NOTE: Let’s be mindful of all the new viewers participating in this conversation and try not to spoil plot points taking place deep into the run of the comic series. Mild speculation is fine and encouraged, as well as talking about things that have happened in the comic up until the point they are at in the show, but don’t get too explicit with regard to future surprises. They will be deleted. Thanks!
“Judge, Jury, Executioner”
or
“Shit Stops Being Polite and Starts Getting Real”
Well, it looks like Rick hasn’t made his decision on Randall in the time since the last episode, unless Rick’s choices were “kill him” and “let Daryl do his best Jack Bauer imitation on Randall in the barn.” Daryl is trying to get Randall to talk about his group of people: how many there are, what their weapons are like, what their intentions are, etc. Randall decides to make his case for survival by telling Daryl the heart warming story of the time that he and his fellow scouts brutalized a couple of teenage girls while their father was forced to watch. Daryl punches him a few more times before we…
Roll credits!
Daryl gives his report to the group and based on the information about the size of Randall’s crew, their weapons, and propensity for raping, Rick decides it’s time for Randall to die. Everyone seems okay with this, except Dale who pleads with Rick not to kill Randall. He wants one day to try to convince the group not to kill Randall. Dale tells Rick to think of Carl. Rick says he is.
In full on Survivor campaign mode, Dale asks Andrea to guard Randall and not let anyone get to him before he has a chance to plead his case to the group. Dale is a bit taken aback when former civil rights attorney (that’s news!) Andrea seems very nonchalant about the whole killing Randall thing. Dale tells Andrea that this is no way for a civilized society to act. Andrea tells Dale that society is gone and we’re no longer civilized. Dale counters by saying that they do not have to give up heir humanity, even in a zombie apocalypse. And thus the central philosophical conceit of The Walking Dead is laid bare.
Having agreed to guard Randall (who is locked up in the barn), Andrea must now deal with pleas for water and mercy. She ignores him… for now. This gives Randall a chance to watch and eavesdrop on the following: Carl wants to get a look at Randall because it’s not every day they get a human prisoner. Shane doesn’t allow it because he’s got to go strut around in front of Andrea talking about how there’s no way that Rick will go through with killing Randall and that he’s tired of following Rick and Hershel’s rules. Andrea wants to know if Shane is proposing an armed coup. Shane doesn’t say no, exactly.
Carl, having completely disobeyed Shane, appears in the hayloft above the chained up Randall. Sweet talk about Carl’s sweet hat and flattery about Rick doesn’t sway Carl who stares at Randall in stoney silence. Randall tries the “boy, that Rick sure seems like a nice man, but that Shane’s a prick” tack with Carl, who has now, quite foolishly, climbed down from the hayloft. Randall tells Carl that his group has plenty of supplies and that he’ll take Carl, Rick, and Lori to live safely with him and his friends, if only Carl will help Randall get out of these pesky chains. Shane busts in on the conversation and sticks a gun in Randall’s face before dragging Carl out for a good tongue lashing about letting his guard down and trusting strangers.
Dale finds Daryl to talk about where his head’s at now that he’s living apart from the others and has shown a propensity for torturing prisoners. Daryl tells Dale that their group is broken and that he’s probably better off on his own. Dale tries to rally Daryl to the anti-Shane ticket but Daryl truly just does not care about the interpersonal bullshit right now.
Lori finds Rick scouting good places to hang Randall. Which, let’s be honest, is morbid. Lori wants to know how things are between Rick and Shane and Rick tells her that Shane won’t be a problem anymore. Oh, Rick.
Carol finds Carl and tells him, apropos of nothing, that they will see Sophia again in Heaven. Carl tells her she’s an idiot for believing in Heaven and Carol goes and narcs on him to his parents. Not cool, Carol. Rick gives Carl a talking to about giving sass to Carol. Rick tells Carl to talk less and think more and Carl turns it around on Rick by asking questions about the logistics of capital punishment.
