The Walking Dead Season 5 Discussion (Spoilers)

[CB2001]

I don't understand why writers don't use reality as a way of inspiring the story. Their limited supply should be something that is constantly on their mind.

A few episodes without ammo might put them in a pretty tense situation.

At this point in the comics, one of the things that Eugene knows in his "I know stuff" category happens to be how to create ammo, at least from what I've read. Maybe we'll get to see Eugene in the show applying that knowledge.

 

[Solo4114]

Solo, I don't think the producers "don't care about it" so much as they expect the fans to accept the fact that they do find ammo and take it. It's just not an important plot advancement that needs to have money and time spent on filming something that's not important.

We know Rick and his group go potty out in the woods but they don't need to film it to prove to us they're doing it.

Well, yeah, but you don't need to show EVERYTHING to ground the show in a bit more reality. Those kinds of real-life moments can be used for more dramatic purpose. In this episode, I think it was a wasted opportunity -- SOMEONE should've said to Sasha "HEY! You're wasting ammo, dammit!"

The ammo thing hasn't been a big deal to me throughout the show...


... until this last episode. Sasha's walker-rampages and target practice would seem like she's been going through mags pretty quickly. Speaking from experience, you go through ammo a lot faster than you'd think, and sometimes staying stocked can be pretty difficult. I find it hard to believe she wouldn't be putting a big dent in their supply.

Exactly. I went to the range with a friend of mine and his AR-15 with a pre-ban magazine (holding 20 rounds). We only loaded 5 rounds at a time, and the only reason we didn't burn through the 50-round box in 5 minutes flat was because he ALSO brought a .45 and his 9mm and we kept switching it up. You can burn through ammo VERY quickly, especially with semi-auto weapons.

I don't understand why writers don't use reality as a way of inspiring the story. Their limited supply should be something that is constantly on their mind.

A few episodes without ammo might put them in a pretty tense situation.

Agreed. Like, use Sasha's recent rampage, or some incident of a major fight against walkers or people as a means to force them to find reloading gear, at the very least.

At this point in the comics, one of the things that Eugene knows in his "I know stuff" category happens to be how to create ammo, at least from what I've read. Maybe we'll get to see Eugene in the show applying that knowledge.

Let's hope.

 

[Robiwon]

I agree it could be touched on for a dramatic scene. But, they did a bit last week when Glen's group ran out of ammo in the turnstile at the warehouse. The other dude had the ammo on him and they were out of luck, and Noah paid the price.

 

[joshvanrad]

But I'd like to see a large scale ammo shortage brought up. I can handle them having fairly consistent supplies via looting towns they pass through, but eventually they are going to have to address it as a larger issue. Without factories pumping the stuff out or people reloading spent cases you're going to run out of ammo pretty quick. At least have the common sense to use your melee weapons as much as possible. They used to be really good with that, but this season they've been rapping off rounds like they're using infinite ammo cheat codes.

 

[Solo4114]

Even reloading would eventually become an issue. Where are you getting your powder and primer? I mean, yeah, they can maybe raid some Cabelas warehouse, but nobody's actually making blackpowder, let alone smokeless powder, and nobody has primer. I mean, at a certain point, pretty much, you're back to melee weapons, bows, and arrows if you don't have functional mines and blacksmiths, let a lone metal refineries.

Short of those things, even with great knowledge, life would descend pretty quickly to a pre-industrial state, and probably closer to the stone age if you don't have people who can actually work metal themselves or get more of it.

Side note: this is why the opening episodes of Vikings where they killed the blacksmith were so incredibly stupid. Smithing is skilled labor that not everyone can do. You kill your smith, you're forced to trade with other people for finished goods.

