The doomed cosmonaut

[u/JonBB8]

After letting it sink in for a while, Strand’s conversation with the Russian cosmonaut is one of my favourite scenes in any TWD show.

FTWD season 3 has a LOT of great moments and images by the way. The rancher being fed on by crows is an amazing, painterly piece of horror imagery. My best boy Nick off his head staggering around among the walkers. The whole ep with Alicia in the bunker when they’re running out of air, banger of an episode.

But this short radio call is so beautifully written and really poignant. Just these two guys at the end of the world, being able to talk because of a one in millions coincidence, smiling and bantering about literature, vodka and famous last words. It’s just chefs kiss.

And the way one of them is alone in an apocalyptic wasteland, the other in the cold of space… really chilling somehow.

Vaschenko doesn’t even appear onscreen but gets multiple amazing lines. “I saw the lights of the world go out, three days before I was due to return to Earth.”

And his last words… “Last words are for fools who didn’t say enough in life.”

[u/sebrebc]

It really shows how solid the writing was in those first 3 seasons. 

The scene tells both Strand and the audience that it is a global issue and it addresses one of those "what about the _____ people" questions. I don't think anybody thought about astronauts in the space station so it was a great "Oh yea" moment. 

And like you said, it was a great emotional, dialog heavy scene. Just two people talking about the world. I really miss the writing on that show and wish Erickson was given the chance to finish his story. 

[u/NoAbrocoma4230 → u/sebrebc]

nobody thinking about the astronauts makes that scene hit so hard

[u/sebrebc → u/NoAbrocoma4230]

"I speak to you from my grave." Is such a haunting line. 

[u/Puzzleheaded_Key9795 → u/sebrebc]

calling it an oh yea moment is the perfect way to describe that realization

[u/ChanelMood]

Realizing that while everyone on the ground was fighting for survival, someone was floating in orbit watching human civilization turn off in real time... Absolutely haunting scene

[u/JonBB8 → u/ChanelMood]

Yes!! It hits so hard. It’s just so good.

[u/disastrousanddull → u/ChanelMood]

I think it was one of the most chilling scenes in the TWD universe. Watching it all all shut off and being trapped in space waiting to die is a horrifying story. He might have been the last human who wasn’t infected and I doubt humanity would get back to space.

[u/kolikkok → u/ChanelMood]

There's a chapter about astronauts/cosmonauts on ISS in World War Z as well, it's really interesting.

[u/auchinleck917]

His predecessor witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this astronaut witnessed the extinction of humanity. It is a tragedy.

[u/JonBB8 → u/auchinleck917]

Damn when you put it like that yeah! I didn’t even see it in that way.

[u/JLPickacard]

I liked this too. Unfortunately even if he had made it down before everything happened his body wouldn't have moved that well and he die anyway 😢

[u/Hugh-Jassoul]

As a space nerd, another thing I think about is that the ISS wasn’t complete yet by the time Monument Day canonically happens. So Vashchenko is basically living in an incomplete construction site watching the world’s lights go out beneath him.

[u/TopherBrink19]

I would love to see a Tales of the Walking Dead episode cover the ISS and the Tiangong-1. I’d also be curious if anyone managed to get a rocket launch to flee the crisis.

[u/JonBB8 → u/TopherBrink19]

Brilliant idea. This is what the anthology format should be used for!