Chapter 2 Discussion

[Britt]

Next week We're Not Dead will begin our chapter recaps, starting with Chapter 2 of We're Alive! (We already covered Chapter One back in April.) Feel free to listen to Chapter 2 and post any comments here and we'll definitely try to mention them!

Things to think about:

How much a character has changed since Chapter 2, were there any of those "AHA!" moments? (ie--Was Kc a sneaky squirrel and hinted at something that was to come?), etc, etc!

<3

[nikvoodoo]

The most obvious ZOMG! moment in chapter 2 is the reveal of Bill Roberts aka Ink. It's the second longest unanswered question in the entire series.

[Pikepaw]

So I really did not like Pegs much in this chapter, she had no common sense. I like the Michael/Pegs flirting scene, but every other moment when she talked I was slapping myself upside the forehead. My friend listened to this for first time this weekend and could not get over how dumb early Pegs was. Never trust cats, I might have shot Mr Whiskers, but at a later date. You know, for food. However the Mr Whiskers incident did hint at us that whatever makes zombies only affects human, which Marcus pretty much confirmed in Chapter 19.

We meet Lizzie, which was awesome because I love her so much. I find it hilarious that Angel was questioning the risks took in saving her as opposed to her usefulness, when she becomes one of the most useful people there. We also meet Bill and that darn Mr Whiskers, neither of which I am at all fond of.

I like that this is a slower chapter of sorts, kind of gives the characters a chance to fully realize what has happened and that this could be a long term thing. Angel and Pegs I notice are the most dramatically different in that they have higher confidence and know the new rules, when in this chapter they are still following the rules of the old world. There is more I could say but I will give others a chance

[Jake]

I HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE!

Sorted chronologically:

This chapter has my least favorite title, the second least being "The Lady and the Tink" because I kept thinking of Tinkerbell while I listened to it.

I love those advertisements. I keep hearing it as "Reef Systems INK", though.

Is that a clock ticking at the beginning of the intro?

Ah, the introduction of Bill! You know, there must have been something strange going on in his head for him to be so prepared for an outbreak. I'd expect a character like him several weeks after an outbreak, not several hours. Regardless, his original conversation with them (in which he thinks they're zombies) either proves that he's crazy or that he's encountered at least one smart zombie of Ink/Markings/"Move"'s caliber. I wonder what would've happened if Saul shot Bill. I also wonder what would've happened if Burt shot Latch and Scratch. You know, most of this series' problems could've been stopped immediately if people just shot first and tried to be peaceful never.

Pegs is a bit um, oh, like, valley-girl annoying, but is still, um, a bit, like, endearing, or something.

When Michael was asleep, he heard explosions outside, or possible footsteps upstairs. When the zombies break in, Saul is late because he was upstairs. I don't recall him ever explaining what he was doing there, although Michael may have been on the first floor at the time, making it not suspicious in the slightest.

Todd must've been a really bad boyfriend, considering Lizzy's romantic future not too long after his death. She said he was all she had, which gave me the impression that she's just clinging to him in light of the zombie menace.

Angel has one of his early jerk moments when he says that the needs of the many outweigh those of the few. At this point in the story, I agree with him. Good thing he made the opposite decision in The Harder They Fall. Or did he?

I'm glad KC gave us a sleep-jump twenty-four hours into the future. It probably would've gotten old listening to Riley collect things.

Saul inspires a heartwarming moment when he says "[Riley]'s like a wuh-MAN, if you know what I mean." Another comes when he's asked about his attraction towards Lizzy in regards to his "Lady", when he says "Oh, I'm sure my girl won't mind." If Saul wasn't funny by this point, hardly anyone would like him.

Another reason to hate Pegs or something: She's too, like, um, clingy.

A pretty weak first cliffhanger. "Saul, you give me an idea." It's definitely no "These cheetos might have just saved our asses!" or "We have to leave the Tower!". Baby steps.

"For all your fish-tank needs..." my favorite ad is the home-seller in Orange County, because the music reminds me of Mr. Rogers on PBS. I bet he survived.

Whingel goes to his room. He's really a jerk at the beginning, isn't he?

Did anyone else hear that clapping, wheezing sound? What was that?

Okay, I rescind my previous appraisal: Pegs is really annoying here. But she like, uh, made a nice stew or something with, um, fresh vegetables.

