L.S. O'Dea's Blog, page 12

Fear the Walking Dead: Espisode 4

There isn’t much to say about this episode.  It did its job moving the story along in a somewhat entertaining fashion.  I did like that it added some tension in the group (Eliza and Maddie) and that it separated the cast so now we will get to see the hospital which looks like a much more interesting place than the soldier-locked-down neighborhood.

Now, let me tell you some of the parts that I did not like, mainly due to sloppy story-telling.

I understand that these characters do not fully realize what is going on, but why would Maddie leave the neighborhood without some sort of weapon?  I don’t walk in the woods of my property without a bat (not that it will do any good if I meet a pig or bear but it makes me feel better).  She should have had something even if it were a small kitchen knife – something.

Why did Hector’s wife (the sick man that Eliza was treating and whose morphine Nick was stealing) get to go with her husband to the hospital, but Daniel did not get to go with his wife?  That makes no sense.  There was plenty of room on the large, military vehicle.  They should have showed us Hector’s wife crying to Eliza that she wasn’t able to go or she should have been sick too.  Something –just give us some logical reason for the things that happen in the story.

I’m glad that they explained the reason for the empty pill bottle at Susan’s house although the entire situation (empty pill bottle, dead-Susan, etc) was set up so we’d get to hear Susan’s suicide note (which wasn’t that interesting).  As a writer, if you have to go to that great of a length to get few words into a story then you don’t need them. 

Finally, why did Eliza have to go with the doctor right that minute?  The doctor had told her that the hospital was close, only fifteen minutes away, and yet, Eliza had to leave right then.  Her character appears to be a good mother, so wouldn’t any good mother (or even decent mother) have at least said, “Give me five minutes to talk to my son.”  If the doctor had refused, then Eliza’s answer should have been, “Then I’ll take the next truck and see you in a day or so.”  I understand that they did this  for effect, but without the logic, it doesn’t work (at least not for me).

 All-in-all, I’m still going to watch the show.  It’s okay and that is better than a lot of stuff on television.  Plus, I really do love the world.  I think that’s what keeps me tuning in.  The major flaw with this show, for me, is not even the bad writing, but the fact that I don’t care about the characters.  At least with the Walking Dead, I really feel a connection to Rick.  I feel nothing for the characters on Fear.  I’d have to say that I like Daniel the best and he is a secondary character.

I’m not the only one who feels this way.  A friend’s kids have already stopped watching this show.  The writers/producers need to do something before next season or this may be a short-lived spin-off.

Why fight nature?

I was in a meeting today and we were talking about a vendor reorganizing their product, which means more money because it never, ever costs less.  Nothing in life is ever less.

We don’t get younger.

Our salary doesn’t decrease (or at least we hope it doesn’t).

Our insurance costs never, ever go down.

The price of food, gas, entertainment, etc. always goes up.

Our work load doesn’t decrease.

So why am I trying to make my body mass go down?  It would appear that going down breaks the laws of nature.

A lion’s appetite doesn’t decrease as it ages.

Gazelles don’t get slower as they grow up.

The only time things in nature decrease (appetite, speed, quantity) is when a creature or species is on its way out of this world.  So, by this logic it is only natural and good that my weight goes up.  Right?  Nope.  This must be the exception that breaks the rule.  Damnit!

Fear the Walking Dead: Episode 3

SHUT THE DOOR!

I’m sure that if you’ve seen the episode, then you know exactly what I mean (quite possibly, you were screaming those exact words at the TV).  Having Nick leave the door open is one of the tactics employed by many horror movies.  I’m okay with it in cheesy-horror flicks, which I love, but I expect more from the Walking Dead series (I’m not sure why since they so often fall into what I call lazy writing and/or directing). 

Let me explain why it bothered me so much when Nick left the door open.  First, they live in LA.  They have to have air conditioning.  If you have air conditioning, you automatically shut the doors, even if you are a druggie (Nick was definitely functional).  Second, Nick knows that these people are dead.  He has an understanding of how dangerous this new world is.  He would not have left the door open.

