‘The Walking Dead’ recap, season 2 finale: this is not a democracy!
"The Walking Dead" ends the season with an impressive death count of walkers, who were apparently originally drawn down south from downtown Atlanta by a helicopter, possibly the same one Rick saw season one. CREDIT: AMC
There have been complaints from some fans that season two of “The Walking Dead” has featured too much yappin’, not enough snappin’ of Zombie heads.
Well (SPOILER ALERTS GALORE for those of you who haven’t seen the episode yet), those fans certainly should be sated after the season two finale tonight. The number of truly dead zombies in the first 20 minutes easily exceeded the first 12 episodes of this season combined. They were every-freaking-where.
Just as Rick tries to explain to Mr. Inquisitive Carl, who had just shot Walker Shane in the head, why Shane was even a walker, they discover hordes of zombies arriving at the farm and run to the barn. Good to know Rick has a lighter (does he smoke?) because he pours gasoline all over the place, lures some of the walkers inside and proceeds to create a walker bonfire.
[UPDATE 11:44 a.m.: Read creator Robert Kirkman's commentary on the finale here.]
[UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: Ratings last night were killer: 9 million viewers, 50% more than season one finale and better than season opener of 8.1 million. The 4.7 18-49 rating was better than anything on broadcast TV last night!]
Lori, of course, loses track of her only son Carl for the 87th time. The kid apparently is like Houdini with his disappearing acts. Hershel, who says he will die on his farm like the captain on the Titanic, keeps shooting walkers but like a real-life video game of “House of the Living Dead,” they won’t stop coming. His ammo can’t last forever.
Rick saves him and convinces him to leave his beloved homestead.
Two minor characters related to Hershel’s camp are quickly devoured, folks who were barely extras given how few lines of dialogue they received. First up, Jimmy, Beth’s boyfriend, who saves Carl and Rick by driving the RV up to the burning barn.
Lori, in the meantime, finally gives up trying to find Carl and joins Beth and Otis’ wife Patricia to find a vehicle to escape. But Patricia gets gnawed in the neck by a walker. This one is even bloodier than most as Patricia spurts everywhere as a group of walkers gather around for a celebratory munching.
Daryl, on his awesome bike, plays Rambo, killing seemingly hundreds of zombies without a flicker of emotion beyond determined hatred. The others use their vehicles to escape – except Andrea, who is effectively left behind with weapons and not much else. She runs into the woods, still teeming with walkers.
At one point, Andrea appears to be mince meat but a person with a shroud hiding his/her face kills the walker. He/she has two armless walkers toddling on leashes like psycho pets. Fun! Presumably, we will learn who this person is next season.
Glenn, in one car, professes his love for a frantic Maggie, who calms down a bit. T-Dog starts driving east but Lori (with Beth) convinces him to return to their agreed-upon meeting point: the freeway north of the farm where Sophia had been nabbed. Daryl picks up Carol on his bike. Rick, Carl and Hershel arrive on the freeway and debate whether to stick around because the place is a common walker thruway (though hordes are not apparent.)
Hershel has a moment of self doubt, telling Rick to search for Lori with Carl and leave him behind. He has no reason to live.
“Have faith!” Rick growls.
“I can’t profess to understand God’s plan,” Hershel says ruefully. “Christ promised a resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had something a little different in mind.”
Rick does convince him to stick with Carl and Rick and Hershel decides that saving the kid is worth living, even if his family appears to be gone.
With too many walkers around, the trio are about to leave when the other seven arrive just in time, making for a momentarily happy reunion. (Hershel still has his two daughters Maggie and Beth) Then they realize Andrea is gone and that Jimmy and Patricia are dead.
They start driving, presumably east as T-Dog recommends, for no apparent reason except to get to shore (to meet zombie Paula Deen in Savannah?)
But Rick’s car is the first to run low on gas at one point. So they all stop and decide to hole up in a random spot.
Rick is now Uber Alpha Dog minus Shane. Daryl, the most obvious counterpoint at this stage to Rick, is surprisingly unquestioning at this point.
“We’ll find shelter somewhere,” Rick says through gritted teeth. “There’s got to be a place.”
Daryl mentions how Randall had died without getting bit. “How’s that possible?’ asks Beth. Daryl says Shane killed Randall. “Then the herd got him?” Lori asks.
