Television Tuesday
Mar
6
2012

So yeah, I do watch television and I have my little obsessions. Some I cringe about revealing like my Real Housewives problem, others I absolutely adore like Walking Dead. So I figured hey, why not yammer on about it every once in a while?

Seriously, The Walking Dead – OMG! I’m going to talk about Sunday’s episode so if you haven’t seen it yet, DON’T READ ANY FURTHER because I’m gonna be talking about it. Or rather, yammer about it
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Still here? Good. Okay first and foremost, the stuff that bugs me: why do Rick and Lori seem totally incapable of watching their son? I mean, it’s not like there’s been a zombie apocalypse and thank heavens no other child in their group has been killed by walkers….oh wait…

So anyway, I know people get agitated with Carl but he’s NINE. He’s nine years old and the entire world has been turned upside down and everything he’s ever known is totally gone. So yeah, I don’t find it hard to believe he’s acting out and being, well, a nine year old boy. So it’s really sort of up to his parents to make sure he’s not wandering off into the woods to throw rocks at walkers. It makes me crazy and my husband gets so annoyed with me saying, “what the hell, don’t these people even notice they haven’t seen their kid in HOURS?”

Lori was being clueless and self obsessed as per usual. Of course Andrea always challenges her on that because she too is useless and whiny and self obsessed. – oh a tangent – so here’s my thing – I noticed that people got on Lori’s case when she got pissy with Andrea about not helping withe the chores. And look, I’m a feminist and have no problems saying that up front. But I’m also a realist – the fact is, Rick, Shane, TDog and Daryl are way better to have out there on the prowl. Two of them are cops and have weapons training. Daryl is a badass and he knows how to track and hunt. We don’t know a lot about T Dog (and it would be nice to get some backstory), but he’s big and badass and apparently capable of physically protecting the camp.

OTOH, shit still needs to get done that isn’t protecting and tracking. So you know, you do what you can and when you shirk off on what you can, other people have to do it. What I took away from that scene is pretty much what I’ve thought of Andrea all along. Shrug.

Anyhoo Randall and what to do with him took up most of the episode. Now here’s the thing – he may have *said* he didn’t rape those girls when his friends did, but he took a huge amount of pleasure in killing those walkers in the county yard where Rick and Shane were going to leave him last week. Moreover, he shot at them and tried to kill them in town. So whatever, I get that Dale was the voice of humanity in the group, but I have to say I thought he needed to be gotten rid of. I’d have left his ass in town stuck on that fence.

What Walking Dead needs is some Captain Malcom Reynolds “If someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back.” Because while humanity IS important, being smart and not getting killed by humans or walkers is also important. There is no government left. There are no jails, no courts, none of that. So in a world with limited resources, if someone comes into your camp and shows themselves to be a danger, well then, deal with it.

I want to like Rick. I think Rick has a great capacity for courage and loyalty and that is something I really love about his character. But at the same time, he’s a cop, he’s seen lots of sketchy stuff so why does he not seem to understand that life after the zombieclism is different?

Oh Shane. God. One thing I will say for the Walking Dead writers is that Shane’s character is complicated. He’s a total dick, but not absolutely. He isn’t a one dimensional villain. OTOH, he tried to kill Rick TWICE during their fight the week before in the county yard where they were going to dump Randall. He can’t be trusted and I don’t understand why Rick won’t see it.

High Points: Daryl. Seriously. I think Daryl Dixon’s character progression is incredibly well written. It doesn’t hurt that Norman Reedus plays him perfectly with that edge of hurt resentment that makes you feel for him instead of hate him. The whole search for Sophia, his tentative and twisty connection to Carol, and the way he’s become an enforcer of sorts has really begun to fill his story in. I loved it that this week we see him as someone who sees the damage Shane’s influence is doing on Rick, even when Shane is right.

And Dale. Oh poor Dale. I guess I feel like Dale really wouldn’t have made it ten minutes in the post zombie world. Still, I liked him. I liked that he knew how to do things. I liked how he helped hold the group together and I dug how he poked at Shane. The way he died sucked and I literally was yelling at the television. Cause if you see a walker eaten animal or person you turn and get the hell out of there! Jeez, Dale, you don’t look closer and then let a walker get the drop on you.

I think having Shane and Rick lose their nerve and Daryl having to step in to shoot him was a great choice and also an interesting direction the group can head into.

I was really happy to FINALLY get some more backstory on what happened with the original wave of walkers. I’m so fuzzy on the overall timelines and what happened originally. Still fuzzy on it, but at least I know about the two week thing. Though I do wonder why Rick didn’t ask that the first day.

Now on to conjecture – Daryl is going to need that gun Carl stole and then lost. That gun is going to set off some shit. I can’t wait to see what. I did watch the previews for next week so it’s no secret that Randall appears to have escaped, but one wonders if he really did or if Shane made it look that way or what. Again, can’t wait to see what’s in store.

Next week I might just discuss my Real Housewives addiction…

9 comments to “Television Tuesday”

  1. StacieD
    March 6th, 2012 at 3:39 pm · Link

    ITA about Daryl needing that gun in the future. I only started watching this season but Daryl is the only character I like. I am usually annoyed with how the women are written. I do think Randall participated in the gang rape. How could he describe those poor girls as “cute” if he was disgusted by what he saw. He is very creepy. Having said that, I can’t wait to meet his group finally. They sound scarier than the walkers.



