It’s another week of The Walking Dead, as we grow increasingly near the end of season two of the show. The show is on a slight hot streak after last week’s very solid effort…does make-up master Greg Nicotero’s first shot at directing keep that up?
Find out after the jump, and note, do not read if you have not watched the episode yet.
Was Dale a perfect version of the character we knew and loved from the comic? No, not really. But that wasn’t Jeffrey DeMunn’s fault. His performance as the character was a strong one, one of the better of the cast, and it was good that he went out in an episode that allowed him to stand tall for what he believed in once and for all.
2. Andrea sees a little redemption
Andrea and Dale’s relationship in the comic was one of the emotional centers of the comics, and the TV show never matched or even attempted that relationship. However, I was really glad to see that Andrea was given one more chance to support Dale, and that she took it. It was a really nice touch in Dale’s swan song episode, and I’m glad that they took it.
3. Randall: Whistleblower?
I’m really wondering if Randall is going to reveal to Rick that Shane is still working against him. He obviously overheard what his plans for the group were, and it stands to reason that when his back is against the wall, he might make an attempt to use that to his advantage. Or not, based on the preview for next week. For me though, that seems like a good direction to take the show.
4. The group is broken
Daryl, in his last one-on-one conversation with Dale, shares with him that he thinks – knows – that their group is broken. Dale, in his last words before he stormed off to his eventual death, shared that he agreed. It’s hard not to agree. Carol pointed out herself that they are always arguing and in-fighting, and that obviously is not a good state. To be honest though, this is one of the main problems with the show. It’s desperate for dramatic tension that isn’t tied to the group warring against themselves endlessly. For the show to get fixed, they need to find a recipe to make the group stronger again. Such as…killing Shane.
5. Somewhere in-between the last episode’s good and the bad of the two before it
This wasn’t a bad episode. It wasn’t a particularly good one either. It existed somewhere in the world of “meh,” as it suffered from constant repeats of old conversations but also had some great character spotlights with Carl’s deteriorating sense of right and wrong and Dale’s constant struggle to maintain civility in a time of despair. Hell, this episode gets bonus points for actually having some good Shane screen time, as his talk with Dale was one of the highlights of the episode, for sure. Still, this season needs to close far stronger in my opinion. Two more to go!
