Yes, we knew this was going to happen.

I must say Animal Planet produced an outstanding episode. Truly a tribute to Flower.

They handled it with great sensitivity. It was an upbeat episode about Flowers leadership. And included a rare occurance. The adoption of a pup; Axel.

They handled the actual act very sensitively. We saw Flower enter the burrow. Then there was silence, a still, quiet shots of trees. A bare tree. And we saw very little of Flower disfigured by the snake bite. Her back turned a brief view of her swollen face.

And more quiet.

Then a wonderful tribute. We are not left with the terrible vision of Flower's face and impending death. We are given a loving tribute of Flower in strength. Flower at her finest.

I am so looking forward to the Queen of the Kalahari movie if this episode is any indication of the care taken to present Flower at her finest.

I do hope they provide some closure in the movie. Perhaps including the very brief ending of this episode.

And it would be nice if the very end of the movie included a shot of her grave and the marker the researchers gave her.

The death of Flower effected all of us. But I think we forget that there are researchers that have followed Flower's life from her birth and her ascendency to DF. They've observed and lived with Flower for 7 years. For them this must have been devastating. I'm sure no other meerkat has earned the honor of a small, marked grave.

You are so correct. It truly must have been difficult to all the researchers. I know that they became attached to Flower. It was an unfortunate stroke of fate. No one could have been prepared for what happened. Afterall, she just brought Axel into the Whiskers. Everyone must have been elated to have witnessed that event, and then to suddenly be turned around with the sight of the cobra entering the burrow, it must have shocked everyone.

As I posted earlier on another topic, I would like to thank the researchers for burying Flower. It is fitting for the "Queen". Please place a flower on her gravesite for us, sent with love from Hawaii.

mistykealii

They did, they really did. Sorry, the tears are coming again, but it was a moving and beautiful presentation. How could they do otherwise?

After the way a few other situations got handled this season, I must admit that I was concerned about this episode.

AP did a great job. Kudos in the highest. It was great to see Flower playing with the family, a sight we did not see before. Whenever Axle fell behind it was Flower who picked him up. Her passing was handled well as was the tribute at the end of the episode. The saddest and one of the best episodes of MM ever!

Well said everyone!
I was also almost afraid to watch last night, I didn't want to see Flower suffer. Although they said in the live chat that it was about 48 hours that Flower struggled through the venom, I am glad they only showed a brief few seconds.
It was much more a celebration of Flower's life and leadership.
I agree it was the best episode ever, bravo AP!

I totslly agree with all the previous remarks which praised the fallen Quen Flower.
She really could have given lessons to a lot of human beings on how to be a great leader.

I am not ashamed to say that I cried after seeing her die. She had just done a good deed by adopting little Axle.

We will all miss her.

The researchers and AP staff deserve high commendations, it must have been very difficult to not intervene. A wonderful episode, but all the episodes are wonderful, a true celebration of nature at its finest and unfortunately, sometimes cruelest. I couldn't imagine having to watch the suffering, 48 hours for her to pass? Unbearable, I cried to see her face bitten and swollen for just the moment it was shown.

Just noticed that On Demand lists a "Best of Flower" episode. May be mentioned on another thread but I just happened to open this thread first and haven't read the most current posts on our boards.

I am eager to see the movie, seeing how she rose to power.

They did a nice job editing the show. She showed compassion to Axle, toughness when driving the snake off above ground, then true motherhood in defending her pups. They didn'y focus on her suffering much and did do a moment of silence. The outcome was sad but well handled.

I am so happy that everyone is feeling the same way as I. I thought it was a very loving and beautiful episode fitting for one such loving and beautiful animal (person)!

While I have some issues with all the deaths this season and with knowing that Flower likely suffered for up to 48 hours (I wish I didn't know that and can only imagine what the researchers might have seen), I agree with all of you that Animal Planet handled last night's episode with great sensitivity. The entire episode was a beautiful tribute to Flower. Thank you AP for not allowing us to see her suffer as we did Carlos. I'd like to think that the researchers, if they could have, would have helped ease her suffering when they realized she endured a potentially fatal bite underground. I can't imagine them thinking a 7 year old meerkat could've weathered or recovered from a king cobra's bite to the head as Shakespeare survived his puff adder's snake bite, even if for the sake of research. Considering Flower had just given birth, I would think she was little weaker. Just seeing the glimpse of her swollen face and weakness was all I could take. The editing was superb which had me wondering if the events happened in the same sequence we saw (I highly doubt it, but it made for humor, drama, and intense sadness). To see the whole family together so happy and carefree was a joy compared to all we've seen this season and could potentially see for the remainder. Flower and the meerkats couldn't have been portrayed any better: as cuddly, loving, social(able), playful, loyal, fierce, compassionate, and determined to defend their territory, family, and pups. To anyone not knowing Flower's fate before last night, the ending came out of the blue (although there was foreshadowing obviously) and was a shocker for an episode that was pastoral-like at times and featured Flower at her finest. Also, AP did a nice job not focusing entirely on this miraculous matriarch of the Kalahari this season (to ease the emotional investment perhaps??) and exposing fans to more deaths as some preparation for the harshest death to take so far: Flower's. RIP Flower. You were truly great, and last night AP made sure your greatness was magnified only to have your light die out too soon for those of us who knew you too short a time.

As I said elsewhere, I think this episode was handled very, very well.
Saw it three times last night, the film editing after she entered the hole was perfect. (The scenes of the Kalahari).
Kudos for AP on this one.

Flower Forever

Mlaiuppa, I agree with you 100%. AP did a wonderful job editing this episode. We were given the chance to see all of Flower's magnificent qualities one last time. And the tribute that was given to her at the end was truly heartwarming.

I believe AP has been listening to us. Through our fear, anger, disappointment, joy, humor and love that we post on this forum every day, I believe that they understood how much we love and respected Flower. Thank you, AP, for giving us the opportunity to share in her life, and thank you for respecting our love for her in her death.

Agree! I was so dreading this episode, and it was one of the best of Flower. Showing her great qualities as a leader and mother. I'am going to watch again this afternoon. We get re-runs on mondays. I thank AP as well, and I realy liked the tribute, need to see it again, as I was crying the first time!