The Walking Dead

[Guest HERMIT]

I just don't get that kid Carl sometimes. 

He's like the little kid that wanders around all over the place in that Family Circus comics you see in the Sunday morning newspaper.

Is anybody watching and supervising him?

He's allowed to walk freely about and he has this penchant for showing up in either the right place at the right time or at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He wrangles his way into the barn to observe the captive Randall.  He manages to swipe a gun.  He's deep in the woods face to face with a zombie stuck in the mud.  Just as Randall is about to be executed in that one scene, he pops in unexpectedly.  Now, he just shows up in the middle of the night at the precise spot where Shane intended to confront Rick - and he has a gun with him too!

I think Lori needs to put a leash on Carl.  He's like a wily cockroach, that kid.

[Guest itrayya]

autuymnrain, thanks! i love reading y'alls posts! i agree with you regarding Lori and Shane. i think when Lori chatted with him, he probably thought that there is a SLIGHT chance of them being together. all these kind of emotions (fear, love, hate, anger) pushed him to where he was.

but i feel that it was the 'goodbye' between them. it will give Lori peace of mind knowing that she expressed herself to him.

and i've been thinking all night about the way Dale exited.

it was like... Dale (PAST LIFE) vs. Walker (CURRENT LIFE).

it almost goes to show that wanting to be the person that the 'past' life made you, won't save you anymore.

it was a blow to humanity.

or is it a test to Rick and the group to see that Dale, being like Dale, is the only thing that keeps you human?

HERMIT, i agree with you as well. that Carl kid.... errr.

i think he symbolizes the 'future'. Rick told him he had to grow up because one day Rick and Lori won't be there anymore.

so... it is almost like the show wants Carl to grow up faster, considering the world is a wreck now.

like... John Connor. (in Arnold's voice).

but i can't help but think that mooore people will die this last episode.

like... Maggie??? or her sister?

i think.. definitely Hershel??

i'd be mad if they try to take Carol out.

and, an average of 6 MILLION viewers each episode, wow.

[Guest duckbutt']

A spoiler synopsis leaked out for the season finale O__O . I don't want to post it here, because I don't want to spread the spoilers,

and I'm not sure if it's legit, but omg if it is. I won't say anything, but, the ending to it was like afsalhglasd

Anyways though, it's crazy how Shane died. Ricks face was SO SAD ;___; He pretty much killed his brother, and omg, I read an interview

with the actor that plays Shane, and he said that scene was basically just him and Andrew, and not Shane and Rick. They're really close,

and it's sad that he won't be on there anymore, even if his character was messed up, and he did die in the comics...

But I was hoping to see him redeem himself and be on Rick's side when they have to go against the Governor. oh gosh. I hope

Daryl has Rick's back, and Glenn too!

[autuymnrain]

yep, I agree with you, itrayya! That was goodbye closure for Lori and Shane.

Oh, I found part of an article I wanted to share that I think is very interesting to what I felt too. Source: http://www.aceshowbi...w/00048643.html

Prior to the big zombies vs. humans battle in the upcoming outing, the  show has just killed off another regular character, Shane, in the  penultimate episode. Speaking of what's on his character's head when he  led Rick into the woods before Rick stabbed him, Jon Bernthal shared, "I think there's a part of Shane himself that knows he is no longer fit to be among the people."

"He knows how much of a danger he is. He knows now he's killed yet  another human being, and I think a part of this is him really spurring  and challenging and getting Rick to step up and encompass what Shane has  and take Shane out. I think there's a suicidal flavor."

He went on explaining, "There's a flavor there that's really saying,  'Come on, man, I'm challenging you to be the man that's fit to raise the  woman I love and the child I love and my child on the way. Come on and  step up, raise your gun.' And there's a part of him that so desperately  wants Rick to be that man, and when Rick finally does it, there's an  element of some sort of relief."

When asked by Entertainment Weekly if Rick did the right move, Bernthal  replied, "I think so. And I think that no matter what, somebody was  going to die that night. And Shane really did set out that night to kill  Rick, and through the conversation, by the end of the scene, he just  knew one of them needed to die. I do think he did the right thing.