Now, let me vent about the dog.  Let’s be honest, the only reason the dog was in the show was so that Travis would see the dead-guy, Peter, eating something and not know if it was Maddie or one of the kids.  That’s it.  There was no other point for the dog even being there. We never saw the dog before it showed up, clawing to get inside (if we did see it earlier, then I apologize because I missed it).  They let it in and then immediately leave the house, leaving the door open.  This to me is lazy.  They could have shown us the dog earlier, just to set the stage.  It could have belonged to Susan and her husband, Patrick.  Then, when the dog arrived, Maddie could have been concerned and they could have gone to Susan’s house.  Once there, Nick could have said something about finding the gun that he’d tried to steal before.  Maybe, they’d tried to get the dog to come with them, or better yet, it could have followed them back to its house and then refused to go inside.  That would have been a little foreshadowing that something was very wrong at Susan’s house.   I could continue with plotting this out, but I think you understand where I am going.  If you are going to introduce a character, let him do more than die.  Let there be a real, plausible reason for that character’s existence.

I also had a problem with Susan suddenly showing up dead when Alicia was there alone.  When Maddie, Nick and Alicia were in the house, they were not being quiet.  Why didn’t Susan come out then?  We can only assume that she was dead but not reanimated.  Still, wouldn’t Maddie have looked for her neighbor, especially since they were such good friends?  I know that if I were to break into a friend’s house, I’d check to see if said friend was home.  Maddie could have found Susan dead from the flu or a heart-attack.  At that point, with the cops busy and society collasping, there would be nothing that Maddie could do.  This would have added to the tension when Alicia went back for the bullets.  We would have known that there was a dead person just waiting to come back to life.  Again, in my mind, a simple fix.

Since I am a dog lover, let me also say that having a dog around is a good thing in a situation like this.  They can hear and smell waaaay better than we can.  I can understand why a TV show doesn’t want to deal with dogs (it isn’t always easy to get them to act on command).  However, the shows always seem to underestimate dogs.  Most are smart.  They would learn quickly that the dead are dangerous and the dogs would know to be quiet.  I’m okay with this one barking because it is a very protective type, but why didn’t it flee through the open door?  It had already run once.  It would run again.

Since, I didn’t hate the show, I’ll point out the parts that I did appreciate.

There were some good lines or turns of phrases such as when Nick called his drugs…my medicine.  That seems appropriate for a junky - manipulative.  I also like that Maddie is more willing than Travis to accept the fact that the people are dead and not sick.  Maddie had already accepted that Nick was going to die from drugs.  She is a realist, had to be in order to survive after her husband either died or left.  I know he died, but it sounded like he wasn’t a good husband/father by the comments when Maddie and her kids were playing Monopoly.

I liked the fact that Travis took the trash down to the curb (one of my friends hated it).  Travis still believes that everything is going to go back to normal.  This brings me to the next point.  Travis should have refused to move the body, let alone bury it.  If he believes that everything will be okay, he would have left the body where it was.  The police don’t like it when you move or bury someone who you killed.  They call that tampering with evidence or something like that.

I like the tension between Daniel and Travis.  Not sure why it is there (who started it between the two characters).  And, my favorite line was when Daniel said, “Good people are the first ones to die.”  With his background, he’d know.

All-in-all it wasn’t a bad episode, just disappointing.  This show could be so much better.

Writing Life Blues

Sometimes, life is hard.  I’m not talking about the tragedies that happen to people, but the little things that wear you down--the monotony of your daily routine (same chores, same food, same TV shows, etc), the negative people you deal with every day and the goals that remain out of reach. 

I don’t know if it's my age (I’m approaching fifty) or if it’s the fact that no matter how hard I work, my life is the same.  Let me be clear, my life is comfortable and I really shouldn’t complain, but sometimes the daily struggle wears on me like the wind erodes the rock.  Gone is the person who thought she’d make a difference.  Annihilated by disappointment is the girl who wanted to change the world.  I’m not sure that there is enough of her strength and ambition left inside of me to pull myself up and continue my journey.  The alternative I am considering is NOT suicide, but instead slipping quietly into accepting that this is the life that I will always have.  The only me that I will ever be.