 

[joshvanrad]

I can suspend my belief to an extent. I can pretend that chamberings don't matter and that any ammo they will pick up will fit into any of their guns... fine. And I can pretend that you can reuse cases forever... ok. And that you can dig up smokeless powder, lead grains, and primers from the dirt.... I'll deal with it. But eventually they are going to have to show them reloading or something. Anything ammo related at this point would be greatly appreciated. I will literally take any on-screen explanation at this point.

They covered it in the comics with Eugene, so I'm really hoping they do it soon with the TV series.

It just bugged me a lot this last episode with Sasha. So you're going to use up your entire ammo stock in a week, not even considering using a knife for stragglers? Then what?

 

[Kevin Gossett]

Let's not forget Deanna gave Sasha the ammo. She encouraged the practice.

 

[Axlotl]

... It's just not an important plot advancement that needs to have money and time spent on filming something that's not important.

If this show was real life, you can bet your butt it would be important.
Procuring ammo would be a top priority in those circumstances, equally important as food, water, and shelter.
And I doubt ammunition would just be sitting on shelves for the taking -
it would have been bought up and hoarded long ago, when the panic started.

Finding reloading supplies sounds like a good idea at first, but it falls apart pretty quickly if you think about it a bit.
Finding correct brass for your teammates' guns will be a problem. Also the correct dies for casting bullets.
It could be simplified if everyone uses exactly the same caliber weapons, but then you're simultaneously creating a shortage for yourself.
No one's going to be stopping to pick up their brass in a running gun battle being pursued by zombies.

 

[Solo4114]

Let's not forget Deanna gave Sasha the ammo. She encouraged the practice.

Which only further underlines that SOLE control remaining in the hands of Deanna & Co. is....rather a mistake. They need to be in place to retain some semblance of humanity, but they are woefully unprepared to deal with the world beyond their walls.

If this show was real life, you can bet your butt it would be important.
Procuring ammo would be a top priority in those circumstances, equally important as food, water, and shelter.
And I doubt ammunition would just be sitting on shelves for the taking -
it would have been bought up and hoarded long ago, when the panic started.

Finding reloading supplies sounds like a good idea at first, but it falls apart pretty quickly if you think about it a bit.
Finding correct brass for your teammates' guns will be a problem. Also the correct dies for casting bullets.
It could be simplified if everyone uses exactly the same caliber weapons, but then you're simultaneously creating a shortage for yourself.
No one's going to be stopping to pick up their brass in a running gun battle being pursued by zombies.

That's true, but again, that's the kind of deeper practicality that I wouldn't deem necessary in a TV show about zombies. Really, just some tip of the hat to "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Ammo shortage," would be appreciated. Just something to ACKNOWLEDGE that it's at least sort of an issue.

 

[Axlotl]

That's true, but again, that's the kind of deeper practicality that I wouldn't deem necessary in a TV show about zombies. Really, just some tip of the hat to "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Ammo shortage," would be appreciated. Just something to ACKNOWLEDGE that it's at least sort of an issue.

They handled this really well in the first season.
Remember Rick risking his life to go back for the bag of guns?
They were treated as a rare commodity in season one.
Now it's like a John Woo cartoon cowboy western.

 

[joshvanrad]

Dan, how can you always articulate the points I'm trying to make 1000 times better than I can?

 

[Robiwon]

If this show was real life, you can bet your butt it would be important.
Procuring ammo would be a top priority in those circumstances, equally important as food, water, and shelter.
And I doubt ammunition would just be sitting on shelves for the taking -
it would have been bought up and hoarded long ago, when the panic started.

Finding reloading supplies sounds like a good idea at first, but it falls apart pretty quickly if you think about it a bit.
Finding correct brass for your teammates' guns will be a problem. Also the correct dies for casting bullets.
It could be simplified if everyone uses exactly the same caliber weapons, but then you're simultaneously creating a shortage for yourself.
No one's going to be stopping to pick up their brass in a running gun battle being pursued by zombies.

Of course in "real life" it would be important, but this is a TV show about zombies. Heck, they could dedicate a whole season just to show the whole group reloading ammo.

