I have a book called “The Book Of Questions.” I sometimes bring it out and utilize it when friends and family get together. In a nutshell, the book is packed with many a moral question each participant must answer — questions about our fundamental values and beliefs about ourselves. Of real interest are some of the questions that put you in hypothetical situations and ask you to reveal your basic nature by examining your behavior. It’s a pretty interesting book, one which not only challenges your thinking, but can change the way you view life “… without offering a single opinion of its own.”
Why do I bring this up? Because that was the entire premise of this episode of The Walking Dead. It was all about moral values and how those values get tested in impossible situations.
Everything about this chapter was pointed right back to Randall and what to do with him. What do you do with him? What would you do with him? Given what we know about Randall and his group, there are just too many unknowns. Unknowns need to be eliminated when they’re a danger to the group … as much as they possibly can. And sometimes? That’s not so easy.
Especially when your son steps in, right when you’re about to make a life-changing decision … right when you are going to eliminate an unknown danger. Rick had to make a decision for the betterment of the group. And he made two that night: He decided to forego the moral aspect of the situation with the safety of the group in mind … and then he decided to eliminate any guilt he may have inflicted from his actions by not pulling the trigger.
Was it selfish? Was it so he didn’t have to live with the guilt of a son watching a father commit a reprehensible act he could never take back? Was it to save what little bit of humanity the world has left in it?
I’ve provided a poll below. Please vote and let’s see how you run with the question posed.
Notes:
Quotes:
“The world we know is gone. But keeping out humanity? That’s a choice.” — Dale to Andrea
“No man is good enough for your little girl … until one is. Go on now … before I change my mind about you.” — Hershel to Glenn as he gives his his pocket watch and his permission to marry Maggie to him
“You once said that we don’t kill the living.” — Dale
“Well … that was before the living tried to kill us.” — Rick
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Mar 05, 2012 @ 03:45 EST5EDT
%20through%20inaction){kind=link}
I feel like Rick’s inability to pull the trigger had less to do with Carl being there and more to do with Carl egging him on.
He saw in his son that new stark horrible world that Dale was talking about, he saw the attitude that is driving Shane away from the group and I think it terrified him. If he pulled the trigger, Carl would have been lost. Not sure he isn’t already, but….
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
I figure it’s a big, fat, hairy, juicy combo platter of thought and emotion, Bobba-Looga.
Shane’s got a lot on his plate and on his shoulders: Appeasing/explaining/more to Lori, controlling Shane, dealing with Carl (that’s not working), minding the group, making certain he doesn’t step on any of Hershel’s people’s toes, twirling things round and round and round in his head. I wouldn’t want to be him.
And right now, Carl is lost. He’s confused as all get out. He’s a kid forced to grow up, living a nightmare. Let’s throw gasoline on the fire, though, because there’s not enough going on: He now has the guilt of realization his inability to kill the mud-stuck walker is directly responsible for the attack and subsequent death of Dale. McWowZah.
The kid needs more than just a cookie at this point …
well said
Please Mr. Noble,
Don’t allow spoilers like this from last week…
“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.”
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
Malik:
omgjt has been warned. Please accept my apologies s/he decided to “not play well with others” and post the comment s/he did.
We’re not a site that jumps at censoring readers’ comments, but we sometimes cannot do anything about those people who don’t want to play well with others.
For what it’s worth, I was not please with omgjt’s comment on the “18 Miles Out” …
Can we please keep spoilers out of the link titles, please?
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
hemisphire:
The title – “Judge, Jury, Executioner” – is that of the episode and is so named by AMC itself. We provide the title not only as a service, but as reference to a particular episode and because it is searchable among other reasons. CliqueClack has no control regarding the name of a particular episode.
I’m guessing the comment is referring to *your* (sub)title, Michael :) The picture implied Dales death and the subtitle confirms it (not to mention the comment on pinterest where I first saw your link).
I could be wrong, but that’s how I interpreted it.
I’m referring to the link to this page, which I inadvertently saw when I was hovering over it, I assume CliqueClack is responsible for its own page name: https://cliqueclack.com/tv/2012/03/05/the-walking-dead-dale-dies/
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
This post is a review of the episode that aired Sunday evening, hemisphire.
It’s not a surprise Dale died in the episode at this point and I don’t consider it a “spoiler” as such if we know for certain that it’s happened.
I don’t think you understand my point, which is this: if I’m on the main CliqueClack TV page, and I haven’t watched this week’s Walking Dead episode (which I haven’t), I’d like to not see any spoilers before clicking that link. By making a spoiler part of that link, that’s impossible. I’m not trying to cause problems as I’ve enjoyed your reviews, but otherwise I’ll know I can’t visit this site until I’ve cleared by DVR of anything I don’t want spoiled.
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
hemisphire:
I understand your point.
What I don’t understand is this: Why would you want to read the review of an episode that’s already aired if you haven’t seen it yet and if you’re worried about spoilers? You have to know you’re going to glean information about the episode in so reading.
I know you know the link is highly searchable and capable of drawing traffic. It makes complete sense to have that information within the link.
I know you’re not trying to cause problems and that you have a genuine concern; but what I don’t understand is what I’ve laid out above.
P.S. Glad you like the reviews.
First off, who is watching the kid. In this new world of danger, you would think someone would be watching him 24/7. Since Rick is the suppose leader, that job falls on Lori, but she seems to be too busy with other stuff to care… Right now, Daryl is the best character on the show, he needs to either take over or keep his distance like he does for his own survival and keeping out of the BS drama. Rick needs to bitch slap Lori and tell her to watch Carl or just give her to Shane and be done with her. So glad that liberal Dale is dead. He was an interesting character once but became a real jerk.
I’ll never be comfortable with the (perhaps inevitable) decision to kill Randall. I would not pull the trigger, in fact I’d never take my gun out of its holster. In my opinion, assuming the worst of people, fearing people, is what has led to most of the problems that plague man today. This is a new start, and while survival is important, not at the expense of a potentially decent thread of humanity. I’d rather risk endangering the group while maintaining a chance of living in a community I was proud of than extinguishing the hope of a brighter future for one lacking in compassion. If they kill Randall, what separates them from what they believe Randall’s people to be…
I say no…emphatically, no!
What would I do in this situation? boy is this ever hard.
Everyone one in the group wanted randall dead in fear of the danger he could bring them. they were motivated to kill by fear. but it wasn’t unreasonable fear. after daryll beating randall to pulp, randall is likely to hold unyielding hostility towards our beloved group. So as a viewer i could understand the decision to ‘eliminate the threat’. you see they don’t see it as much as killing but removing risks, Dog eat dog, survival of the fittest… the death of humanity. That’s where Dale disapproves. he could not stand undermining a life or the value of it because of fear, he believes humanity is more than that. Damn! what a noble thing to fight for. And boy Did he fight. It was moving and inspiring. As a viewer i felt his convictions for humanity but even more his disappointment in failing to defend it. I LOVE the juxtapose of making the viewer care deeply about a character and then killing him off. that’s why his death was soo impactful, the issue deals with questions very deep and defining for everyone one of us and Dale stood to answer for the best of it. As he suffered through his fate, everyone in the group had undoubtedly seen this in him.
In the end, I wouldn’t know what i would do until i’m there. this isn’t something you can calculate or think about, but more on how you feel. because if you feel empty inside, you might as well be dead, and i think that’s what Dale was fighting to defend.
No problem, I just was suprised that he was right. I almost don’t even mind spoilers, but I am sure that MANY people do.
I would have sided with Dale. The entire crux of the argumnt is “you would kill a man for a crime he may never even attempt”. Thats pretty intense.