The Walking Dead mid season finale

This second season mid-season finale was about realizations for all the characters. From Sophia's mom coming to grips with that her daughter may no longer be found alive. Shane knowing that the walkers in the barn are dead and have no cure and should be eradicated. Glenn feeling that he owes more to the people he has survived with than a girl (Maggie) he has feelings for. Dale even with seething inner jealousy still concious of how dangerous Shane can be and is. There is more but that is the feeling I got with this intense episode.

"The barn is full of walkers".

That bought to a head a group that was just a bit passive, searching for Sophia the missing girl in bursts and taking advantage of some of the calmness in Herschel's farm. Still the group doesn't let their guard down. You see Andrea sharpening a big knife and the guns are all being touched and grabbed by either Andrea, Shane or Dale. And in the end, wasn't it a good thing that Dale didn't hide the munitions?

The biggest debate in this episode is between Rick and Herschel and Rick and Shane. Rick handles both differently. With Herschel he is trying to convince him that they can stay and can help at the farm. He's willing in exchange for safe haven of assisting Herschel and his family of corraling the "sick people" and taking them to the barn. This also helped explain how they got all the other walkers into the barn in the first place. This leads to another realization in the end, this one for Herschel when he witnesses Shane put four bullets into the walker that was his neighbor without killing her. Then when he is on his knees mourning in shock what has happened that you can read different emotions coming off his face.

With Shane, it's more personal. Rick is trying to keep control of the group and of his family and uses his last card on Shane by telling him "Lori is pregnant". He knows what effect that will have on Shane but notice how slickly he didn't show all of his cards and tell him that he knows that Lori and him had something and that baby may be his. This news makes Shane more protective but to a point where he will do whatever it takes to protect the group. And that means facing Dale in a manner that could lead to his death and he risks it but gets what he wanted which are the guns. Leading to the gut wrenching finale.

  Did anyone guess that Sophia would be in the barn? As the saying goes, she was right in their backyard! For dramatic purposes it makes sense that she would be the last one to exit the barn in a heartbreaking scene. But it also makes sense because she was the smallest of all of them and leaving the barn last would make sense also. I found it a great touch that even Shane in his almost maniacal intensity pointed the gun down and did not take the shot at the girl. It allowed in a moment of realization (that word again) Rick had to make a decision to put down a child that was a part of their group and became a walker. And that that may be something that can happen again in the future. There is no sickness that can be cured here. You can almost see it in his face.

  What happens now? We have to wait until February. Agghh!