The tone of the episode is set with the weariness that was apparent on Hershel’s face – and on all of the faces. Those put in quarantine are struggling to stay alive, with little energy left to fight of the walkers we know will soon be coming, as more of them start to die. Hershel talks about “jobs,” how they all have him. Lizzie’s is to read Tom Sawyer - a story of a simpler life from a better time - and to get away from the violence Hershel is trying to shield her from. His is to continue to try to heal people and save everyone he can.
Hershel doesn’t want the others to see as walkers are put down. He recites a Steinbeck quote to Rick: "A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ." He continues, "That’s exactly why I didn’t want them all to see what happens. I know they know. But I didn’t want them to see it right now." Rick tells Hershel, "They’re seeing you. They see you keep going. Even after all of the choices keep getting taken away." Hershel is the strength that people are holding on to.
Hershel and Caleb
The dialogue between Hershel and Caleb ties in with Carol’s banishment last week. Caleb’s point is that not everyone gets to live, and by saving one, you lose them all. He tells Hershel that he needs to focus on the ones who can make it. This mirrors Rick’s assessment that banishing Carol was for the good of the group. But as we see, Hershel is not someone who will give up on anyone.In the prison, Rick tells Hershel about Carol. We don’t get to see his immediate reaction, but he looks shaken afterward. I wonder if Hershel, and his unwavering dedication to not losing anyone, will be the one to bring Carol back – not just from exile, but from losing her humanity.
Parents and Their Children
The show also nicely draws parallels between two sets of parents and their children, and how those parents who once held strong to wanting to shelter their children, are now ready to let go of that. Hershel wants to shelter Maggie and tries to protect her against not only from the virus, but from the truth of Glenn’s condition. But Maggie eventually breaks into the quarantined area when she hears gunshots. The two of them work as a team to help bring order back to area.Outside, Rick, who just a few episodes ago didn’t want Carl exposed to guns, is now instructing Carl on the guns, as he and Carl work as a team to keep out the walkers. Their conversation applies to both to Rick/Carl as well as Hershel/Maggie:
Carl: “Dad, you can’t keep me from it.
Rick: “From what?”
Carl: “ From what always happens.“
Rick: “Yeah. Maybe. But I think it’s my job to try.”
Other Thoughts:
- Great quotes - Hershel: “I still think there’s a plan. I still believe there’s a reason.” Rick: “You think it’s all a test?” Hershel: “Life was always a test, Rick.”- Daryl: “You’re a tough son of bitch.” Hershel: “I am.”
- Poor Lizzie still hasn’t accepted that walkers aren’t pets. She tries to lure one like a dog and later says she thought he would listen.
- Along with the incredible emotional tension throughout the episode, the pace of the suspense evenly flowed through the mid-part of the episode. I don’t know about you, but I was on the edge of my seat for a good part of it.
- What did you think about seeing the Governor at the end? Are you ready for his return? To be honest, like many I’ve been assuming since last season’s finale that he’d be back, but I’m so wrapped up with what’s happening now – with the changes since Woodbury – that I was a little disappointed to see him so soon. I’m not ready for him to come back yet.
Great review again Chris. I like the "Other Thoughts" section you put at the end.
ReplyDeleteI noticed those elements about Hershel as well and wether he will somehow play a part in Carols eventual return. As soon as I read that line you wrote I immediately thought of the episode "Arrow On The Doorpost" (I think thats the right Ep, lol) where Hershel tells Andrea that she is always part of the group and she can always come back. That was his most prominent act, IMO, showcasing his unwavering dedication to keeping the group whole and not losing anyone. To tell Andrea that she can return after seeing her clearly on the other side shows how well he can read whats really going on with everyone and how much the group needs him as a guide of some sort.
I am a huge fan of the comic so I love scenes with Rick in them and his scene with Hershel was one of my favorites of the season. I wonder if his trip outside with Michonne will cross paths with The Governor? Can't wait to find out.
