A Truck Full of Zombies - The Walking Dead Episodes 9 & 10

This means war. I bet.

So let's sum up the last two Walking Dead episodes (The Suicide King and Home) this way: 1 hour and 45 minutes of DUMB and 15 minutes of such sheer BRILLIANCE that it makes up for previous stated DUMB.

Cray-cray

After lulling us into a state of aggravation and boredom with the dumb (seriously, I was getting Season-2-in-the-abandoned-church-in-the-middle-of-the-woods-looking-for-Sophia aggravated. Wait, that might not be fair... I don't think I was ever as aggravated as watching The Suicide King.), that single shot out of nowhere hitting Axel as he's talking to Carol was fantastic! We all knew The Governor was coming, although it seems like Hershel was a little slow on that concept, but I just love the suddenness of that scene. No forewarning, no long shots of The Governor driving towards the prison, just blam - Axel down! (Here is where we should talk about "why weren't they better prepared for an attack? why did they think they had so much time? why was no one on lookout?" etc. but that's all part of the dumb and I will save all that for my List of Gripes below.) And then it was blam blam blam - Hershel is in the grass! Rick is outside the gate! The Governor was gleefully just raining bullets onto them! And THEN THEY DROVE A TRUCK FULL OF ZOMBIES INTO THE PRISON! Two-fold terrifying awesomeness here because there's truckload of zombies in the prison but also the gate is now demolished. These last 15 minutes of Home hopefully will set the tone for the rest of the season and the pace will stay steadily manic, just how we like it.

Before we get to my List of Gripes (also known as The Dumb), let me assure you that I understand the context of where we are/were in the show as of last week: Even though we (viewers) got a big break, time hasn't moved on for our survivors. The baby is only a week old we're told! So, yes, I get it: in the context of the show, Lori JUST died, Glenn and Maggie were JUST saved and Rick probably hasn't slept in 100 years. But why come back to us with a sluggish, seemingly contrived character set-up for many of our friends (I'm looking at you Andrea!)? Hindsight is 20-20 I guess and you could argue that the entire The Suicide King episode was solely to set up the last 15 minutes of Home, but I must point out the following Gripes:

Andrea

Hear my words of inspiration! Even though
I have no idea what's happening! 

I mean, seriously... what the actual HELL is going on here? Are we to believe that she is so blinded by finding comfort in a walled community and in the arms of some dude that she will turn a blind eye (no pun intended) to the depravity that surrounds her at every turn? Let's take stock for a minute...  what does she know? By my calculations she has seen The Governor's zombie heads, seen the little zombie girl he locked up, she has Michonne telling her he's awful (and she SHOULD trust her more than anyone), she has witnessed more than one pit fight, including one that set Daryl against Merle...with zombies! She now knows that Maggie and Glenn and Daryl were all there and The Governor didn't tell her. So this all rolls up to "get me the hell out of here!" right? Somehow, no. Somehow this results in her immediately telling The Governor not to push her away and then becoming the worst soliloquy deliverer de facto spokesperson for the Woodbury community. Barf. I suppose it's telling that she didn't put a bullet in that guy's head before The Governor did. Old Andrea wouldn't have hesitated for a second. I know the show wants us to see that she's getting too comfy, and I could buy that if she was more sheltered from the shit she has seen, but given what we know, I have to interpret this as D-U-M-B. Andrea better wake up superfast, or is our kick-ass Andrea becoming the new *gasp* Lori?

Michonne

The  Glenn-Michonne plan was not to be

I am so frustrated by how the show is portraying Michonne. Yes, yes... she is soooo independent. She keeps to herself. She doesn't trust anyone. Okay already. Can she at least say three words? Like "I know Andrea" would have been helpful before Merle said it. And as I said before, I get that Michonne is still 'new' to the team in the context of the show, but haven't we spent enough time with her character that she can, you know, open up a little bit? Especially with Rick. I understand that Rick is "walking Crazytown" (Glenn's words), but he should be able to see by now that Michonne knows what's up. She brought baby formula! It's hair-pullingly frustrating to watch her not speak. And ridiculous at this point.  Get on with it! I have to say, however, that I was encouraged to see in Home that she talked about what she knew about The Governor (heads as trophies, etc.) and I was getting psyched for the Glenn-Michonne attack plan, but alas, The Governor beat them to it.

Rick's Psychotic Episode

Wait, I have to look at this now? BAH!

I just don't even know what to say about this one. I guess in hindsight maybe the show felt they needed this to get Rick outside the gates when The Governor attacks? But damn this is so contrived and for me, totally unnecessary (I mean he could have been outside the gates for some other reason). And as far as trying to show us just how damaged Rick is, yes, yes, Rick's mind is exploding. He has a new baby and a dead wife. Psychotic break and all that. We got that from the telephone. But actually showing us Ghost Lori in a white dress flitting about the forest? BAH! I say BAH! I mean chuck-something-at-the-TV BAH!