Once, I had dreams of love and money and success.  They wore down until only a fragment of the grand desire remains in my soul, a dusky shadow of itself.  Now, I dream that my stories will sell enough that I can quit my job and live comfortably on my writing.  This dream too is fading.  The books aren’t flying off the electronic shelves.  I’m not sure that they ever will.  It is this degrading of hope that eats away at me the most, digging into my soul and allowing little pieces of me to escape through the holes.  I’m not sure how much of “me” is even left, but I am going to take a deep breath and stand up, at least one more time, and forge onward.  This weariness of life is happening more frequently and I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have enough hope left to help me to stand.  It is only a whisper now, where it once was a roar.

Episode 2 Fear The Walking Dead

Again, I was not disappointed by Fear the Walking Dead.  It’s not great, but it isn’t bad either.  If you have not seen the episode, then stop reading because spoilers are on the way.

First, let me detail what I appreciated about this episode, the “good” so to speak.

I like that this series is showing a little about the “extended” families of our times, although, they are keeping it limited.  For example, Travis goes to find his ex-wife and his son (extended family from his and Maddie’s life) but what about Maddie or Travis’ parents, siblings, etc.  I suppose they both could be orphans, only children or the rest of their family could live in other states, but this is something that zombie shows tend to ignore.  So, although they only brush over it with one small branch of the extended family that most of us enjoy/tolerate (your choice), I do appreciate the effort.

I also give them credit for finding a plausible reason for the separation of the main group (Maddie, Travis, Nick and Alicia).  By making Nick a drug addict who is sobering up, it gives us a real reason why Maddie and her two kids don’t just ride along with Travis when he goes to find his son and ex-wife.  It isn’t easy to create plausible reasons for groups to separate.  They even get bonus points for Maddie leaving her kids to get the drugs for Nick.  These are both very realistic and believable reasons to separate.  Kudos to the writers.  Maybe, they can give some believability tips to the writers of The Walking Dead.

I also like the fact that the zombies/walkers are harder to kill.  Maddie has to hit the principal in the head over and over to kill him.  This makes perfect sense.  His skull would still be very hard since he is recently dead.  I just hope that they stick with this level of difficulty.  In The Walking Dead sometimes it takes a lot of effort to smash in a walker’s head and other times they hit the zombie in the head with something as soft as a marshmellow and the skull explodes.  Just to be clear, this is not the case of a recently dead walker and a mushy one.  It is just poor writing, planning or sticking to their rules (maybe a combination of all three).  So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this series will stay true to the rules that they setup.

Now, let’s discuss the issues I had with this episode.  Fortunately, these are all minor.   

1.        Who cleans up vomit—scrubbing the floor on hands and knees mind you--without tying their long, pretty hair back?  Alicia would have at least put it up in a quick bun.  She would not have wanted her hair slipping into the yuck on the floor. (not a big deal here, but it did pull me out of the story a bit).

2.       When Nick was trying to keep Alicia from leaving, his accent slipped.  He sounded very British.  Lazy editing.  They should have made him do that scene again.

3.       Why didn’t Tobias take the food?  They killed the walker.  The food was right there.  I can write this one off as these are not experienced survivalist, like in The Walking Dead, but still….he came back to the school for his knife and food.  Why leave the food?  Plus, unless we go back to the food later, what was the point.  They could have bumped into the principal on their way out without going for the food.

4.       Why didn’t Tobias leave with Maddie?  In episode one he states that they are safer in groups.  Even if his mom was home, he should have asked her to go with them to Maddie’s house.  There is safety in numbers and Tobias is aware of that.  For me, this is the biggest “plot” hole.  It is almost like they forgot what Tobias said in episode one.  Even if his dialogue was really just for us, there was no reason that he couldn’t have went with Maddie.  If nothing else, it is one more person we can feel something for who will eventually die.

Okay, that’s all I have except I’m going to make a prediction that Maddie doesn’t live through this season.  I could be wrong.  I usually am, at least when I’m guessing on what’s going to happen in The Game of Thrones.  The only reason that I am predicting this is that I think the actor who plays Maddie has good zombie features.  Did anyone else notice that the guy who played the principal looked a bit like a zombie before he died?  In this series they are not relying on a lot of make-up for the walkers, but instead are using facial structure.  Hence my prediction.  Let’s see if I’m right.