It was also very funny at the end when Carl says something along the lines of Everything is going to be Ok and have The Governor appear right after. I know you wish he hadn't returned so soon but I am glad he is back to add an extra threat element. I think I was one of the few people who was glad that he stayed around after last seasons finale.
Sorry to write so much but again, great review and I look forward to your next one.
- Geo (Dtown)
Good point about the scene with Andrea. Hershel is the guide, or moral compass, of the group at this point. In my last article, I raised the question about whether Rick's decision, and whether it was about justice. But what was interesting in this episode is that Rick frames the decision as being necessary for the group. He couldn't bring Carol back with Tyreese coming back. So if he did do it for the group (I still think it was a combination of motives/emotions), then his actions mirror Carol's. Carol sacrificed a couple of people for the good of the group. Rick sacrificed Carol for the good of the group. It's Hershel who is standing alone and saying no one gets sacrificed. I'd love to see Carol again and Hershel play a role in bringing her back to the fold.
ReplyDeleteBy all means, write away! That's what I'm doing here - to raise discussion.
I still am not sure how I feel about Rick's decision to let Carol go. It seemed to me that he brought her along on the scavenge on purpose. Throughout the episode it appeared that he was "sizing her up", getting a feel for her. The way he would look at her after some of her responses to the two people they found seemed like a look of confusion at some points. At other times, when they were in the bedroom, he seemed annoyed at her answers. I think you are right that his decision was based on motive/emotion but I would add that he doesn't know Carol anymore. She has evolved into someone completely different than the woman he first met at the campsite with Sophia.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Hershel bring Carol back at one point. I think I am more interested to see what Darryl's reaction will be, though.
I shared the same feeling - that Rick seemed to be sizing up Carol throughout their trip. And yes, he also seemed annoyed, or maybe distainful. I'm also really looking forward to seeing Daryl's reaction. Remember how he was when they left Merle on the roof? He's so different now, and this is a different situation, so it will be interesting to see how he handles it. Hopefully they delayed it this week because they plan to put a bit of focus on it next week. We're due for a Daryl-centric episode. Don't you think?
ReplyDeleteHonestly I'm dreading seeing The Governor back but I know that at some point he has to return and I can take solace in knowing that his stay won't last long. A great story I'd love to see is him attacking the prison only to be standing over Michonne ready to land a final death blow only to be stopped by a knife in the back from a returning Carol. Michonne would then behead him and end his life. I understand why Carol was banished but I miss her. I'm hopeful that at some point she'll do something to regain the group's trust so they'll welcome her back in. I loved the symbolism shown by Rick and Carl in the garden. Sharing the pea pod symbolized how the two of them are "like two peas in a pod". Carl is just like his father. When Rick loses his sanity Carl began to lose his and they both came back together. I'm dreading the two standalone episodes about The Governor but I'm also eager to find out what he's been doing. In the previews I noticed no Martinez or Shumpert. I wonder if he eventually killed them or if walkers got them.
ReplyDeleteThat would be an awesome return, if Carol came back as a hero! I don't think that would settle things with Tyreese - if it did, it would be too easy - but I want to see Carol again, and not as a zombie.
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, my first thought with peapod, after all of these discussions about zombie blood and contaminated soil, was "They're going to eat that?!" But yes, they are definitely two peas in a pod. Rick and mini-Rick. They were so much in sync putting down the zombies that were breaking through the fences. That was a great scene to watch.
[minor spoiler warning] I'm pretty sure I saw Martinez in a promo pic, but that could be a flashback for all I know. I'd be curious to know what happened to them, if they're not with the Governor.
Should be interesting to see what they've been up to and if Martinez and Shumpert's still with The Governor I want to see how they're reacting to his massacre on the street.