As a cat-owner, I have to ask: why was Mr. Whiskers purring so loudly if he was scared? To show to the listener that he's a cat?

And here's a better cliffhanger! I remember this one actuallyt frightening me, long ago when Season 1 was yet unfinished.

Why is Pegs afraid to fire a gun? I don't recall that question being answered, even though she ends up using one eventually.

Then there's the flirting scene between Michael and Pegs. D'awwwwwkward.

Pegs-Hate Reason 4: That army-thing. She's just a really useless person. I bet if she weren't a love interest, she would've died by now.

5. So, the spiders? Are they really that big? Ew! *giggle* It's amazing that I don't hate Pegs.

I hate to miss the point, but what question was Pegs not going to ask? Something like "What's it like to kill someone?"?

6. I could so totally do that. Who says "totally" ? Yeah, brah, I could totally do that. It'd be gnarly if you don't harsh my mellow and keep up with my hip lingo, dude!

And the awkward kiss! How nostalgic.

7. After a second-long kiss, she starts breathing like Darth Vader. If they've ever soul-kissed "off-screen" in the series, the whole Tower would hear her wheezing.

Woah. Angel calls the car a Behemoth. Coincidence, or KC's nod to us from the past?

Saul is relatable but highly unlikeable if you ignore his humor. I've only now realized this.

And Ink!

I agree that Ink is a big unanswered question in the series. I might be encouraged to think that his TV mention is just pointless scenery for the rest of the story (as in a realistic demonstration of the existence of the television and news channel in the radio play), if not for the fact that we listen to a whole lot of stuff about him, which means that we're supposed to know about him. Although, by that logic, Mr. Abernathy the Crossdresser should be showing up any time now.

Oh, yeah: How is it that all television goes out one hour after the first noticeable outbreak? Surely the zombies didn't shut off all the programs?

And now a word from our sponsors...

I REALLY HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Bravo Team Leader]

The whole cat thing at around 11:11 makes the chapter interesting. There's a difference between a cat and a human moving in the shadows. " It's Pegs not peeegggs". Plus It's one of the only times Angels rifle works.

[Cabbage Patch]

...my favorite ad is the home-seller in Orange County, because the music reminds me of Mr. Rogers on PBS. I bet he survived.

Sorry, Mr. Rogers died in 2003.

[Cabbage Patch]

In the original version of Chapter 2 Michael describes Lizzie as having blue eyes. We know that Lizzie's eye color is actually green, and that that line was corrected when Season 1 was released in its unabridged form. I was wondering if anyone has listened to that version of "We're Alive", and if there were any other changes made.

For instance Michael also described Lizzie as being a "bleach blonde", and at the end of Season 2, at least 3 months later, Saul is still calling Lizzie "Blondie". But after that long if Lizzie was a bleach blonde she should have 3-5 inch dark roots. So was Michael wrong and Lizzie is a natural blonde, is she secretly re-bleaching, or is it just that Saul is so smitten that he hasn't noticed (he had been semi-comatose for a while)?

[Penguin]

Please excuse me if i just go on and on.. but I have a few things to talk about... <br />
<br />
Michael tells everyone to NOT shut their doors when they all go up to bed.. Didn't they take all the doors off to...

[Cabbage Patch]

I think that it shows two things, first that Michael is still trying to make the military chain-of-command work at this point, and second, that he really doesn't understand that civilians often don't...

[Dr_Marshall]

Has anyone else caught this?(Chapter 2 - Part 3 of 3 - 20:00)

When Lizzy finds the TV recording, that has news broadcast when everything had begun. They mention a Paranoid schizophrenic, named Bill Roberts(a man distinctly known by his tattoos)that's being transported to a mental institution. I thought this could be significant because Lizzy mentions the tape is from when everything is beginning. Could Bill Roberts be "The One With The Markings"? Did he start this all?

-Covered head to toe with tattoos
-Convicted of Multiple Homicides(perhaps he was "feasting on people", would explain the plea)
-Insanity Plea
-Was being transported to a mental health facility(When everything was going down).

[random_highjinx]

Could Bill Roberts be "The One With The Markings"? Did he start this all?

I thought the same thing when I began listening the second time around, I think this has been posted in another thread, but yours is the newest so I'll just stick my two cents in here.

