Walking Dead S4E9
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
The Walking Dead is back after a mid-season hiatus, and the survivors have all been uprooted from the prison. Much like last season's "Clear," this episode is focused on three people: Rick, Carl, and Michonne.
Rick and Carl are on the move after the prison battle. And Carl is experiencing typical teenager angst. Except the Zombie Apocalypse is a bad time to have your pubescent meltdown. Because while you are confused, hating your parents, and having a hormone imbalance, dead things are trying to eat your face off.
Rick is seriously injured from his fight with the Governor. He needs a place to rest and recuperate, so he and Carl hole up in a nice suburban home that has some Cornflakes in the cupboard. Rick is also trying to get Carl to make smart decisions, like conserving ammunition and not being a stoic douchebag. And trying to wean his son from his psychopathic ways. But its the Zombie Apocalypse, so psychopathy is kinda the "in" thing right now.
Carl is angry at his father's failings as a leader, and blames Rick for the deaths of his baby sister and others that Carl had grown to like. While Rick rests, Carl goes out exploring the suburban neighborhood. He almost gets turned into #zombiechow, but he dispatches of the threats with some well-placed gunshots. But this is the South, so there's likely little chance that Carl can't find more .38 ammunition. While exploring, Carl comes upon a stack of video games, a big television, and an XBox. But the only thing of value to Carl, in this world, is the HDMI cord, which can be used as rope. So Carl decides to play his own video game, and puts himself into harrowing situations where he must defend himself against the undead. After losing a shoe in a narrow scrape, he returns homewhere his resting father is. Only Rick is not waking up, and Carl begins to think that Rick has died. But he can't shoot his father in the head, and waits for the inevitable munching to come his way once his father turns. Thankfully, Rick wakes up and mutters "Coorrlll!!" So Carl understands that he is not quite a man yet, and he needs his old, boring, and lame father.
Meanwhile, Michonne is also displaced and leashing armless, jawless zombies as camouflage, a throwback to our earliest introduction to Michonne. She dreams/hallucinates about her life prior to the world going to hell, and the viewer gathers that the two #zombs she used to protect herself during her introduction were her boyfriend and her brother. We also get a glimpse at the baby son she had, and get the idea that her boyfriend possibly killed the baby in a murder-suicide. Hey, some folks have a hard time coping with the end of the modern world.
But Michonne perseveres, takes out some aggression on a rather passive zombie horde, and follows muddy footprints and empty pudding cans to the home where Rick and Carl are holed up. So at least there's something good happening in a world gone to hell.
This episode was on the slow-paced side, but it serves as a good, calm break in the story as the survivors try to finding their footing again (pun intended) after the prison ouster. Hopefully, a few upcoming new characters can add a spark to the show.
Random Thoughts:
- Why doesn't anyone shut the door whenever they enter a building? Zombies seem to have a hard time opening doors.
- Carl trying to knock the door open, and instead knocking himself down was the highlight of the show.
- OK, here's a Public Service Announcement: During the Zombie Apocalypse, never, ever walk backwards.
- Why is Rick Grimes the dirtiest person in the entire world? Why can't he clean himself up?
- Watching this show immediately after watching HBO's True Detective is not even remotely fair.
What did you think?
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