Did we learn anything this episode of The Walking Dead? No … not much.
We don’t know if Carl is going to live. He’s still in dire circumstances at program’s end.
We don’t know if Sophie is even alive. The search party has come up dry once again.
We don’t know the effects of T-Dog’s injury other than he’s not doing well with it.
But here are a couple things we do know, including the fact there is a heap of internal strife going on:
One interesting aside to come out of the episode was at the very beginning. In a flashback, we find Lori and a friend discussing their husbands — Lori is complaining about problems she’s experiencing with Rick. This hearkens back to the conversation Rick and Shane were having in last season’s first episode pre-vehicle chase and eventual shooting of Rick. At the end of the segment — just before Shane drives up to inform Lori Rick has been shot — she tosses out how pragmatic her friend is with regard to their marriage and her relationship with her husband. Wasn’t it interesting how things have come full circle to this point and how pragmatism has taken a lot of control over the survivors’ lives? In the most unlikely of circumstances, it comes down to needing to do what you need to do, sometimes at a moment’s notice with little thought.
And then there’s Shane. While historically twitchy about things, filled with conflict and with the aforementioned strife running through him over Lori, he turns out to be the rock in Rick’s time of need. With Carl passed out from Herchel’s initial attempt at getting the bullet fragments out of his gut, Shane is talking sense into Rick who is completely distraught over the situation with no way to inform Lori what’s happened. It was somewhat refreshing to see this side of Shane, however brief it may be. The “selfless friend” Shane, the “adviser” Shane. He’ll revert to his old ways, though … I’m certain of it.
The rather eyebrow-lifting moment was the revelation laid on The Grimes during Lori’s interrogation of Herchel (Scott Wilson) that he’s a veterinarian, not a medical doctor. Lori’s comment “You’re completely in over your head, aren’t you?” reveals the calm demeanor of Herchel who definitely has a way about him: “Ma’am … aren’t we all?” Best moment of the episode for me.
Other than these little tidbits, it was rather the tedious episode of The Walking Dead, slow and plodding. Is this episode a direct reflection of a change in showrunners from Frank Darabont to Glen Mazzara? In this article, Mazzara states he’s staying the course originally laid out for season 2. So maybe this second airing of the season was just what it was, part of the set-up for things to come. It sure wasn’t a piece of the story that will be remembered for the things we’ve come to love about the show.
Where things got off to a rather strong clip last week, this episode did nothing but lumber along rather painfully. Here’s to next week getting back on track.
Quote:
“We get our ass kicked for a while, then we bounce back. It’s nature correcting herself … restoring some balance.” — Herchel discussing the state of affairs with Rick
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Oct 24, 2011 @ 11:11 EST5EDT
I didn’t feel it was plodding at all. It’s a slow show, it was last season too. I don’t mind. It spends a nice amount of time on character development, as it did this week, which many shows fail to do. I think the pace falls in line with the rest of AMC’s properties.
There were still 2 zombie attacks.
I love serial story telling, though, so I don’t mind if things take a few episodes to resolve. It’s a lot better than having a contrived plot of the week.
Yeah I have to agree with Bob — compared to last season, this is NOT plodding at all. Last season I wasn’t 100% sold on, because it dragged in parts (though the comics tend to drag a bit, too, but it’s unfair at this point to compare the two at all). Now, after these two episodes, I’m back on board.
*POST AUTHOR*
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Guys:
Don’t get me wrong. The three points I noted about Lori and Shane and Herchel were very, very affecting to me and I loved the fact they ingrained further character (in Herchel’s case “initial” character, this being the first time we’ve “met” him) into the players in the game.
I don’t want continual walker conflict throughout every episode. I’m completely against that. Totally against that, matter of fact.
The best character moment of the series for me was that of Morgan trying to put his wife out of her misery and not being able to do so in the series opener. Loved that. Same with Shane this episode. There was just something about him exuding emotion and concern that was uncharacteristic of him … and it was stimulating to see.
But … I stand by my statement: For me, this episode drug itself to the end.
I just loved that Merle’s Bag O’ Drugs was filled with Jesse Pinkman and Mr White’s Good Ol’ Fashioned Blue Sky! :) It’s reassuring to know that Los Pollos Hermanos occupy the same world that The Walking Dead do! I’m just hoping for a drink cup from there to pop up in one of the cars now haha! Or an Undead Gus. I’ll take either.
Well we already did get zombie Gus on Breaking Bad.
I liked this week better than the premier. Maybe it was it was because I watched it on my DVR this time and not live (last week the ads were never-ending). Also I found too many of the scenes last week to just be poorly written. They all took place in that church. This week was slow, but at least there was nothing that was eye roll worthy. After four seasons of Mad Men I can take a slowly developed story and enjoy it as long as the writing is good.
Also helped to watch an episode of Terra Nova I had left over on my DVR before this. Everything seems higher quality after watching that show.
Don’t confuse pace for quality.
*POST AUTHOR*
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Not in the least, Jason.
Again, my three points above: Slow pacing and good character development.
If I confused pace for quality, I wouldn’t be a Twin Peaks fan.
No mention about the assault on the high school? For me, it was the highlight of the show. They need to come up with something like this to “herd” the zeds away from building exit and entry points as needed:
I agree “aren’t we all” was the best line of the show…in fact the season IMO. I also agree that things are taking a bit too long to develop… but I’m still hang’n in there :)