Season 2, Episode 5: Chupacabra

At last! Plot advancement! Miniscule though it may be, make no mistake, walkers and stumblers, the plot of Season 2 moved forward. Our group has been twiddling their thumbs at Hershel's ranch/farmhouse of doom for the past several episodes without anything moving along. Sure, Shane and Lori have shared intense glares, and Rick and Lori have shared intense (and out of place/character) conversations, but what's happened? Otis shot Carl, Shane killed Otis, and...? That's really it, besides more bad, awful, stupid decisions and great stuff from Daryl (he is this season's highlight, no doubts about it).

What I've realized is that at this point, Sophia is more of a Macguffin than a character. For those of you who don't know what a Macguffin is, it's a term associated with Alfred Hitchcock, and more recently, Indiana Jones. The Macguffin is the reason our characters do things—search, fight, move plot, develop as characters, etc., but it itself is not wholly important. That's Sophia, right? She's driving what little action there is, but do we, the audience (or even some of the characters) care about her? I don't, and either does my viewing party. That's a very bad thing. We're discussing a lost, formerly-abused 12-year-old. Someone's child, and potentially one of the few remaining children in this show. But the writers have done a terrible job of getting us to care. That can be said for every development, aside from moments with Daryl.

That boggles me, readers. Every time Daryl is on the screen, I'm paying attention. I'm invested. They've done a great job with Daryl since the start of the season. This week, we had to watch him battle his memory of Merle to survive after he took a nasty spill off Nervous Nelly, one of Hershel's horses. There were consequences to these moments—Daryl's life was at stake, which is not something we've seen yet this season for any of the characters. It was exciting to watch his struggle, but also had me worrying. Here's a character that's been given time to develop over each episode...If it can be done with Daryl, a likely racist-hillbilly-survivalist, why not with the other characters? Why do we get the same old with Lori, Rick, and Shane? Why revert Glenn to a middle schooler who has never interacted with women in his life? Why are all the women cooking, and why is Andrea such a dumbass? These are the questions that frustrate me while watching this show. Also, why are all the characters idiots? That's the big one, because there is no way I can justify the actions of these people this season. They very clearly aren't thinking, from the zombie-in-the-well incident from Cherokee Rose last week, to Glenn and Maggie not understanding the finer points of note-passing. I'm having difficulty relating to foolish decisions, and instead, am finding myself relating to characters like Daryl and Shane who understand the new world they're living in.

Shane was making great points while he and Rick were searching their grid. But there was no discussion about it. Rick acted offended and promptly complained to Lori about it. This, I think, was because everything Shane said made sense. While Shane's obsession with Lori and Carl may be his primary motivation, the man understands the world the walking dead are inhabiting. He especially drove this home when he brought up how much time a missing child had before the police search began looking for a body (72 hours), and that was in a world sans-zombies. Yeah, hard decisions need to be made. Because supplies are limited, food and ammo, too. While I'm glad we have a character saying these things, I'm less glad that Shane is being set up as crazy.

Speaking of crazy, Hershel. We've been getting undertones of control from Hershel since we met him, but they've really been turning it up the last two episodes. He does not appreciate Rick's group upsetting his status quo, which makes good sense. He's been running that ranch/farmhouse of doom his way and now little rebellions are popping up. Maggie's fooling about with some Asian, that 17-year-old is running off with Rick's group to search, and those confounded women are using his kitchen to cook dinner! Hershel has problems understanding how people interact with people, let alone when there aren't many people left in the world. Which makes his decision to house the dead in his barn all the more perplexing. Is he a "good" Christian, unwilling to re-kill them? Is he insane? I am looking forward to seeing this come to a head Sunday.

And how about that opening? I loved it. Every second of it. We saw what looked like the first meeting of Sophia, Carol, abusive husband and Shane, Lori, and Carl. We saw the world as it was ending. And that fascinates and intrigues me. They did right only giving us the brief glimpse of Atlanta being napalmed.

Zombie Kill of the Week: Daryl bashing the shoe-chomper in the face with the walking stick. Seriously, that first horizontal bash was sick.

