Fear The Walking Dead | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Cobalt [AMC] [SPOILERS]

NUTZZ

Fear The Walking Dead - Season 1

Episode 5 - "Cobalt"

Airdate - September 27th on AMC at 9/8c | September 28th on AMC UK at 2am (and again at 9pm)

The National Guard's plan for the neighborhood is revealed; Travis and Madison make a difficult decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKKZzQYLG8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRO7R5cqYG8

duridian

7

A comment I saw on another forum which I though was very interesting, and I think is very possibly true, is that many people have been completely jumping the gun as to who the "Rick" of this show is.
Many people have complained about Travis being a bad choice as the lead character etc. over the weeks since the show first aired. But maybe the real lead character has been hiding in plain sight all along.

"The Walking Dead" opened with a scene where Rick encountered the little girl walker at the gas station before giving us the back story of the shoot out that put him in the hospital.
"Fear The Walking Dead" opened with a scene where Nick wakes from a drugged sleep in an addict's den at an old church. He finds his fellow addict/girlfriend is a walker eating another person and runs for his life. While fleeing he runs into traffic, gets struck by a car and is hospitalised.

See where I'm going with this? First character to appear, first to be shown encountering a walker and they both are in a hospital moments into the show. Could this pattern could be a major hint from the show's makers that Nick is in fact the "Rick" of FTWD?

With him being forcibly taken by the army I think there is definite potential for some further proof of this developing in the next 2 episodes.

Paddy Cow

Didn't due last week's build up of tension justice. There were some good moments but it could've been way better. No prizes for guessing what's going to be let loose next week!

ricero

7

if salazar dies we riot

duridian

7

I reckon the only possible way the military can "humanely kill all civilians inside the L.A. Basin" (population nearly 20 million people) whether alive or walkers, is with nuclear weapons. That would be why the soldiers are panicking, breaking rank and legging it out of there early.

There is also a theoretical type of salted nuclear weapon called a "Cobalt Bomb", which like its cousin the neutron bomb is aimed at killing off life without doing so much structural damage. However this kind of goes against the notion of a humane killing.

Is it possible that we are already past the point in the main series where Laurie, Shane and co., from a distance, witnessed Atlanta being napalmed to no avail by the miltary, leading to more drastic measures by the armed forces?

Also, it seems Nick now has another companion, Strand. I'd bet Nick, Strand and Liza will remain separated from Madison, Travis and the others during the escape from LA (Snake Plisken, is that you?), and won't meet up until sometime later in second season.

Sudden Valley

6

Its escalating a bit too quickly for me. I thought it would be like 28 days later with more grounded/ less extreme storylines initially but it seems to be more like 28 weeks later killing hundreds of civilians after only a few episodes. Although I like Salazar I thought he was monumentally stupid to kidnap someone so closely associated with his daughter. also hints of step brother- step sister incest !

Sarn

I'd agree in that Nick is likely to become the lead. He is currently a waste of space but he is sharp, as seen by how quickly he worked out what was going on.

Good episode. Every man for himself. Having our paranoia/knowledge from the walking dead makes this show more enjoyable. Watching the characters act innocently while I'm thinking pick up the gun, stock pile food, have your escape route ready, is slightly frustrating but what you'd expect from most in that situation.

expectationlost

duridian wrote: »

I reckon the only possible way the military can "humanely kill all civilians inside the L.A. Basin" .

where did you get the LA Basin bit

duridian

7

expectationlost wrote: »

where did you get the LA Basin bit

Because the soldier that Salazar went all House Bolton on with the razor said it.

Edit: Here are some sources (that aren't me) saying the same thing.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-fear-the-walking-dead-recap-troops-have-a-plan-for-civilians-and-you-ll-hate-it-20150926-story.html.
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2015/09/fear-the-walking-dead-season-1-episode-5-recap-losing-patients/

Paddy Cow

duridian wrote: »

Because the soldier that Salazar went all House Bolton on with the razor said it.

I thought he said that he couldn't tell who was infected and who wasn't, so he locked them all in, effectively damning any non infected. The army protocol is to kill the civilians in the hospital and compound and Salazar is going to throw a spanner in the works by opening the arena. Then I saw the army leaving the compound so I thought they're just going to kill the hospital people and leave the compound ones to fend for themselves. So many possibilities....

duridian

7

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I thought he said that he couldn't tell who was infected and who wasn't, so he locked them all in, effectively damning any non infected.

He said that too.

When Travis returned from his trip with the guardsmen, but before he enters the torture room, captive soldier tells the story of the zombie arena to Salazar.
Then Travis enters and starts getting all Amnesty International about the torture, but Madison and Salazar ask him to stop and listen to what the soldier told them about "Cobalt"
Synopsis of it is:
"Cobalt" is the command code to evac the LA Basin (at 0900). Not evac of you (civvies) just us (army). It include "procedures" for the humane termination of... (civilians).

My thinking on why this may involve a nuclear strike is:
Even if 99.9% of the population of the LA Basin are walkers by now, how is the army going to execute about 20,000 civilians, scattered over an area of hundreds of square miles, humanely or otherwise, in one morning, while themselves fleeing from the area?