** End List of Gripes **

I haven't even talked about Daryl and Merle yet! The fact that Daryl chose to go with Merle broke my heart. Yeah I got it, he had guilt about leaving him on the roof and big brother stuff, but ugh... how horrible. So to see Daryl wake up to himself in the woods and give that nasty Merle what-for, that was solid character development there. Aside: clever visual clue that Daryl was starting to trust himself more when Merle is telling him that the river is not whatever river Daryl said it was, and then we see the sign that it is. So what are they going to do with Merle now, now that he's essentially helping to save Rick from zombies? My guess is lock him up in a cell, if they even let him in at all. I still think this is all part of The Governor's plan to get Merle into the prison and then Merle takes them out from inside.

Other Stuff: 
- I'm not sure how to feel about Glenn and Maggie. I am thoroughly enjoying raged-out Glenn and he has every single right to be. I don't get the Maggie part of making what happened with The Governor somehow come between them. But this all seems to be resolving itself anyway.
- I wonder if Tyrese and his clan hear the commotion and come back to help out?
- Poor Carol! This chick has endured some shit, amirite? Abusive husband, dead zombie daughter, Daryl chooses Merle over her (essentially), and the dude who's kind of into her drops dead right next to her (although she uses his body as a shield so that's good). I wonder how she'll respond to Daryl coming back? In her speech to Beth (aka the only one who takes care of that baby!), she says she feels like she's a different person, but if Ed came through the door, she'd like to think she'd kick him out but she's not sure. Is this foreshadowing that she is going to distance herself from Daryl? Or is this clever symmetry that Carol is musing over her abusive relationship at the same time Daryl is essentially coming to his own realization that the abuse he endured will not define him any longer? I hope for the latter and that these two will be BFFs again.
- Was anyone else hoping that Hershel had some sleepy drug up his sleeve that he would just inject Rick with to make him sleep. Don't they know that a nice nap makes everything better? No naps for these peeps for a long time now.

What do you think of Rick's psychotic break? Is Ghost Lori just too damn much? What will they do with Merle? Will Andrea wake up and start kicking ass or what? Does anyone even know/give a crap what Carl is doing anymore? Break it down for me in the comments!

The Walking Dead - Judge, Jury, Executioner, Father

...OR "We Only Kill Some Live People, and Sometimes Only When We Vote On It" ...OR "How to Raise a Sociopath in the Zombie Apocalypse." There's many a blog title that comes to mind. I could hardly watch the opening torture scene where Daryl went all Sayid on Randall, and right afterwards I said "That might have been the most difficult scene to watch on this show yet." Foreshadowing! Because now I would argue that the scene with Carl in the woods and Dale getting ripped open like a pinata were equally as difficult. A few months ago I read that the team at TWD said the rest of Season 2 was going to be much darker and more violent. Darn tootin'.

Here's the riveting dialogue between myself and guest blogger KC:

KC: Well, that episode literally ended with a bang... and it took me completely by surprise, so good for you, "The Walking Dead" creators.  Poor Dale.  I went from liking him in Season 1 to finding him insufferable during the first half of Season 2.  But I found his efforts to convince the group that they're giving up on their humanity by killing the kid in cold blood to be pretty compelling.  The confrontation scene was fantastic, and I was glad Andrea backed him even though it was to no avail.  Talk about survival of the fittest - I should have known that bit was foreshadowing. 

LCT: I was so surprised! Especially since there had been an accidental spoiler by AMC on their website last week that did not have to do with this at all. And I was totally bummed out. Like him or not, Dale is the voice of conscience here and a strong character. This will shake things up for real. Will Andrea now become the voice of what's right and wrong? I doubt it, but it seemed like they were somewhat setting up for that with her ultimately siding with Dale during the debate. Side note on debate: Watching Dale go around trying to muster up votes was like watching the weak link on Survivor try to gain votes to make it through tribal council. Maybe Shane's right and the new apocalyptic motto should be Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. Only here when you get kicked off you don't go to a hotel and eat a buffet. You are the buffet. 

I am hearing on the interwebs that a lot of peeps are disappointed with the manner of Dale's exit on the show vs. what happens in the GNs. I would have to say that at this point, the stories are so different it's hard for me to compare. I do think Dale's death will set quite a few things in motion here on the show, not the least of which is how will Carl deal with his complex emotions regarding the fact that he could have offed that walker in the woods. That and his seemingly growing indifference to violence. And at the very least, we won't have to watch Dale and Andrea getting it on in a prison. 

What was Dale doing walking away from the farm at night anyway? Was he taking a walk to get away from the killing of Randall? Was he walking the perimeter for security? Was he fixin' to leave this broken group?

KC: Dale and Andrea getting in on in prison?  I'm not sorry we missed that.  I was never sure if Dale's interest in Andrea was romantic or paternal on the show although it was leaning towards romantic when Dale started to become jealous of Shane.  LCT, do you think killing Dale was a long term plan?  I'm thinking they came up with this on the fly but it's just a guess.