Overall Verdict: 7 out of 10 Headshots. Slower than I'd like, the show is getting better. Everything with Daryl in this episode, from hallucinations with Merle to Carol thanking him, is good TV. We got to see two old group members, which was a nice way of reminding us the group used to be bigger. And the show was bookended with very good segments. For the first time in a few weeks, I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Season 2, Episode 4: Cherokee Rose

I had a feeling that this episode would be a bit of a pause in what's been going on lately. The past three episodes have all ended with our characters in some form of dire straits (Carl getting shot, Otis and Shane getting locked in the school, Shane killing Otis) I had a feeling that this episode would let them take a breath. There were some welcome moments of ease, and even comedy this episode, but overall this episode basically just felt like a pause. Nothing really wrong with that, it just won't go down on anyone's "Best Episodes of The Walking Dead" list.

First thing I want to point out. I thought I would have gotten used to the cheesy dialogue by now, but sometimes it's just a bit annoying. And I don't necessarily mean the actual dialogue is cheesy (though sometimes it is), I mean that the writers seem to make the all-too-easy, cliche choices. For instance, what was the point of having Shane give the eulogy at Otis' funeral. Would the mother really ask that of Shane? And what if Otis had died, not because of Rick, but because of solely the walkers? What is the point of this punishment of Shane from the writers? I haven't the faintest, thus this was an eye roll moment.

Another moment that bothered me was the God discussion between Hershel and Rick. Rick already told Hershel how he felt about God and spirituality. I understand that most religious people always tend to ask "why can't you just believe?" over and over again, but it get's annoying. And again, I didn't really see what the point of this scene, unless its to foreshadow just how much Hershel believes in the rules that he has on his farm and where exactly these rules came from. There were a few glances from both Maggie and Hershel that makes me think something rather interesting may indeed be in store for this story arc. I guess we will have to wait and see.

The one exchange that should have, but for some reason did not bother me was when Darryl found the cherokee rose and gave it to Carol. It seemed a bit easy that he would know this story about this flower  he found that so matched Carol's exact experiences at this moment, yet I'm willing to forgive it for a specific reason, character development. Darryl is becoming, if hasn't already my favorite character on the show. He's compassionate, he's hilarious, and he knows how to kill a zombie. But while I was watching the episode I couldn't help but wonder why is he so fixated on finding Sophia. And then it hit me. What if he isn't just looking for Sophia. What if he is looking for his brother, Merle, as well.

I have a feeling we are in for a very interesting next couple of episodes.

Some stray observations:

-How awesome was it to see that fat, pruned-up walker get ripped in two. Easily one of the shows gnarliest (hilarious) moments.

-I'm glad Glen is finally getting more screen time. He is one of my favorite characters in the comics and he's  been criminally underused in the show. Glad he's finally getting some action. (Sorry guys that was just too easy.)

-The tension in the scene when Glen is lowered, and then almost dropped into the well with the fat zombie was great stuff. For a moment there I really thought Glen was a goner.

-Anybody curious about how that zombie not only managed to get in the well, but survived the fall as well?

-Damn I hope Lori goes on some sort of talk show and has the paternity test done. What? There is a zombie apocalypse and all trashy talk shows have been cancelled? Shame... 

Zombie Kill of the Week: Do you need to ask?

Final Verdict: 6.5 out of 10 Headshots. Like I said, I had a few problems with the choices the writers made in this episode. I loved the Glen and Maggie stuff. I loved the Darryl and Carol bit. Everything else was sort of "meh." Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come for the show. Unless we get to see more zombies ripped in half. They can show that exact scene in every episode for all I care.

Season 2, Episode 3: Save The Last One

So why is it that we watch zombie films? Why are we so interested in the stories? Sure, the first answer is obvious. HEADSHOTS! But really, it's about people losing their humanity. Or trying to hang on to it. Isn't it? Zombie films work because we like to see what people turn into when thrown into a state of nature. When the world hits the reset button and everything is reverted back to just simple survival. What are the first things that go? Usually, it's morals. And what does that do to people. How does that affect their psyche? Well, ladies and gents, we finally got to see it in it's full glory with this week's episode of The Walking Dead.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. Rick and Lori talking about whether or not Carl should live in this world was great, up until it got cheesy. I didn't really buy the whole "He should live because he talked about the deer," bit. Not only was it cheesy, but it felt contrived. I understand what Rick was trying to say, that Carl seeing things in the world that are beautiful to him is important. That the world's beauty, while now difficult to see, is still there. It just seemed like it could have been done a bit, well, better.