Book Available for Pre-Order

My newest book, Conguise Chronicles: The Rise Of The River-Man (Mutter’s Story) is now available for pre-order on Amazon for 99 cents (click the book cover to order it now - NOT sure why the images aren't showing. I've opened a support ticket.  You can click on the place where it says "picture" to order).  This is a novella about the River-Man who Trinity named Christian.

Here’s the book description:

Some monsters are born; others are made.
Mutter was sure that his pending execution at the Guards’ Shelter was the worst thing that could happen to him, but that was before he met Professor Conguise.


Now, he is living in a laboratory and the Almightys are giving him shots. He fears that they are attempting to mutate him into some kind of monster like those in the other cages. The creatures in the other cages are unnatural. Things that he can’t believe exist. Things that shouldn’t exist and if he doesn’t escape, soon he will become one of them.

Since it is only available for pre-order, Amazon does not let you read any of the chapters.  I’m going to post the Introduction and chapter 1, so you can take a look.  I've also posted the back cover.  I think a lot of you will find the author bio and drawing amusing.
Introduction:
The world of the Lake of Sins
This story takes place hundreds of years after the Great Death visited the earth, killing most humans, all domestic animals and all wild animals larger than a turkey.  Those who survived were left with the task of rebuilding society. 


The new social structure on earth is now based on a class system.  The classes important to this story are detailed below.


The Almightys rule all of the other classes.  They are the only direct descendants of the human race.  They are generally between five and six feet tall with dark hair and pale, hairless, white skin. 


The Guards belong to the Almightys and are used for hunting or protection.  They vary in size and hair color.  Their eyes are usually brown and the males generally wear facial hair.  Both males and females have a light coating of hair on their bodies.  They have large canine teeth used for biting and tearing.  They are strong, fast and heal quickly.  Their senses of hearing, smell and nighttime vision is superior to Almightys. 

 The House Servants also belong to the Almightys but their role in this society is to manage the households and businesses of the Almightys.  They are slender in build and short, between four and five feet tall.  They also have a light coating of hair covering their bodies.  The males are usually clean shaven.  They are all born with fangs and claws, although their claws are often removed by their masters.  Their eyes are usually a vibrant hue and their senses of night vision, hearing and smell is superior to the Guards’. 

Stray or unwanted Guards and House Servants are taken to the local shelters and are executed if not adopted.
Mutter is a Guard who is no longer wanted.  He waits to be executed.  This is his story.

 
CHAPTER 1

Mutter was in trouble.  No one would want a Guard like him.  Even with keeping his beard neat and trim, he was too big and too strong and too ugly.  He stretched out on the concrete floor and winced.  He definitely had some broken ribs, but he’d fought and won with broken bones in the past.  He started coughing.  It was this sickness that had cost him the match.  He sat up; the coughing subsided.  He’d pleaded with Vickers, his Almighty master, not to make him fight but the money had already switched hands.  He leaned his head against the bars of the cage.  He’d lost the fight and now he’d lose his life.  Vickers did not give second chances. The door opened and a male Almighty around thirty years old with blond hair entered the room followed by Satcha, the House Servant who ran this establishment.  The Guards’ Shelter didn’t allow visiting at this hour but Almightys did whatever they wanted.  He didn’t even bother to stand up like the others.  No one wanted him.  It was a bit embarrassing, but he’d tried to find a new home his first few days here.  He’d run to the front of the cage and had smiled at the Almightys.  He’d smelled the fear on them as they’d passed.  Most tried not to look at him, but he was big and scarred and hard to ignore.

They stopped in front of his cage.

“Ableson, this is the one I told you about,” said Satcha.  “Looks like he was a fighter, so he should be used to obeying.  He does have a bad cough, but I thought he might work for you.”

The Almighty stared at him but remained quiet, blue eyes sizing him up.

“Come here,” said Satcha.

Mutter wanted to stay where he was to annoy the Servant but Guards like him didn’t get many chances for a home.  He stood slowly, letting the Almighty get used to his size and appearance.

