Zombie Cliche Lookout: Getting Smarter
In all but a very few zombie stories, the zombies are unable to learn or remember. Most have only the most basic abilities, with many being unable to use stairs or open doors. This is the thing that helps keep the living alive. We can learn from our experiences and those of others, and we can take what we learn to better adapt to the world of the living dead. Naturally, a lot of people are going to die in the process of learning. There’s a very macabre aspect of trial and error at work when we talk about zombie survival. Some people just aren’t cut out to make it very far.
While the zombies will always take the path of least resistance, and blindly attack whoever is closest, the living will begin to develop strategies that let them survive longer. It will likely start simply enough: people will realize that areas need to be searched thoroughly and all points of egress secured. They will figure out that they need to stick together in teams, and to go nowhere unarmed. We’ll learn that it’s easier to avoid detection than to fight the living dead. In time, anyway.
About this Episode:
Apologies here; this episode is kind of filler. I meant to pick up with Cheryl and Russell either outside the cabin, or in another room. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t have the opportunity to finish building out the set (don’t forget, most of the cabin was destroyed when I moved).
Discussion Question: Most Important Zombie Survival Lesson
Based only on films, games, books, and comics, what would you say the single most important zombie survival lesson is? Why? And, for the purposes of this discussion, let’s only look at things that relate to zombies; we all know that clean water and shelter is important.
Most important: Figure out the zeds. Everyone assumes they know zeds from the movies, tv, etc but who really knows. They might be 28 DAYS later types or Return of the Living Dead types who only want brains. Maybe they can learn maybe not. Could be diferent types like Resident Evil.
Like Sun Tzu said know your enemy.
I agree with the RAT
You must understand your adversary as much as possible. In the case of zeds, how do they hunt, how good are their senses, how mobile or agile are they, how quick are they, can they think?
One interesting angle is in the “Newsflesh” series, individual zombies are extremely stupid, but they can develop a kind of “groupthink” and if there are enough of them they can even lay ambushes and hunt as a pack.
I’ve read a couple books where the zombies have a sort of hive mind. It’s definitely an interesting idea, and those would not be the kind of zombies I’d want to tangle with.
Excellent call, Rattraveller.
Typo Alert, Zombie Cliche Lookout, last sentence: Some people just out cut out to make it very far. Change bolded words to read as follows: “aren’t cut out” 😀
Hmm I should’ve probably said bolded word, but it lets Dave find the text easier if I use multiple words. Plus he can double check what I’m actually getting him to correct! 😉
Hah; got it! Thanks.
I sure hope they decide to leave a note so that Murphy and the gang will have some clue as to where they’ve gone off to, because otherwise there’s going to be the scenario of having multiple search parties out in the woods, and boy are those zombies going to thank Dave for that! 😀
Hah, that’s a pretty good point. Always leave a note.
I wonder if their group discussion they had earlier when they all first arrived at the log cabin actually sank into any of their heads? I’m sure Murphy is wondering what sort of zombie scenario he’s going to be coming home to, and I’m also pretty sure that it’s not going to be pretty if he shows up and nobody’s around to greet him and his party. I’m therefore sure he’ll be pretty suspicious no matter what he finds! 😀
These people need to work on their memories, don’t they?
Speaking of Murphy and the gang, I think it’d be pretty easy to shoot a close-quarters shot of a car with people in it, and scenery zipping by! I wonder if Dave’s going to have a go at such a scene? 😀
That’s doable. I did something similar before with the news crew.
I think the most important lesson is to never go anywhere alone, because that “ALWAYS” gets people killed!
It’s definitely asking for trouble, isn’t it?
Haha, thought this was cute, and made me think of BotD: http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Bizarro/
Hah! Nice one.