Rick doesn’t explain about how he had knifed Shane but opts for more relevant information he was given by the poor CDC dude at the end of season one, the information we saw whispered into Rick’s ear but never heard.
“We’re all infected,” Rick says. “Whatever it is, we all carry it.”
Carol says, “You never said anything?”
“I thought it best people didn’t know,” Rick says.
This means unless you get crushed in the brain, get burned to a crisp or are eaten entirely by other walkers, you become a walker.
As Lori tries to comfort Rick, Rick decides to get back to the other big piece of news, guilt weighing heavy on him. “I killed Shane,” he tells her. “He came at me. He killed Randall to get me in the woods. Planned it. I had no choice.”
Lori backs away. “He pushed me and I let him,” he continues in a monologue, staring away from Lori. “After awhile, I knew what he was doing and what he was up to. I kept going… I just wanted it over. Dogging me every step of the day. Acting like I told you and Carl, like I was in the way… I just wanted it over. I wanted him dead.”
Yes, Rick’s primal instincts versus his moral bearings are at odds. Lori is absorbing the news but only gets really upset when he says Carl took Walker Shane down. He is seeking comfort. He reaches out to his wife. She repels him with a look of disgust. She walks away silently. Why so peeved? Did she really love Shane? Is she upset she let Carl sneak out to save his dad?
Night falls. They gather around a fire. T-Dog watches the perimeter with a gun. Carol has doubts out Rick’s trustworthiness, asking Daryl to just leave. “You’re his henchman and I’m a burden,” she said. “You deserve better.” Daryl sticks with Rick.
When they hear a sound, antsy Carol challenges Rick to “Do something!”
“I didn’t ask for this,” Rick says to the group, sounding unhinged. “I killed my best friend, for God’s sake!” Carl looks shell-shocked. “You saw what he was like how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing. He was my friend but he came after me.”
“My hands are clean,” he concludes, more to convince himself than to convince everybody else.
Then he gets defiant.
“Maybe you people are better off without me.” He invites people to leave. “You can do better. Let’s see how far you get.”
Nobody moves. “No takers? You’re staying? This isn’t a democracy anymore.” (Lucky Dale isn’t around to question him, eh?)
The camera rises to show to reveal a fort/prison in the near distance, presumably home to season three. Graphic-novel readers (which do not include me) should know better.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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139 comments Add your comment
aureliagurl
March 19th, 2012
4:32 pm
I am sick of that whiney Lori and that bad A kid, Carl. Lori is disgusting, if you look at it, the world is ending, her husband had been shot, zombies are roaming the streets and she got the time to get it on with her husband’s partner. Give me a break! Rick should have gave that zero and her bratty kid to Shane! Rick needs a rock and ready chick like Andrea! Can’t wait until October!
JTesla
March 19th, 2012
4:54 pm
I find it funny that a lot of these comments read like people are responding to a reality TV show.
jibberjabber
March 19th, 2012
5:03 pm
I am loving this show but there are some things that are so stupid, it’s driving me nuts.
1) Lori. It’s not the character, or the actress. I think the writing for her is consistently stupid. In an interview, Kirkland said she’s a “complicated” character, but that doesn’t justify things that are plain dumb. Rick killed Shane in self defense, at gun point– and she recoils from him like a murderer? Right after she warned him that Shane was a dangerous killer? Sure, she would be saddened to loose an ex-lover, but her reaction went too far, it made no logical sense. My wife would be like, “Thank God you survived!”
2) Next- how many times is that kid Carl going to show up at the worst place, at the worst time? Is ANYONE watching that kid? It’s a freaken zombie apocalypse, and he’s allowed to wonder around like it’s Bel Aire. He’s teasing zombies in the woods, stealing guns, talking to torturned prisoners. Then his mother Lori lets him walk INTO THE BARN, right when everyone knows there is an execution happening. And then he disappears again, to find Rick and Shane in the woods.
Where is the conversation between Rick and Lori- “Hey Lori, um, I think you need to actually watch our kid while I am gone, honey.”
3) Rick’s explanation of how Shane died was incredibly annoying. Anyone in this situation would say, “He had me at gunpoint, he was going to kill me.” It was obviously self-defense, but he presented it to Lori and the group as an intentional murder, which makes no sense. Obviously the writers want to create tension, but the setup was dumb.
