Wasn’t this episode of The Walking Dead just what we wanted to see? A Rick/Shane throw down, winner takes all? Sure … toss some walkers into the fray (quite a few actually!) to keep things lively, of course. But it really comes down to the two alpha males mixing it up. Who could ask for anything more?
We’re led to believe it took a week for everything to come to a head. And in all that time Rick’s been stewing over what Lori told him regarding Shane. The thing I couldn’t wrap my head around is this: After the “discussion” Rick had with Shane … after Rick getting his head slammed by him … after getting a big ass industrial wrench heaved at him … after the rough and tumble scuffle wherein Shane had no qualms about doing Rick in, Rick still comes back to rescue him. He’s just too good a guy, too upstanding a soul to let a friend perish. No matter what that “friend” has said or done. He’s a better man (or is he?) than most of us given the same situation.
And that’s not necessarily a good thing. That’s a weakness ripe for possible exploitation and it might come back to haunt him. Think about it: Rick’s confessed to Lori he’s killed the living in defense of (and in the name of) both she and Carl. Toss that out the window now, though. Is he relying on what demanded of Shane, that Shane needed to “come back on board” and follow his lead? Because, ass that Shane is, he’s revealing the truth to Rick on several counts, one of them being their current dilemma with Randall (Michael Zegen) — take care of him or he’s possibly compromising the safety of Lori and Carl.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, there’s heavy duty drama going on between Lori and Andrea. They’re both at odds with each others’ station in the group and those odds come to a verbal head. Meanwhile Beth has come out of her shock from the events at the barn, seeing her mother killed once and for all. Intermixed was the volley between Beth, Maggie, Lori and Andrea. When it came down to brass tacks with Beth and her desire to end it all, she flinched and decided it best to stick among the living. Andrea’s reverse psychology got her to “grow a pair” so to speak.
We got a lot out of this episode. It was packed with action and drama. But a chunk of the usual group was absent — no T-Dog, Glenn, Hershel, Dale, Carl, Darryl, Jimmy, Patty or Carol. It was rather cool they weren’t needed.
Notes:
Quote:
“If you’re going to be with us, you need to follow my lead. You need to trust me. It’s time for you to come back.” — Rick to Shane
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Feb 27, 2012 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
I noticed the absences, and I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come with budget issues. There were a lot of people out for walks this week.
It was most conspicuous when we didn’t see Hershel all episode and then suddenly he was inside sewing up his daughter… You don’t think there would have been any drama worthy of showing when he found out what happened?
Did anyone catch the importance of the walker in the field Shane sees going into town and then again as they are heading back to the farm. Is this harkening to something metaphorical, from a past episode, setting up a future thing or what?
I was confused a bit by that because the walker was on the same side of the car going both directions. But, it clearly wasn’t that what happened in between was a dream, because Shane had blood on his face on the way back home.
I understood it as a visual metaphor for the growing isolation that Shane is feeling within the group.
Of course, I may have just missed something more obvious.
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
I specifically did not state anything about this to see if anyone would mention anything about it. Now that it has raised its head, I’ll comment on it:
Chris:
It is indeed harkening to something metaphorical … and Bob got it right. It’s his isolation … and a little bit more.
Carla caught the missing piece to what Bob stated: The walker is indeed representative of Shane – he’s going nowhere in the beginning of this entire situation and he’s coming back just the same … nowhere and lost. His actions have resulted in inaction; it matters not that he has tried to be a good friend to Rick in the past … that he’s tried to gain the trust and confidence and love of Lori or the friendship of Carl … his decisions and actions are, in the end, meaningless and they go nowhere.
The walker was headed in the same direction Rick and Shane were at the start of the episode … and headed back in their same direction again at the end … ambling along … meaninglessly.
Thanks Michael. That makes sense. I wasn’t totally sure that it wasn’t hearkening back to something I missed. I am currently living in a temporary situation and I watched it on a tiny old TV where I could barely tell if it was a walker or an anima though I guessed the formerl. Sucks to not have HDTV. Figured it might be a metaphor however and I like your thoughts on it and agree. Great episode! I am always so impressed at how the production so easily creates tension even in situations where things are quiet. Just the scenes where Rick and Shane are walking around the police station compound, or whatever it was, and the angles and slow pans they did from behind things helped make you feel someing was going to jump out at any moment and then nothing did until the tension between Shane and Rick cut that tension so it still kinda came at you with energy though you wete expecting it.