Dale’s desperate campaign to save Randall continues as he tries to appeal to Hershel’s sense of right and wrong. Hershel punts the ball and says that he’s fine with whatever Rick choose to do.
Carl stumbles on Daryl’s camp and finds his white supremacist motorcycle, his freshly killed game… and an automatic pistol. Carl then goes for a walk, alone, in the woods and stumbles on a zombie who is having a lovely time admiring a quaint stream. The zombie can’t get to Carl because he’s got one foot stuck in the thick Georgia mud. So Carl tosses a few rocks at him. The zombie still can’t get to him. This causes Carl to ponder a bit. Carl is getting creepy.
Dale has hit rock bottom. His save Randall campaign has now come to… Shane. Dale tells Shane that killing Randall doesn’t change the fact that they are constantly in danger or that they are outnumbered. The only thing killing Randall will change is all of them. Shane admires Dale’s balls, even though he tells Dale that he’s a naïve idiot, and tells him that if Dale can convince the whole group to go along with not killing Randall that he’ll acquiesce.
Back at the house, Hershel comforts the Random Blonde Chick. Glenn appears and asks “Who is she?” but Hershel hears it as “How is she?” and then they chat about immigrants and Hershel gives Glenn his old Irish pocket watch that had been passed down to the men in his family. I’m pretty sure that Glenn now has permission to have as much sex with Maggie as they both can handle.
The sun is setting and it’s just about time to have that hanging. Lori talks to Rick and he still feels good about going through with it. Lori doesn’t exactly agree with him but she doesn’t disagree either.
Back in the woods and Carl has had enough toying with the zombie. He pulls Daryl’s pistol and lines up his shot. Just as he’s about to pull the trigger, the zombie wrenches his leg free and lunges at Carl, knocking the gun away. Carl manages to escape and, leaving the gun behind, runs back to the camp.
The group gathers in Hershel’s house to decide Randall’s fate. Everyone but Carl because deciding to execute someone is no place for kid folk. Rick calls for a discussion. He wants to hear the argument for keeping Randall alive. You might as well call Dale the cheese because he stands alone. No one else speaks out in favor of keeping Randall alive, but they decide to run through some scenarios anyway. No one wants to feed him. No one wants to guard him 24/7. No one wants to risk everyone liking him only to have him sneak out of camp to bring his whole group back with him. Dale is getting desperate. He cannot believe that he is watching the rule of law, and humanity, crumble before his very eyes. Daryl just wants them to stop going around in circles. Carol just wants it all to end, one way or another. Dale makes one last teary eyed plea to do the right thing and not break their rules against killing the living. He manages to sway Andrea to his side, but no one else. The decision is made: Randall must die.
Some time later, Daryl, Rick, and Shane walk Randall to an empty barn. They tie a blindfold on him and put him on his knees. Randall cries. He pleads for his life on last time. Rick wavers and appears to struggle with his decision. Carl appears in the barn and tells his father to go ahead and pull the trigger. This breaks Rick’s resolve. He’s turned his own son into a cold blooded killer. Rick orders Daryl to take Randall away and lock him up. Rick finds the rest of the group and tells them the news. He explains to Lori that their son may possibly be a sociopath. (Okay, he doesn’t say that but, c’mon!)
Dale is on guard duty and comes across one of the errant steers that escaped earlier in the episode. It’s been chewed on by a zombie…. which appears behind Dale and knocks him to the ground! It’s the zombie that Carl failed to kill! The zombie grapples with Dale and tries to bite him. That doesn’t work so he just sticks his hand through Dale’s stomach and rips it wide open! Everyone runs to his aid and Daryl swiftly dispatches the zombie. Hershel tells Rick that the wound is fatal and that there’s nothing he can do: Dale is going to die. Carl recognizes the zombie from earlier in the woods and runs into his mother’s arms to hide his shame. Dale writhes in pain, bleeding to death. Andrea pleads with Rick to show him some mercy and Rick, in an ironic twist, puts his gun to Dale’s head. He can’t do it, though, so Daryl takes the gun from Rick. He puts the gun to Dale’s forehead, apologizes to his dying friend, and pulls the trigger.
