Monday, November 14, 2011

THE WALKING DEAD

Chupacabra: C’mon, little brother . . .

The episode starts off showing a little more of the backstory and a glimpse into the start of how Rick’s wife ended up with Shane for a bit. Apparently, the military just started bombing the city to kill the walkers.  It’s a miracle that Rick survived that as well.

So, there’s more of let’s find the little girl that I’ve already forgotten about. Everyone’s standing around listening to Rick’s plan.  Something odd, though. Has Shane always had that thick Southern accent? I don’t remember it from previous episodes. It sounds so fake, it’s just off-putting. Maybe the actor was directed to take that approach to show us that Shane himself doesn’t know who he is.  Anyways, Shane and Rick take off to their assigned grid. They have an inane and light conversation about women. It was a nice glimpse into their pre-zombie bromance. Then, a serious conversation, because God forbid there’s a moment in a WD episode that’s not overwrought and eye-roll inducing.  However, it provided a refreshing moment when Shane made a quick reference to their previous future plans (Fort Benning), temporarily relieving us of the aimlessness of this season. And where did Shane’s accent go? And why did it come back? “You best let us handle this”????? Shane. STFU.

Daryl, unlikely second in command and current owner of my heart, gets himself hurt in the first realistic someone-getting-hurt scene. (T-Dog rips open his forearm on a car door AND doesn’t die? Carl gets shot when a bullet goes through a doe/buck and hits him?  And HE doesn’t die? The cliché sprained ankle while being chased by zombies.) The way Daryl was hurt was realistic. The arrow that is in his kidneys, which doesn’t kill him was not. His subsequent journey and near death state, which he miraculously overcomes, are more in line with the ridiculousness of the should be fatal, but aren’t, injuries in this show.  I could be wrong. Damn it, Jim, I’m a lawyer, not a doctor.  But then he pulls out the arrow. I’m 99% sure you’re not supposed to do that.

Merle!!! The last person, even in hallucination form, you’d think would help a brother out. Nasty, but honest, even as a vision. I hoped Daryl wouldn’t take Merle’s words to be the Truth, but we all have someone that can get into our heads.  Even with his injury, I love that Daryl shows us how much he wants to live. He seems to be the only one who has a goal – to survive. Not out of a sense of sentimentality, with hope that things will someday return to normal, and not of out of a need to help the greater good, but out of basic human instinct and the belief that he can, while maintaining the appropriate amount of compassion and team-player mentality. I envy Daryl. He will never need therapy or Prozac. 

Back at the creepy farmhouse, Rick shows some vulnerability and Lori responds with compassion and support. That’s the first drop of warmth that woman’s given to anyone. Such a nice change of pace. It was the first time in this whole series that she didn’t annoy me.

This episode also brought a thankful reprieve from Dale’s sermonizing. If I were Andrea, I would’ve punched him in the face by now. I don’t care if you saved my life old man. This ain’t Rome and you ain’t Marcus Aurelius.

Interesting character development: Hershel’s cult-leader like controlling behavior revealing itself a bit more. 

Due to the above, I would strongly suggest that Glen, shuts his pie-hole. No one likes a guy who kisses and tells. Even in a post-apocalyptic world. Especially in a post-apocalyptic world, where a bad reputation can ruin your position in the tribe.  Especially, when it was your slightly sinister host’s daughter that you, um, “kissed.”

And then, my heart stopped and didn’t start back up for a whole commercial break. Andrea liberates herself from washing clothes and decides to be the lookout. The ARMED lookout, because one lesson from Shane and one day having her gun back qualifies her for one of the most important jobs. (Although, wasn’t she all right with a gun in the first season? She killed her reanimated sister with one. The only reason her gun was taken away was because Dale thought she was suicidal. Whatevs.)

What looks like a walker meanders out of the trees and Andrea points her rifle at it. Rick, Shane, and co. start running toward the walker and scream at Andrea, “NO!” As in, no, we’re four big guys with a heads up and weapons running to a single walker.  We can take care of it without a big boom attracting 100 more.  So, what does liberated Andrea do? She points and shoots, of course. It looks like the walker is hit in the head. Once the group gets closer, they realize it’s my boyfriend, Daryl.  Oh, COME ON!!!! Andrea, you finally assert yourself and gain some power and autonomy and then you do some stupid shit like that. Really??? However, it seems that people can survive anything in the great state of post-apocalyptic Georgia, including being shot in the head. Just a graze.  By a bullet. To the head. That’s all.  

So, Lori and Shane have another tête-à-tête. She reality checks Shane and basically tells him to get gone. I hope it goes better than the last time she rejected him. Nobody likes rape and Shane is now capable of a lot worse. There’s not much left but dismemberment on the sociopathic checklist.

And, man oh man, what a great way to end the episode. Glen goes to the barn for a rendezvous. Alas, his girl can’t be found, but a barn full of zombies welcome him with open arms. It was a bit of a shock, but a stranded group coming upon an idyllic, quiet farmhouse in the middle of nowhere has always ended badly in horror movies. Why should it be any different on television?

This is the first episode I’ve liked since the season premiere, despite thinking my TV boyfriend had died for a whole commercial break.  Can’t wait for the reveal!

1 comment:

  1. Yeah, I was soooo ready to give WD the heave-ho if Daryl didn't make it even if his recovery was miraculous. Speaking of which, how come the zombie that set upon Daryl's shoe was the ONLY zombie we've yet seen who doesn't go right for the character's gushing, bloody wound.

    Agree on the farmhouse. That better payoff in less than 4 more episodes.

    --Mr. Tina

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