Walking Dead Theory
Over the last couple of weeks, misanthropy_inc and I have been watching The Walking Dead, which I can't seem to get enough of, even though it inevitably gives me nightmares (unless we watch River Cottage directly afterwards, which we don't always do).
We've now caught up to the S2 mid-season break, and I want to put this theory down here now, before I read any other commentary or whatever. So, I have a theory:
I think, possibly, the Walkers' moaning and groaning is some really basic level of communication, and that when you get a lot of them together, they can communicate over short distances, as the low frequency sounds travel through the ground. (I don't know if this theory is scientifically viable, but then zombies are not scientifically viable, so.) Anyhow, I think that Hershel having all the Walkers in the barn was what was keeping his farm safe -- stopping it from being over-run like all the other farms in the area. I think there were enough Walkers in the barn to transmit some sort of "stay the fuck away" message.
Now, whether this is because zombies don't like being trapped in barns, or for some other reason, I don't know. But I'm not willing to discount the possibility that Hershel's Walkers were actually protecting the farm in some way. I think there have been a few (albeit tenuous) suggestions that the Walkers, on a very basic level, remember those that they've loved, and may retain some basic animalistic affection for them (that nonetheless probably wouldn't stop them biting anyone). I think we see this with Morgan's wife in the pilot, and possibly with Amy too (it almost looked as though she was putting her hand up to Andrea's cheek, even as she was trying to bite her). Now, most of the Walkers in Hershel's barn were his family and friends, so perhaps they were transmitting some sort of basic "stay away" message for that reason.
Anyhow, I know I could be completely wrong there. I just wanted to write it down, Just In Case.
Regardless of whether I'm right or wrong, that farm is fucked. How many gunshots did they just fire to kill all the barn!Walkers? A LOT.
We've now caught up to the S2 mid-season break, and I want to put this theory down here now, before I read any other commentary or whatever. So, I have a theory:
I think, possibly, the Walkers' moaning and groaning is some really basic level of communication, and that when you get a lot of them together, they can communicate over short distances, as the low frequency sounds travel through the ground. (I don't know if this theory is scientifically viable, but then zombies are not scientifically viable, so.) Anyhow, I think that Hershel having all the Walkers in the barn was what was keeping his farm safe -- stopping it from being over-run like all the other farms in the area. I think there were enough Walkers in the barn to transmit some sort of "stay the fuck away" message.
Now, whether this is because zombies don't like being trapped in barns, or for some other reason, I don't know. But I'm not willing to discount the possibility that Hershel's Walkers were actually protecting the farm in some way. I think there have been a few (albeit tenuous) suggestions that the Walkers, on a very basic level, remember those that they've loved, and may retain some basic animalistic affection for them (that nonetheless probably wouldn't stop them biting anyone). I think we see this with Morgan's wife in the pilot, and possibly with Amy too (it almost looked as though she was putting her hand up to Andrea's cheek, even as she was trying to bite her). Now, most of the Walkers in Hershel's barn were his family and friends, so perhaps they were transmitting some sort of basic "stay away" message for that reason.
Anyhow, I know I could be completely wrong there. I just wanted to write it down, Just In Case.
Regardless of whether I'm right or wrong, that farm is fucked. How many gunshots did they just fire to kill all the barn!Walkers? A LOT.