Monday, October 22, 2012

Watching Dead: Episode 2 - 'Sick'



***This Will Contain Spoilers, Its a Recap!***

Well its Monday, the saddest day of the week because we are the farthest away from a new The Walking Dead, but don't despair next Sunday will be here soon and until then we can come together to discuss what just happened in this week's installment of Watching Dead. This week we have episode 302 Sick. So what the Hell just happened and what does it mean?

When we left our group last week they had just cut off Hershel's leg because he had gotten bit and right before we faded out we got a look at a group of inmates that were still alive in the prison. That's where we pick up, as our group is trying to deal with the Hershel situation they are also thrown into a stand-off with a group of prisoners lead by Tomas, an inmate with an obvious homicidal past. After getting Hershel back to the cell block Rick strikes an agreement with the inmates; for half of the food left in the cafeteria they will help clear out a different cell block for the prisoners to occupy then they go their separate ways and never see each other again. Rick is very clear on this point and does not mince words, if he sees them around his group he will kill them. Meanwhile Hershel is touch and go and no one knows if he will make it but if he doesn't they all know what has to be done. Back to Rick and everyone is getting ready to head in and clear out a new cell block. After a brief walker killing class they enter the building and the inmates totally forget everything they were just told and start acting like its a prison riot, shanking and beating the walkers but no head shots and no kills. Hershel is getting bad and everyone is worried.

Enter Carl, he has found the infirmary and come back with a bag full of supplies. He seems pretty proud of himself until his mother starts yelling at him for going off on his own. In typical kid angst he snaps back but is quickly shut down by Beth and he stomps off pouting. Things are going good for the team cleaning out the cell block that is until Big Tiny, an inmate, breaks rank and gets scratched. While everyone is arguing over what's to be done Tomas kills Big Tiny so fast and so brutally that everyone else is left in stunned silence. Finally the gang reaches the main doors of the cell block and a zombie slay-fest ensues. During the entanglement though Tomas twice tries to kill Rick, one time by throwing a walker at him, but to no avail. After the fight tensions are high and without hesitation Rick plants his machete deep in Tomas' skull. Another inmate, Andrew, runs off and after a brief pursuit Rick ends up locking him up in a courtyard full of zombies. The last two prisoners left are set free into their own cell block and told to keep away and stay in their own area. Back with the others Hershel dies but Laurie decides to act quickly and gives CPR, a very dangerous proposition. It pays off and Hershel is saved. All the while Carol has enlisted Glen in getting a woman walker to experiment on in case Hershel can't deliver Laurie's baby. The episode ends with Rick and Laurie talking about the state of their marriage and how divorce is really not an option in this new world and that staying together is all that matters now. Rick looks like he agrees and you can feel they still love each other but right at the end Rick chooses not to give those comforting words and just leaves her with a very basic compliment. The last shot is of Carol preparing the zombie body to be dissected but it switches angles and you are watching Carol from the vantage point of someone hiding in the brush outside the prison gates....fade to black and the end.

The one word I would use to describe this episode is Decisions. Yes while Rick does struggle with the fact that he might have to kill these unknown men he does not hesitate with the decision to kill when those men pose a clear and immediate danger to the group. You may ask how that is different from the brutal killing of Big Tiny, and why does Rick get a pass? Well the answer is simple, Rick does not enjoy what he's doing, every death costs him a bit more of the man he used to be. For Tomas the kill was enjoyable and was something he was probably very comfortable with before the zombie outbreak. Another key decision is Laurie's choice to try and resuscitate Hershel. In this world we all know that if you die you come back as a walker so you must act quickly to contain that person. Instead Laurie jumps basically on top of Hershel and gives him mouth-to-mouth. Now how much of that was selfless and how much was predicated on the fact that she needs Hershel to deliver her baby, we'll never know. In this new landscape your survival has a lot to do with how fast you can make those hard choices and act upon them. Things like Carl running off alone to get supplies and Carol experimenting on walkers also show an example of decision making, I feel. Both of those characters are deciding what they want their role to be in the group and are taking steps to become a new and more productive member. In the case of Carl he is deciding what type of man he wants to be, but he does still have a lot to figure out. In the end three big decisions are made that will effect the group greatly, Rick & Tomas, Laurie & Hershel, and Rick & Laurie. What happens next? Well for that we have 'til wait for next Sunday.

Let me know what you guys thought of last night's episode by commenting below and as always please Like the official The Final Level page at Facebook.com/thefinallevelchicago, +1 us on Google+, and follow us at @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Best Walker Moment: A prison inmate zombie in handcuffs proceeds to rip off his own hand to get free and attack Big Tiny. It made me actually groan in disgust, now that's good make-up effects.

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