But let's talk about what the real focus of this week's episode was. Shane Walsh. Shane is our most conflicted character in the show. Rick is great, don't get me wrong, but the issues that Rick is wrestling with are tiny compared to what is going on in Shane's head. He wants to leave the group. He's in love with Lori and obviously loves Carl as well. But in this world the only way to be around them is to watch them be with Rick and it is killing him (both figuratively and a little bit literally). He had a taste of something in the beginning of the first season that was new to him. Family. And once that was stripped from him he slowly began to lose it (also the fact that the dead have come back to life to feast on the living didn't help either).

At the end of the episode Shane commits a shocking act. But is it really that shocking? I mean, yes, it was the most selfish thing someone can do. But it made sense didn't it? It was the only way to get away. Wasn't it? It looked like it. Shane made a choice. He didn't know if he was going to be able to make it back to the farm with the zombies chasing both him and Otis. And remember in the episode "What Lies Ahead" we learned that the zombies don't tire out. He knew that Carl's life depended on him getting back to the farm with the supplies. So, in the end, Carl's life was more important to him than Otis'. Sorry Otis, at least you got a rad death.

But this is what zombie cinema is about. People being forced to make choices like this. This is why we love zombie movies, books, shows, and comics. They hold a mirror up to us and force us to take a good hard look at ourselves. What would you do in this situation? Would you be ok with having someone's blood on your hands if it meant a child would have a better chance of surviving? Shane wasn't even sure that the supplies would save Carl's life, he just knew that it would give him a better shot. Sure we love the blood and guts. I'm not saying this was the best episode yet. It wasn't, it had it's fair share of problems. But what I think we are witnessing is a show getting a grip on what it wants to be about. Let's hope it stays on track.

Some stray observations:

-Wouldn't Rick and Lori yelling at each other attract zombies? I mean they are pretty loud. Or maybe the zombies hear it and are just like Damn, they sound annoying, I dont want them for dinner.

-Darryl and Andrea had a really brilliant scene with the guy who hung himself and then had his legs gnawed on by a zombie (gnarly!). I really dig their relationship and think that it adds an interesting contrast to her and Dale's.

-Also, Darryl is funny as shit.

-I hadn't been that impressed with CArl's acting skills (let's face it he didnt have much to do besides "look scared" and "look happy") but damn I thought he really was having a seizure on that bed. That was really gripping stuff. Especially when Hershel told Rick and Lori that they just had to watch it. Being a parent in a zombie apocalypse sucks balls.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I'm gonna cheat here and give this honor to a human. Otis. Watching him be torn apart by zombies was pretty epic stuff.

Final Verdict: 8.3 out of 10 Headshots. This episode had it's bumps in the road. But the good outweighed the bad. The stuff with Darryl and Andrea, while I didn't mention it much in my review was an excellent bit of character development. And of course the stuff with Shane and Otis was excellent. I can't wait to see what Shane's guilt does to him in addition to a haircut.

Season 2, Episode 2: Bloodletting, Take 2

Maybe I'm a jerk. Maybe I'm out-of-touch. Maybe I've started to lose sympathy for the characters of The Walking Dead. Why? Because all throughout Bloodletting, I didn't care whether or not Carl, a child, died. If I'm being honest with myself and you readers, I wanted him to. I wanted there to finally be consequences for Rick and Lori and Shane and all the rest. If that comes at the cost of Carl, I'm more than OK with that.

But let me backtrack. We start the episode with Rick carrying a passed-out Carl, Shane and the shooter, running behind him (Shane berating him as they go). They make it to Hershel's house, a southern gentlemen, it seems, with a nice house and a knack for medicine. His "twist," if you want to call it that, felt predictable. The folks I was watching with all figured it out ahead of time, after his first warning of uncertainty about the surgery. But that's, once again, getting ahead. Without thinking, Hershel jumps into action to stabilize Carl, ordering both Rick and Shane, which isn't something we see too much of. Shane understands his role in all of this, but Rick is clearly torn up and going through a good bit of shock. Thankfully, as David said, we're getting that bro-mance back, because Rick needed Shane here. Shane, despite all the mistakes he's made, knows how to step up (moreso than Rick, I'd wager). He can see things a good bit clearer, but then again, it's not his child on the table.