Thinking of Rick’s upstanding soul here. He is, of course, super hero right. All paths leading to BSG thought – They have to be “worthy” of surviving, right?
Rick thinks globally and is the kind of leader that could help rebuild a civilization. Shane is just a gun. Many times a gun is the right tool for the job, but certainly not for all jobs.
Surely Rick will be rewarded for his desire to be worthy.
- If this is the sign of things to come because of AMC dumping Darabont and a lower budget, then I’m totally on board. This was the best paced episode since the pilot. This and last week had actual momentum throughout the whole episode and not just in the beginning and end like the show seemed to really love doing in prior episodes.
– The episode even made Andrea slightly more likable.
– Maggie should never allow Lori to forget that time she stole Maggie’s car and totaled it after hitting a slow moving walker on an otherwise empty road. Because no one should be allowed to live that down whether they were nearly eaten alive or not.
Episode 11: “Judge, Jury, Executioner”
Episode starts with Daryl beating the shit out of Randall in a shed. Randall reveals that their group has about 30 people, including women and children, and that he doesn’t know where they’re staying since they’re always on the move. He also says that they’re heavily armed and tells a story about how they once found a guy with two young daughters while out scavenging and proceeded to rape the girls, letting their father live so he could watch. Daryl beats him even harder. Cue theme music.
Daryl leaves the shed and reveals to the others what he found out. Based on that knowledge, Rick decides that they must kill Randall. Only Dale argues against it and asks Rick for one day to talk to everybody and convince them to let Randall live. He gets no support from Daryl, Hershel, Shane or even Glenn. Then there’s this big discussion about whether to go through with it. Dale vehemently objects, telling everyone that this is murder and means forever giving up hope for a civilized society. In the end, only Andrea sides with Dale. Majority rules, so Randall is to be executed.
There’s also a moment between Hershel and Glenn at one point where the old man gives Glenn his father’s watch along with his blessing to Glenn’s relationship with his daughter.
Meanwhile, Carl sneaks into the shed to look at Randall who begs Carl to help him escape. Shane finds Carl there and drags him out, telling him to stop trying to get himself killed. Carl then immediately goes and calls Carol an idiot for believing that Sophia is in heaven. Rick asks him to apologize and start thinking before opening his mouth. Carl then steals Daryl’s gun, finds a walker stuck in a swamp and tries to shoot it. Before he can do that, the walker breaks free and attempts to grab Carl, who freaks out and runs away.
At nightfall, Rick takes Randall to the barn and prepares to shoot him, but Carl comes in to watch. Rick can’t kill Randall in front of his son, so he decides to hold Randall in custody for now. Near the woods, Dale finds a mutilated cow and is attacked by the same walker from before, who freed itself from the swamp to follow Carl. Dale doesn’t get bit, but the walker tears open his guts before it’s killed by Daryl. Dale’s wounds are too grave and Daryl performs a mercy killing by shooting him in the head. End episode.
Next episode: Shane snaps. He gets stabbed by Rick then comes back to life, only to be shot by Carl.
Suffice it to say that they leave the farm behind for good halfway through the season finale. There will be some more casualties, rest assured.
Say what?? Thats an awful lot of spoiler there. Is it true? Dale is good as dead?
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
ohmygodjohntravolta:
Having seen Sunday’s “Judge, Jury, Executioner” I would respectfully request you not post spoilers so that others may enjoy viewing the show and reading the posts without foreknowledge of what will be happening.
We do not like to censor comments on CliqueClack, but ask that you are mindful of those who want to read without being surprised.
If you want to post opinions, theories, what ifs, etc., we’re all for that. But let’s play nice with others here.
Watching new episode now. JT you suck! Should at least say spoiler!
Geez where did he find this spoiler!
YoU a hole! How did you find all this stuff out? Wow I cant’t believe the departure from the comic!