Tompatrick

1

What's the point of the hospital if everyone will be executed anyway? Waste of resources chopping off the old Mexican bird's foot I would have thought? Why bother ?

duridian

7

Tompatrick wrote: »

What's the point of the hospital if everyone will be executed anyway? Waste of resources chopping off the old Mexican bird's foot I would have thought? Why bother ?

It gives a cover to them while they study the infection in civilian population. They clearly now know that everyone is a carrier of the virus judging by what the doctor said to Liza upon Griselda's demise.
I think they may have been holding out some hope that the virus in its original state could be cured. (i.e., The form present in all living people.)

Maybe the environment of a dead body brings about the right conditions for the original form of the virus to mutate into the more aggressive strain which reanimates the dead as a means of spreading, mostly through biting the living.

If this secondary form of the the virus is now capable of attacking living tissue it would explain why all people are carriers, but only those bitten by walkers die from the virus. As soon as a bitten infected is detected the doctor seemed to lose interest and said to get them (infected) out of there. That to me sounds like a zombie bite infects with the invulnerable aggressive form of the virus and the doctor knows the bitten cannot be cured at that stage.

The zombie virus is very probably going to be explained as a manmade viral bioweapon that worked too well.

pc7

6

The guy in the cell with Nick, did he rob the key or did the guard give it to him. Was Salazar going to the arena to see if the story is true or too release them?

thegreengoblin

I'm enjoying the show as I always wanted to see how everything went to pieces in the first place. But I thought we'd get a better idea of what's happening on a broader scale. There was very little said, if anything, about people not being aware of what's going on elsewhere. Have communications been totally cut off to the extent that no one knows what the hell is happening beyond the confines of their locality?

This 'final solution' thing doesn't sit well with me either. Would the government reach the conclusion that things are so bad they may as well kill off what's left of the entire civilian population? It just seems so extreme.

Anyway, given the slow burner nature of the show so far, I'm expecting one hell of a finale!

duridian

7

pc7 wrote: »

The guy in the cell with Nick, did he rob the key or did the guard give it to him.

I suspect he lifted it from the army guy when bribing him with the diamond cuff links.

Was Salazar going to the arena to see if the story is true or too release them?

Soldier said he chained up the doors of the arena, so he (Salazar) would know in advance that a bolt cutter or crowbar is necessary to open the doors. His hands were empty at the arena, so I suspect he just went to verify what the captive soldier told him was true, because if that turned out to be BS, then maybe what he said about "Cobalt" would also be BS.

Paddy Cow

Anyone wondering if Tobias is still alive? He knew before everyone else what was happening and had the good sense to try and rob the school for supplies before the sh!t hit the fan so I wonder did he evade the army kill spree?

Dandelion6

8

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Anyone wondering if Tobias is still alive? He knew before everyone else what was happening and had the good sense to try and rob the school for supplies before the sh!t hit the fan so I wonder did he evade the army kill spree?

Was thinking the same thing. Hope he makes a reappearance in ep 6.

Flippyfloppy

thegreengoblin wrote: »

This 'final solution' thing doesn't sit well with me either. Would the government reach the conclusion that things are so bad they may as well kill off what's left of the entire civilian population? It just seems so extreme.

They probably wouldn't have been too far off the mark, in terms of there was no way to stop everything going to ****....just a pity the army jerks are the ones left surviving!

pc7

6

Another question, on the library part when the soldiers went in, did they kill their captain (leader asshole guy not sure of rank) to get free or was he just caught up?

duridian

7

pc7 wrote: »

Another question, on the library part when the soldiers went in, did they kill their captain (leader asshole guy not sure of rank) to get free or was he just caught up?

Squad leader was close to the rear of the formation as they entered the library.
On the radio comms which Travis overhears, the "behind you!" parts are clearest, so it seems like they were overwhelmed from the rear inside the library.
Whether the other men decided to give him "mercy" after he was bitten is unclear, but it did seem to be the policy to "headshot" anybody that was bitten or recently deceased. (The bitten soldier at the hospital, from whom the doctor walked away, is last seen as a fellow soldier by his side primes the gas tank of the cattle bolt gun.)

neonman

5

I gave this episode a 6 I was a bit disappointed to be honest.

The program started off really well but went from something is happening to people to all out hell and the army are in locking down safe zones.

I would have like to see it move a little slower for the first season and build on the suspense more than getting the horror fix from seeing zombies biting others and then turning as well. Also I would have liked to have seen government officials trying to deal with the break out and the President involved making decisions as well or even see him turning into a zombie.

Also how did it only take them a couple of weeks to figure out that the dead become the undead? In The Walking Dead it took them a few seasons to figure this out or did they say that the virus had changed and that everyone is now basically a walking zombie unless you put a bullet through their brain when they die. Up until then you only turned into a zombie if you were bitten.

There isn't much left in the Fear The Walking Dead before they are just like The Walking Dead on the run trying to survive.

bodhi085

How come the actual word "zombie" hasn't been mentioned. I know it's never been said in the walking dead series,but the fact L.A is the movie capital you would think the z word would at least get a mention.