[koreangirl143]

omg! shane's death? best thing that happened in walking dead! haha ))

[Guest HERMIT]

@autymnrain:  That's was an interesting article and insight provided by Jon Bernthal.  Just to add to the theme of "Rick vs. Shane" is the juxtaposition of Carl's character development in the aftermath of their confrontation and its impact on him.  One of the underlying concerns fueling their philosophical struggles was precisely how to raise an impressionable child such as Carl in a world where the landscape of survival has so drastically changed.  Do you coddle him and protect him as much as you can from a scary world where loved ones will die - or worse, get turned?  Or do you force him to face those realities right away and become a man at an accelerated rate?  In any event, the impact of that last scene was to make that point moot as Carl was made to come to that conclusion on his own.  And it was an ironic rite of passage if you think about it:  he killed his first Walker and it happened to be the one that would have wanted him to go that route without thinking and without remorse.  And on a more tangential note, when Carl initially raised up his gun towards Rick, you at first got a sense that at that precise moment, Carl was going through a personal microcosm of the struggle between Rick and Shane.  At that moment, you thought - wow, he's making a decision between Shane and his own dad.  What did he just see?  His dad stabbing Shane to death.  Was he going to shoot his own dad for it?  It was such a weird moment to watch as it was unfolding - at least, until Walker Shane rose up and figuratively put the matter to rest yet again.  In life, Shane forced Rick to make a decision.  As a Walker, Shane forced Carl to make a decision.

It was a powerful scene, I think, on many levels.

[Guest TeamHansson]

I really love this show.

Always like the zombie-gengre and the look and effects in this show is better than many

movies witch makes the hole thing alot more interesting.

And the ending of the last episode. Damn, I can't wait for the next =)

[Guest creaturedreams]

Here's an interview by the actor playing Shane on regards to his departure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZqIpiLDxc4

the actors playing Shane and Dale actually wanted to leave because of AMC firing the director, producer Frank. 

[OMGHIyori2U]

anybody notice that all of their guns have absolutely no recoil at all? No wonder they're able to headshot every zombie they shoot, even in drive-byes! lol

[Guest HERMIT]

Either there was just waaaay too many zombies out and about or those walkers move deceptively fast.  I swear, I would have thought that if Andrea simply focused on pacing herself running, she would have gotten considerably clear of all those walkers.  Certainly long enough to rest a bit and calmly reload her gun(s).  But hell, all those walkers just seem to converge on her way too quickly.

Thank god these walkers are not the same kind of zombies from 28 Days Later.  Hell, those zombies were some comparatively world class sprinters.  I find them really terrifying.  There's certainly no way our heroes in The Walking Dead would have survived the way they have against this different breed of walker hahaha.

[autuymnrain]

^ HAHAHAHAHA. but they were still really fast, almost like they went through someeeee evolution...

I have no words left fitting to type after that season finale. Okay, the walker that came at Patricia, felt like it come out of the blue to tackle her like football! JAYSUS. But okay, there is one thing I feel I can muster up to say, though the change in Rick was really fast (and that somewhat monologue he gave felt so badly written--like it made him look like the bad guy!) I feel so horrible for him. No one seems to understand what he had to go through. They all can't trust him nor empathize.  And really, yes, he did deceive them and not say what Jenner said, but honestly, would it have mattered? I seeeeeee the prison!!! Okay, guess I was able to somewhat type. Well, here's to waiting till fall now.

[Guest duckbutt']

^

I agree about Rick. He's my favorite character! And killing his best friend would obviously do something to him. But now everybody is mad at him, and I don't think it's fair, especially Lori being mad. What else was he supposed to do? He knew for a long time, but he put it off so long, because Shane was like his brother. I just feel so sad for him. He feels so responsible for these people, but it's not really his fault. He was just branded with the title Leader.

I don't think it would have mattered much if he told them what Jenner said either. What would they have done about it? He didn't even know if it was true, until he witnessed it.

I hope Daryl continues to be on Rick's side. They need someone like Daryl. Especially now when Rick is slightly going off the rails. :\

[autuymnrain]

^ exactly, I totally agree with what you said. Even Lori, who should be the last person on earth to not support Rick, was first to pull away. WHAT THE EFF? So what was her purpose in being manipulative a few episodes ago with the whole "Shane did this and that. He thinks hte baby is his...etc." I can't remember what she siad exactly, but yea, if that was the case, what was she trying to gain from that?

I too was really heartbroken when Daryl had that look of mistrust in his eyes. I was thinking, "noooo,you need to be on Rick's side!" Rick really does need that from him now that the whole gang is ostracizing him in a way .

When Andrea was left, I felt so sad for her too. I dunno if that was in a way for her to redeem herself for being so unlikeable all season. But it was horrible when she was abandoned.

[Guest itrayya]

yes, i agree with you guys.

