Left Behind

ok i'll admit it . . . jealous here. totally jealous. 3 days left to dragon*con & Chyna won't be at the party. real-life slams you in the gut when you least expect it. the absolutely WORST part was actually having a room reserved & everything lined up to go -- THEN having to cancel. Not a good feeling, guys. not at all. so here's my salute to Hawk 'n Pixie 'n Darla 'n Jackie 'n Ransom 'n Rio & anybody else from our KTDARPG family who might be getting in on the d*c fun this year. And when 2oo8 rolls around? Chyna'll be there. You can take that to the bank.

Have a blast, guys!

-Chyna

To Your Health

Aside from the Virus, there were only a few times in "The Tribe" that they dealt with any issue of health.

Easy enough to recount them: Trudy's post-partum (Season-1), Ram confined to a wheelchair (Season-3), Lex's absessed tooth (Season-3), Selene's injured hand that got infected (Season-5).

That always puzzled me because after the Virus & all the adults died, the world should've been swept by even more disease & more death. No more running water or sewer systems that worked, rotting corpses, rats to spread disease, bad food, tribe wars ... hell, even the least scratch on your hand or skinned knee could've/should've been fatal.

Strangely enough "health" was something addressed early on in our rpg. As players built characters and decided their backgrounds, it was probably just common sense that led them to build in a knowledge of first aid or herbs or possession of some of the last stashes of drugs & medical supplies.

Today we have a dedicated healer "Krystal" as part of our cast & a highly trained medic in "Eris." (And possibly another healer-type character that we don't know much about yet.) Probably a very good thing, since our game has dealt with everything from horrific battle injuries to chicken pox to pregnancy to a 2nd round of the Virus.

When I think about it I'm not sure which is actually more realistic.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

10 Days

Dragon*Con
10 days to go
377 guests & bands
Thousands of people aimed at Atlanta, U.S.A.

Sounds like at least maybe a handful of
our KTDARPG players will be there.
Who knows?
Maybe another game-gathering?

IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!!!

-Chyna

Trial

Something tonite reminded me of one of my favorite scenes in "The Tribe" Season-3.

That's what the photo is from, Luke's trial after the downfall of The Chosen. No way could they put the Guardian on trial for his own crimes (he was kinda crazy-out there at the time and it was against Amber's principles), so they needed a scapegoat to take all the blame.

Luke was more than willing to play that part. His conscious was too full of guilt--he craved the ultimate penalty for the crimes The Chosen had committed.

In KTDARPG we've done the trial thing. Murder trial ... Saber ... Brena ... but no way could we bring it to the level of intensity of the show. Still it was a great experiment. We might need to try that one again sometime.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

"The Tribe" -- and beyond!

I've talked to a few people who haven't been to Dragon*Con before. The answer to your biggest question is YES. D*C is about way more than just "The Tribe." The con was here before Tribe and will be with us many years from now!

So no matter what your pop-culture fix is, you're bound to find it in Atlanta during Labor Day Weekend. Here's just a sampling of the fandoms & interests represented in the con's programming:

-- Star Trek (in all its incarnations)
-- Star Wars
-- StarGate
-- Comics
-- Anime
-- Battlestar Galactica
-- Professional Wrestling
-- Science Fiction Books
-- Vampires
-- Asian Films
-- Oriental Dance
-- X-Files
-- UFOs
-- The Paranormal
-- SF Movies
-- Buck Rogers
-- FarScape
-- Buffy The Vampire Slayer
-- Lost In Space
-- Goth Bands

... and on and on and on. Like I said, there's bound to be something for everybody!

Will you be there?

-Chyna

22 days & Counting down!

22 days & counting until Dragon*Con 2007! And the Powers That Be have announced the schedule for the "Apocalypse" track that's the next evolution of "The Tribe" track. Oh, and they also added another guest to their list -- LORI PETTY, who you may know as TANK GIRL!