Once Lori did get over to the house, it went how you'd expect. More of the "...instense, sweat dripping down the brow, veins popping out of skin, grabbing each others' arms..." interactions we've been getting from the husband and wife team, as Lucy so aptly called it. I get wanting to DO something, but seriously? Rick can't realize that giving blood is just that, and the only thing that's kept his son alive? I don't know, readers, I just couldn't buy into his reaction here, or that he'd need Shane and then Lori to tell him to stay with his son.

Speaking of reactions, T-Dog decided to chat with Dale about why it was just the two of them left behind during the search for Sophia. His outburst at being the only black guy was, I think, the writers playing up the fact that in the horror genre, it's typically the black guy that goes first. I don't think it worked and felt it unnecessary. What did work, what was necessary, was the other part of his blood-infection induced rant: Why not just go? That's got to be creeping in a lot of minds (we know it is in Shane and Andrea, what about Daryl? What about Carol if they can't find Sophia?), so I like that it was brought up. I also like the way Dale dismissed it and realized what was really going on. T-Dog took a serious injury to the arm, and sans real medicine, yeah, that's going to get infected. What it all though, was Daryl nonchalantly getting his brother's bag of drugs (anyone else notice the blue meth? Was this a reference to Breaking Bad?), mentioning Merle had an on-again off-again relationship with the clap, and getting T-Dog what he needed. I know this was only episode 2, but Daryl is quickly becoming my favorite character.

Once again, though, we have the adults doing something stupid. This time, again, it's Andrea. She's being huffy and puffy, which is apparently her character description this season, and nearly gets killed by a rogue walker (it's really no wonder Shane isn't even considering bringing her along. I wouldn't want her watching my back). She's saved by Maggie, who gallops in on horseback and beats the zombie in the head with a bat. She calls out for Lori and quickly explains the situation. Daryl, again proving himself to be the most pragmatic, doesn't trust her. Can't blame him, since the last time we saw others, they were the kind-hearted, mean-exteriored vatos.

We end with Shane and the shooter at a high school, breaking into a medical trailer to get the supplies they'll need to keep Carl alive during his bullet-removing surgery. Of course, tons of zombies happen to be between them and the trailer, but they figure out a way to get the zombies distracted. What they didn't do was plan an exit. Which I can't understand. Yes, time is of the essence, but getting the supplies doesn't matter if you only wind up trapping yourself in an infested high school. Again, we have main characters not really thinking. Hopefully tonight's episode turns that around.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I agree with David, but I give the credit to Daryl, as Maggie's hit merely stunned the zombie. Daryl, clearly annoyed that the zombie bothered getting up, shoots it with his crossbow, with a simple, "Shut up."

Final Verdict: 6.5 out of 10 Headshots. I'm still waiting for the show to thrill me. I'm waiting for the characters to be smarter, and to treat this event (the zombie apocalypse) with the gravity it needs. Maybe they're complacent, maybe they think they'll be OK. Either way, they aren't acting with thought. It bothers me. When the racist, redneck is the one character acting appropriately, maybe re-evaluate.

Guest Blog: Thoughts on The Walking Dead So Far by Ben Page

Here is a guest blog for all of you zombie fans! Our good friend Ben Page asked if he could post some ramblings, and of course we said ABSOLUTELY! Let him know what you think!

Let’s return to the series premiere episode, shall we? What many consider to be the best, so far, in the series. One of the things that made that episode so powerful was the tragedy involved in Morgan having to kill his wife after she has been, you know, zombified. Now let’s look at what seems to be the main driving force behind the show as it stands now; the love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori. A ménage-a-trois that has essentially nothing to do with what we all lovingly refer to as the zombie apocalypse. Comparing the two may be apples and oranges, you say. Or it may be like comparing The Sopranos and Guiding Light.

I missed the season premiere, and as such I watched both episodes back to back the following week, so most of these comments are concerns of mine based on the premiere. Now one of the things that kept me reading the comics (I know, I know, the comic and the show are different. Hear me out.) was their attention to the larger context. In the writers’ interest in exploring different themes, and how different groups of people were affected by the “apocalypse.” The questions of morality and presumption that arose when Rick and Co. shacked up with inmates in the penitentiary, for instance. Or in the General’s need to keep a pet zombie chained up in his apartment. The love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori, was interesting, but was not the driving momentum.

