The Walking Dead’s second episode back after the break was a slower-paced session that focused on the characters and where they stood on life, the group, and the future. This was a week to slow down and feel the grief after the recent deaths of Bob, Beth, and Tyreese – for both the characters and for us, the viewers. Through the dialogue and the visuals, it addressed the question at the heart of the show - what does living mean? And then things got weird.
I had mixed reactions – and a lot of them – about this episode. They were more positive than negative, and this may be one of those episodes that later becomes a favorite (because the good was really good), but there were a few points that didn't feel natural to me. On the one hand, it delivered what are sure to be a keystone speech and unforgettable visuals that will define the series. It also seemed to mark a turning point, as the characters picked sides on where they stand on the world and their future, and we were introduced to a mysterious character who looks likely to usher in the next arc. On the other hand, this episode was representative of a pattern that’s been bothering me more and more as the series progresses, and that is a shift away from the more realistic character-writing of the earlier seasons, toward too on-the-nose dialogue and storytelling.
And then there was an apparent Act of God followed by the arrival of what looked liked like a tourist who had slipped past security and wandered into the area where they were shooting. That just seemed such a departure from the tone of the earlier part of the episode that it left me wondering what I was watching. As I said, many reactions.
The barn scene was amazing. The visual imagery of the storm and walkers, seen through the barn doors, followed by the sun slipping in through the cracks the next morning, created a sense of the terrors of the night being washed away by the new day. The scene of Maggie and Sasha watching the sun rise while they talked about why they were alive was beautiful and poignant.
The group’s discussion on what survival means, held huddled in the safety of a barn on a stormy night, not only made created a haunting scene, but set up the opportunity for Rick to say the line that defines how his character has evolved and how he views living: “This is how we survive. We tell ourselves that we are the walking dead.” It also enabled us to hear from the other primary characters on this topic, and set up the different camps of points of view. On the one side are those like Rick and Glenn, who are focused now on surviving the moment and have resigned themselves to their reality. And on the other are those like Michonne and Daryl, who still hope for more and aren’t ready to define themselves as being like the dead.
There was a return from the previous episode of the theme of spirituality, as the storm which brought much-needed water and immobilized the walkers during the night, appeared to be miracle from God.
Finally, there were many small details that were the perfect choice to illustrate the point. The dogs showed how ugly the world has become. The dogs, once pets, were now like the survivors and attacking people to survive. The people, on other hand, shot and ate the dogs. Daryl eating a worm, while a little gross, showed their hunger. And the lethargy of the walkers mirrored the lethargy of the group.
Now, the negative.There were moments that seemed a little too convenient. Maggie finding a woman in the trunk, who like Beth had been kidnapped, struck me as one. A much better scene was Maggie crying by the tree, being interrupted to kill a walker, and then collapsing back down in tears as the walker's arm dangled nearby. That scene did more to speak to the depths of Maggie's sadness and depression, as well as how common the walking dead have become. And the events seemed more natural.
Another part that pulled me out of moment was Daryl attempting to hold out the walkers on his own without yelling out. Instead of waking up the others to help, he said nothing and let them wake up on their own. As others joined him, they also didn't wake up those still sleeping. This decision helped set up a scene that illustrated each of the characters – despite their divisions in opinion – making the decision to come together as a unit to fight the danger and survive, but the way it played out lacked believability.
Also, the time gap from between the scene of the group holding back the doors, to the scene of the morning after when they were waking up, left me with questions. Maggie and Sasha didn’t know during the night what had happened to the walkers. So why did they stop guarding the door if they didn't know the walkers were no longer a threat? The transition from one scene (the night) to the other (the morning) was artistic, but it left plot holes.I also sometimes miss the more natural style of dialogue of the earlier seasons, which was more about the characters and less about delivering the show’s message. Glenn's line to Daryl that they make it together was an example of a statement that's too profound to sound natural if used too often.
And finally, the bizarre.
What did you think about the twists at the end? First, there was the walkers being pinned down by storm that spared the group in the barn in what seemed to be a visit from God, and then the arrival of a too well-groomed Aaron, which coincided with the music box suddenly starting to play? I haven’t decided whether I think the approach was hokey or genius, but would love to hear your thoughts.