“How old are you?” asked Ableson.

“Not sure.  Been around for a while but not too old.”  That was the safe answer.  He had counted nineteen winters but that might be too old or too young.  He never could tell what an Almighty wanted.

“By his teeth and body we estimate around twenty-five to thirty years,” said Satcha.

Ableson twirled his finger.  Mutter understood that signal.  Before the fights started, when the betting happened, he was often sized up by the gamblers.  He turned in a circle, slowly, giving the Almighty time to study him. 

“I’m strong and healthy.”  That was a lie but he would be healthy again.  He just needed a little time and food.

“Does have that cough, that I mentioned.”  Satcha sent him a glare.

“Just a little.  From this damp, rotten place.”  He hated Servants.  They didn’t know when to keep their big mouths shut.

“I need an obedient Guard.”  The Almighty’s eyes roamed up and down his frame. 

“Won’t find one more obedient than me.”

“Let’s see if that’s true.”  Ableson walked down the aisle.  “Is there another Guard who he’s close to?”

“Him?”  Satcha laughed, following the Almighty.  “He’s so big and ugly even the other Guards stay away from him.”

Ableson stopped in the hallway.  “Take this one out.”

The Servant opened the cage and slipped a rope over a young Guard’s neck.  Mutter’s chest pinched.  Typical.  The Almighty’s always chose the young ones.  His only chance was gone.  They would walk out and soon he’d be executed.  He started to sit back down, when the three of them stopped in front of his cage. 

“Put her in with him,” said Ableson.

“Ah, we keep the younger ones separate from the older ones, especially the older males,” said Satcha.

The Almighty didn’t say a word, but his look was enough.  The Servant muttered an apology and opened the door shoving the young Guard into Mutter’s cage. 

He glanced at the little Guard who stood as far away from him as possible.  She couldn’t have been older than nine.  She had russet hair and large, frightened, brown eyes.

“Hit her,” said Ableson, his tone conversational.

“Wait,” said Satcha.  “That one’s young and attractive.  I can find a home for her.  Let me get—”

“I’ll pay for both.”  The Almighty’s eyes never left Mutter.  “Now, beat her.”

Mutter kept his face a mask but his stomach clenched.  He didn’t want to do this.  He’d fought females before but they were all older, experienced fighters.  This wouldn’t even be a fight. 

“I need an obedient Guard,” reminded Ableson.

The girl trembled in the corner, tears streaming down her soft, round cheeks.  “Please, don’t hurt me.”

Pleading didn’t do any good.  It didn’t change anyone’s mind.  He knew the game and it would be her or him.  He stared into the girl’s scared brown eyes.  “Bruised, broken or dead?” 

“Just hit her.  I’ll tell you when to stop.”

Mutter stepped forward.  The girl curled in a ball on the floor, pleading and crying.  He grabbed her by the shirt.  She weighed next to nothing, all skin and bones.  He punched her in the gut, making the blow look harder than it was, but the girl was so small she gasped and coughed.  He hesitated, waiting for the Almighty to stop this, but no words came.  He hit her again.  She yelped in pain.  He shifted his stance, stalling again and praying for the words that would allow him to quit, but the only sounds were the yells of the other Guards in the nearby cages.  Most screamed for him to stop but some cheered him on.  If the Almighty wouldn’t end this, he would.  His next punch caught her upside the head, knocking her out.  He let her slide to the floor.

He walked toward the Almighty.

“I didn’t say stop.”  Ableson’s blue eyes challenged him.

He stared at the girl on the floor.  Only in the roughest fights, those to the end, did they hit opponents when they were down.

“Forget it.  He won’t work.”  Ableson turned and headed for the door.

His only chance was leaving.  He’d be dead tomorrow if that Almighty walked out the door.  The girl’s tiny frame was about the size of his arm.  She was still breathing.  “Wait.”

Ableson walked back to the cage, a smug smile on his face.  “Obey or I leave.  This is your only warning.”

He nodded.  His heart thudded as each footstep moved him closer to the little female.  The other Guards had fallen silent.  He grasped her by the back of the shirt again.  Her head lolled to the side, her eyes closed.  His supper churned in his stomach.  He stared at the tears on her cheeks as he punched her over and over, trying to hit non-vital parts but it was difficult.  She was tiny and his fits were big.