ReplyDeleteI think Scott Gimple is quickly becoming my new Joss Whedon. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so thrilled that TWD seems to have finally struck a sustained balance between action and narrative. This season really feels (to me) as if the writing team is actually paying attention to the bigger picture and has a longer, more organic trajectory in mind for each of the key characters. The producers have always insisted "this show is about more than just zombies," but this is the first season I've felt that they've taken a coordinated shot at raising the bar.
That said, my favorite part of this series has always been its quiet symbolism -- and this episode was loaded with great examples!
I loved the bonding scenes between Rick/Carl and Hershel/Maggie, and that "peas in a pod" analogy at the end. I was so moved by the way Hershel finally breaks down -- a great reminder that being the bearer of hope and light is an active, moment-to-moment choice that can take quite a toll on the messenger. An excellent analogy for life in general, as Hershel himself points out.
I especially loved how this "plague" arc has leveraged the use of light and darkness in a symbolic way. The first episode of the season, pre-illness, was sunny and bright ... and this episode, in the thick of the battle, was oppressive and dark and claustrophobic. The characters almost literally were plunged into a dark, uncertain tunnel before emerging back into light at the end (however briefly that might last).
I hate to admit it, but events have unfolded so smoothly and organically so far (the struggle to hang onto humanity and draw tough boundaries, the inevitable swell in walker numbers, the fact that a common cold might become a deadly threat) that the Governor, to me, feels way too much like a comic book construct. There is SO much tension and tragedy to be mined from the situation itself that having a guy romping around with a black eyepatch seems a little forced and cheesy. I mean, we've got at least half a dozen crack shots in the prison group -- nobody's managed to take this guy out? I realize the writers want to give us some elements from the graphic novel, but personally I'm hoping they wrap up this Governor storyline sooner rather than later.
YES! I'm SO hoping Carol comes back -- and it would be awesome if they could re-introduce her in a heroic way that might earn her some forgiveness with the group. I (personally) never stopped seeing her as a sympathetic character. If anything, she simply became someone who believes in immediate, decisive action -- even if it's not an easy, popular or even humane choice. She tried to sacrifice some for the good of all, and it's interesting to consider how her tactic might have been regarded had it been successful. In exiling her, Rick ended up doing the very same thing -- sacrificing one to preserve the greater group. And I am really feeling her absence!
ReplyDeleteBuffy fan too? :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that this season just feels like it's on a different level, and that's why I had a similar reaction to seeing the governor. It doesn't have to be replay of season 3. It probably won't be. But still, I would be fine with never seeing him again.
I liked what you said about the use of light and the contrast between the first episode and this one. They did a really great job of making us feel the weariness, the struggle, and as you said - the claustrophobic conditions - that these characters were living in, which really made the episode.
Definitely due for a Daryl centric Ep. I enjoy seeing his interactions with Rick and Carl. I think you're right and his reaction will be a focus in a coming episode.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Caleb has been the most compelling argument to support Carol at this point. Even of Hershel, Glenn, Sasha and now Maggie wouldn't hve been stabbing and burning the bodies, here you have a victim of the flu, Dr. S himself, telling Hershel he should be put down and burn before they would lose everybody.
ReplyDeleteIts as if Karen and/or David themselves would've told the audience what Carol did was not wrong, she only got too late to stop it. Judging by the amount of zombies with bloody eyes Daryl and Co. found, it was the only way to stop this.
It's interesting how Caleb's arguments support both Carol's choice in killing Karen and David and Rick's choice in banishing Carol from the camp. The argument to sacrifice a few to save the many is compelling, and seemed to be the only wise choice in season 2. I think the counterargument to this would be that there's a difference between what Caleb was saying, to not waste time on the dying, and actually taking lives before their time, which is what Carol did. Thanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteI think what made it all the more compelling is that Caleb was precisely one of the few, not the many.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between those two Daryl found that "went out holding hands and singing Kumbaya" and Caleb, an M.D. that knew what was happening to him and knew what he was asking Hershel to do about it.