The Mystery Voice: A Plausible Scenario

[JackSchirmer]

A scenario occurred to me whereby the mysterious voice over Clem's walkie-talkie is entirely benevolent (albeit on the suspicious side). I'll leave interested readers to fill in a few blanks.

Clem's dad was injured. Clem's mom brought the dad to the hospital in Savannah. Mystery Voice was a nurse at the hosptial, and his hobby is shortwave radio (heck, why not). In tending to Clem's dad MV becomes friendly with both parents. The mom in particular confides their dilemna. Her husband is ill and their child is back in Macon, ostensibly under the care of a babysitter, but as the night progresses it becomes clear that all hell is breaking loose throughout the region, so mom gets more than desperate enough to discuss things with a stranger. Clem's mom mentions the walkie-talkie and shows her wt to MV who says, 'aha, that won't reach Macon, but I know how to boost the signal, if that'll help, and how to pick up weak signals at long distances'. As the ZA worsens, the nurse/ham radio operator gets seperated from Clem mere et pere, and out of concern for their little girl attempts to contact her through his shortwave equipment. He's holed up in his apartment and as he begins to talk with Clem learns that she's currently with a middling sized group of armed, angry people who sometimes hit each other.

Now, if you're MV, wouldn't you want to reunite Clem with her parents, but without exposing yourself to this armed group unnecessarily? Wouldn't you rather take a look at them first without revealing yourself? One way to do that is to stay in touch with Clem but without revealing yourself to this Lee character, and that homeless guy she mentioned. The obvious way to do that is to ask Clem to keep your conversations with her a secret for the time being. Also, given that you'd be able to tell Clem some specifics about her parents, you'd be able to prove to her that you knew them. Plus, Clem also thinks that just maybe one of the people in her group shot a kid. It happened out in the woods so she's nor sure. Also, this Lee guy cut Clem's hair. What kind of weirdo gives haircuts during the ZA?

Far better to conceal your identity and location until you get a look at this odd bunch--before revealing yourself and before leading them to Clem's parents whom you like and who may be very vulnerable if they're even still alive--than blindly give out too much information to armed adults you don't know but who sound pretty darned sketchy.

[Clord]

My theory is that while they try to imply for the player that Clem's parents are kidnapped, in reality they are not and his dad or someone else just pretends to be kidnapper for some other end. It could even be trap.

[Are You Sewious]

Their blatantly dead, or at least die as Clementine's in the final picture for episode 5

[Rock114]

That body could be Lee ya know.

[Osc10]

I have doubts that the mystery person is malicious as well; in the preview of Episode 4, he says, "If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now." which implies he's trying to help out.

[DreadMagus]

Based on the messages you find in Clem's house.... it sounds like a walker got the dad in the initial outbreak.

[LokiHavok]

Yeah it is heavily implied that a walker got him.
But IIRC her mom says nothing about a bite per se. Just that he was attacked by a crazy guy.

Take that at face value with no pretext. And it could be a living person who just attacked her dad in the wake of the violence of the outbreak. I'ms ure in those first few hours you'd have looters and other marginal types just waiting to go a little crazy as the country experiences a state of emergency. Perhaps he was carjacked or something.

[Cyreen]

Originally Posted by Osc10

I have doubts that the mystery person is malicious as well; in the preview of Episode 4, he says, "If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now." which implies he's trying to help out.

Yes, and in the trailer for episode 2 Carley gives Lee an energy bar and in the episode 3 trailer they were arguing outside the RV in daylight in a completely different scene.

Don't go by the trailers.

[8Bit_System]

I always thought these walkie talkies were extremly short ranged, I just can't come up with anything logical as of now.

[JackSchirmer]

Originally Posted by LokiHavok

Yeah it is heavily implied that a walker got him.
But IIRC her mom says nothing about a bite per se. Just that he was attacked by a crazy guy.

Take that at face value with no pretext. And it could be a living person who just attacked her dad in the wake of the violence of the outbreak. I'ms ure in those first few hours you'd have looters and other marginal types just waiting to go a little crazy as the country experiences a state of emergency. Perhaps he was carjacked or something.

I agree that the likeliest outcome, given what we know so far, is that he was bitten, either on the first day of the outbreak, or not long after, in the general mayhem, especially since hospitals are one of the worst places to be, and hospitals w morgues in cities would be insane.

Still, it's certainly a non-neglible possibility that he's alive, with ordinary injuries. It does seem odd that no one has thought to call the answering machine at Clem's in case more messages were left. I know landlines especially might be down, but afaik no one's tried it.

[JackSchirmer]

Originally Posted by Osc10

I have doubts that the mystery person is malicious as well; in the preview of Episode 4, he says, "If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now." which implies he's trying to help out.

Yup, and that he knows they're in the street suggests he's observing them from a distance. That's consistent with the idea that he's trying to help, while at the same time staying under cover until he knows it's safe to directly contact Lee and Clem's group.

[Cyreen]

Originally Posted by 8Bit_System

I always thought these walkie talkies were extremly short ranged, I just can't come up with anything logical as of now.

He's probably using a ham radio.

[8Bit_System]

Originally Posted by Cyreen

He's probably using a ham radio.

Hmm, but Clem's setup looks like a rather cheap model. How would she be able to broadcast back?

As far as I could find out, the only way would be if there were repeater stations that could amplify her signal, but those would need power to work.

[Cyreen]

Originally Posted by 8Bit_System

Hmm, but Clem's setup looks like a rather cheap model. How would she be able to broadcast back?

I don't think she has been intentionally transmitting back. I think he's just been listening to her transmissions "talking" to her parents, gathering information about her and the group. It's only now that they're approaching Savannah that her walkie talkie is able to receive his transmissions.

[DreadMagus]

Hmm, that'd make a lot of sense, actually.

[8Bit_System]

Originally Posted by Cyreen

I don't think she has been intentionally transmitting back. I think he's just been listening to her transmissions "talking" to her parents, gathering information about her and the group. It's only now that they're approaching Savannah that her walkie talkie is able to receive his transmissions.

But that is the point! How would CLEM's signal reach the recipient? Her device doesn't have enough power to do that, so he couldn't listen, he could only talk TO her. Am I missing something?

[CQ76]

If the guy was Clem's dad I don't really think he'd tell her to keep it a secret. I would think that he'd want to talk to the person responsible for saving his daughter.

[Cyreen]

Originally Posted by 8Bit_System

But that is the point! How would CLEM's signal reach the recipient? Her device doesn't have enough power to do that, so he couldn't listen, he could only talk TO her. Am I missing something?

His radio would be able to receive/transmit much greater distances than her walkie talkie. Due to short reception, she can't hear him, but his greater range allows him to hear her. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it until Ep. 4 proves me wrong or not.

Worked with Jolene's car.

[8Bit_System]

Ah, ok... I'll jump on your band wagon for now.

[Viden]

Originally Posted by Cyreen

His radio would be able to receive/transmit much greater distances than her walkie talkie. Due to short reception, she can't hear him, but his greater range allows him to hear her. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it until Ep. 4 proves me wrong or not.

Worked with Jolene's car.

Wouldn't it be the other way around, though? Her walkie-talkie can only transmit so far, but a ham radio can send messages much further. But at the same time, to be able to pick anything up, the signal would have to reach far enough. So he'd be able to broadcast, but he wouldn't be able to get anything back. At least, I think.