LCT: First, the story lines are so different from the GNs, so the reason for Dale to be around as a character is different. I'm thinking that through this season it was becoming clear that things were going to come to a head with this whole "how do we function in the apocalypse" thing. My guess is it became evident that Dale would become a broken record if he stuck around... in fact, he was kind of getting that way in the first half of Season 2. So give him his big hurrah speech and make his death meaningful. So, I don't necessarily think it was on the fly, but I do think it came out of how the story developed this season.

Don't get fooled by that cow, Dale!

KC: Carl: Was that Carl's walker that killed Dale? What the fuck is up with that kid? Creepy. 

LCT: Oh, you mean the walker that Carl taunted in the woods because where else should a ten year-old be during a zombie apocalypse? Oh yeah it was. I'd recognize those milky cateracts anywhere. I'll tell you what's up with that kid: he's watched many people he cares about munched on by zombies or shot or both, including probably his best friend in this stupid zombie world (Sophia) and he has a stupid mom who doesn't watch him. (More on parental neglect below.)  We rarely, if ever, see his parents or anyone trying to talk it out or help him cope. Which is fine. But it's all "go over there" or "don't listen"  or "roam freely however you choose because we 'say' stay where we can see you, but we're not really paying attention to you at all." Actions speak louder than words here, my friends. I'm not sure Rick's advice of "don't speak, just think" is helping this kid any either. In short, they are mixing up a recipe for creepy, nasty awfulness in this poor kid. He is the precursor to Randall (who took a little too much enjoyment in stabbing a walker last week):  do what you need to do to survive, laws and rules are for suckers and there's a nasty thrill in killing. 

KC: Lori MacBeth: she didn't do anything really stupid this week... except that she was NEVER WATCHING HER KID. I guess Rick is at fault too, but he had to, like, play executioner. 

LCT: ... and judge and jury, too! Rick has his hands full. But no matter who's actually "responsible" for Carl, I am here to tell you that as a mom, my kids would be full-on tethered to me every flippin' second. Aside: I fully expect this show to incorporate a running line every week à la Perry the Platypus on Phineas and Ferb: "Where's Carl?" Cue laugh track and zoom in on Lori's crazy eyes. Lori is always stupid. She sucks. 

"Where's Carl?"

KC: T Dog: when he popped up while they were waiting for the execution to happen I thought, "oh, he's still on the show?" I thought maybe he'd wandered off between episodes never to be spoken of again like Mandy on "The West Wing." And Ainsley on "The West Wing." But no, he's still around.  Maybe next episode, he'll get to say something. 

LCT: Oh, West Wing... sigh (looks out window, wistfully... and remembers this scene regarding Ainsley Hayes). They need to do something with T-Dog. I just hope they can give him something strong and not make him zombie feed.

KC: Andrea: I like that she gave Lori the smack-down last week, and, as I said before, I liked how she backed up Dale.  Excellent character rejuvenation.  I have a feeling that she'll have some good moments next week when they mourn Dale.  Have we always known that she was a human rights lawyer?  I don't remember it being mentioned before, but I'm sure I could have missed it. 

LCT: Ha! I said the same thing... did we always know she was a civil rights lawyer? If we both thought it, I bet we didn't know. I like that they're building some back story on Andrea so her actions and words have more context. I don't think the rest of the "broken group" will necessarily turn to her for advice on right and wrong, but she is definitely finding her voice, and that will probably continue. 

KC: Some fascinating questions raised tonight... really, the most important one the show has ever raised: what does it mean to be human now in the new world order?  Do the rules that governed society in the world before the zombie apocalypse still apply?  As much as I respect Dale's argument, the others may be right.  This IS a new world: the old rules don't apply anymore, and your only choice may be simply that you must do whatever it takes to survive and keep your family safe.  Dale was unable (too old?) to adapt and was therefore doomed.

LCT: I'll take this one step further and say, what does it mean to be human in the apocolypse right now? Meaning, at the start of the show these people were all thrown together and had to trust that things would work out. When they got to Herschel's farm, they had to learn to trust each other as strangers. Now all of a sudden this particular stranger is a threat. Dale was articulating this when he said "What makes us so much better?" Also, they save him from town, fix up his leg (miraculously, it seems) and were gonna let him go in the wild and now they are gonna kill him for something that might happen? Actually killing this kid locked and tied up in your barn because you saved him is way different than killing live people when they draw a gun on you. This is the genius of the show, because you feel like there should be another way. But maybe there's not. P.S. Why don't we hear Maggie saying she knows him or not? 

KC: I love what you said here... it does feel like there should be another way, but I certainly couldn't think of one.  Plus, like Dale also said, will killing Randall keep the other men away?  Probably not.  But they still can't let Randall go.  As for why Maggie didn't say whether or not she knew him -  didn't Randall say last week that he knew her, but she wouldn't remember him?  He's willing to say anything to survive though, so who knows what's going on?

LCT: Totally agree that Randall will say anything and he did say "she (Maggie) wouldn't know me." But here's the thing: they're in the middle of East Bum and I'm pretty sure everyone knows everyone. My guess is if they asked her, she'd say no way. But what does that get us? So they can drive him out 25 miles and drop him off now? Not sure. All conscience issues aside, you know this kid is bad news. Too bad they can't kill him.