How can I not make a comparison to Breaking Bad when they give me a title like this? It’s very similar to “4 Days Out”, a phenomenal episode. The structure is thinly similar. The two main guys drive out a ways, have some conversations, problems arise. What was great about this episode was that it was the most self-contained so far. Most of this season has suffered from extremely slow pacing. All the episodes on the farm have be weirdly disjointed yet very connected to each other. Some stuff happens, the episode is over, and the next one picks up where we left off, which was pretty much nowhere special, and some more stuff happens. This time we skip ahead some time, we get 2 stories that have beginnings and endings, and only a small group of the cast is present. It feels right, like a nice little chapter instead of the exceedingly long paragraphs of the episodes before it.
We left off last episode with Lori Lady Macbeth-ing and Rick serious-acting-face-ing. This time we start in media res (that’s the correct term, right?) with Shane and Rick being attacked by some zombies at a school and Fence-Spike-Randall tied up and crawling for a knife. This cold open worked for me, it created a sense of momentum that they’ve been struggling with maintaining.
But before I talk about that story I want to discuss what the ladies are up to. Beth is potentially becoming a character with all the focus she gets this week, but her story is more of a means to get Lori’s, Andrea’s, and Maggie’s opinions about suicide (and to get catty). I have mixed feeling about this whole plot. I liked getting a chance to hear more from Andrea about this, ever since the CDC event, all we’ve seen from her on the topic is snippiness at Dale. I agree with her arguments to, I might not want someone to kill themselves but in the end it’s not my decision to make. And of course it was wonderful to have someone finally call Lori out on her bullshit. “The men can handle this on their own.” “You’re in my face over skipping laundry?” Lori, the 50’s called, they want their antiquated ideas on gender roles back. That’s not the only annoyance Lori brings to the table. Remember when Carl was shot and she felt it would be better if he just died? That’s her son we’re talking about, and now this girl she barely knows wants to end it and she’s all gimme the knife, life for everybody? I understand Rick changed her mind about Carl, but this didn’t sit well with me.
Meanwhile, in more action heavy portion of the episode (because MEN!), the Rick and Shane conflict finally comes to a head, and by that I mean they hit each other in the face a lot. First, Rick lays it on the table. He tells Shane he knows what he thinks of him, that he doesn’t believe he can protect his wife and kid, he knows about him and Lori and the baby, and too bad, brother, nothing you want to happen is gonna happen. Shane pouts in the car like a reprimanded child while Rick discusses winter survival strategies and how they should be using guns less against the zombies. It was nice to see Rick exhibiting some leadership skills, he’s been slowly stumbling less in regards to being a leader of the group.
Anyways, they almost get rid of Randall until he divulges that he knows Maggie, meaning he possibly knows where the farm’s at, meaning the leg of their plan just got impaled on a fence post. Shane decides to shoot him, Rick stops him, and the manliest kerfuffle begins. Then the zombies wake up when Shane chucks a huge wrench toward Rick. Then awesome zombie kerfuffle begins! A great moment with Rick when he gets buried under a pile of zombies (is this a metaphor?) , Randall cuts himself free, and Shane gets stuck in a bus. It looks like Rick and Randall were gonna leave Shane behind, but of course Rick doesn’t and saves Shane, proving two big things. 1. Rick’s approach to life is better for other people (in this case, Shane, himself) than Shane’s is and 2. Rick is actually a lot better at protecting people than Shane believes/wants to believe. Rick gives Shane a speech that’s essentially a reiteration of the first, they drive home with Shane pouting again. We end this story just like it began. So they had a confrontation. Some feelings came out. They had a nice brawl. Does this solve anything? Nope. But it was super fun to watch, and it gives both of them a little more to think about. Is anything resolved? Nope.
Not yet.
Other thoughts:
-Shane, to Rick: “You can’t just be the good guy and expect to live. Not anymore.” “I’m not the good guy anymore.” Let’s see how true this is.
-Love the POV shots of Randall in the trunk. They need to do fun camera work more often. *coughlikebreakingadcough*
-Rick to Shane, about what to do with Randall: “He’ll be locked up in the barn. Unless you BUST it open.” Ooooooo too soon?
-that brawl was really awesome. I loved how they slowly started to sound like zombies themselves. Also, how’d that first gunshot not wake up the walkers?
-What’s up with those two dead zombie cops with no bites. Uh oh.
-In the zombie gross-out corner: Them running over the head and squashing it. In the words of Rachel Ray: Yummo!
No comments:
Post a Comment