Of course, I’m not saying that character development is bad. Far too many TV shows neglect it entirely. But the character drama should arise out of what’s interesting about the show in the first place; the zombies! More specifically, the idea of rational people crumbling as their civilization does. Not rational people carrying on with the same relationship troubles they had before shit hit the fan.

That being said, it may be too early in the season for these comments. Ep. 2 seems to be heading in the right direction, as we see the group being introduced to Hershel and his farm, which could very likely lead to some larger themes. I hope it does. I pray it does.

On a lesser note, did it strike anyone else odd that Darryl thought it was dumb of  Carol to be praying? This is a rural Georgian here. I went to high school with people like Daryl, and they’d just as soon shoot a person in the face with a crossbow if you told them not to pray. Of course, maybe if you’re deeply religious, being left behind after what looks like a rapture would make you a little bitter? These are the kind of questions I want explored!

Or maybe I’m just being bitter. As I said, Ep. 2 seems to be moving us in the right direction. I’m very glad to see Hershel come into the story and I’m interested to see where they take it. There was also some great stuff centered around Dale in both episodes, with Andrea’s resentment regarding the whole suicide thing, as well as T-Dog’s fever induced (?) plan to leave the others.

Walking Dead, I hate being hard on you. I love you so. I just don’t want to see you turn into a formula drama wrapped in genre horror. But if I have to see Lori give Shane that I-hope-to-fuck-that-was-a-zombie-that-just-overheard-us-and-not-Rick look again, well…

Season 2, Episode 1: What Lies Ahead, Take 2

Sorry for the week+ lateness of the review, shamblers and walkers, but I'm back and here it is. Many thanks to David for being the timely and dedicated half of this dynamic duo. So timely, in fact, that his review of last night's Bloodletting is below. Check out his review of this episode, What Lies Ahead, too.

So, what lies ahead for The Walking Dead? Zombies and bad decisions, if this episode is any indication. Before we really get rolling on this review, let me state this: Children in the zombie genre, or even the action genre, do not belong. Or, if they do belong, they need to be more than just devices for the adult characters to work with/off of. Here, I see Sophia and Carl as devices. This episode, the main action revolves around Sophia, the daughter of Carol and the deceased d-bag, Ed, who runs off after a few stragglers in a herd of zombies spot her under a car. How'd she get under a car you ask, to which I wonder why you're reading a spoiler-filled blog! Here's how:

The CDC turned out to be a bust. Rick was wrong and no cure was found. They lost another member of their group, and nearly two more when Dale refused to leave Andrea to be blown to bits. So the gang is on the road again. After a brief stop in Atlanta so Rick can heavy-handedly explain to new viewers what's happened, they head toward's Shane's idea from Season 1: Fort Benning. Along the road, their highway gets congested with abandoned (or maybe not...) cars, and the RV's radiator hose blows out again. As they all search for supplies, food, medicine, water, a wandering herd of zombies passes through the cars. Make no mistake, this is the best sequence thus far in The Walking Dead. The tension is incredible, from watching the feet dragging past the cars, to T-Dog nearly killing himself and Daryl saving him, to Andrea, like T-Dog, almost getting herself devoured. Little Sophia decides to stick her head out after it looks like the danger is gone, so naturally, some zombies spot her. She takes off, followed by two walkers and Rick. He gets to her before they do, tells her to hide, what to do if he doesn't come back, and how to get back to the highway. Then he dispatches the z-words with a big rock. Standard Rick badassery.

Except that he forgot Sophia is a frightened child, and as such, immensely stupid. She takes off into the woods. Rick and Daryl attempt to track her while Shane and the rest keep on gathering supplies. Here we get another great moment, with Daryl gutting a zombie while Rick watches. The sound effects here are excellent and gross—well done to the Foley artists.

They don't find Sophia before dark, and the decision is made to get everyone out looking at first light the next day. Naturally, Carol isn't happy. But then again, maybe that's why you don't let your 10-year-old wander around on their own, within sight or not. It's the gorram zombie apocalypse, friends. Count this towards the bad decisions.

Everyone sets out the next morning, but not before Andrea boils over and gives Dale a great lecture about him "saving her life." She feels he took away her right to choose how to die in their new terrible world, and he feels like he deserves gratitude for keeping her breathing. Both have their valid points, and this is the sort of conversation I want to see more of, not cliché survivor talk. This chat is how characters are built from cut-outs to fully-formed people.