  2. Lauren
    March 6th, 2012 at 3:45 pm · Link

    Stacie – when we met the first two a few eps back I was wary already. I mean they started flanking Rick about two minutes in? They’re going to have to throw down with the other group I wager and won’t that be interesting?

    And oh man do I agree with you about the women on the show. Lori is annoying as all get out. Andrea too. Maggie is better, and Otis’ wife is an interesting character I wish we knew more about. Carol? I liked her more this ep than I have pretty much the whole two seasons so far. And I love how she is with Daryl, like the mother he didn’t have. It’s a great connection though they both don’t know quite how to do it without hurting one another.



  3. Lillie
    March 6th, 2012 at 3:48 pm · Link

    At the beginning of this season when they first lost Sophia, I was bitching about bad parenting. Their they were, wandering down a packed interstate, the two mothers huddled together, the men with the guns, and Carl and Sophia just blundering off. I have a 9 year old. Even in a non-apocalyptic parking lot, my kid isn’t that far away. Gah. Horrible parenting all the way around.

    Daryl. Oh, Daryl. I’m finding my own Daryl if the zombi apocalypse hits. LOVE his character.

    Something my husband and I were talking about was the cow at the end. Was it just in the process of dying or was it more? Something looked like it might be off there. Did Dale see something weird and was checking it out or was he just a dumbass? I’m wondering if the disease will start spreading to animals, too. Zombie cow!



  4. Lauren
    March 6th, 2012 at 3:56 pm · Link

    Lillie – I think Dale was heading out to do his business and came upon the cow. I also had a discussion with a friend who said it was sad Dale died before they told him about Randall. But I think he already knew – it was hours later when Dale was out in that field (it was sunset when they decided not to kill Randall and when Dale was out there it was far, far darker)

    and yes! I was thinking back to that ep when you see Lori and Shane go at it the first time and they just left carl with Carol and her abusive husband and didn’t seem in any big rush to head back once they saw the city being bombed by the military. And he’s been like that ever since. He just wanders around. It’s not his farm on a summer day, it’s a strange place surrounded by the walking dead. HELLO.

    I also think the comment Rick and Shane made about being scratched and infected is foreshadowing. I just wish they took it seriously! Why no goggles or gloves when they know they’ll be coming into contact with the walkers?



  5. Catherine Mann
    March 6th, 2012 at 4:17 pm · Link

    Yep, I totally agree on the crummy parenting issue – I was shouting on Twitter during the whole episode – it was like a bad Friday the 13th movie where everyone in the theater is shouting, “Don’t go into the basement alone!” Annnnnnnd the person goes into the basement – alone.

    As for Daryl, he’s the most interesting character on the show, imho. A lot like Sawyer from LOST. I think in this episode he stepped into the role that Shane is supposed to have been playing for Rick, but obviously isn’t.

    A quiet moment that was really amazing and shouldn’t be overlooked – when Hershel gave Glenn the watch. What an awesomely played, understated moment. Loved it! Moments like that are what set this show apart.

    Great blog – enjoyed it much!



  6. Jennifer R.
    March 6th, 2012 at 4:44 pm · Link

    I freaking love this show! I love how it shows the walkers as secondary characters and we get to see how these people act when their world has gone to crap!

    Bad parenting aside, does anyone see a psycho in the making with Carl? What was up with the creepy staring in the barn? And yes I know its being a typical nine year old but man! He’s just asking for trouble when he was throwing rocks at that walker! I wonder how messed up he’s gonna be now that the same walker he was taunting killed Dale?

    Anyways…

    They need to get off that farm! I think some of the people are losing their edge, starting to think its safer on the farm. This last episode needs to wake them up! and Rick is killing me by still trusting Shane! But Shane is an awesome psycho character. I wonder how closely they are following the comics?

    Ok done for now.



  7. Lauren
    March 6th, 2012 at 5:13 pm · Link

    Catherine – yes that little moment between Hershel and Glenn was a good one. Humanized them both, reminded the audience that the world they knew was still partially there and hopefully gave Glenn a way to connect with Maggie again after he panicked the last time.

    And yes, I agree about Daryl stepping into the role Shane could play if he wasn’t insane and obsessed with Lori



  8. Lauren
    March 6th, 2012 at 5:16 pm · Link

    Jennifer – I wonder how Carl will react too. Given the way the show has been written, I’m going to guess it won’t be what I expect but will come back to bite Carl at the worst possible time.

    I don’t think they’re following the comics exactly, but I do think they’re hitting the high notes, even if in their own way

    As for the farm, I still can’t figure out why they haven’t made the place safer. Set some guards in the higher places, improved the fencing, etc. And why they don’t hit up all the cop cars to at least check for ammo I do not understand!



  9. Meike
    March 7th, 2012 at 1:22 pm · Link

    The show is very entertaining and I love the variety of characters, especially the more intense, crazy ones. However, can someone answer a question for me? Isn’t this “virus” spread by blood? If so, why are they killing Zombies in the bloody, gruesome ways like stabbing and in the process exposing themselves to the pathogen? Makes no sense, just as 9 yr olds wandering around in Zombieworld by themselves – all a bit skewed. And don’t even get me started on how Rick continues to put himself into vulnerable positions with Shane. Would you want to hang out with a guy who has tried to kill you a few times? I agree with many of you – I just want to slap a lot of these people. LOL Well, obviously they are doing something right with the show evidenced with all of our interest and rantings. It’s an enjoyable show.