This season two, episode ten of the series focused on two plots. The first followed Rick, Shane driving over 18 miles to find a place to release Randall, the young man that was taken to the farm with an injured leg. The second plot was a female philosophical discussion caused by Beth's wish to die by suicide. What both plots have in common is how Rick and Shane argue over Randall and if they should release him somewhere where he has a "chance" or just kill him. While the other has to do with the ladies (Lori, Maggie, Andrea) all arguing with each other over Beth's wish to die. Beth wants to die, as she finds no future prospects in a world overrun by walkers. Randall's life is in the hands of Rick and Shane, as he has no say in what they do with him.
During the entire episode Rick and Shane are practically frenemies. Rick bluntly points out that he will do whatever it takes to keep his family safe. In a very good monologue that covered his feelings and then Shane quietly explained why everything happened after Rick was layed out in the hospital in the beginning of the world seemingly dominated by flesh eating dead humans. One very good thing that writers Scott M. Gimple and Glen Mazzara do here is allow Shane to be humanized and explain himself without seeming like the bad guy. The only big difference of opinion between them is whether Randall should be killed or just released. Once again, it's written in a way that makes you believe it's a tough decision for a man with a conscience. Andrew Lincoln also does some of his best acting here as he wrestles with the decision he has to make. Jon Bernthal also can make a scene where he is just thinking seem interesting. How good are his facial expressions?
This episode was directed by Ernest Dickerson who has vast experience directing for television series'. It showed in a few nice visual touches. Shane's reflection on a broken window pane as he staggers after almost killing Rick in the heat of the moment during their big fight. He staggers while bloodied and makes him seem like a walker himself. Then the hand appears behind that window pane. Once again, another scene from the point of view of someone on the ground. Randall looking up at Rick and Shane as once again he goes into their car trunk. Lots of camera angles from below cars, from Rick while being attacked by three walkers on top of him. The only issue I could find was that if Shane could get out of the school bus through the back, he should have done that earlier and I feel he would have outrun them. There were no walkers in the back when Rick and Dead-Man-Limping-Randall returned to rescue him. Perhaps Dickerson should have had a walker or two in the back and then Rick killing those off so Shane could get out the back?
A lot of action in the episode but the highlight for me was Andrea laying the verbal smackdown on Lori at the farm. Lori being accusatory about Andrea not holding her own weight according to her. Then Andrea goes off a nice monologue that delivered a needed tongue lashing at Lori. Also made Andrea's likability go off the charts here. I felt she was right in how the suicidal Beth needed to make a choice and if she wanted to kill herself, eventually she would find a way. These are issues that would naturally come up in a real world situation IF zombies were walking around in constant bloodlust.
Another common theme was blood drawn on themselves. Rick, Shane and Beth all drew blood on themselves for survival and in Beth's case intended suicide.
Rick, Shane and Randall drove to a place called Mert County. The only Mert County I could find was in Ohio and the first thing to show up on Google is this. Coincidental that the next place the characters in the comic book series travel to and seek shelter in is a prison?
Wasn't it interesting that Randall once he got loose, he knew exactly how to incapacitate a walker by breaking her arm and then stab in the head? He has had some training with the other guys he was with? One problem once again is how quickly someone healed. In this case it's Randall. He had a horrific leg injury and at one point doesn't limp so much as jog away with Rick.
I liked how they showed the lone walker crossing a field slowly while Shane looks at him. On the way back to the farm, the walker was closer. Is this foreboding? How they slowly may explore and make their way across fields and finally the farm?
Half the cast was missing and this is half due to the episodes' needs and half due to the budget cuts. It worked out well.
The song played at the end of the show was Civilian by Wye Oak.
Thoughts?
I had to watch this episode again on AMC’s page of DISH online, because I was a good episode. Well other then the whole suicide story line, seems kind of stupid to have a storyline like that to me in a show about the zombie apocalypse, but if it worked for everyone else I am cool with that. Shane and Rick finally getting down to brass tacks was nice, it was good to see Shane as a human and to be put back in his place by the Alpha dog. The lone walker to me symbolized Shane being alone and knowing that is he didn’t come back to I guess their “reality” he would wind up like that. I still think he is only out for himself in the end, but I have been wrong so far, the timeline is kind of odd, they did it last week too when Rick killed the guys in the bar, it was day, then when they next show started same scene and it was dark. Maybe we aren’t supposed to have an idea of how much time is going past, other then Lori isn’t looking pregnant. The second half has picked up a lot, I am glad they finally moved past looking for Sophia. I had to tell the Walking Dead head that I work with at DISH to stop spoiling the rest of the season for me… although now I want to know about this prison.
ReplyDeleteJohn, thanks for the comments. I liked what you thought the lone walker symbolized. I didn't have a problem with the suicide storyline because in a world filled with walkers and no communications from anyone else in the outside world, it seems that that would be a natural thought process. You need to have a lot of motivation to keep on fighting. And I can easily see despair taking the life out of a few people after a while.
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