Anyway, here's the schedule in case you're going to be there, or in case you're just interested in how it's all gonna play out:


Friday
1:00 - Welcome to the Apocalypse!
2:30 - Where'd They All Go: Jericho Season 1
4:00 - I Don't Wanna Grow Up: The Tribe
5:30 - Game Over, Man: Apocalyptic Gaming
7:00 - A Generation Lost: Jeremiah
8:30 - DeathRace 2007: Apocalyptic Cinema

Saturday
10:00 - We've Got A Twitcher: Zombie 101
11:30 - Zombie Squad: Are You Prepared?
1:00 - Zombie Squad: Are You Prepared? (Part 2)
2:30 - To the Bat Tank! An Hour with Lori Petty
4:00 - My God Is Smitier Than Your God: The Apocalypse in Theology
5:00 - Making A Monster: Zombie Cinema
7:00 - Don't I Know You From Somewhere: Archetypes In Post-Apocalyptic Media
8:30 - The Signal: Do You Have The Crazy?

Sunday
10:00 - Extinction Chronicles: Apocalyptic Literature
11:30 - Oops!: How To Survive An Apocalyptic Crisis
1:00 - Mad Max: Beyond Georgia Dome
2:30 - Meet Mr. Smith: An Hour with Sean Astin
4:00 - Apocalyptic Family Feud
5:30 - You Dropped A Bomb On Me: Music For The Apocalypse
7:00 - How Far is Too Far: The Ethics/Appropriateness of Apocalyptic Themes in Modern Media
9:00 - Apocalyptic Shorts

Monday
10:00 - What Went Wrong? Tribe Discussion
11:30 - Jericho: Where do we go from here?
1:00 - The End of Days

-Chyna

Keeping the Dream Alive/6

I recently learned about another fan-based attempt to bring back "The Tribe" for a 6th season. This one is a global effort being spearheaded by a lady in Glasgow who's put together a team and a new strategy: focusing on TV networks.

Because "The Tribe" is close to my heart (yeah, I can hear ya -- duh!), I'll let Mands say it in her own words. I've included the link to her MySpace site and to the petition site, in case you want more info.


===============

ABOUT THE TEAM! My name is Mands (Amanda). I am from Glasgow in the UK, and I run the myspace. I have been a fan since the show started here in Scotland and miss it loads. Also there is Tania and Emilie, both from the USA. They are setting up a website for us and going to attact the US networks. We need people from all over to help. If you would be interested, please let me know. We also really need some help from any German fans and fans in Europe that could help with their tv networks. Fleur helps to run our sister myspace (German).

This myspace is to bring about awareness from fans all around the World that we are trying to bring the Tribe back for series 6. There have been many attempts to bring back The Tribe, but this time we plan to attack networks in force from all around the world--and we need you help. Please spread the news of this myspace and soon to come a website. Please check here for all our future plans to come. But for just now we need to recruit as many fans as possible.

Please help: KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE.

www.myspace.com/keepinthedreamalive6

www.petitiononline.com/dream6/petition.html

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Necessity to Fight

One of the constants throughout "The Tribe" ... and throughout our Tribe rpg ... is fighting. Tribes fight outcasts & renegades. Tribes fight tribes. Tribes band together to fight bigger threats.

Why do we fight? For shelter, food, clothes. For the safety of our family, our friends, our tribes. We fight out of loyalty. We fight out of rage.

"The Tribe" season 1 was mostly tribes fighting tribes for resources in the city. Seasons 2 & 3, the tribes fought the Chosen. Season 4 was Ram & the Technos. Season 5 was Mega & his Techno remnants.

KTDARPG season 1 we fought the Brotherhood. Season 2 we fought the Anti-kids. Season 3 we fought the elements & each other. Season 4 was the beginning of the little war lords; we had the return of Lion-F as well as Pyro and Dread. Season 5 added Rah to the warlord hit-list.

Now we're in season 6 so I'm just guessing here...we've got Blasko & his 100. We've got some unseen slavers having an impact on our characters. We had a nasty tribe called the Grimms who tried to whomp the Misfits and got exterminated. And it's still early, so who knows what may happen yet.

Mostly, it seems like our players get antsy when there isn't an enemy to fight. There's training going on, characters learning how to defend themselves ... and it all seems like we're just waiting until the next big go-round.

Maybe it's just that calm life is boring. The knights of the round table needed a quest to keep them from fighting each other. We just haven't found the right "quest" yet.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 The Tribe

"The Tribe" morphs at Dragon*Con

Alas, no Tribal Gathering at Dragon*Con this year. No Tribe stars slated to attend. No Caleb-Ross-watching at the Drum Circle. No Tribe fandom present ... well, not exactly. But there is something.