Dale and the injured T-Dog stay behind while the rest set off in search of Sophia. That includes the only other child in the group, Carl (another bad decision). They find nothing but a suicided camper and a church. Rick and Shane opt to stay behind and search the surrounding area, and Carl wants to hang out with the guys. They allow it (I think you can start to see a pattern here). Carl promptly gets shot in the gut while getting close to a buck.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I agree with David, it has to go to the zombie Daryl and Rick tag-teamed for gutting. I liked the simple distraction they used and Daryl's authority when it comes to hunting/surviving.

Final Verdict: 6 out of 10 Headshots. This is how the world ends and these people are THAT careless with the lives of their children? I don't know if that's unrealistic or just stupidity. But you have that countered by the herd in the cars, the gutting, Dale and Andrea's argument, Daryl being the most pragmatic, and Dale's foresight to keep everyone believing the radiator is more trouble than it is so they can stick around for Sophia. There's a fairly even match of bad and good in this season opener, and I'm hoping it gets better from here.

Season 2, Episode 2: Bloodletting

Now that is more like it. I ended my last review asking if the show would ever reach the heights of the premiere episode, and while "Bloodletting" wasn't quite there, it was easily my favorite episode since the pilot. "Bloodletting" opens with a flashback, which I believe is the first time since the pilot that we have seen any of our characters pre-zombie apocalypse. This was a great way to open this weeks episode. Not only did it give Lori's side of the marital struggles between her and Rick, but it mirrors Carl being shot with the moment Rick was shot in the pilot. It was a nice simple flashback, and I hope they do more of these, because the one thing I've always wanted from the comics is to see who these characters were before the apocalypse.We hear them talk about it, but we never see it. The television format may just be the best way to explore this.

The scene with Carl on the operating table, screaming for his life, was the most difficult things to watch in a while. But, I'm not sure what specifically was more tough to watch, Carl screaming for his life, or watching Rick breakdown because there was nothing that he could do. Watching Rick lose his grip, trying to find something to actually physically do to make the situation better was heartbreaking. It wasn't enough that he gave blood to his son. He needed to make things right somehow, and he just couldn't find a way to do it, even though he was saving Carl's life.

Meanwhile the other half of the group is beginning to lose hope looking for Sophia. It's been a day, and our group has run into it's fair share of walkers. The odds are not in poor Sophia's favor. T-Dog is starting to lose it sue to some blood infections (which sort-of answers one of my stray observations of last week). Andrea is still pissed at Dale. Let's just say spirits are not high. And when Maggie comes to tell them that Carl has been shot and that they need to meet up the farm, the group splinters even further. Our group just can't seem to catch a break.

These new characters seem like welcome additions so far. Hershel explains to Rick that they are waiting for a cure, that perhaps this plague is not as bad as everyone thinks it is. "This one is different," Rick responds, and we are inclined to agree with Rick, but there is something about what Hershel says that makes sense. Perhaps this is just nature correcting itself again. Perhaps things will go back to normal. Rick doesn't seem to inclined to agree, and neither are we, but it is nice to hear an optimistic point-of-view for once, no matter how naive. And I love anyone who nails a zombie in the head with a bat while riding a horse. Maggie, welcome to the crew.

We end with Shane and the guy who shot Carl going to a high school that had been turned into a FEMA center for some medical supplies so Hershel can try to save Carl's life. Things, of course, don't go as planned. 

Stray observations:

-We finally learn T-Dog's name! It's ::Drumroll:: Theodore Douglas. Maybe, we will stick to T-Dog after all.

-Hershel delivered some of the best lines in the episode, my favorite being his answer to Lori when she asked him if he was in over his head. "Aren't we all?"

-The scene with the bloody carseat and T-Dog was brilliantly subtle.

-The laugh out loud moment was again, given to Daryl, when he explains that his brother Merle occasionally got the clap.

Zombie Kill of the Week: Gotta be when Maggie took out the walker trying to nibble on Andrea with a quick bat to the head whilst rising a horse. Well done ma'am.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10 Headshots. As I said in the beginning of the review, I felt this week's episode was the best since the pilot. Some great character development, a few swift zombie kills, and forward motion in the plot. Great stuff.