4) Why on earth did the group not fortify the house? They needed to be out there building a primitive fort barricade with logs, like the American pioneers did to protect themselves from Indian attacks. This is really basic stuff.
5) Why is everyone still firing guns? They make noise and attract walkers. Each person needs to master a long hand weapon. And they need to carry it on their side at all times, so as not to be caught off guard.
James
March 19th, 2012
5:35 pm
Carl is never in the house where he belongs.
“Carl go in the house!!” …two minutes later…”Where’s Carl, he’s not in the house??”
bfd
March 19th, 2012
5:46 pm
Agreed jibber. Rick mentioned how shane was egging him on and says nothing about how he pulled a gun on him and was defending himself. Stupid
laura
March 19th, 2012
5:51 pm
Loved it! Who is the cloaked mystery person, and what lurks behind prison walls
Deirdre
March 19th, 2012
6:18 pm
JT…Shane’s dead(really dead) start watching!
And from msn.com an interview with some questions answered:
1. Michonne: Fans of the comics know that the hooded woman, sword-wielding woman who showed up to save Andrea (Laurie Holden) is Michonne, who will be played next season by “Treme” actress Danai Gurira. In the comics, the detoothed, armless zombies she drags along behind her are her former boyfriend and his best friend. She keeps them around to repel other zombies, now that they’re in no position to harm her.
“Her appearance is a really important moment, because up until this point in the show, everyone has been focusing on how to survive and what do we do and how strange this world is,” Kirkman said on “Talking Dead.”
“And this is really the first character that has figured it out and knows exactly what to do and knows how to survive, and it’s a really good indication of the kinds of stories we’re gonna be telling in season three.”
2. The Prison: That dark final shot in the season two finale was of a prison near the survivors’ makeshift camp. In the comics, it becomes a fortress that protects the survivors from the outside world — even as it traps them in another one.
3. The Governor: AMC has already announced British actor David Morrissey will play The Governor, the villain whose arrival “Dead” fans have long anticipated. And since The Governor, in the comics, plays a major role in events at the prison, expect his arrival to be imminent.
4. The return of Merle: Kirkman confirmed to TheWrap earlier this year that we’ll see Merle, played by actor Michael Rooker, again. And Rooker himself confirmed his season three return during the WonderCon panel in Anaheim over the weekend.
Deirdre
March 19th, 2012
6:22 pm
I can’t find Darryl or Merle(Darryl’s bro who sawed off his hand) mentioned in the comic synopsis. Are these characters in the comic? Cuz, if they’re not, this particular addition is brilliant.
‘The Walking Dead’s’ Robert Kirkman on the Casting of Danai Gurira as Michonne – Hollywood Reporter | Just Top News – Daily News Magazine
March 19th, 2012
7:12 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
slim
March 19th, 2012
7:12 pm
Darryl & Merle indeed aren’t characters in the comic. they’re brilliant addition’s.
slim
March 19th, 2012
7:18 pm
Great review!
And The Governor is one horribly sick perverse and twisted S.O.B.!
‘The Walking Dead’s’ Robert Kirkman on the Casting of Danai Gurira as Michonne – Hollywood Reporter | News Report Now | Daily News Magazine
March 19th, 2012
7:34 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Truthpaste
March 19th, 2012
8:44 pm
FInally! Enter Michonne! That was a great season finale, excellent action and closed many loopholes. I wish Rodney covered this show every week like he has to for RHOA.
Rodney Ho
March 19th, 2012
9:02 pm
@Truthpaste I probably should have done a “Walking Dead” recap every week, but man, I have only so much time on my hands… I did feel compelled to at least do so for the finale.
Viewership up for season finale of AMC’s ‘Walking Dead’ – Washington Post | Just Top News – Daily News Magazine
March 19th, 2012
9:13 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Rodney Ho
March 19th, 2012
9:13 pm
@jibberjabber. Best post of the day! Yes, of course, the group should have fortified the farm. It would not have been easy given the size around it and they may not have finished it in time but they should have at least tried. And yes, Rick’s explanation was poorly constructed. Maybe it was his guilt talking cos he didn’t HAVE to kill Shane.
Mercedes S.
March 19th, 2012
9:33 pm
The zombies seem to favor guts and entrails… wonder if they are smart enough to think “pink slime”
Jason Deegan
March 19th, 2012
9:50 pm
This show is still on? Wow people are desperate for entertainment. Reading, family time, getting a productive hobby – these are all wonderful alternatives to stupifying yourself in front of moron television that isn’t even any good.
