Throughout the entirety of The Walking Dead franchise, we've always been taught to fear human survivors far more than zombies. They are unpredictable, cunning, and manipulative. And sometimes, they'll kill for no reason and they'll use CRM gas like in The Ones Who Live episode 2.
But what is CRM gas and how deadly is it in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Let's talk about it here.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 2, so proceed with caution.
How Did They Use CRM Gas in The Ones Who Live?
You might have wondered about the strange yellow gas used in the trailer of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and what its usage is. But as we learned in the second episode of The Ones Who Live, there is a bigger story to the use of CRM gas in the franchise.
We already know that The Ones Who Live is the reunion story of Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (played by Danai Gurira).
In the trailer, we see Michonne helping the other survivors in her group escape a yellowish cloud of gas that the Civic Republic Military (CRM) helicopters were scattering on the ground.
But did you know that the CRM gas in The Ones Who Live isn't exactly new? The gas was actually explored in a different TWD spinoff project. Its development, however, continues to remain unsolved for now.
Related: What Did the Scientist Tell Rick Grimes? Dr Jenner's Secret Explained
What Happens if You Inhale the Yellow Gas in The Ones Who Live?
In the second episode, Michonne's group is suddenly attacked by a cloud of mustard-colored gas in the air. The CRM helicopters don't seem to care that they are attacking human survivors.
Once hit by the gas, the results are instantaneous. Aiden (played by Breeda Wool) gets the full hit of the gas and gets burnt. After a brief struggle, she succumbs to her injuries and becomes a zombie.
The main purpose of this gas, after all, is to allow the CRM to wipe out an entire community of enemies without having to create a herd. But as seen in The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2, the CRM has not yet perfected the process of the gas before it was put to use.
As a result, the gas delayed a person's reanimation instead of completely preventing it.
RELATED: Where Is Rick Grimes after the Helicopter Ride at the End of TWD?
What Colors are Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas? Can They Kill?
What type of gas does the CRM use? In The Ones Who Live, someone shouts "Chlorine Gas" as Michonne instructs her group to scatter.
The show has followed the real-life description of Chlorine gas, which is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. The gas also remains close to the ground in an area with little air movement before it rises to the air.
Mustard gas, in real life, has a colorless hue if it is pure. But it can also have a pale yellow to dark brown color.
In World War I, an impure form of mustard gas was used, which resulted in its mustard color. It also produces an odor that smells like horseradish or garlic.
Chlorine gas is classified as a pulmonary irritant and is poisonous. Exposure can cause acute damage to both the lower and upper respiratory tract.
High concentrations can be fatal within minutes. Most incidents of exposure come from accidental household or industrial products.
Meanwhile, large doses of sulfur mustard can lead to chronic respiratory disease, permanent blindness, repeated respiratory infections, fatal skin burning, and death.
Exposure to this gas can increase an individual's risk for respiratory and lung cancer.
So what was the chemical used in The Ones Who Live? While it was called Chlorine gas, its effects, especially on Aiden, seem to be similar to Mustard gas.
It's also possible that the specific type of gas used in the show has been upgraded to create lethal results when inhaled. So everyone should steer clear of this gas.
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