Okay, so that happened.
Clearly, the early and unexpected death of fan favorite character Dale is going to be quite a topic of discussion. Did it happen simply as a creative decision to shake the show up with a shocking death? Or was it related to the reports that several actors revolted after executive producer Frank Darabont was shown the door by AMC? Actor Jeffrey DeMunn is a long time and well known Darabont guy (he has appeared in all of Darabont’s films) so it’s possible that he asked off the show.
Either way, it keeps viewers on their toes. It would appear that, like the comic book, no one is ever safe on The Walking Dead. And that’s a good thing.
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This was a fun episode. I kinda liked how Carl was being a little kid tough guy. Seemed believable. He thinks he’s a man and that he’s hardcore, but when he tries to test himself, he’s still just a little kid….and things happen because of it.
man, i was SHOCKED by the Dale situation. How does a walker sneak up on you in an empty field? Laying in the grass? Either way, crazy sequence. I wasn’t aware of the real world actor politics, but that was just a bummer to lose that character.
I posted on here like 4 months ago that some actors wanted to quit the show.
and that sucks cause i like the show now.
i know that every comics/entertainment site was reporting that stuff, i just usually choose to ignore hollywood politics stories and enjoy the shows for what they are.
Well i couldnt choose to ignore it.. because i had friends tell me about it (i never read anything about that on any site). From what i understand it may have been more than just Frank Darabont leaving. Regardless the show has been better post Darabont.. unfortunately maybe Darabont doesnt want that to continue. Theres more to come. AMC released a pic of another dead cast member (another good actor).. I hope its incorrect. By the way, for those of us that picked up every issue of walking dead from issue number one (never in trade).. from the first day it came out.. we were entitled to be a little disappointed in season 1 and the first episode of season 2. Its fans like me that made this show possible. If we werent buying walking dead in the first year.. many of you wouldnt be chatting about this show now.
I’ve been reading this in trade, and couldn’t be happier about it. Stop being so self righteous… “It’s fans like me that made this show possible”. Who are you? Oh, wait, I don’t give a sh*t who you are, that’s right.
That being said, I thought that Dale dying was probably the best part of this episode. He did nothing by get on my nerves the entire episode. “If we kill him then who are we?” People trying to survive a zombie apocalypse, that’s who. It’s survival of the fittest, just like Dale said, and he just couldn’t deal with that. Therefore, he didn’t survive.
“the show has been better post Darabont”
Yep. I couldn’t understand why so many people are putting the show’s success squarely on Darabont’s shoulders.
So… everyone loves the show, but agrees its a bit slow. But we want to praise Darabont for making it great but not fault him for when its not working? It makes no sense.
His ‘lost’ idea for 2nd season opener was ridiculous and pointless. Him dragging in Stephen King… seriously? Was he looking topurposefully jinx the entire thing? I like King as a writer and I appreciate productions based on his works… but Stephen King the SCREENWRITER has always been a miserable affair full of failures. I have no idea about his son though, he might or might not have brought something to the table. But Stephen King + TV is, in itself, a horror story.
I’m glad Darabont is gone. I think he would have dragged Walking Dead down. My hats off to him for helping it get off the ground though, I respect and thank him for that. (And I do like the Mist… so its not like I’m a Darabont hater… watch the Mist in Black and white, its awesome that way).
It’s a rare thing when you watch a show saying, “kill that guy.” and they actually do.
I was so happy when they did. They did a good job too.