Moronification of America in full effect.
‘Walking Dead’ finale – Los Angeles Times | Just Top News – Daily News Magazine
March 19th, 2012
11:19 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
JTesla
March 20th, 2012
12:58 am
Would now be a bad time to point out that the only thing worse than having zombies coming at you is to have zombies that are on fire coming at you?
JTesla
March 20th, 2012
1:01 am
Oh and Jason Deegan, might I suggest that you read a book, spend some time with family, or take up a productive hobby? Because trolling the comment section of television show blogs is none of the above.
Junsu
March 20th, 2012
1:12 am
Are there no Army or Marines left at all? I am surprised they have not come across any
MWBUSMC
March 20th, 2012
1:23 am
jibber…I could not have said it better myself! And they need more guns and ammo as well, long range, high capacity mags, for when they are overwhelmed by herds…there would be plenty around. The Zombies don’t use them.
rlm
March 20th, 2012
3:35 am
Best comment Brian saying here is something to “chew” . Brian the walker
Jiggar
March 20th, 2012
11:26 am
You have all become Zombies & AMC, Kirkland & Mazzara love it.
9M viewers watching one of the worst season finales, in fact, this wasn’t a finale it was just a tie-up all those loose ends for season 3.
Get rid of Dale.
Get rid of Shane.
Get rid of the farm so they can move on.
Get rid of irrelevant characters ie. Patricia & Jimmy.
& why was it that this episode continued where the last one left off. Not once has this series done that. Rick kills Shane & then all of these walkers appear & then the whole episode is everyone scrambling to save their lives & none of the group yells “where is Shane”?
only midway do they find out. Lame!!! Shane was a major character & to write him off this way…..is just writers being crappy at writing.
Just burn down the barn move on & have a new character appear & a visual of the group’s new home. Ya that is so intriguing, so suspenseful, so…….GARBAGE. FIRE THE WRITERS!!!!!!
PS Carl cant act, he is terrible & I am beginning to like Andrea more & more.
Ace
March 20th, 2012
2:47 pm
The helicopter scene looks to me like it took place earlier, possibly Season 1 (Rick did see a helicopter back then). Could be possible that it has been flying back and forth, picking up any survivors to add to the Governor’s army. So maybe it ended up picking up Merle and that’s how he shows up in Season 3.
Sam-A
March 20th, 2012
3:22 pm
Calm down Jiggar. Shane was actually mentioned before they abandoned the barn. Quite a few of us find the writing pretty darn good – that’d be why 9M people watched it this week. Of course the characters do stupid, risky things sometimes, but if they didn’t there wouldn’t be much excitement in the shows.
Mirk
March 20th, 2012
4:51 pm
The helicopter was likely just the beginning of the chain reaction that got the herd moving, for those wondering, likely used as a tie in to the first season (Rick saw / heard the helicopter in Atlanta in the first episode of season1) in order to give a sense of time, maybe a sense of fate. The dialogue was terrible and forced, the reactions to the dialogue were overblown and unrealistic (except for Daryl and Herschel). It’s not enough to have zombies and guns. I’m surprised by how many people thought this was a great episode. For me it was the worst of season 2. When did Glen learn to get headshots on moving targets while in a moving vehicle? Most marksman would have trouble doing that sans shotgun. Is everyone really happy with the high school drama class dialogue? Subtly, reality and atmosphere cease to exist when the characters say anything outside of a life and death situation. The first season was amazing, the first half of the second season was decent, but pretty much every episode after 6 has been worse and worse. I wish AMC would suck it up and beg Darabont to come back. He could turn this show into something phenomenal, rather than novel.
Deirdre
March 20th, 2012
5:54 pm
The writers have already said that the helicopter is significant.
Matt
March 20th, 2012
11:15 pm
They aren’t infected. I can see why Rick believes that, but if you watch closely, Shane reused the same knife (to cut himself and lure zombies) during the school bus scene that he stabbed a zombie with earlier. (you do not see him stab the zombie, rick just says your turn, and you see shane look at the knife). Randal uses one of their knives to cut through his bindings. and also had cuts on his wrists that could have gotten infected any number of ways.