HERMIT, i was thinking the exact same thing. if this was 28 Days Later, they would all be goners.

i felt bad that Andrea was left behind but knowing her strength and kick butt attitude, if it had to be someone i think it should be her. she can survive out there alone better than Carol or a few of the others. thinking from the creators' point of view, this is how they will build another story. i wasn't so worried for her because i knew that someone would find her and help her, it is always like that in series, that's how you add new people to the story. i just hope it isn't Michelle Rodriguez, haha.

and when Rick ran his mouth off, i was proud that he finally said what was on his mind. when he said something like, 'i just killed my best friend to save all of you' he was right. when Shane was around everyone was scared of Shane and talking smack and Rick knew that Shane would divide the group. i can't believe that they believed in Rick and trusted him all this way just to have second thoughts. if this man saved me through 2 seasons of walkers, i'd be really on his side. Daryl still believes in Rick.

Lori knew that Shane had to go down, it probably was because she didn't want Carl to have to be the one that 'killed' Shane. Shane had saved them through Atlanta and i felt she wanted Carl to be appreciative of that, so Carl killing Shane is hurtful to her? Carl always went to Shane for advice and answers.

when Rick was yelling at the group i heard a little bit of Shane. i think now he knows how PARANOID Shane feels, to worry about safety, especially for Lori and Carl. when he killed Shane, all of Shane's responsibilities also fell on him. Rick is in TOTAL survival mode now, if he had to kill his best friend just to survive, he sure ain't gonna spare some hooligan's life for anything.

and we can't forget everything from season 1. Morgan and his son. Jim left on the side of the road. the Morales family that went their own way. don't forget Merle. the Vatos. all of these characters could be reinserted at any time. i myself can't wait to see if they are included again in season 3. they all offer the creators new story lines and new paths to take the series.

what Jenner told Rick from season 1, right after i bet my husband that he told Rick about the virus, Rick said it to the group. right on!

withdrawal started right after the show. anxiety of having to wait all year to see it again.

EDIT: it is Michonne that saves Andrea. i admit, i cheated, i read Wikipedia. now i can't wait for season 2 to come out on dvd.

i have a question for anyone who has read the comics.... how is it compared to the show? disappointments, surprises, any changes you'd make?

because i want to read the comic but i realize that my pure knowledge of NOTHING about the comic and the characters gives me a sense of pure non bias- ness when watching the show. i know that if i had read the comic ahead of time... i would kinda just be waiting to see if it happens in the show and i would totally miss all the separate qualities that the show has. it is almost like... innocence of not knowing while watching the show makes it beautiful for me? haha.

[Guest HERMIT]

and when Rick ran his mouth off, i was proud that he finally said what was on his mind. when he said something like, 'i just killed my best friend to save all of you' he was right. when Shane was around everyone was scared of Shane and talking smack and Rick knew that Shane would divide the group. i can't believe that they believed in Rick and trusted him all this way just to have second thoughts. if this man saved me through 2 seasons of walkers, i'd be really on his side. Daryl still believes in Rick.

Yeah, I was pretty glad that Rick was able to spout off like that the way he did at the end of the finale.  He had every right to go off on everybody considering all the things he had to decide and go through as the de facto leader of the group.  I was watching the wrap up show, The Talking Dead, the writers offered some substance as to why Rick withheld the info Jenner told him back at the CDC and defended his actions.  Jenner was a crazy person bent on self-destruction and nearly taking everyone with him.  So who would really believe anything he had to say, even Rick?  Hence, given no evidence to really support it, Rick plausibly saw no reason to spread the infection theory to everybody because that kind of news would just cause hysteria and paranoia.  It was only after finally seeing happen before him firsthand when Shane turned without being bitten that Rick could actually take what Jenner told him seriously.

Incidentally, when Rick was well into his monologue, did anyone notice how subliminally framed the shot was?  At the time, there were some sounds from the forest that upset everyone and they all got scared, thinking that walkers were nearby.  But that's when Rick urged everyone to remain together and not just run off unorganized into the woods.  So anyway, in that scene Rick kept looking outward through that opening of their camp and kept turning back to face the group to yell at them and put them in their place.  But the whole time, the way the camera framed it, Rick was to the left, Carol (I think) to the right, but that opening so ominously present in the center.  Before the finale, I had read teasers that more people were going to die - it wasn't going to end with just Dale and Shane.  So the whole time while watching that scene, I was just waiting for some walker to jump out of nowhere through that opening and attack, LOL.  I was thinking, "nah...the writers wouldn't do that. Would they?"  They wouldn't kill off Rick right then and there ... just as he was going through this really pivotal scene to stand up for himself and put the group in its place?  For anyone that watched Game of Thrones, that would be akin to killing off Sean Bean's Eddard Stark character .... what a game changer, hahaha.  But anyway, during that whole scene, Rick kept yelling at the group, turning to look out the opening, turn back to yell at them, and then turn back to look out.  And the whole time I was thinking the moment he turns back to face the opening, a walker would jump right out and get him in the jugular LOL.  Thank god that didn't happen.

