Just finished up season 1 (so good!) and I have a million questions, but I guess the main one would be: why are all the animals in the lake? Do you think they are running from the returned in general, or were they the taxidermed remains who came back to life and were running from Serge?
shareI figured they were running from the almost-inhuman horde. But most animals should be able to outrun shuffling, toilet water drinking half-zombies, so it's more likely the influence of the returned on the animals' minds, an unintentional side-effect that the living are also beginning to experience (Esteban's parents and just about everyone who comes into contact with Victor).
shareThat makes sense. It just struck me as important when the vet performing the necropsy said the animals died 12 hours ago, but I guess that was more for the benefit of anyone who thought they died a long time ago and were magically preserved in the water. And you're right, they should be able to outrun the dead, but somehow the returners are catching at least a few to have for snacks.
If you've seen season 2, can you tell me how mrs. Costa died? I'm so curious!
That's also very true. There could be a lot more happening behind the scenes, dying animals included, that neither Season 1 nor Season 2 have properly explained yet. They put up some information on the official website of The Returned after the first season, like excerpts from Serge's diary and a newspaper report detailing the first time the dam broke all those years ago, and while it was later removed from the website, Den of Geek included translations on their own website here: http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-returned/26626/does-this-hold-the-answers-to-the-returned%E2%80%99s-mysteries Even though most of that information did not find itself in Season 2, it makes for some fascinating insight into the supernatural happenings behind the show, like the fact that (spoilers from the website) animals had thrown themselves into the lake a little while before the dam burst as well, which the townsfolk considered a warning by the Devil.
About Mrs Costa, she was walking her dog in the winter following the first flood, was forced to chase after him when he ran onto the frozen lake, barking madly, and fell through the ice and drowned.