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The Walking Dead: Triggerfinger

Andrea: "Those were all the right calls. It's your presentation that leaves something to be desired."

Is Shane right? I can't say that Shane is one of my favourite characters. He’s way too macho for me. Violence and categorical decision-making isn't always the right choice, even for survival. Humans have evolved to the point they have because people formed groups and relationships of mutuality. Every man for himself doesn’t bode well for the survival of our little group or the human race. I think that Rick is intelligent and mature enough to understand this. It’s not that he won’t use violence when necessary, it’s just that he knows at some level that just survival is not enough and safety comes from the group, not just his own strength and abilities.

On the other hand, as Andrea points out, Shane is right much of the time but he is right in a way that turns people away from him. He is willing to do whatever is necessary, even if it means that people will be mad at him. He really thinks that he is the protector of the group, the only one, maybe with the exception of Andrea, that sees the truth. There are some times when I agree with him even when I don’t want to. But such people are dangerous. If Shane was running the show, they would be living in a dictatorship. You’d survive, but for what? On the other hand, democracy and caring aren’t very important if you are dead. So who should be leading the group?

The other big question -- is Shane really that seriously off the rails that Rick is in danger from him? Yes, he’s a hot-head, but he’s always been the one who flaunted authority and did his own thing. He loves Lori but he also loves Rick and Carl, who will be devastated if Rick dies. Then again, he lied to Lori, thinking it was for the best. Would a little emotional pain be too high a price to keep Lori, Carl and the baby safe? Would he sacrifice Rick? Is Rick now in a place where he will have to kill or be killed by his best friend? As my kids would say, that is seriously f’ed up.

At least Hershel seems to be back on the rails. It is becoming clearer and clearer to him what they are up against. And he turns out to be a good man in a fire fight. Glenn is losing his nerve, though. He is still turned upside down by being in love with Maggie. He is angry with himself and her for turning him into someone who is selfish and only thinks of themselves. But Glenn is a great guy. As he says, even when he was protecting himself it was because he couldn’t stand the pain he thought he would cause Maggie if he died. Unfortunately, his fear is more likely to get him killed.

The other person off the rails is Daryl. He really doesn’t know what to do with the pain and loss he is feeling. The scene where he was abusive to Carol was horrible. It seemed to lift a little when he walked into the farm house and he and Carol nodded to each other but he gave her the cold shoulder as he left again. I really hope this doesn’t carry on. Carol doesn’t need any more abuse.

I am also struggling with the moral relativity of the show. It is so much easier to watch something where you can relate to the characters and see them as the “good guys.” I kept trying to find little things that would make “our” group better than Tony and Dave’s group, but they seemed fairly similar. I wonder if our group, in the same circumstances, would have behaved differently? Maybe that is why Rick insisted on taking Randall with them. His group would not leave someone behind if there was any choice. I’m not sure. By the end of this episode I wasn’t sure about much.

Bits and Pieces

Lori being attacked in the rolled over car was terrifying, especially the zombie face through the windshield.

Shane sits at the head of the table with Rick and Hershel gone. I’m not sure if that means anything.

Shane has made the news about the baby public. I wonder if he will also accidentally let everyone know that he thinks it is his.

The story that Maggie told about Beth and her birth control pills was a very welcome bit of levity.

I also like the scene where the men returned and Maggie ran past her dad to Glenn. The fate of many fathers who have daughters.

Quotes

Rick: “Your friends drew on us. They gave us no choice. I’m sure we’ve all lost enough people, done things we wish we didn’t have to, but it’s like that now, you know that.” This sound suspiciously like what Dave said last week.

Hershel: “I can shoot, just don’t like to.”

Dale: “Don’t look at me, that’s your father’s job.”

Shane: “Everything falling apart all around us. It was the one good thing.”

Hershel: “Let me make this perfectly clear once and for all. This is my farm. Now, I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it but I don’t have to like it. So do us both a favour, keep your mouth shut.”

Lori: “You killed the living to protect what’s yours?”
Rick: “That’s right.”
Lori: “Shane thinks I’m his. He thinks the baby’s his. And he says that you can’t protect us, that you’re going to get us killed. He’s dangerous, and he won’t stop.”

6 comments:

  1. I thought this was another very strong episode. What happened to the guy who got stuck on the fence actually reminded me of Shane and Otis. Shane deliberately sacrificed Otis. Rick couldn't leave a stranger who was trying to kill him.

    That final scene with Lori blew me away. She was absolutely right to tell her husband that she was afraid of Shane and why, but it also felt terribly manipulative. At the same time, Lori is pregnant and they're in a life and death situation -- what else could she do?

    I enjoy your reviews, Doc. You always talk about the big issues. Someone last week on "Talking Dead", the truly funny talk show that airs on AMC after "Walking Dead", was complaining that there wasn't enough zombie action in the show this season. I don't see it that way. This show isn't about zombies. It's about the end of the world and survival. The zombies in the background of the story are there to represent the constant threat of danger and horrible death. If it were just a zombie fest, I wouldn't be watching it.

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  2. Really enjoyed that episode and your review. For me, this episode was a welcome shot in the arm after the last few slow-movers. I am, however, a little surprised that nobody mentioned the elephant in the room of the pregnant woman in the fairly severe car accident. Surely at least somebody should have shown a degree of concern over the condition of the foetus?

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  3. Finally a reason for Lori to be in the show. Chilling description of Shane at the end. Whispered into Ricks ear. I'm almost glad she wasn't eaten in her car. What? I said almost. :)

    The action was great in the episode. I'm really starting to like Hershel. He admitted to being wrong and revised his world view. He might become a great asset if the group has to run from the farm. And I think they'll have to because the other group might find the farm and attack.

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  4. This was good. I burst out laughing when Carl said, "You're having a baby?" It was a nice reminder that to little kids, the apocalypse doesn't matter that much.

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  5. Great review, Sandy!

    Overall, a much stronger episode than last week's slightly messy installment. All of the character driven moments and action sequences balanced out nicely. My only concern is that its not all gelling quite as well as it should be. It seems to shift quite randomly.

    I'm a huge Lauren Cohan fan, and I love what she brings to Maggie. She's slowly inching out ahead of the regulars as one the most supportable characters.

    Every scene between Daryl and Carol is overflowing with emotion. I'm not sure if its just the bond they share because of their shared desire to bring Sofia back, or if there's something else between them, but they should be getting more attention than not. I have a sinking feeling that Carol will bite the dust soon, though.

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  6. Another tense episode, and I'm betting the showdown between Shane and Rick can't be too far off. I wouldn't bet on Shane though - Rick had that same look in his eye as he did just before he shot dead the two guys in the bar. He may not be a killer by choice, but he kills when he needs to, and does so without hesitation.
    Shane is a soldier and as such, needs to dehumanise and demonise those he kills. Rick is a leader though, and has to make the hard choices such as killing Sophia.
    Darryl is another intersting contrast at the moment. As the survivalist, he was happiest on the road and making use of his talents. The time spent at Herschel's farm has reminded him of what other people see as civilization, something he is uncomfortable with. While he had Sophia to look for, he had a useful distraction. Without that, he is now trying to back away from the softening comforts of civilization and back into his own hard scrabble comfort zone.
    I found myself liking Herschel a lot more this episode, but Lori is doing some stupid things and needs to look and her and start using a bit more common sense.

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