I think that Roberts is definitely The One With The Markings (when I type it like that, I keep having Harry Potter 'He Who Must Not Be Named' flashbacks lol. ) His role becomes progressively bigger as the story line continues.

They mention one thing twice, that he was being transferred to a mental health facility. So, I'm almost willing to bet money that maybe not the mental health facility itself but the hospital, Cain General Hospital where Cain Mental Hospital is located in an unmarked area has something to do with the whole outbreak, though maybe only the progression of it.

Also I wonder, since it's been mentioned that people who were smart in death were smart in life, that if in addition to be paranoid Schizo, if Roberts wasn't also extremely intelligent and he's the one creating the different types of zombies like the little ones and Behemoths. That's all I've got for right now though. :)

[Aerock]

Bill was weird and I agree with Datu that they should've capped him. Datu better turn into a bad ass later on... I like how the story is progressing, and Saul in charge of the motorpool was a good...

[Elisa]

I really love re-listening the 3rd time around. Bill Roberts is fascinating. But according to the TiVo recording riots aka breakouts started in big cities all over the world at about the same time. How could this be?

[Osiris]

I really love re-listening the 3rd time around. Bill Roberts is fascinating. But according to the TiVo recording riots aka breakouts started in big cities all over the world at about the same time. How could this be?

Because: magic.

No, seriously. There's meaning in the symbols, there's rhyme in the reason. It's all about Satan.

Hail Satan.

[Elisa]

Gosh I hope not. Too many sci fi, fantasy, horror stories of late explain things taking religious turns. Lets get more creative people b

[LiamKerrington]

Gosh I hope not. Too many sci fi, fantasy, horror stories of late explain things taking religious turns. Lets get more creative people b

Up until now we have no explanation at all why things started in so many different areas. But I remember that once we discussing the "Ring of Fire" around the pacific and that there might be some kind of connection. But except for many cities being mentioned as places where shit started to hit the fan there is no evidence that this might be true at all. Also against that theory speaks that even cities which were NOT at the Pacific-coast-line were hit hard when things started ...

I would like to assure you that there is no religious or occult idea behind this; but I don't know what Michael has up on his mind. Up until now, though, the show remains very, very solid; and many to most things follow quite scientific concepts ...

Best wishes!
Liam

[Aerock]

I re-started another We're Alive marathon at work. In Chapter 2-1, at around 7:33, Michael yells "Get over here!" Then we proceed to hear Todd's death scene. In my mind, I imagined the Mortal Kombat video game announcer saying, "FATALITY. SCORPION WINS. FLAWLESS VICTORY." I also thought it was pretty funny that Saul was busy upstairs (probably with the porn collection). If he got there in time, Todd might have lived and Lizzy would still have a boyfriend.

[Litmaster]

Funny, I thought that Saul's absence was suspicious.
The porn explanation makes a lot of sense.

[Witch_Doctor]

Only catch is that the porn wasn't discovered until after Lizzy was rescued. I originally thought Saul and Angel were possibly getting it on. Later when Angel tells Micheal to go to bed, he stutters when he says that he and Saul stayed in that particular room.

[Aerock]

Only catch is that the porn wasn't discovered until after Lizzy was rescued.

True, but after listening to the old episodes a couple of times, I think my brain is trying to make Saul sound guilty. My mind fabricated that Saul had spotted the collection during the original clearing of the building and acted like he didn't know about it when others discovered it.

p.s.
I'm glad that there are familiar "faces" still here in the forum. Nice seeing you again, Witch_Doctor!

[Witch_Doctor]

True, but after listening to the old episodes a couple of times, I think my brain is trying to make Saul sound guilty. My mind fabricated that Saul had spotted the collection during the original clearing of the building and acted like he didn't know about it when others discovered it.

p.s.
I'm glad that there are familiar "faces" still here in the forum. Nice seeing you again, Witch_Doctor!

Ha ha! Sounds like a legit explanation. Good to see you back on the forum for the final push too.

[General Malarky]

Relistening again. I might be going a tad crazy here, but some very little things are different. I know Kc went back and changed some things, but in part two, didn't everyone laugh at Datu's statement about Mr. Abernathy? (12:57). It's not an important detail but I'm so sure it was like that I really think I'm going insane.