This from the track descriptions for Dragon*Con 2007:

Apocalypse Rising

"Out of the ashes of the North American Tribal Gathering rises a whole new breed of programming -- Apocalypse Rising: Apocalyptic Themes In Popular Media. Making our debut at Dragon*Con 2007, we offer a contemporary look at the end of days and all that will follow. And as we all know you can't have a good apocalypse with out such fandoms as "Jeremiah," "Jericho," "The Tribe," zombies and more! Programming will look at apocalyptic themes in movies, television, books and music and even prophecy, theology and mythology."

So far the guests for this trck include Sean Astin who was in "Jeremiah" (more prominently in "Lord of the Rings") & Scott Allie from Dark Horse Comics.

Here's an example from the programs being offered:

Oops! How To Survive An Apocalyptic Crisis -- If the world as you know it came to an end tomorrow, would you know how to survive? Sure, there are lots of resources built up by man, but they won't last forever. Come learn what to do before, during and after a crisis to prepare yourself and survive.

-----------------
As they say in Atlanta, everyone comes
to Dragon*Con. Will you be there?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

The Loneliness

I know, I know...what drew kids like a magnet to "The Tribe" was the premise: adults are wiped out. Kids rule the world. Who hasn't thought -- we could do it better. we wouldn't screw it up the way they did. who needs them?

Reality-wise, that premise has more to do with being alone. And to me, that's a lot scarier. It's probably why Season-1 remains my favorite of them all.

On the show, you didn't just wake up one morning & find a world full of kids. No, each child no matter the age had to deal with their parents getting sick, dying one by one. They had to watch media coverage that told them the same thing was happening everywhere else, and that the adults couldn't seem to stop it. If your brothers and sisters were over 21, they were affected too. Some died in the hospital but others died at home, and the kids were left to deal.

I imagine in those last few weeks it was more chaos than any tv show could've portrayed. It was a slow process, a slow breakdown, a slow realization that this is it. There's no going back.

It was only mentioned once that I can remember, by Bray. He talked about when The Loneliness came.

The Loneliness.

That's how they described the in-between time, after the deaths & before you actually began to deal with it and move forward. The time when you KNEW that you'd lost everything. The whole world as you knew it had turned upside down. A feeling of being alone that was so profound you were paralyzed from it.

Ok, yeah, not everybody felt that way. Zoot and others like him just shot straight ahead. No thinking, just doing. Realizing I'm mixing my metaphors here...As Faith the Slayer was so fond of saying, "See, Want, Take." The world was open, and Zoot took. The ultimate teenage fantasy--everything I want is mine for the taking. If you're strong enough, who's gonna tell you no?

Go back and watch Season-1 sometime. It's truly the scariest of them all. A pregnant Trudy about to give birth in a world without doctors or just people knowing what they're doing? Lex faced with the reality of really, really having to slaughter an animal for food and finding that he just couldn't do it? Salene at the mercy of strangers & realizing there's no police to call, no parents protecting her, no one to rely on but herself? There are lots of moments like that.

It's fun to play "what-if." It's compelling when it's a tv show. But the reality?

-Chyna

Bedroom Eyes

From the beginning ... Early Season 1 and Lex is all put out because Zandra ... well, because she won't put out. Enter Taisan, our new-age girl who knows what to do to re-align Lex's chakras. And so, ladies & gents, we have our first "Tribe" bedroom scene that Taisan described quite accurately as for the good of the tribe.

"The Tribe" was never ever shy about the carnal aspects of teenagers in a world without adults telling them what to do 'n what NOT to do. Society was down the tubes. The kids were in charge and, quite frankly, hormones are a very important aspect of the teen years.

If I remember right, every major character had a bedroom scene. The photos here are just a sample of the MANY available throughout 5 adventurous & wicked creative seasons.

I remind some of my fellow KTDARPG players about this constantly--usually teasing when somebody is shying away from game relationship-building.

I have to admit though, it's not easy. Writing love scenes in a game? And trying to keep "discretion" in mind because we have kids of all ages who read out game? Yeah, not easy at all. Plus the fact that some guy-players are just not comfortable writing that way. The ones that are, they've found some surprising ways to deal with amorous scenes and be suggestive without taking it too far. Those scenes have been fun to read and added HUGELY to character development and motivation in the storylines. Then, too, we have a lot of scenes that finally "fade to black," and you're left to your imagination. Which is not bad, not bad at all.