Season 2, Episode 1: What Lies Ahead

After almost a year of waiting, we are finally here. For those of you that don't know, The Walking Dead had a somewhat rocky off-season. First came news of the writers shake-ups. Details were limited, we didn't know if the writers were all going to be axed, if it were just a few, or what was going to happen. There were even rumors that Frank Darabont and Robert Kirkman would be taking on sole writing duties. Then came the bombshell, Frank Darabont had left the series (reports are still vague on whether he left or had been fired). This was a big let down for me, simply because I'm a fan of most of Darabont's work and I felt the series premiere, "Days Gone Bye" (which Darabont wrote and directed) was far and away the best episode of The Walking Dead yet.

How will this affect the show? Only one way to find out...

But on to the second season's premiere episode "What Lies Ahead." This episode picks up exactly where the first season ended with our group hitting the road after the destruction of the CDC in Atlanta. They don't exactly know where they are headed, simply traveling looking for food and trying to survive, in hopes that they will one day find shelter.

We learned a few things about the nature of zombies this episode. For one thing they travel in ultra-large packs called herds. Their sense of smell is not as keen as we perhaps thought that it was. Early on in the first season it was suggested that the zombies could smell living things. At first, I couldn't figure out how hiding under a car would help our group out. My initial thoughts were that the stench of all of the rotting corpses in the cars must be masking the smell of our group. Yet, as Robert Kirkman informed us on the talk show The Talking Dead, the zombies can sense that you are alive, "but they are not bloodhounds." They do not sniff out live flesh with their noses, therefore if a zombie has no idea that you are around, it has no reason to think that anything is up. Makes sense to me, even though I still like my initial thoughts.

Another thing that we learned about the zombies is that they do not get winded. Rick says this as he is trying to lure the zombies away from little Sophia. This makes sense, and also makes them extremely dangerous, because once they are on your trail, they are not stopping unless you barricade them out or give them a nice, clean, headshot (something that we got a lot of this week). As Rick goes and bashes the zombies brains in with rocks Sophia runs away. We have no idea where she goes or what has happened to her.

There were several interesting character developments this week, as well. Andrea is still angry with Dale for forcing her to not commit suicide back at the CDC. I am glad that Andrea did not let this go. It was a very nobel thing for Dale to do, and we all know it was the right thing. But let's face it, Dale basically said that he was going to kill himself unless she left the CDC with him, which is some pretty heavy stuff. Andrea of course says the only reason that she is alive today is because she didn't want Dale's blood on her hands. Because of this Dale takes away Andrea's gun, as he doesn't trust her quite yet. She decides to talk to Shane about leaving with him after she overheard him tell Lori that it is too difficult for him to stay with the group

Of course the big moment came at the very end with what has to be the most shocking moment in the series yet. As Rick, Carl, and Shane are out in the woods they see something the immediately fills them with a glimmer of hope. A beautiful buck. Carl is immediately bewildered and begins to slowly walk towards it, and to everone's surprise the buck doesn't move. Then it happens, a shot rings out and a bullet pierces through the body of the deer...and into young Carl.

This is a critical moment for two reasons. The first is obviously it leaves Carl clinging to life.The second, is that someone is out there, and they are armed. Chances are that they were just hunting and the shot to Carl was an accident. But it still is a mystery. I guess we will find out next week.

A few stray observations:
-How exactly does T-Dog (I still can't believe that's his name) slice open his arm so badly that he nearly passes out, only to be seen moments later walking around with a bandage on it afterwards?
-The gutting of the zombie was the most gnarly thing since, well, the last time a zombie was gutted in the season one episode, "Guts." Only this time the zombie was a little bit more, ::ahem:: rotten. I loved it.
- Part of me wondered if the zombies knew that when the church bell rang that humans might come to the church. Are they that intelligent? Or is it more like the zombies going to the mall in Dawn of the Dead, where they go because it was an important place in their lives so they are naturally drawn there.
-The SS insignia on Darryl's ape-hanger was a nice touch. I love how gloriously un-PC this guy is.

Zombie Kill of the Week: It's gotta be the long haired zombie who Darryl shot with his cross-bow and was then gutted, having all of it's disgusting innards shown in all of their glory.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10 Headshots. This week's episode, while having some really awesome moments felt more like an episode in the middle of a season rather than a season premiere. Will the show ever be able to reach the epic heights of the series premiere? Maybe. With this season given 13 episodes it should have more room to breathe, thus allowing more depth. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks episode, but I can't say that I wasn't slightly disappointed after waiting almost a year.