Good episode but still pretty flat until the last 10 minutes or so. I found the debate about killing Randall a little War on Terror-ish. Are we safe? What have we become? I agree with Dale’s point in terms of losing some humanity and I liked his whole “we kill him because we can’t think of a better solution” debating point but seriously Dale, come on. I was also hoping that Dale dying was going to bring a certain key element of the comic to the TV series, but not yet I guess.
Also important to note: T-Dog had one line in the whole episode and Dale interrupted him. Dale gets eviscerated. Lesson: Don’t step on T-Dog’s lines.
lol, I was thinking when the fuck is T-dog gonna have some lines and when he does, BAM Dale cuts him off. T-dog is such a wasted character and at this point he’s kinda of just the token black dude. Please bring in Tyrese and Michonne.
I was like is T-Dogg even in this show right before I saw him.
I think they’re just keeping Tdog around so when they want to have a Walking Dead style character massacre they’ve got fodder. He does nothing unfortunately
It’s fun to say and even type “T-Dog”
OMG, I cannot WAIT for Tyrese and Michonne. They better not find some way to not include either of them in the TV show, that will be a deal breaker for me.
Can a person simply pull your stomach open like that? Where’s Ryan Haupt? It seems like that would take a considerable amount of strength and I’m guessing that zombie wasn’t a World’s Strongest Man winner in his pre-zombie life, much less in his present condition.
I found the fact that Daryl had the take the gun out of Rick’s hand very interesting.
I also found it interesting that Andrea (eventually) sided with Dale rather than Shane.
i had kinda thought about that stomach ripping too, but then i stopped myself from thinking about that, cause it was grossing me out. =p Seems like it would be easier, if there was already a large open wound..kinda like when you’re trying to pull shrink wrap off of a package…its all about getting it started.
I didn’t want to think too much about it either, but my inquisitive mind won’t let me stop.
I’m going to pretend that the zombie’s finger bones were sticking out and that’s what ripped open Dale’s stomach. Anything else would be ridiculous. Kind of like a zombie sneaking up on someone from the direction they just walked without seeing said zombie.
I was hoping Andre siding with Dale was going to be the beginning of their romance…oh well. Hopefully Andrea will start to become the new Dale
@stuclach: I guess it’s been Zombie 101 law since the Romero days.
Except in Night of the Living Dead the zombies actually used tools to kill people, then eat them. But in Dawn of the Dead they can easily rip you apart. (Except they seem to be so weak you could easily run past a crowd of them) Finally in Day, easily they are visually rotten away, they are even stronger then before.
So maybe zombie get enhanced strength despite the fact they are basically rotting away?
Even though for most of the episode I felt like I was watching a high school debate club, I enjoyed watching the characters process their decision making and run through options and scenarios.
I find myself torn over Carl’s development this season. On one hand, yes, this is their harsh new reality and as a young boy he’s quickly adapting to it as he is in his formative years. On the other hand, sometimes it feels forced and just used as a plot device. Either way, I think Chandler Riggs is giving a great performance considering the dark and thought-provoking material of the show.
No matter what the reason for Jeffrey DeMunn’s departure, I’m going to miss him on the show. And I’m going to miss the character of Dale. So often in TV and movies, we only get to see a small cross section of survivors that just happen to fall into the under 40 range (and of course they’re usually all super model attractive). It was nice to have Dale around to represent an older demographic with maybe a little more experience and/or wisdom under his belt.
RIP Dale, you’ll be missed. Especially the first time the RV breaks down.
The world is get what you can, I never understood why they would not just go to the RV store and take one. Sure they may have to fight/kill some walkers but it whould be worth it to get a good RV.
So, there might be some spoilers in here so consider yourself warned.
I have to believe the suggestion that Jeffrey DeMunn asked to be let off the show after Darabont was forced out. Anyone could have died in that spot so why kill one of the key characters (and most recognizable actors) of the show? T-Dog could have bit it there right? Not like he has had anything to do lately. It seems like they just threw the character of Dale away which is exactly what I would expect if someone wanted out. I think the show is really going to miss what Dale brings to the group dynamic. I don’t mind changing things up from the book, in fact, I think it is important to give the comic fans something to keep them tuning in every week but Dale should have been around a lot longer.