As a game, KTDARPG has tried to deal with all aspects of real life. Some are easier than others. Competing for food and living space. Protecting your tribe. Having a good time in a less-than-perfect world. Living, fighting, carousing, dying and dealing with what comes after. Finding somebody to love and actually expressing that love are just more aspects of the world we play in.

C'mon, guys! Life--and love--are not spectator sports!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Love 'n Marriage

Five seasons of "The Tribe" and (if I count this right) 4 marriages.

Into our 6th season of KTDARPG & we've had 1 marriage. But since that one was actually a sham considering it was Lion-F & Brena, under duress, and she killed him within about 20 seconds of the I-do's...let's make that 5-plus seasons & no weddings for the game.

Methinks I know what happened with the series & maybe why the same hasn't happened in our game.

The "Tribe" characters seemed almost desperate at times for some of the normal conventions they were familiar with before all the adults died. They tried creating money, having dance parties, starting a school, having city elections, marriage...none of them seemed to turn out quite right.

Marriage certainly didn't. By the end of season-5 not one marriage was left standing.

> Lex & Zandra - Zandra died on Eagle Mountain.
> Lex & Taisan - Taisan disappeared with the Technos.
> Salene & Ryan - The Guardian made Ryan disappear.
> Ram & Ebony - Ebony got herself a divorce.

But love never did run smooth for our Tribe avatars, with or without marriage. Trudy kept lovin' 'em & losin' 'em. Bray disappeared on Amber. Ved disappeared on Cloe. Pride died on May & Salene. Java died on Ram. And on it went!

Our game isn't too much better. The one wedding we had was a forced affair & the groom didn't survive. Jade was supposed to marry Tom-F, who would up dead. Krystal was engaged to Jason who suddenly went walkabout to parts unknown.

Wait! We did have one "mating" that would've done Pride proud! The lucky couple who went away & did their vows privately seem to be doing very well--Creed & Hawk. They've even picked up a baby boy along the way. Guess we'll have to wait 'n see on this one. But it really seems like, for most of our characters (and their players!) the convention of marriage is just an Old World relic and not really that relevant in this brave New World.

I'm not gonna list the affairs gone wrong or the couples that are now "surviving singles." As for couples & maybe-couples currently active--Arianna & Scarecrow, Zero & Jade, Nightshade & Craven, Villa & Marionette, Vincent & Valentine, Maggie & Johnny, Eris & Ace (i hope i haven't forgot anybody!)--only time will tell.

Personally I'm thinking marriage is an out-dated & over-rated convention. It satisfies the church and the government but little else.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.............

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

R & R

A world without adults was a pretty intense place to live. Competition for every scrap of food or piece of clothing or drink of water. Even competition to breathe if you happened to cross Zoot or some other Big Bad

And, gee, whaddaya know? Can't just duck out and take a weekend off at Six Flags or Club Med or Disneyland. You got what you got -- intense, real, messy.

So what did characters do for a break when the going got a bit too rough?

Ah, they went walkabout.

Bray did it a lot but only short-term. Usually he was just exercising his "loner" tendencies (well, except for that one time he schitzed out about Amber being kidnapped & went on a drinking binge). Trudy had her own little walk-out when the baby got too much to deal with. (Luckily Dal went with her; her luck held when she barely escaped being taken by slavers.) Jack took the long walk after he found out his love actually loved another.

But hey, they all came back. No harm, no foul.

Still that's one thing we haven't emulated so much in KTDARPG. Sure players/characters come 'n go. Players go on vacation or take extended leaves and put their characters some place safe until they get back.

But generally in the game we find ways to deal and have a bit of fun along the way. Examples? Skateboard competitions. Soccer matches. "Solstice Day" with its parades & free food & music & fireworks. Even just slumber parties or dinner parties or an occasional Girls' Night Out.

All work 'n no play holds in our game-world just as it does in the real world. Hey, if it ain't fun? Then why are we here?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

More on Friends

If anything at all struck me deep & stayed with me about "The Tribe," it was the quality of the friendships we saw played out on the screen each week. Who do you trust in a world that's turned upside-down? When families are pretty much ripped apart & everyone's in competition for the last of everything, how do you make yourself vulnerable enough to find the people who can help you survive?

