Leave it to Dale to be the one that will really say what others are only thinking. Again.
What They Say:
Secrets – Glenn knows too much for his comfort level; Daryl finds a sign of life and tries to make it back to the farm alive.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The unveiling of the secret hidden inside the barn in the last episode was certainly quite disturbing when you get down to it because of the possibilities it opens up with what may be really going on in there. While they were attracted to Glenn since he was just pushing around in there and attracting attention, they’re generally pretty mellow creatures that just amble around in the relatively small space that they’re in. But what makes the situation all the more curious is that they aren’t being just held in there, they’re being fed with living creatures like chickens with broken legs so that the dead can eat and survive as they do. They may not be getting the human flesh that they want, but they’re getting something.
Glenn does hit some of the best moments early on here as he has a hell of a hard time keeping secrets, so much so that he avoids playing poker because it feels like lying. Knowing what he does both about Lori and the barn, he’s at his wits end with it and starting to crack. It didn’t take long to be sure, but he has plenty of reasons to be concerned about both of the secrets that he holds. Just spending time around Rick has him getting all twitchy about and he can’t help but to look back at Lori each time. And even when he’s around Maggie, he’s more tongue tied than he has been before.
This episode also spends some good time on character material and discussion up front that’s welcome as some of Hershel’s women want to learn to shoot. But it’s not just them as Carl wants to learn as well, which is good to see as he’s trying to man up more after being shot and going through his recovery. As Rick says, even as Lori protests, it’s better that he’s interested in learning and protecting than being afraid of guns. The entire range of the discussion is well done, including how Shane got brought into it as well. The training itself is also really nicely done, if brief, as we see just how much of a natural Andrea is as well as how Carl takes to it pretty well. The advanced training that Shane puts Andrea through is where it’s at though as it’s more psychological than anything else and he hits his marks surprisingly well and easily.
The secrets that are being kept are difficult ones to be sure, but it’s also welcome to see that they can’t really be kept long, even though it’s because Glenn just can’t handle it. Having Dale sort of confront Hershel over the walkers in the barn is kind of sad in its own way, because like Maggie also says later, they don’t view them as walkers or dead, but by the names they know them by since it’s family, friends and neighbors. While they’ve been through some rough times since the world ended, they haven’t seen things out in the world like the rest of them have, especially in Atlanta. So it’s easier to view what’s happened as a sickness more than anything else because of the kind of denial they’re in, made all the more apparent because Hershel has a pretty strong personality to make it so.
The action side of the episode is pretty good, though I have to admit that I found the encounter that Maggie and Glenn had was forced and obvious. What Andrea and Shane find though is a bit more interesting as they explore a small development nearby where they think Sophia may be but it turns out to be a dead end for that. Seeing more of what happened in the aftermath of everything going to hell was interesting, especially since it looks like some people figured out how to take themselves down in a pretty rough way. It also leads to a moment that makes me cringe a bit, both because it goes with the whole need for sex after the thrill of killing, but also because it adds another complicated dynamic to the mix. One that Dale actually calls out with Shane fairly clearly which is going to add a whole lot of tension to things.
In Summary:
The further into the series we get, the harder it is to pick favorites because most of them are having really strong roles when you ignore some like T-Dawg and Carol. Maggie and Glenn continue to grow here and she’s positively good for him, though she needs to dial it back a bit. Andrea’s growth is conflicting but it’s good to see it being made clear she’s a natural with a gun. Even Carl is manning up in a very good way here without it being overdone. And even though Daryl has only a brief moment or two here after dominating the last episode, he’s still trending high. There’s a lot of characters to like and I always come back to Rick as a real favorite, but the series is really making Lori the most interesting of characters here and allowing for some really fantastic performances as she copes with some real bad situations thrown her way as well as her own secrets. She has some great moments in this episode and really drives it home well, especially since she has to play off of several other characters with what she’s going through. With only one more episode before the show takes a break for a few months, I’m definitely loving this run and episodes like this only reinforce it.
Grade: B+
Readers Rating: [ratings]
Episode 7: “Pretty Much Dead Already”
Episode opens with Glenn revealing the presence of the walkers to the rest of the group, who promptly proceed to freak out. Maggie becomes angry with Glenn for not keeping the secret and ruins his hat in retribution. Dale gives Glenn his trademark hat as a replacement. Maggie later makes a plea to Hershel for the group to stay. She and Glenn also have an argument about the walkers, after which they eventually admit their feelings, kiss and make up.
Rick and Hershel argue, with Hershel demanding the group leave within a week. Rick uses the my-wife-is-pregnant card, but Hershel’s not persuaded. Shane also wants the group to get the hell out of there because of the walkers in the barn, but Rick uses the same excuse to cool him down. However, Shane then becomes convinced that Lori’s baby is his.
Dale takes off with Shane’s guns to hide them in the swamp. Shane tracks him down and demands he give the guns back. Dale points his rifle at him and threatens to shoot. However, he backs down at the last moment, since he has no wish to become like Shane: he reveals that he knows Shane shot Otis and lied about what really happened. Shane heads back to the farm with the guns.
Hershel has Rick help him and Jimmy try to fish some walkers out of a nearby pit of quicksand and lead them into the barn with snare poles. He says the group can stay on the farm if they agree not to kill the walkers. They arrive at the farm about the same time Shane emerges from the swamp and hands out guns to other members of the group.
Shane sees the snared walkers and goes berserk. He yells at Rick and Hershel as they guide the walkers towards the barn, with the rest of the group and people in the farm looking on. He pulls his sidearm and unloads it in the chest of one of the walkers, demanding to know “Could someone who’s alive just take that? Why is it still coming?” Hershel has no answer.
He finishes off the walker with a headshot, grabs a nearby pickaxe and breaks open the barn door. Walkers pour out, T-Dog, Daryl, Shane, Glenn, and Andrea form a line and open fire. Once the dust clears, one more walker emerges. Sophia. Rick finally steps up next to the others, pulls his six-shooter and kills Sophia with a shot to the head. End episode.