Yeah, really. It doesn't matter if they figure out how it happened. That will have no impact on these characters or their current situation. Even if they find out what it is, it's unlikely they'd be able to even do anything about it.
I don't find it odd that posters on a StarTrek site want to make sense of this virus - biologically, scientifically, or even for the plots to mesh with real science. However, that's not what the comic book is about and not what the TV show is about. The story is however about generally human nature in a disaster and specifically about a former police officer and a group of individuals trying to retain their humanity while the world melts down in front of their eyes. So if you expect TWD to be about real science you'd better tune out because it has not nor ever will be about that.
Hershel, perhaps ... but even if his background qualified him as a researcher, he certainly hasn't had access to the resources. And of course there's Dr. Caleb and Dr. Bob, or whatever their names are. (Insert "Veterinarian's Hospital" joke here. ) Heck, for all we know one or both of them were part of a research project before this. And if they were? What would they say? We already know how the phenomenon works and that there's no cure. So anything they'd say wouldn't add measurably to the show. Would it add a little more depth to the proceedings? Sure! Is it necessary? Probably not. Except for the science of psychology, which it handles fine. Beyond that, the theme of the show is exactly as you described. Thematically it's also highly similar to nuBSG, which I watched and enjoyed for the same reasons ... despite the fact that the science of the Cylons didn't make any more sense. The title "The Walking Dead" doesn't refer to the zombies. It refers to Rick's band of survivors. So trying to expand on the zombie plague, or fit it into a real-science framework, or anything similar, misses the point.
Missing the point is a series that (like every AMC series) prides itself on being so "real," yet do not follow their own back-patting in the scripts. Again, no one said the show was about the cure (and I find it sort of interesting/telling that some of you are going overboard to defend the suggestion of characters behaving realistically in even discussing it). Then again, this is the same series where characters--in soap opera fashion--tolerate the intolerable from others for incredibly long periods of time, such as Andrea and the Governor (not killing him when anyone else would, and still defending him against Michonne). Or how about anyone not killing Shane when his every waking moment in season 2 was being an instigating, threatening ass. Yeah, if your behavior toward your so-called best friend/"brother" is more hostile/threatening than not (and having a good idea about the Lori matter's implications), how safe are the others he was not close to? Yeah. In reality, people are killed for less, but this series tries to play the "real" card where human behavior is concerned...selectively.
I won't try to defend the inconsistencies other than to say real people also have some screwed-up priorities. But I'd point out that "incredibly long" for us was somewhat shorter in the show's timeframe.
Interesting that you think people would/should so easily be able to drop everything humanity and society has taught them and just kill someone because they're being kind of an ass.
Use "exile" instead of "kill" if it makes the point easier to accept. You wouldn't keep him around either way... And yeah, no one really wants them to build a lab and try to cure this thing. But since we came in after the outbreak had finished its job, we'd (or I'd, if you prefer) like to see more about what happened and why. Wouldn't change a thing, just fill in the story a bit. And since all the characters except Rick (which is where we came in) actually lived through that part, seems like they should have a rough idea of timeline or what was going on. Fill that in a little as we go, that's all. That's why the CDC part was so frustrating. No one wants a cure, they want more info on what HAPPENED. Got a small tease at the beginning of the series, and then they considered it all done whereas I'd like more...
^^ Anyone here the latest news about the Cannibal rat ghost ship currently sailing around the Atlantic. It's one of the oddest stories I've heard lately where a ship being hauled to be de-commissioned somehow got disconnected from its tow ship. As a result they are speculating that it's filled with rats that now have turned cannibal on each other. Got me thinking about TWD. The rat population is very dependent upon human scraps to survive. In the Walking Dead world, would the rats also turn against the remaining human population for food? Such an episode sure would make grizzly storyline.
I love that cannibal rat ghost ship story. We actually haven't seen a lot of animals in Walking Dead. Mostly horses, and a few animals that were killed for food. I always thought that packs of feral dogs would be a problem in the Zombie Apocalypse.
The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman Reveals Spin-Off Show Details Appearing at the Amazing Arizona Comicon over the weekend, Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman revealed some details on the upcoming Walking Dead spinoff series. Kirkman said, “They have announced that we’re doing a Walking Dead companion show. It’s a spinoff. I don’t know. I’m not scared of that word. But it’s technically not a spinoff, because we’re not spinning off any of the characters. That’s what that term means.” Kirkman added, “So I can say that it will be another group of characters, surviving in another part of the world. And it’s not going to use any of the core cast from our show. The show will continue uninterrupted, as if the other show doesn’t exist. But the other show will kind of be its own entity.” Then, Kirkman joked, “And may or may not take place in Arizona. I’m not going to say. You never know.” The Walking Dead Season 4 returns on Sunday, February 9, 2014 on AMC.
My guess is it will be set in Cally or New York, plenty of population. If they did it in Cally they could have the Zombie guest star of the week, Bill Murray straight out Zombieland could be first up.
Anywhere near the trunk of his car and those walkers don't have a chance. Mosquitoes or other parasites would be a bigger problem where TWD is set, if it turns out they can be carriers. Edit: I didn't think about my statement real hard. I guess Jenner's revelation makes that point a non-issue. I can't remember if that's a spoiler we're trying to avoid, so I won't repeat it. You know what I mean.
I don't think that something revealed in Season 3 needs to be considered a spoiler in a thread devoted to discussing Season 4. That doesn't make too much sense. The mosquito point is still interesting. Knowing that everyone is already infected, what happens if a mosquito bites a zombie. We haven't seen any zombie animals (have we?), so will it just die or will nothing happen. If it's the latter, what happens if that mosquito goes on to bite a living person, is that the same as a zombie bite?
Do mosquitoes feed on corpses? Is there anything about a zombie that would be appealing to a mosquito? In a show that revolves around zombie attacks, this method of transmission would be pretty boring.
Hey, I already admitted to not putting enough thought into a post! And I doubt mosquitoes would bite zombies, but other things could happen, such as a mosquito biting a person who's in the last stage of turning. Or alternately, someone goes through a rapid cycle of turning while mosquitoes are already feeding on him. (Gawd, that's a disgusting thought. I don't like thinking about mosquitoes feeding much as it is.) There's already been some speculation right here that whatever the zombie bug really is, it kills off normal microorganisms-- which is why the walkers don't seem to decay as fast as they should. Well, if the walkers are toxic enough, mosquitoes (or any similar parasite) would also just die if they did try to feed on a walker. I think that's the real answer. So, no risk of "boring" transmission. You might get a case where a mosquito bit a walker and then managed to fly over and bite a living person before it succumbed. It's possible that would work the same as a walker bite by proxy. But even if so, it would be extremely rare and wouldn't be a measurable risk.
What's there to transmit? Everyone's already infected. The only quest is why does a bite by a zombie lead to death? And in that case, I'd say it's similar to why a komodo dragon is so dangerous; their mouths are full of deadly bacteria. But it's definitely not the bite that turns you into a zombie; it just kills you. It's that lack of being alive anymore that triggers the zombification.