Warning: ***SPOILER ALERT*** This post covers the season finale of The Walking Dead, so if you have not watched the episode, you may want to skip.
Amongst the Internets and Blogosphere there have been a number of complaints that there just were not enough zombies this season. Sure we had the occasional pharmacy attack interrupting fond memories of coitus, then there was the epitome of dysfunctional families hiding in the barn, but overall season two was kind of like the Zombie Lite of apocalyptic endings.
Apparently all of the zombies in Atlanta who had been munching on Rick's horse at the beginning of season one became enamoured with a helicopter and have slowly been walking across the land in a vast pilgrimage to Hershel's farm. Oh, and they brought all their friends from the city too, only to appear with perfect timing saving Rick from having to explain to his boy exactly what happened to Shane.
Chaos then ensues, our group is scattered to the four winds, and Hershel tries to remain behind, determined to defend his farm or die trying. On this weeks episode of Talking Dead it was revealed that Hershel was actually supposed to die several episodes back, but the writers/producers made the decision to keep him around. Which in my opinion was a wise (and great) choice. The bromance between him and Rick is just starting to flower, and his character seems to have a lot of depth, and mysteries. Honestly, the character could have so easily slipped into a cliché at any time during this second season, but thanks to good writing and wonderful acting we ended up with an interesting and conflicted individual.
So instead of biting it (pun intended), Hershel gets saved by Rick who then drags him reluctantly off the farm. Everybody who survived, minus an abandoned Andrea, reunites on the highway at the car with supplies still waiting for Sophia (rest in peace little one). The group heads out and eventually decides to set up camp in the middle of nowhere when they run low on gas.
Around this time Rick gives the big reveal: You're infected, you're infected, you're infected, we are all infected!! [Insert crazy Oprah audience reaction here.]
I guess understandably most of the group is miffed at this news. Finding out that even if you get your neck snapped, or shanked by your best friend, that you will turn into the walking dead would probably ruin anybody's afternoon.
Then we have crazy Lori time! Let us not forget this scene from the end of episode 9:
Where Lori whispers in Rick's ear, "You killed the living to protect what's yours. Shane thinks I'm his. He thinks the baby's his. And he says you can't protect us. That you're going to get us killed. He's dangerous, Rick, and he won't stop."
In this episode she goes to console Rick about the big secret he has been carrying, and he confesses to how Shane died. Lori's response?
She pulls away from him, gives him a look of disdain that only a wife can manifest, turns on her heel and walks away never to talk to him again the rest of the episode.
What did Lori expect to happen? She set these two Alpa males on a collision course, whether she realizes it (unlikely) or not. Did she expect Rick to give Shane a stern talking to and his homicidal tendencies would just evaporate like some Hallmark moment between best buds and then they would enjoy a cold brew and laugh about the old times being law men before the world went to hell?
Nope.
And of course Daryl kicked ass and delivered some great lines. At the end when Mrs. Robinson is trying to seduce him with ideas of power, trying to tell him that Daryl does not need Rick, and that he is only going to pull him down, he replies with, "Nah, he's done alright by me." And when she presses the matter he asks, "What do you want?" Plus he gets bonus points for saying Rick has honor.
While the whole group is mumbling and grumbling about how unfair (in a world over-run with zombies) it is that Rick kept the secret, and that they need to strike out on their own or mutiny or other nonsense scared and flighty people might talk about there is a noise in the woods.
People start freaking and Rick just lets loose on them what can only be termed as an emotional beat-down. After going off about what he had to do to Shane, something everybody in the group has at one time or another probably contemplated, Rick points out into the forest and invites those who want to leave to do so and, "Send me a post card."
To which the entire group replies with blank stares.
He then closes by stating that this will no longer be a democracy. (The writers, currently working on the season 3 scripts, refer to the coming Ricktatorship.) We then pan up to see the prison in the distance. I have not read the graphic novels, but I have seen enough comments to know that the prison is the next part of the series. So all we have to do is wait until fall.
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