And yet it happened. We saw the Mall Rats formed from a bunch of people who honestly had little reason to trust each other...but it worked. The Mall Rats stayed a strong tribe through 5 difficult seasons.

Then there were the personal friendships, some of them improbable at best. Each one was precious & solid, sometimes right up to the worst ending possible. Amber and Dal...Jack and Dal...Salene and Amber...Salene and May...Patsy and Cloe...Amber and Pride...Jack and Ellie...there were more but you get the idea.

I've watched the same kinds of friendships develop in KTDARPG. Each one of them was built up in the game, not just made to magically appear. Chyna and Hawk, that was a friendship so strong that even in death you could feel it. The 13 is a solid group built on some very strong friendships that have survived blood & madness. Arianna and Valentine...Prince and Chyna...Arianna and Lily...Krystal and Hawk...so many more. And in our game we have two tribes that were built on friendships & survival. The Misfits started our game 3 years ago and that tribe is still solid. The River Rats formed from the remnants of two warring tribes to find a better way to build the future.

Friendships matter. That's a lesson that still has value.

To the friends I've made, especially in the game, you have more value than you know. Thanks.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Summer '07 KTDARPG "Tribe Awards"!

Once again, the KTDARPG Council of Tribes presents their TRIBE AWARDS for stand-out scenes, character moments & accomplishments from the "Keep The Dream Alive" role-playing game. Our players have done a fantastic job in a game that keeps getting more complex, dramatic and riveting every month! And the winners are...

"Amulet" Award -- the editor & staff of "Fort River After Dark"
"Good of the Tribe" Award -- the Fort River Heroes
"Tribe Style" Award -- the Grimms
Amber Award -- Hawk
Brady Award -- Saphire
Bray & Amber Award -- Arianna & Scarecrow
Bray Award -- Sid
Dal "Little Trees" Award -- Shikra
Ebony Award -- Villa
Jack & Ellie Award -- Krystal & Jason
KC & Cloe Award -- Tresvant & Sable
Lex & Taisan Award -- Zero & Jade
Lex Award -- Prince
Locos Award -- Sid
May Award -- Eris
Mouse Award -- Krista & Reina
Mozzies Award -- Cricket & Villa
Pride Award -- Oliver
Ram Award -- Ace
Ruby & Slade Award -- Valentine & Vincent
Ryan Award -- Johnny Ohm
Slade Award -- Blasko
Teenage-Cloe Award -- Lily
Top Hat Award -- Jackie
Trudy Award -- Lady Arianna
Zoot & Ebony Award -- Villa & Marionette
Zoot Award -- Fanatic

Congratulations to all the winners!

-Chyna

Kids

It's something we forget about now 'n then, or lose track of ... that all our characters are essentially children. As young as 8 and 9, as old as 16 or 18. Kids rule our game-world, taking on the responsibilities of adults whether they're ready for it or not.

Finding food & clothes.

Finding shelter.

Making rules.

Fighting wars.

Watching their family 'n friends die.

In Old World, the rules were different. Kids had to wait until 16 to drive, 18 to vote, 21 to drink. Nobody really asked why; it's the way things were and there were always adults around to enforce their Rules.

New World, and kids ARE the adults now. There is no one else.

Law of the jungle? Strongest survive? Maybe, but we can hope not. Maybe that's why some of us keep playing the game, testing theories and trying new things. Inside the game your force of arms can get you a long way, but is that all you need to survive?

Our players are all ages, under and over 21. So I guess it is kinda easy to start transferring your own age and sense of self onto the characters you create. We try to keep that to a minimum but it's hard to truly predict what a 15-year-old would do under circumstances that would make a 30-year-old quake with fear. So who's to say?

That's just one of the things that make KTDARPG challenging. Ask our players. Better yet ... ask our characters. When it comes right down to it, it's THEIR perspective that actually counts, after all.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Theme Song

When you watched "The Tribe," you always expected it--music cues that told you who or what was coming next. Everyone & every place had theme music. If you were in the mall, if Bray & Amber were on screen, Ebony up to her usual tricks ... yep, music was key. Which is probably why I find music flitting through my mind as our game moves on. Ok, laugh if you want but it's not hard to do. Here's a song from the original Tribe cd that always seems to run through my head whenever Zero & Jade are in a thread. Sue me ... I like it!


