Before you read further, remember this contains spoilers for both AMC’s The Walking Dead show and the comic of the same name. You have been warned.

So without further ado…

This week’s episode of The Walking Dead keeps the momentum of the season going, making it the best of the series so far.

Picking up immediately after Rick leaves Carol, we see our protagonist deep in thought. Interestingly, the camera kept focusing on his injured hand. For those who’ve read the comics, I can’t help but wonder if the writers are silently alluding to what lies ahead.

Rick quickly reaches the prison, where Maggie lets him in. He immediately spills the beans on what Carol did and reveals that he left her high and dry. Maggie’s shocked and tells him she’s not sure she could have done it, even though she felt it was the right thing to do. Rick reminds Maggie that there’s a lot of things they “didn’t think they could do.” Poignant and true. If there’s any theme of the season, it’s been one that reminds us the world is forever changed. But more on that later. Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Rick delivers scavenged medications to Hershel. None of it seems to make a difference, and people in the prison continue to die. Hershel and Glen struggle to kill fallen survivors out of sight of the others. I understand Hershel’s reasoning, but to be honest, it was kind of ridiculous as pretty much anyone in the world of The Walking Dead, even the most sheltered, know that death has now become a daily part of their routines. I was honestly amazed that Hershel had the time to quietly cart bodies away before they turn into freshly minted walkers. It was some Hollywood magic that detracted from the episode more than anything, but I think it was done to show that somehow, Hershel’s maintained his faith in God, and more even more importantly, his humanity.

Foolishly, Hershel leaves many of the sick individuals free to wander about the cell block. This proves disastrous when a large amount of survivors die from the flu. As Hershel struggles to contain the threat, another, and even more dangerous thing happens – the herd of walkers outside the prison break through the first fence. This happens as Rick and Carl are reinforcing it. The two run for their lives, and what quickly ensues is one of the most thrilling fight sequences with the undead since the end of Season 2. The camera hops between the crisis in the cell block and the father/son pair.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Glen goes down during this scene, overcome by the flu. In a sick twist of events, Hershel has to get the ET tube from a newly created walker. This is the only thing that will save Glen, as his lungs are apparently full of blood. Maggie races to the scene and helps Tyrese’s sister, Sasha, take care of the zombie horde at their doorstep. They predictably save Glen, but those who have worked in healthcare will be shaking their head. It was a piece of Hollywood magic that decided to throw modern medicine out the window. But I guess that’s forgivable considering there are zombies walking around.

Regardless, Glen’s helplessness certainly added a heavy element of tension to the cell block scene. Had it not been for Carol’s “adopted” psycho daughter, the former pizza delivery man would clearly have been walker food.

Hopping back to Rick and Carl, I found myself on the edge of my seat as the two take on what seemed to be a hundred walkers. The father/son pair have automatic rifles and calmly fire in bursts as the horde presses their way. I loved this sequence, as the graininess of the film, coupled with the night shot, reminded me of Night of the Living Dead. To be honest, I expected Rick and Carl to retreat at some point, but they didn’t! Instead the two hold their ground! It was absolutely amazing. I was also digging that during the scene, Rick looks at his son and seems to realize that Carl can hold his own. 

The boy’s been chomping at the bit to help for quite some time, and it was nice to see him rise to the occasion and kick some ass. I think it marked a turning point for his character, as Carl clearly earned his man card. Afterwards, the father and son duo pick off stragglers amongst the pile of bodies. Daryl and crew finally arrive, where they’re greeted by Hershel. Daryl asks about Carol, but the show isn’t that giving. I imagine his resultant blow-up will happen in the next episode. 

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

For now though, all seems well in the prison, and we’re treated to a father/son moment as Rick and Carol enjoy the rewards of the earth. The two munch on some green beans and head back to the prison as the camera pans out.

And a familiar pulsing beat kicks in.

As the camera finally stops on the edge of the woods, we’re treated to a view of The Governor watching Rick and Carl walk back to the prison.

Holy shit!

Final Thoughts

As I said before, this season has been amazing. I hope they continue the trend as each episode has been pulling a Spartacus – leading us along by resolving problems each episode, yet creating new questions and deftly laying the groundwork for what’s to come. For the most part, character development has been solid. With the Governor showing up on the scene, I imagine next episode is about to get nuts.

But there’s still a deluge of characters. We have a lot of people from Woodbury that we don’t recognize. And though I like all the main characters (with the exception of Beth and Tyrese – neither really do anything), we need to see some major characters go. When one considers that more characters from the comics have been confirmed to arrive later in the season, the show is going to get very crowded. It needs to be thinned out a bit, or at least done in a way that our favorite people can get more room to “breathe” and stretch their legs by giving us reason to like them.

In regards to the Governor, I hope he’s somehow amassed an army and is ready to strike the prison. In the comics, he used the foolish citizens of Woodbury, and the resulting conflict was bittersweet as Rick’s group and the Woodbury residents tore each other apart. The entire series has shown that while walkers are deadly, it’s the other survivors that are the real threat here. When people fight in this world, the results are devastating. Anyone who’s survived up until this point is either incredibly lucky or a complete hard-ass. I’m interested to see what the Governor has up his sleeve. And I want him to show up in the next episode.

All in all, this was probably my favorite episode of the season. As I said, I’ve felt like a lot has been accomplished and things have been moving forward in a really satisfying fashion. I’m excited to see where the show goes next.

I’m also interested to see if Michone and Hershel get nabbed by the Governor. If the show goes where the comics went, things are about to get very dark. Either way, I think we’re in for some disturbing, albeit exciting, television. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

-ty

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