Also, it is time to move on from The Farm. I understand the budgetary reason for setting most of this season on The Farm but the story is getting stale. Go ahead and have Carl kill Shane, introduce Michonne and let’s get to the prison.
I understand the complaints about the time being spent on The Farm, but is it going to be any different when they are at The Prison?
They don’t need to cater to comic fans to make them tune in. Besides, even if all comic fans who read THE WALKING DEAD stopped watching (and somehow they all had Nielsen boxes) the show wouldn’t lose one rating point.
I have been debating my friends for a long time on this and I just no longer believe Shane eats it, at all. Look at everything that tells you he won’t: Sophia and Dale killed instead, he slept with Andrea, he ‘made up’ (for now) with Rick, Kirkman himself saying its the one character he regrets killing off too fast… all signs point to Shane sticking it out… at least for a 3rd season anyway.
My beef is that the Carl/Shane event is, for me at least, the defining moment of the WD comic series. There’s so many elements in that one event that tells you what Walking Dead is. And for the first season and a half of the TV series, I’ve been waiting for it to happen because I believed it was integral for it to happen.
But now I realize… nope. Not gonna happen. That the TV series CANNOT live up to the comics. Like Xmen movies, you have to seperate and see them for what they are. The WD tv series is a good one, but not as good as the comic. Especially w/ Dale’s death, you have to remove EVERYTHING you know about the comic or you all will be consistently disappointed week after week.
I don’t expect the Governor or Michonne to be exactly like who I know them to be in the comics. I question if they ever do the prison storyline, i question if Shane dies, and even if he does, I question if its by Carl’s hands.
Boy, the number of characters I enjoy spending an hour with every week is damned low, and the number of characters I want to see wander into an undead smorgasbord ticks up with each passing episode. For this particular character to meet his fate while Shane and Andrea swagger around making That Face… well, I hope it was behind-the-scenes turmoil. If it was a spontaneous writing choice, the program and I may have to bid one another adieu.
Must we watch people argue about what to do for 55 minutes instead of watching them do something every single week?
perhaps a bit of “Waiting for Godot”…but y’know with Zombies?
The “We are the Walking Dead” speech would be a perfect moment for the season finale.
Surprised to see Dale getting killed off esp. since he played such a bigger role in the comic. It does make this alot more fun to watch because now all my previous predictions of what was going to happen based on the comic have been thrown out the window. Carl Grimes is spot on to his comic counterpart and being played too perfection by the talented Chandler Riggs.
Okay I was reluctant to do so, but I saw the episode last night….And suffice to say I am too angry and filled with rage to express my full views on the subject (with other, more important life altering decisions happening in my life to make it worse) So without going on a full rant here are the two things I’ll say about it and move on:
1) The writing is absolutely atrocious. It’s like they watch the show Lost, dumbed it down, and they want us to care about the characters. Unfortunately all of these people, even people we should like like Dale, are complete assholes and I am totally fine with anyone getting killed off.
2) It’s probably more on the writing but this is what I saw as an ‘exclusive’ sneak peak for next week. T-Dog, who FINALLY speaks, gives a groan worthy tease saying the word ‘Govener’ and then this line:
“Aw, hell naw!”
…..THAT JUST HAPPENED! An African-American character, with no depth and no personality, just said the phrase “Aw, hell naw!” He didn’t even say ‘no’ he said ‘naw!’ in a thick southern accent…..Does this show want to see just how far down it can go before being labeled as racist!? I mean Glenn didn’t saying anything like this on this week’s show but did I miss him going: “Ancient Chinese Secret” and then say it like he has a lisp?….Good lord that was….WOW!