"Everywhere You Go"

Is it me or my imagination?
I feel uneasy with this crazy situation
and nobody knows where it's leading to next.
All we can do is hope for the best.

These kinda things only happen in the movies.
It's all fools' gold, all your diamonds and your rubies.
There's no more books so let's write a new story
of passion and joy and looking for glory.

Everywhere that you go, I'm coming too.
Anywhere that you lead, I'll follow you.
Gotta feeling that we're gonna be alright.
I know that it will.

Anything that you want, I'll see it through.
Any place that you've seen, I'll be there too.
Gotta feeling that we're gonna be alright.

We've been full circle. We've gone round and round.
The twists and turns, all the ups and downs.
We can get what we want if we just understand.
Everything we do is in our own hands.

Gotta get ahead and find a new solution.
Work together, yeah, that's our resolution.
Gotta be one voice thats on the attack.
We gotta go forward. Never look back.

Everywhere that you go, I'm coming too.
Anywhere that you lead, I'll follow you.
Gotta feeling that we're gonna be alright.

-Chyna

Lyrics copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

The Dream Must Stay Alive

Music was always a huge part of "The Tribe" -- whether background music or party music or the original cd's that were released as part of the show's marketing. No, not a marketing ploy. At least I didn't think so. This one especially was a theme for several seasons. It's called "The Dream Must Stay Alive." When I read the lyrics now, I can't help but think of some of our characters in-game. See if it does the same for you:

Look into the future, what do you see?
I really need to know now,
is there a place for me?
Tell me where do we go from here?

Take me as you find me, for what I am.
When I make mistakes, please understand.
And as long as I know you're near,
there is nothing for me to fear.

Out of the darkness a light shines
Burning through the coldest night.
And we can find our way.
Together we'll make it.
With every step we take
Moving closer together.
If we're gonna survive
the dream must stay alive.

Baby will you hold me when I'm afraid?
See me through the danger
to the break of day?
If there's love there's a chance for me.
Just believe in yoursef, you'll see.

Out of the darkness a light shines,
Burning through the coldest night.
And we can find our way.
Together we'll make it.
With every step we take
Moving closer together.
If we're gonna survive
the dream must stay alive.

-Chyna

Photos & lyrics copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Raw, Part 2

Fair is fair. Following what I said last time regarding Tribe Season 1, I will have to confess that season 2 had its moments.

It was the one & only time we saw something as intimate as Danni washing her hair ... just as Lex stopped by to proposition her.

Speaking of Lex, season 2 was powerful for him. Lex on booze and outa control, that was pretty dramatic stuff. Especially when he came on to Salene, got beat up by Ryan & got tossed outa the mall.

The barn fell on Alice.

Ebony was snatched by an old enemy, locked up & left to die.

And that was all before the Guardian showed up.

Yeah, good times in season 2.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Raw

I know I keep harping back on Tribe Season-1 but I can't help it. That season was so fresh, so new, so raw in its energy & its view of life. It was compelling.

You could feel the energy. Every nerve was on fire.

Amber & Dal skating through a ruined city desperate for their lives, chased by of all things a police car with its siren wailing. In this world, "police car" equaled the ultimate evil.

Life was intimate and no one was immune. When Trudy finally gave birth to her baby in the mall, everyone's life changed.

Death was personal. Zoot took a header over the railing in the mall but that was just the beginning. You can't just dump him in the alley. The Demon Dogz are camped out in the city cemetery. The alternative? A viking's funeral.

Food was complicated. Tough-guy Lex couldn't bring himself to kill Cloe's calf even though it would mean food for everybody. But in another scene no one seemed to have any problem slaughtering a baby pig for a feast in the mall. Need drives us, and it's amazing what we can adapt to.

Relationships were chaos. People switched partners so fast it was hard to keep up! Bray + Salene + Amber. Amber + Sasha + Bray. Salene + Bray + Ryan. Lex + Zandra + anybody who'd have him.

The little things counted a lot. Like the fact Lex couldn't read. Jack really did know science-stuff enough to get them a supply of water. If you didn't keep the mall clean, the rats would take over. The old world still had a hold on the kids, especially Salene who struggled with bulimia.

Tribe Season-1 was raw and compelling. No following season could quite match the vividness you could feel in easy season-1 episode.

KTDARPG? Ah ... we're almost there.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"