an answer for The Walking Dead. What Jenner said in the CDC was pretty good explanation for what it does, not where it came from. Although, I think after a while, some fans might clamor for the whys and hows.

 

[TrooperBari]

I'm not sure we'll ever get the answer as to how the outbreak started and how we got to this point with so many zombies. It seems no matter the answers given, they always fall short of expectations.

I believe Jenner said in the finale that the global outbreak was 60-something days in. Although, an origin or ground zero is never given.

Does there need to be a reason? I don't say that to be snarky. It's just that why zombies suddenly exist almost seems secondary compared to the human drama that takes place in the middle of the outbreak. The original "Night of the Living Dead" only mentioned a theory in passing (something about radioactive contamination from space). Unless the production is catering to hardcore zombiephiles or the cause is something average people can relate to/control (such as additives or preservatives in food), it might be best just to avoid the issue altogether.

Has a movie or series proposed, and actually came up with, a cure for zombies other than destroying the brain? I can't think of one. There was something along those lines in the alternate endings to "28 Days Later," but the director panned it as being unworkable.

No. There doesn't need to be a reason. And that was my point, although I didn't really convey it. The beginning of 28 Days Later gives us an idea of how it got started. But doesn't say how the rage virus was created. That was a sufficient answer, and probably as good as they could've done. But I didn't need it. And I don't need an answer for The Walking Dead. What Jenner said in the CDC was pretty good explanation for what it does, not where it came from. Although, I think after a while, some fans might clamor for the whys and hows.

That's what one-shot graphic novels are for.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Days_Later:_The_Aftermath

 

[Shoeless Joe]

How cool would it be to gain access to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and go around blasting zombies?!

They are small and fast, so you could get in and out of areas. If you got in a hot spot, you could close it up and just motor over them. Mainly, you could mount a mini-gun on top and just mow 'em down.

 

[NDub]

I'm not sure we'll ever get the answer as to how the outbreak started and how we got to this point with so many zombies. It seems no matter the answers given, they always fall short of expectations.

I believe Jenner said in the finale that the global outbreak was 60-something days in. Although, an origin or ground zero is never given.

Does there need to be a reason? I don't say that to be snarky. It's just that why zombies suddenly exist almost seems secondary compared to the human drama that takes place in the middle of the outbreak. The original "Night of the Living Dead" only mentioned a theory in passing (something about radioactive contamination from space). Unless the production is catering to hardcore zombiephiles or the cause is something average people can relate to/control (such as additives or preservatives in food), it might be best just to avoid the issue altogether.

Has a movie or series proposed, and actually came up with, a cure for zombies other than destroying the brain? I can't think of one. There was something along those lines in the alternate endings to "28 Days Later," but the director panned it as being unworkable.

No. There doesn't need to be a reason. And that was my point, although I didn't really convey it. The beginning of 28 Days Later gives us an idea of how it got started. But doesn't say how the rage virus was created. That was a sufficient answer, and probably as good as they could've done. But I didn't need it. And I don't need an answer for The Walking Dead. What Jenner said in the CDC was pretty good explanation for what it does, not where it came from. Although, I think after a while, some fans might clamor for the whys and hows.

That's what one-shot graphic novels are for.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Days_Later:_The_Aftermath

Wow. That's a pretty cool way to weave in another angle to story. Also, that's quite dark.

 

[NDub]

This link might only fascinate me because I live so close, but...

http://walkingdeadlocations.com/

Features screen shots of locations from the TV show and fan pictures of those places during regular life.

 

[Cosmo]

I would take a zombie hostage or cage it.

Romero was way ahead of you in 1983 original Day of the Dead.

 

[secretariat]

I would take a zombie hostage or cage it.

Romero was way ahead of you in 1983 original Day of the Dead.

Good, Bub! Good!

 

[JakeandElwood]

I'm enjoying the Zombie Survival Guide so far.

 

[NDub]

I'm enjoying the Zombie Survival Guide so far.

I'll say the same about World War Z. I'm blowing through this book.

Your book is my next read.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Nerds

Says the guy who was torn between the Steelers game and this last week.

It was meant as a joke, KY. I may be the nerdiest nerd around here between this, sci-fi and comic books.

Mine was too. I just forgot the smiley at the end.