“Enough,” called the Almighty. 

He lowered her to the floor.  Her breath was ragged as blood trickled from her lips.  His eyes burned, but no wetness came.  He hadn’t cried since he’d lost his mother.  It didn’t do any good.  He wiped the girl’s blood on his shirt as he faced the Almighty.

Ableson smiled at him and handed an envelope to the Servant.  “I’ll take him.” 

Satcha looked in the envelope.  “Ah, the price for the girl…”

Ableson frowned at the Servant but dug in his pocket and handed Satcha a few more bills.  The Servant stuck them in his pocket and opened the cage door, putting a rope around Mutter’s neck.  He fisted his hands, fighting the urge to kill both of them, but he’d never make it out of the shelter if he did that. 

“Come.”  Ableson yanked on the rope. 

“What about her?” asked Satcha.

“Do what you want with her.”

“But…you already paid….”

“If she lives, sell her again, or kill her.  I don’t care.”  Ableson walked toward the door.

Mutter refused to look back at the girl, the sacrifice for his freedom. 

Fear The Walking Dead: Episode 1

Well, I’ll have to say that the first episode of Fear the Walking Dead was better than I expected.  (Let’s be honest.  The Walking Dead episodes which focus on character instead of action/zombies are generally disappointing and boring.  For example:  the episode with Darryl and Beth after they left the jail comes to mind– I’d rather watch and apple turn brown than watch that again.  Fear so far has not been disappointing.  They manage to build the characters without slowing down the story.  They have also handled the anticipation of danger very well.  There were many times when I sat, tensed, waiting for the dead to come back (like the scene where Nick is tied to the hospital bed and his roommate is not doing well).

I have also appreciated the writing.  There are small lines that really carry weight especially since we know what is going on but the characters don’t.  One of my favorite lines is when Nick’s mother tells Travis that she is tired of waiting for a phone call from the morgue (regarding Nick) and he says, “That won’t happen.”  It is a perfectly normal thing for this character to say to the woman he loves and yet, we know that he is absolutely correct, but not in the way that he means.

So far, the series is fun.  Let’s hope that the writers and producers don’t ruin it.

Lemon Head

Here's the new author bio for my next book.  Conguise Chronicles: Rise of the River-Man (Mutter's Story) will be available soon.

Let me know what you think of the author bio.

L. S. O’Dea sees things a bit differently than most people.  This is probably a bi-product of being the youngest of seven children in a time when TV was only worth watching in the evenings or Saturday mornings and there were no computers.  Back then, kids had to amuse themselves and being five years younger than her closest sibling she was often the unwilling entertainment.

Since she was so much younger than her brothers and sisters, it was only reasonable that they knew how to do many things that she could not, such as read and write.  One day, before she started kindergarten, she really wanted to learn how to spell her name.  Her mother was busy cooking or cleaning (she had seven children to care for), so her brothers were instructed to help her. 

After she learned how to spell her first and middle name (Linda Sue), she raced into the kitchen to share this new knowledge with her mother.  She was so proud, standing tall and reciting the letters of her name.  L-E-M-O-N H-E-A-D.

Her mother was not happy with her brothers and stopped what she was doing to teach Linda the correct way to spell her name.  L. S. still receives a box of Lemonhead candy every year for Christmas.

Fighting Monotony

I struggle with the boredom of my days.  Get up.  Drive the same route to the office.  Have the same conversations and problems at work with the same people.  Come home.  Eat the same type of food every week.  Do the same chores.  Same.  Same.  Same.


I don’t want anything too exciting because in my experience that is never good, but I do want different.


I decided to try different foods, but didn’t like many of them.  Then I decided to eat in a room other than the kitchen.  Let me be clear, “Burgers in the Bathroom” night did not go over well with my family.

Winning An Argument

I was arguing with a teenager the other day.
“College isn’t important,” she said.
“If you want to make a decent living it is,” I said.
“Bill Gates dropped out of college,” she said.
“And who does he hire?”