The difference between looting and banditry is not a matter of semantics, especially not in this circumstance. One is the appropriation of goods that would otherwise go to spoil, the other is the appropriation of goods from the hands and mouths of those who could use it. One strengthens those who use it, the other weakens those it is used against.

As to your other points: you seem to believe that there can safely be more than two sides to this conflict. There can't. The Aliens are strong. They are (as far as we can tell) totally unified and immune or averse to internal strife. Humanity is already weak. If it wishes to have a hope of a prayer of survival, much less victory, it must imitate the Aliens in this one respect.

And you're assuming that looters aren't looting form other individuals, or that bandits loot on occasion. They're both in a shitty situation, and they're both taking resources that could be used by others; there's no good or bad when it comes to survival.

Okay, there was a serious case of "Did Not Do the Research" in the finale.

Basically, it involved the "mech-metal" RPG-7 warhead.

RPG munition is different from tank shells. A mech-metal tank shell would kick ass. However, it does not have any effect on the performance of a dumb-fire anti-tank shaped charge. The damage done by an RPG-7 shell does not come from whatever metal the warhead is made of; rather, the damage comes from the plasma jet that punches the hole through the armor.

There is when the number of survivors matters just as much as the quality.

And I think the theft issue can fall under the heading of "miscomunication". When I say looting, I only mean when the goods taken would otherwise go to waste. If they are owned by someone who intends and/or needs to use them, they will not go to waste. You cannot loot from somebody in my head-dictionary, only steal from somebody or loot from somewhere. Stealing=bad, looting=justified. If this is a misunderstanding of terms on either part, I apologize.

edited 8th Aug '11 10:55:57 AM by OhnoaBear

Pyro, unless I missed something, almost all modern tank shells use anti tank shaped charges known as HEAT rounds. Or they're APFSDS, which they mentioned earlier.

Okay, so I may have gotten the thing about the tank shells wrong, they most certainly did not understand how an RPG-7 functions.

Most likely. Haven't seen the episode, but I've seen tv stuff before. Accuracy is not their forte. Of course, the very idea of how their using the mek metal to penetrate armor is silly. I want to say it's just an example of Depleted Phlebotinum Shells in action.

Personally I like to think they used the mech metal in the cone. It's still Depleted Phlebotinum Shells-esque but if you squint just right it makes sense as they can use it as the bullet part of a round.

Then again, it still shows a distinct lack of Mat Sci research, but meh, tv writers.

I'm also more curious as to how they got an RPG-7 in the continental US. I mean, this episode we saw lots of AK variants, but why did they feel the need to use an RPG considering they had what was pretty clearly an AT-4 in the back ground, which would make a lot more sense.

edited 9th Aug '11 12:54:04 AM by Deboss

An AT-4 is just that- an anti-tank weapon. Odds are it would have an even less chance of taking down aircraft.

Eh, didn't know about the training RPG's. An AT 4 is still a rocket. I'm positive it has more to do with the warhead being visible on the RPG though.

As a season finale, I didn't really get a feeling that it was a very epic ending. It certainly kept the story advancing in interesting directions, but I believe the decision to only show the school battle and not the alien base battle was a poor one.

This feels like it would have been a good penultimate episode, but I like my season finales to pack more of a punch.

edited 11th Aug '11 9:15:24 AM by Meeble

Just added Chicken Walker to the page. Shame on you guys.

I just started watching this, and I love it. Are we getting a second season?

I'm not sure.

Yep, it will return June 17. Here you go: TNT 2012 Summer Premiere Dates

edited 25th Apr '12 8:24:39 AM by hybridelement

I'll be watching...

Anyone still watching it? The Second Season premiere was pretty damn good.

We even acquired a Big Bad now.

Yep, watching. I see a habit of "oh, btw, this happened off screen" though. First Karen, now Uncle Scott and his wife "died while you were gone".

Has anyone else noticed a superficial resemblance between the boss aliens and the heads on Easter Island? Or is it just me?

Hm, from the distance maybe. But the Easter Island heads have no bodies.

I was just referring to their faces. I'm just wondering if they've been here before, especially if it turns out the Skitters were once human.

Been her before: Quite possible. Recon is, after all, standard military practice. I am, however, quite confident that the skitters were never human - they are some other race previously enslaved by the overlords. - Who were probably always six legged, but likely not armored originally.