Thursday, October 31, 2013

They're Up to their Necks in Zombies

This weeks Walking Dead is written by Robert Kirkman, the messiah himself. This episode takes a noticeably slower approach than this seasons predecessors and that's not a bad thing! So far this season has been planting little seeds which in this episode we start to see slowly sprouting which is cool, no need to rush. Although this episodes pace is calmer and almost meditative the doom that's been looming over the prisoners increases. People are getting infected not only by the zombie plague but by the new disease that's been galloping through the cement walls of the cell blocks causing its victims to ooze blood from they're orifices and die painfully.

To combat this problem the council decides to quarantine the infected survivors as best they can. I admit Kirkman did have me surprised when we discover who finds they're way into these quarantined cell blocks. Glenn has it, as does Tyreese's sister whose name escapes me at the moment, and Meeka's older sister. Now we don't know too much about this disease yet but from the look of it, it acts fast. I don't think show runner Scott Gimple will kill off Glenn just yet but I'm not opposed to it if the writers do decide to kill off one of those three characters. It would be a pretty ballsy move. Glenn's infected and I kinda think they should stick to they're guns and kill then reanimate the ex pizza boy or at least one of the others. I would be a little disappointed if they pull a magic trick and the three leads miraculously survive but hey this is the TV show and not the brutal, uncompromising graphic novel.

So these guys are dying and this causes said council to act fast! Led by everyone's favorite redneck a team of deadly prisoners embark on a quest to grab some meds at a local animal hospital which is not just around the block, its 50 miles down the way to be exact. I was a bit confused as to why Hershel would randomly know about an animal hospital but then I remembered he was a vet, nice callback Kirkman. So they head off in Zack's ride.

Darly and Michonne set off to find the hospital with Bob & Tyreese in tow. I did like the exchange between Daryl and Michonne, we learn that she is still very much after the Governor, but Daryl isn't as optimistic they will find him and bring the one eye'd bandit to justice, but they are interrupted by what I think is one of the most important plot points this season has introduced so far. A radio frequency of a group of survivors broadcasting to anyone who isn't an undead cannibal, who are these people? Well I think I have an idea but that's just cause I read the comics. But it cuts off and the group realizes they're in deep shit. Heading down the road they get stopped by, oh just a couple THOUSAND walkers! They're up to their necks in zombies, literally & they escape narrowly while Tyreese contemplates whether he wants to save himself or not, he chooses life. Which is refreshing, it would have been a shame if they decided to end his character in Zack's old ride. They head off into the woods and the hope of getting the meds back to the prison shrinks drastically!

Meanwhile back at home base Hershel delivers his tea to the infected prisoners (someone hashtag that shit seriously) but while giving his brew to Dr. S who I think was originally a girl in the novel but that not important, what is that Hershel gets blasted in the face with infected blood! With all of these lead characters getting down with the sickness, someone has to die, otherwise the threat gets reduced when we know that the virus only infects background actors & day players.

So as the episode comes to a close we finally find out who turned Dave and Karen into crispy skeletons. It was in fact Carol, dun dun dunn! But seriously though this took me by surprise which actually isn't so surprising when your familiar with Kirkman's comic, crazy shit happens, and then the issue ends leaving you looking like a bug eyed, slackjawed walker. I have to say that out of all the characters this show has introduced over the years, Carol is one of my favorites. I absolutely love where she began at the beginning of the series a helpless woman in a really toxic relationship & now shes a bad-ass she- warrior who will do whatever it takes to keep everyone alive no matter how cold or drastic it is. Is Carol the Heisenberg of the zombie apocalypse? I'll let you guys decide. All in all this was a pretty good one, I really like where this season is going, and I'm excited for the next episode. I'll give episode 3 "Isolation" an 8 out of 10. Great job as always Kirkman and Gimple, you are proving yourself to be a talented showrunner, and the right guy for the job with each episode!

Written by Isaiah Mueller

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