I was better prepared to feel complete frustration for tonight's episode. "The Dog" was better in many ways, although it felt kind of predictable too.
Travis as the super pacifist stereotypical Californian is funny, especially in the face of the apocalypse going on around him. "You know how I feel about guns." It was frustratingly fun. That scene also served the gun lobby of this country quite well. It is odd holding on to a liberal stance on gun control all the while rooting for Rubén teaching Lorenzo about shot guns. I almost didn't notice the irony until peacenik Travis walks in all stern and judgmental. As if he didn't remember a gun pretty much saved his life the evening before.
The conversation Travis had with his ex-wife Lisa reveals Travis' Achilles' heel, which is that he wants to save everyone from harm. Lisa is completely matter-of-fact with him about what is going to happen to Griselda and her injury, and he's just reacts by saying that it won't happen. Lisa: "Who's gonna stop it? You?" Her blunt candor was refreshing and funny. He's very Pollyanna, always believing that order will be restored, even saying "The cavalry's here" at the end of the episode. His character has been written really naively; anyone with half a mind should realize that an army "in charge" scenario has disaster written all over it. Viewers are left to believe that he is drawing comfort from any last hope available.
Madison was also interesting in that episode. Her character really began to evolve. She's had time to process killing off her co-worker at the school, and the light started to dawn when their zombie neighbor invades the house and she watches the dude stay standing after half his face is blown off. Then Madison witnesses a close friend, another neighbor she has known for years, changed into something she may not know what to call, but she knows that it's not normal. The reality of this situation is beginning to set in. And she knows Travis well enough to understand that he wouldn't have what it takes to kill her if she's ever infected. Madison instead has to ask the ex-wife Lisa to do it.
The writer of this episode must have had someone close to them who was a substance abuser, because the son's (Nick) character behavior is nearly flawless. The addicts I've known over the years usually have a pretty good way of separating the BS from the truth of the people immediately around them (at least when they're not blown sky high). One of their main problems is that they don't have much, if any, self perception.
Nick already knows the deal; these 'people' are dead. And he's finally blunt about it. I think he was just fed up with everyone dancing around what was obvious. There are only so many times he needs to see people eating people and dogs, or sustain fatal wounds and still live before he twigs on the reality of what is happening.
Yet Nick has no self perception. "
He's the expert on how to wean himself off drugs. Why did his mother give half his supply to Griselda (the mother from the barber shop) when
he needs them. He needs his 'medicine'. Nuh-uh. That isn't 'medicine. That's your fix. He's already past the worst of the fatal physical effects of coming down. What he's faced with now is the sweating blood nastiness of actually weaning off the drugs. At some unconscious level he may know this, but he's still exhibiting classic addictive behavior. Travis' wife, the nurse, should be handling Nick's dry out from drugs. Whoever wrote Nick's character knew his stuff.
There was good tension in this episode. I do think the military coming in at the end was a little predictable (not just because it was in the teaser from last week). It felt to easy to write in a military presence taking over, but maybe that's just me. The "power corrupts by absolute power" episode(s) are next.
I liked it. I would have liked a few more gruesome scares, but it was better overall. We'll see where the next three episodes take us. In the meantime I'm looking forward to October 11th more and more.
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Meanwhile, I am still mid-progress on opening my food service business (my order from China is 3 weeks late 😡
Virgo