Thank god I found good enough reasons to remind myself why I tried quitting this show for good the first time. Will continue to do so after this embarrassment.
See ya next recap.
@THE NEXTCHAMP How could you dumb down LOST? That show only pretended to have a meaning, they raised questions with no answer, how smart is that. I loved LOST when it was on but the whole thing was silly when over, I would not want the box set if it was given out for free, AND all hell naw is not racist some people (white, black, brown ect) talk like that, its where you are from more than what color you are.
The very existence of poor writing on shows I refuse to watch often fills me with rage and send me to rant to strangers on the internet. Glad I’m not alone!
I’ve had it with this show. The comic series is infinetly better, and watching the mediocrity of this show is just depressing in comparison.
I couldn’t agree more! I understand changing things here and there to keep it interesting and not tell the same exact story as the comic, but this is just ridiculous. I can’t stand anything about this show. The worst part is that it wouldn’t be a good show even if the comic didn’t exist. It’s extremely boring to me, and it offers none of the excitement the comic has given us over the years.
Zombies tearing open a victims stomach is believable (sharp, bony finger tips and uncut nails (that grow for a short period, even after death). I wonder if this series will demonstrate what would happen to a pregnant mother that has a miscarriage? Kirkman has already established that all living human beings that die become zombies. A late trimester miscarriage could theoretically claw it’s way out of the womb, and a baby at any stage that dies (infection would likely spread to mother long before the mothers body would eliminate the remains of the failed pregnancy), would cause infection in the mother, thus killing her (and she would return as a zombie). I’ve watched my fare share of zombie movies and never seen a writer tackle this issue.
I think my disussion point might touch some nerves with the pro, or anti-abortion debaters. But, being as the suggested title of the episode is “Shit Stops Being Polite and Starts Getting Real”, I think it’s an appropriate point.
Anyone have any “educated” thoughts on the science of this topic?
Remake of Dawn of the Dead visited this topic.
Any and all shows on TV (except documentaries) won’t stand up to the kind of scrutiny on determining if something, like Dale’s disembowelment, is realistic or not. Having a background in Biology and Medicine, I had to suspend belief since the pilot premise of Rick’s coma to enjoy the show. And I really enjoy the show.
@itsbecca Dawn of the Dead (remake) showed how an infected mother would pass the infection to the unborn child. I was questioning what would happen if a “healthy” pregnant woman had a miscarriage, in the “walking dead” world (anyone who dies becomes a zombie). I personally think that the unborn baby would become a zombie and infect the mother.
@UncleBob Yeah, I agree. The writers of most shows don’t put enough thought into their stories, because the average joe-viewer isn’t all that discerning.
@canucklehead: It’s not that they don’t put thought into shows, it’s that realism is sacrificed for drama.
@Conor Kilpatrick They could be puting more thought into the show is all I’m saying. Maybe they could consult Matt Mogk, or Max Brooks to bring more realism to the show.
The Walking Dead is my favorite comic, and I agree that it is a drama piece (or soap opera with zombies), but I crave more realism. Pregnancy in this “zombie world” has alot more implactions than the obvious (women die during child birth). If the baby dies inside the womb, then there goes the mother, and just imagine the drama that would ensue then.
The characters in the show aren’t aware that when anyone dies they become a zombie, so if Beth had succeeded in killy-herself, there would have been a zombie chewing on people in the farmhouse.
I’ve been waiting for this to pop-up in the series, and I thought that Dale dying would have been the perfect time (but they had to go and shoot him in the head). It’s been awful convenient that every living person that has been shot to death so far, has been shot in the head. Obviously, the writers are saving the “big reveal” till later.
Well this blows my “Dale will finally get the guts to kill Shane” theory out of the water. First, with how fervent his stance on execution was this whole episode, and then… you know. The end obviously. Although, last episode had convinced me out Shane dying very soon anyway. Hopefully it won’t be *too* much longer.