Rick is traumatized and hurt because his wife is pretty much the worst wife ever. He had every reason to put down shane once and for all. Even did it up close and personal. “It can’t be that simple” (a quote from rick regarding shooting humans).
Shane lured him out to kill him, and rick puts shane down. Forced to kill his best friend. And Lori freaks a leak?! There are no words.
Matt
March 20th, 2012
11:27 pm
In addition, when did Carol become all talkative and separatist? Daryl is one of the most B-A characters in the show, and smart too. Smarter than all of the other idiots who couldn’t put –Shane the mad-dog and Otis, and then again Shane and Rick walking off alone at night — together. Along with all of this drama with Lori and Shane and Rick. Shane was a *expletive removed*. Everyone knows it, Andrea will be the one who is going to be pissed. Also, you think they would come up with some way of communication so that they aren’t always running around wondering where everyone is. The writers really need to rethink their lives.
MWBUSMC
March 21st, 2012
12:48 am
I hope they don’t go too comic book with the hooded figure. It has been a LONG time since I found any television show interesting enough to want to watch regularly. I am sure some will be happy that it stays true to the actual comic book (never read, don’t plan on it any time soon) but I can’t buy the fact that dragging around 2 armless zombies on 5′ chains is going to repel zombies. I can buy smothering yourself with guts to repel them as in the aptly named guts episode, which took more guts than I think I would have. Unless of course they bring in Superman along with her. He could blow the heads off zombies with his laser vision for starters. But what if a zombie found some kryptonite and killed Superman? They would be hosed. They could never kill him, because he would already be dead…I would have to assume kryptonite would be useless then. Or Bruce Banner! Would he turn into the Hulk before they had a chance to devour him? Would he stay the Hulk if he were undead? Lot’s of possibilities here…and they could move it to Adult Swim. Yeah…I know the series is based on an insane premise, but that is the beauty of it…how do they react, interact and survive realistically in this unrealistic world?
G
March 21st, 2012
9:21 am
I think that some of us [fans] need to take a time out, in terms of the details of the show. I think the true reality of this situation is no one will do all the “rational/correct” things to protect themselves. If the survivors did everything so “perect”, it would be a short season of WD. Take it for what it is and enjoy. The imperfections make the show exciting and intoxicating.
Don’t forget, that Rick told everyone the truth that they’re already infected. There’r no transfer of blood, saliva, zombie fluids etc. Everyone was infected when life was “normal” to the world. The real question is how did everyone become infected initially…..without knowing?
G
March 21st, 2012
9:26 am
Interesting………..It took Rick killing Shane for him [Rick] to step up and become a complete leader. That was never going to happen if Shane stayed alive.
Deirdre
March 21st, 2012
9:34 am
Agree with G. The situation requires quick thinking and people will have to learn from their mistakes.
Also, the show’s producer has already stated that it will follow the general path of the comic but will not be the same. Ex: One of the best characters in the show, tormented but smart Darryl, isn’t in the comic.
Quogley
March 21st, 2012
9:58 am
Brilliant synopsis. Graphic novel readers – it must be hard for you guys sometimes I think
tyler
March 21st, 2012
10:56 am
ok im kinda pissed seeing they kill Dale and Shane well Shane i didnt really care did like him but i didnt want him to die and Dales death was all Carls fault but aw well nothing we can do now. and spoilers: we get to see Murrle, Darryls brother in season 3 im sure and that helecopter is leading all of the zombies out of Atlanta and Carls fault again for shooting that gun and attracting all of the zombies Carl could of said dad look out but no all i got to say is very good season 2 great season finale and cant wait for season 3 starts in fall everyone the do that so it starts near halloween. But yeah oh also not to be rude but STOP KILLING OFF MAIN CHARACTERS i mean you can but not every episode after another. Director is doign a very good job making this show and all of the cast love you guys very good actors and keep up the good work
G
March 21st, 2012
11:34 am
I think that the killing off of certain main characters is a good thing. It adds to the realtiy of the situation, which many of the major network series fall short. The writers suck us in, we get close with a character or two, then they die. We feel the loss, instead of just watching it. Reminds me of The Wire [best show ever].
toni wakeman
March 22nd, 2012
4:25 pm
the walking dead amazing, just got to say missed the finale so when season 2 comes out im gettin it so excited, personaly i think all charectors are amazing and no one should die because there just so brill !! xx also seen a few secret clips of series 3 which includes a few new charectors OMG xx