Another scene that got me wondering too was the earlier roadside scene when Rick made the big reveal to Lori that he had killed Shane and that Carl finished him off when he turned into a walker.  Towards the end of the scene, just after Lori gets angry with him and she ultimately skulks off, there was such a long and drawn out sequence where they each were pretty much worked up, angry, and just glared at each other.  Rick particularly looked sinister with his glare and I recall the music buildup during that scene.  It kind of reminded me of the scene where Shane had just killed Randall and he seemed to be going through this sort of  "moment of madness" before he busted his nose against the tree.  Both of these scenes got me to wondering just how does the virus infection ultimately manifest itself?  Does it only occur after death, as in what happened to Shane?  Or is there a telltale symptom well beforehand that could tip off when a normal human being is about to get turned?  I was thinking that considering the way Shane started to act impulsively, erratically, and fanatically, towards the close of season two - maybe he was already exhibiting the onset of the virus taking effect already in some way?  (Sort of a slow burn "Hulk" effect, haha?)   If there's any credence to that theory, then in going back to that scene between Rick and Lori, that might be an ominous foreshadowing because we're now seeing Rick - and maybe even Lori - starting to lose it as their situation continually becomes dire by the minute.

Anyway, as far as the ending goes, I think that Rick's little monologue has kind of calmed the group down.  The only thing that I found bothersome about it was when Rick proclaimed that it "wasn't a democracy anymore".  I don't know how to feel about that anymore.  I kind of liked the fact that Rick was the leader/authority figure for the group, but seemed to be open to suggestion.  In some ways, it was as if he all of a sudden got on board with Shane's way of thinking - only much delayed.  I guess this is going to really change the dynamics of the group after all.

* * * * *

Line of the night, I think, has to go to Hershel: 

"I don't profess to understand what's God's plan .... but Christ promised a resurrection of the dead.

I just thought ....he had something a little different in mind."

Gotta love the old man, though.  I hope he sticks around.

Scott Wilson's portrayal of the old patriarch figure of shaken faith poses a good moral/religious counterpoint perspective to the show.

Maybe he could be the new "Dale" for the group in helping keep the moral compass of the group intact to some degree, however doubtful he is about his own faith.

[Guest itrayya]

HERMIT, i understand what you mean about the scene where they are in the brick 'hole' with the fire. haha. i was waiting for something to pop up, i was hoping it would be Andrea. Rick looking back in and out towards the darkness and towards the group... i think that represents his heart in wanting the group to stay together no matter what is out there. it's like... i wanna go kill what is out there but at the same time i can't risk losing the group. like... holding the gun with one hand and the group in the other, Rick is not willing to give up both.

and it would make sense that since they are all 'infected', the virus may contribute to erratic actions. finding out that you will eventually become a walker, i think no one will feel 'human' anymore even if they are living. you hit the spot, that makes sense.

and i agree with HERMIT again regarding Rick making it a non- democratic group. it bothered me too. it wasn't the Rick that we knew. but he HAD to say it. i feel like he has no other way to go about it. there is no denying that staying in a group is beneficial in strength. i agree that Rick became Shane too late. but Rick would have never understood Shane if he was not in that same situation. when Shane was here, it was... 'oh... let Shane be the crazy one who doesn't want democracy, and i be the one who balances it out.' now that Shane is gone... Rick is left with everything.

Maggie and Carol... they KNOW Rick is the ultimate 'hero' in their group, but they are just spooked. everything happened so fast.

and Daryl to Carol, 'hurry up! i ain't got all day.' when he was picking her up when she was running away from walkers. i was laughing... still hardcore in the face of death. that Daryl Dixon.

and i'm surprised that Hershel survived. i had thought that he would be killed. he may become the Dale of the group. he has to, he posses those humane qualities. heck, he kept walkers in his barn!

[Guest jonogunn]

This sums up the show

/endthread

[Guest HERMIT]

[Guest HERMIT]

Cool Walking Dead game on AMC.com.

Which Walking Dead Character Are You?

Haha, I ended up being T-Dog.

I was hoping I was Glen because I so wanna bang a white chick.

[Guest itrayya]

^ I got T-Dog too.

man, i wanted to be Andrea.

who am i kidding, zombies aren't even real and i'm scared poopless already.

i'll stay out of the limelight.

they are going to start filming again in May, i read that somewhere.

but it would make sense to continue filming right after season 2 because then they'll have to get back into their dirty clothes!