I was also holding my breath with the thought that Carl might’ve killed the captive. I’ve always found his evolution to be very interesting, so if I can’t have a proper Andrea at least they’re doing right by the little psychopath the apocalypse built. Though, clearly, since he wussed out on the walker, he has a little way to go.
Anyway, same thing I say after every episode. CANT WAIT FOR THE PRISON!
when he was all “i don’t want to live in this world” and then y’know…yeah so be careful what you wish for in this world
I really thought Carl was going to shoot Randall too.
Me too, Conor. Though in fairness to Carl his scene with Randall was the first time I thought he was a threat. With everyone else he says he’s gang is scary, and he doesn’t want to go back. I think with Carl he showed his true colors. If only one of the grown-ups had heard that exchange.
That was exactly my thought Zeppo. I agreed with the idea that he needed to be treated as a threat, but as an audience member thought he was fairly harmless. Then that scene happened and I was convinced, dude is full on in the group and that group is daaaangerous.
Wahhhh! Now I hate Carl too!
no way… Carl will be the character who can do things his father couldn’t. Heck, Dale was SUFFERING and there was no hope for him and Rick couldn’t pull the trigger
I’ve hated Dale ever since he turned into a busybody control freak and tried to throw everyone’s guns into the swamp, so I didn’t particularly care that he got killed off. At this point, my list of people I want to survive is shorter than my list of people I either don’t care about or want to die horribly.
Amen
I hope Dale’s sad and early demise is a wake up call for Andrea. I reread the first couple of collections to see if Andrea was always so stupid and I was remembering it wrong. I wasn’t.
I don’t mind that things have changed, plot wise, but if you didn’t want Andrea call the character something else.
Andre seemed the most upset by Dale’s side, he did save her life i suppose
Not the one I expected to go. One of the other actors is being touted for Darabont’s new LA Noir pilot.
It’s definetly diverging from the comics now. Not that means it’s inferior, just a different interpretation.
I kinda saw this coming at the beginning of the episode. It became clear that the Dale/Andrea romance was not going to happen in this interpretation. The comic and the tv show are really what happens after you survive the initial outbreak and the choices that have to be made to survive. Dale’s impassioned speech won back the group after they had begun to fall under Shane’s influence. It was a powerful episode and perhaps we see Herschel assume some of Dale’s going forward.
Jeffery DeMunn was a perfect Dale. its going to be sad to see him go.
T-Dog is the weakest part of the series. Beth has had more impact on the series than he has. I really hop they address his character soon or mercy kill him. Having him around to show up for meaningless cameos doesnt add anything to the show.
Me and my friends made up a drinking game for T-dog after noticing that he gets ignored most of the time. If he shows up on screen, you drink one; if he has a line, you pound a beer. I just know that eventually our joke-game will bite us in the ass.
I had this big comparison being done in my head last night, to Twelve Angry Men, and how we were getting sort of the state of where each character is, in a nutshell last night….then I watched Talking Dead and Hardwick mentioned Twelve Angry Men first.
Damn you Hardwick 😉
I’m gonna finish this season before I decide whether or not to tune in for season three. I’m still curious to see how things turn out, so I guess that’s a plus. But I made peace with the show being a pale adaptation by the end of season one, so Dale’s death didn’t affect me all that much (though seeing any version of Dale being gutted was shocking). Right after the show a friend of mine filled me in on the Darabont politics, so I’m not all that flabbergasted by it in retrospect. Still, Dale’s important and it’s a shame to see him go.
I think the dealbreaker for me will be how they handle Shane’s death. I’m still hoping they’ll do it right (his death from the books can still be just as effective, if not moreso).
Dale has been pissing me off lately with these past few episodes. His logic in this kind of world is idiotic. He wants to get rid of the guns, becomes a control freak over Andrea wanting to kill herself, and now wants to endanger the whole camp by letting Randall go. Seriously man, this guy is just stupid. Oh, and Carl is a moron. And can we please get off the farm!