5starpool

One of my main bits of disappointment, especially given how many teens are in it, is that we haven't had anyone even say "what's going on in other parts of the country or the world" and no one has even been seen to try to find out. I know everythng went to hell in a handbasket pretty quick, but the couple of scant references to outbreaks in X states and 1 incident of kids looking at a youtube video really isn't enough in that regard.

I didn't expect this series to even come close to explaining how the outbreak started, but I was hoping for more of a wide view, at least initially of how it unfolded rather than just an extremely narrow experience view with no one even trying to find out more.

The one character who showed even a semblance of knowledge based on actual research was only fleetingly in it, although I do expect him to make a reappearance again, probably in season 2, or maybe the webisodes that are being talked about. Hopefully one of these will address my bugbear.

crushproof

How many weeks has it been and still no one knows what is going on?? Surely someone has a wind up radio or a CB radio in their garage. Heck, there's bound to be a nerdy kid still going strong with an internet connection.
Has there been a mention of it in any other states? I'm intrigued as perhaps the LA area / California is where it began and has been quarantined and no one in or out - and life goes on everywhere else, like 28 Days Later when Britain is sealed. The characters in the show don't seem to be too concerned so I need answers people!!

Although it was interested to see the soldiers begin to disobey orders and begin to contemplate desertion, which I think would have happened much sooner. And there's no way our One Man Hero is going to open up the stadium, not a chance.

silverharp

what i find slightly odd is that it still looks like a lot of people are alive as there are very few walkers. I'd love an episode or 2 with a top down military perspective.

Pete Moss

7

crushproof wrote: »

How many weeks has it been and still no one knows what is going on?? Surely someone has a wind up radio or a CB radio in their garage. Heck, there's bound to be a nerdy kid still going strong with an internet connection.
Has there been a mention of it in any other states? I'm intrigued as perhaps the LA area / California is where it began and has been quarantined and no one in or out - and life goes on everywhere else, like 28 Days Later when Britain is sealed. The characters in the show don't seem to be too concerned so I need answers people!!

Although it was interested to see the soldiers begin to disobey orders and begin to contemplate desertion, which I think would have happened much sooner. And there's no way our One Man Hero is going to open up the stadium, not a chance.

A lot of this information is in the back ground on the radio in earlier episodes. I remember during the truck scene as they escape the riot, hearing that "11 states have declared martial law" or are in a state of emergency. I think Tobias also mentions a few things about information from other states on message boards, that's why he's ahead of the curve in LA, so I don't think it started in LA.

5starpool

Pete Moss wrote: »

A lot of this information is in the back ground on the radio in earlier episodes. I remember during the truck scene as they escape the riot, hearing that "11 states have declared martial law" or are in a state of emergency. I think Tobias also mentions a few things about information from other states on message boards, that's why he's ahead of the curve in LA, so I don't think it started in LA.

Exactly, it's barely mentioned at all. Surely one of the main concerns would have been finding out if anywhere is still safe to go to and what's happening elsewhere?

Pete Moss

7

5starpool wrote: »

Exactly, it's barely mentioned at all. Surely one of the main concerns would have been finding out if anywhere is still safe to go to and what's happening elsewhere?

I'd imagine that we're to assume that they seek and find out this information in the two week gap from when the army showed up (end of ep 3) to when episode 4 starts. That's my take on it anyway. I think in that period a lot of information would've been passed around until communication and media ceased.

I completely agree that there should be more information on how the state of affairs is in other parts of the country/world. It'd be a great inclusion to the show.

ceadaoin.

bodhi085 wrote: »

How come the actual word "zombie" hasn't been mentioned. I know it's never been said in the walking dead series,but the fact L.A is the movie capital you would think the z word would at least get a mention.

The writers have said that in the walking dead universe, zombie lore and movies don't exist. So to them the notion of people coming back from the dead and eating/biting people who then turn into the undead themselves is a totally unknown concept.

Lone Stone

8

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Anyone wondering if Tobias is still alive? He knew before everyone else what was happening and had the good sense to try and rob the school for supplies before the sh!t hit the fan so I wonder did he evade the army kill spree?

He comes back as negan in s6 of Twd

duridian

7

I've discovered another coincidence in my theory of Nick as the Rick of FTWD!
Rick is played by British actor Andrew Lincoln.
Nick is played by British actor Frank Dillane.
Both British actors. That's four remarkable coincidences between them, five if you count the assonance of their names.

Paddy Cow

duridian wrote: »

I've discovered another coincidence in my theory of Nick as the Rick of FTWD!
Rick is played by British actor Andrew Lincoln.
Nick is played by British actor Frank Dillane.
Both British actors. That's four remarkable coincidences between them, five if you count the assonance of their names.

I don't think Nick will be the new Rick. This time AMC seem to be going with a female ie Madison as the leader. I think Daniel will play the back up Daryl role. Daniel is rough and plays dirty and Madison has already shown leadership qualities and has a ruthless streak. Travis is the voice of humanity, like Hershel/Dale. Nick is smart and resourceful and will be an asset but I don't see him as a leader.