Timeline Cold Storage – SPOILER ALERT
Complete summary table at the bottom of the page.
The Mystery of the Grimes Photos
The most important element of Cold Storage for chronology enthusiasts is undoubtedly the box containing the Grimes’ personal belongings. How did Rick’s memories end up in that storage unit if he was in a coma in the hospital?
The explanation lies in the very early days of the outbreak (between August 2nd and 4th). When the epidemic began to hit urban centers, Shane helped Lori and Carl pack to escape to Atlanta. In the chaos of the evacuation, many families packed their non-essential belongings into self-storage facilities on the outskirts of the city, hoping to retrieve them once the crisis was over.
The warehouse Chase visits is the same place where Shane or Lori stored a lifetime of memories, before realizing Atlanta was lost and taking refuge in the quarry in season one.
BJ’s Psychology: The Post-Apocalyptic Dictator Archetype
Although Cold Storage takes place in the early days of the collapse (August 9, 2010), BJ’s character foreshadows themes that the main series would only develop many years later with characters like The Governor and Negan. BJ isn’t a survivor who has lost his mind over time; he’s a mediocre man who saw the apocalypse as an opportunity to exercise absolute power that civil society had previously denied him.
The self-storage facility ceases to be a simple logistics warehouse and becomes his “private fiefdom.” BJ controls vital resources (the generator, food supplies, vehicles) and uses this monopoly to subjugate others, as evidenced by Kelly’s dramatic imprisonment, reduced to a state of slavery. This detail places the web series in a profound sociological reflection: how quickly the human moral compass can be lost when institutions and law enforcement agencies fail.
The Mystery of Box 84: A Chronological Reconstruction of the Grimes Family’s Memories
Chase’s discovery of the boxes containing Carl’s childhood memories, Rick and Lori’s wedding albums, and the deputy’s old service reports is one of the most important Easter eggs in the entire franchise. But how does this detail fit into the complex timeline of King County and Atlanta? Here’s the most likely logistical reconstruction:
- August 1st-3rd, 2010 – Panic in King County: In the very early hours of the outbreak of the Wildfire virus, when Rick is injured in a shooting and falls into a coma, the Atlanta suburbs are thrown into a panic. Shane, taking it upon himself to protect his partner’s family, advises Lori to pack for evacuation to government evacuation centers.
- August 4th, 2010 – Temporary storage before the escape: While loading the car, Lori and Shane realize that space is limited and that they need to prioritize essentials (food, blankets, weapons). Unwilling to destroy or abandon a lifetime of memories to looters, Shane decides to make a stop along the highway to Atlanta, renting a temporary garage at the self-storage complex where BJ worked. This explains why the boxes are hastily but carefully sealed: the goal was to retrieve them once the crisis was over.
- August 5th-9th, 2010 – BJ’s Occupation: A few days later, with the communications finally down, BJ kills or chases out the warehouse owners, barricading himself inside. When Chase (Day 4) opens that specific box, just 48 hours have passed since Shane and Lori left her in the warehouse.
What happened to Chase and Kelly?
The fate of Chase and Kelly remains a mystery. After escaping in the depot van, their story never intersects with that of the main group of survivors in subsequent seasons.
August 9th, 2010
At the outbreak of the apocalypse, Chase takes refuge on the rooftop of a building with his partner Harris.
The two decide to scout the surroundings, but as soon as they step into the courtyard they are overtaken by walkers, and Harris is devoured. Chase finds shelter inside a warehouse where he encounters BJ, a former employee who has taken control of the place.
Inside one of the storage units, Chase discovers boxes containing family photos of Rick. In exchange for helping repair a generator, Chase is promised a van, but BJ proves untrustworthy: he shoots Chase and throws him outside onto a pile of corpses. Only slightly wounded, Chase reenters the warehouse seeking revenge and discovers, in a locked room, Kelly, a woman gagged and tied to a bed, clearly imprisoned by BJ and forced into sexual slavery.
Chase frees Kelly, and together they get rid of BJ by decapitating him. They then escape in a van as the warehouse is overrun by walkers.
P.S.: The dates in the timeline are approximate, but everything happened more or less around those days.
| Days in the Apocalypse | 4 |
| Key Deceased Characters | Harris, BJ |