T-Dog and Shane outlasted Dale?
Eff this show.
No but seriously, something finally happened so this was one of the better episodes.
Be careful of putting spoilers so short in the first sentence of a comment. It shows on the front page… so that sucks.
Oh well.
Sorry. I’ll keep that in mind for next time. 🙂
So what if the “T” in T-Dog stands for Tyrese?
@kennyg: It stands for Theodore.
They killed Dale… and he never fucked Andrea. Damn that Shane! Damn him to hell!
I think fans are more pissed that they won’t get to see one of Dale’s shining moments than they are to see him die, also with the death of Dale there must be a replacement of the short by one cast. Can we get Tyrese or Michonne now? I’m pretty sure someone else will be returning next season.
“Dale…is dead! If only I had stopped that zombie when I had the chance!” And now, as young Carl walks off, realizing that with the great power of firearms must come the great responsibility to use them to blow off the heads of zombies, a new hero is born… PSYCHO CHILD!
I haven’t had a chance to watch in a while, but I don’t seem to be missing much. Shane’s still a prick, still wish he were dead, maybe soon.
Shane is next and really wish Lori was right after that. She is a real pain in the arse, and a moment of silence for our good friend Dale…. …..! Carl is a little ba#stard, he also gets me pissed. Just thought this was an awesome episode and really was shocked on the death of Dale, I had no clue he was done and man was it graphic. I really thought this was one of thee most groesome attacks yet ever in the Zombie movie genras! The I heard the anouncement only two episodes left? Wow, this season sure is rolling by so fast and then another long wait till the start of season three, damn!
K
*then* I heard
(oooops)
K
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the departure, the death of Dale surprised me and hit me on an emotional level. I really didn’t expect it. It was like THAT issue of the comic. You know it’s possible but you don’t really believe it will happen and then it does. I hope Carl is wrong and Dale does go to a better place. Their world will definitely be poorer without him. Maybe he can be a martyr whose ideals will crystallize with others now that he’s gone.
None of the characters on the show are very likable. In the comics a lot went unsaid and that helped you relate. It was implied Rick knew about Shane the baby daddy but never said. There was a sacrifice in the way Rick handled it. In the show its all out in the open and it winds up making shane less a villain and rick less a hero. Neither being very likable.
The scene with Dale at the end was brutal and tough. I am glad to see him go though. He seemed to always be butting in to things and also a one note pony. Not nearly as complex or as likable as his comic book counterpart.
Frankly, I’m happy to see Dale go. The actor was starting to annoy me as much as his character was (the TV one; I love Dale in the comic). Also, it’s pretty clear that they cast Dale/Andrea with little regard to their chemistry – as they had none with each other – so I’m guessing their “special relationship” from the comic would never make it to air. And if we had to pick an old guy to keep around? I easily choose Herschel – that guy is the best actor on the whole damn show. I really hope he survives for a while.
As for Shane… I get that some viewers can’t wait to see him die, run off, whatever – but from a TV writer’s perspective, he’s one of the last characters I’d ever write off. Not only is that actor extremely interesting to watch, he’s also the closest thing this show has to a “hunk,” and sex appeal is something every primetime drama covets. But most importantly? Shane is pure conflict. He’s got inner conflict, as well as outer conflict with everyone and everything… and conflict is the most crucial commodity to have when writing fiction. Even Kirkman’s stated that he erred in not seeing the golden potential for Shane when he started writing his comic series.
I’m enjoying the TV Walking Dead. But I must say this season’s been a bit disappointing. Maybe it’s because of all the behind-the-scenes drama with Darabont leaving, and it’s taking a while for the writers to regain consistency and direction. I’m hoping this show lives up to how totally awesome it could be.
Agree w/ Shane. There are numerous reasons for keeping him, on every level you can think of. The TV series so far has proven you cannot apply what’s been written in the comic.