Season premiere- Rick finds a box of brass and cleans it.
Episode two- Glen finds an empty gun shop with primers
Episode three- Eugene finds reloading equipment in a barn, sits at table loading brass
Season finale- Everyone loads magazines.

Number of viewers drop by the millions.....

 

[Axlotl]

^ Haha! I see your point.

 

[jarroth]

ammo, no ammo i realy dont care. walking dead is one of the best tv shows since a while.

only one save in the end would be darryl, he pulls the arrows out of the walkers every time but what if the bows string broke? .....................

ps, was it just me or in the scene where sasha is shooting walkers from the tower, was that noah as walker?

 

[Monkey67]

Did you use chick vision when Noah was being killed? That boy's body got turned into straight up goo.

 

[Solo4114]

ammo, no ammo i realy dont care. walking dead is one of the best tv shows since a while.

only one save in the end would be darryl, he pulls the arrows out of the walkers every time but what if the bows string broke? .....................

ps, was it just me or in the scene where sasha is shooting walkers from the tower, was that noah as walker?

Wasn't Noah, I don't think. But I have to say, Noah's death was one of the first times I've felt that the violence depicted was gratuitous. It just didn't seem necessary to show him being torn apart like that to get across the horror of the moment.

 

[Monkey67]

Wasn't Noah, I don't think. But I have to say, Noah's death was one of the first times I've felt that the violence depicted was gratuitous. It just didn't seem necessary to show him being torn apart like that to get across the horror of the moment.

I think they were trying to top the Game of thrones main event death last season

 

[Solo4114]

I think they were trying to top the Game of thrones main event death last season

As I recall, you didn't ACTUALLY watch Martell's head asplode. Although you saw the eyeball squishing, and the gory aftermath.

The thing is, most of the deaths in Game of Thrones feel....hmm...earned. Appropriate. Even for a character like, say, Rorge from last season's death list, the deaths "fit." In some instances, the violence is overstated, but it's not quite as agonizing as what happened to Noah. Noah's death is probably the most horrible death I've seen on screen, ever. At least that I can recall. And I'm saying that with Liam's having IMMEDIATELY preceded him, which was not exactly a laid back affair, either. That death sort of "fit" the tone of the show in terms of its gore level, but Noah's death took it to a whole other level of horror.

I mean, in the sense of creating a real feeling of horror, as in "how horrific this existence is," yeah, it worked for the show. But I just kinda question whether it was really necessary, or was just included for shock value in a show already full of shocking moments. I actually think that the fact that a death like Liam's is gruesome but NOT shocking helps illustrate the nature of the universe they've created on the show. So, throwing in Noah's demise seems like "oh, you don't get squicked out anymore? Well try THIS on for size!"

 

[Monkey67]

oh they Showed Martell's head explode like a squeezing a bag of chips open. Teeth, eyes, screams and pop goes the weasel. I think it was far worst than Noah's death. The game of thrones one was step to brutal step until he crushed the head open. Noah was more "yeah they gonna go choppers on him" didn't expect the fish hook special ( ripping his cheeks out) on the glass tho. What made WD brutal in its own way was that Glenn had to watch it being helpless. One second you think everyone would be ok..bang Nick the dick screwed them over. So..brutal + betrayal + being helpless = pure horror.

 

[Solo4114]

I actually don't think you SEE the head explode. It's off frame when it happens. So, to me, that's a key difference. The fishhooking of Noah was, for me, what was the worst part. Like, him being bitten and bleeding? Yeah, that's pretty common. Glen being helpless? Yeah, that's sad and horrifying. But the fishhook thing and how they dwelt on it...that, to me, was over the mark. I mean, it wasn't a fatal (no pun intended) flaw of the episode, but it definitely took me out of it and that was after having already read spoilers for the episode in advance and people's reaction to it. Even knowing "It's gonna be gross" it was still shockingly gross.