The Walking Dead Episode 4 – Review

The Story: Did you really think that the only people to survive the Atlanta area were the 20 or so people we see in TWD?  Also someone finally gets eaten by a zombie!

What’s Good: This was pitch perfect for what we comic-fans want The Walking Dead to be, as it is adapted to the small screen.  Stay true to the tone of the comics and add stuff.  And, it makes sense that this episode felt like the comics, because this episode was written by Robert Kirkman, the creator and writer of the comic series.  This episode felt very much like a parent (Kirkman) teaching some children (the other writers) how to do something after watching them flop around with a new task for a few attempts.

Who would take care of the old folks’ home when the zombies come?  This simple question really captured what made this episode good.  As we follow Rick and his gang trying to find Merle Dixon, they run into what appears to be a street gang.  These guys were thugs straight out of Mad Max or Escape from New York (without the spiky shoulder pads) and while conflict with less charitable groups of survivors is a theme of TWD, I was a little afraid that the show was going to go right ahead and make the gang cannibals or something like that.  But, Mr. Kirkman is way more nuanced than that, so when we get to the reveal that the toughs are just a front for a group of people who are taking care of the elderly left behind in the old folks home, it was a touching relief for a fan of TWD comics.  They didn’t go for the cheap thrill and showed that some people are still going to try to do the decent thing, even if the world doesn’t make it easy.

This scene with the elderly leads to another great thing about this episode: the zombies themselves.  None of these human scenes would have worked if there were zombies smashing the windows with rocks or generally laying siege to the old-folks home.  I’m so glad that Kirkman wrote this episode because it shows that the human interest stuff only works when the zombies are slow and dumb and there are places of relative safety.  The danger from the zombies isn’t that they’ll kick in your door, but that you will have to go outside at some point to find food and they’ll still be there.

And, just when you start to think that the zombies will just be a background roar, THEY STRIKE!  One of the odd things about TWD as a “zombie series” is that before this episode, the zombies hadn’t eaten a single character.  But in this episode… Well, let’s just say they make up for lost time, here.  Those of you complaining about the rednecks in this series will be happy to know who the first zombie-lunch turns out to be.  And those who figured that the survivors sleeping in tents was just a way to set up a scene with zombie shadows illuminated against the tent wall… You were right.  The whole zombies-attack scene was really well done!

Let’s touch base with a few characters.  Glen: Love him even MORE than in the comic.  Dale: Turning out to be a real linchpin of the show.  And guess what,  I actually kinda like Darryl.  Who knew that a crossbow is a vital part of any post-apocalyptic tool kit?  I know what I’m asking for for Christmas!

What’s Not So Good: Didn’t love the opening fishing scene with Andrea and Amy.  It was almost like Kirkman said, “Well, we’re killing Amy at the end of the episode and we haven’t used her to develop Andrea’s character yet.”  I know that these sorts of scenes featuring people talking about the good old days are realistic, but they aren’t very interesting.  Amy should have been developed more over the last 2 episodes rather than having her shoved down our throat here.

I also really cringed when we first saw the street gang kidnap Glen.  Sheesh! Those guys were straight out of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas .  Really?  They’re wearing purple colors?  And, they rolled away in some late 60’s beat up American muscle coupe?  I think that car was actually in GTA:SA.  But, as much as I cringed at their first appearance, that was nothing compared to our first glimpse of the thugs in their lair.  It was like a reunion show for Oz.  It made me worry about who ever had to take their turn in the barrel than night.  Very glad this story line took the turn it did.

Conclusion: Best episode yet.  This felt like an AMC quality show for the first time since the pilot.  This show could actually win Emmys.  Human drama + zombie action.  Kinda like making a Reese’s cup, you don’t want to blend the chocolate with the peanut butter, but you do want both ingredients.

Grade: A

– Dean Stell

Random Thoughts…

NO crying in the boat!  That was kind of a useless scene.  I guess Kirkman noticed that the other writers hadn’t developed Amy at all.

Bonus points for the fact that Rick actually has a Colt Python like they mentioned last week.  Rare accuracy in firearms from the entertainment industry!  And then later he actually keeps his finger OFF the trigger.  You usually see actors running around with fingers glued to the trigger, which is very unsafe and unnecessary.

And Jim is cracking up.  What’s he doing?  Digging graves for everyone?

Goodness I hope the zombies eat some of these extra characters…

A good scene with Jim & Shane.  (and bonus points for being true to the comic)

I’m really liking Glen as a character.  He’s even better than the Glen in the comic book.

Holy street gang!  At least I’m pretty sure that they won’t eat or kill Glen.

The guy playing Dale is really good as well.

Why isn’t Jim more concerned that he’s been tied to a tree in zombie-land?  Didn’t the rest of them hear what happened to Merle?

I’m actually kinda liking Darryl!  Hope he sticks around because he could make a great dramatic foil for Merle whenever that SOB shows back up.

I’m also liking that the zombies are kinda fading into background noise as they are in the comics.  Sure they’re there, but the drama is human based.

Who knew that T-Dog had sniper skills?!?!?

Holy hell!  It is an entire street gang!  Or extras from a prison movie…  They’re looking at Rick and gang like they want to take them to the showers.

Senile granny saves the day!  Goodness, they have all kinds of survivors in Atlanta.

“I thought you were being eaten by dogs!”

Turns out that the hard-asses are noble men, and taking care of the old folks.  Kudos to Kirkman for not going with the cheap thrill.

I really like that they’re showing a deeper side to Atlanta that we never saw in the comics.

I’m also LOVING that they haven’t had any Shane/Lori drama this week.  Kinda makes me wonder if Kirkman is a tick disgusted with that story angle that the other writers added to his drama?

Was the make-up crew busy with zombies when it was time for Ed to have his “I got my ass kicked yesterday” make-up done.  It looked like his face was colored with a marker.

And down goes Ed and Amy!  Zombie Attack!  Nice touch  (guess that’s the right word) that Amy got bit on the neck like the comic.

Note on the zombie attack: Headshots are really hard and virtually impossible with a scoped rifle at close range like T-Dog was doing it.  And how is there no friendly fire incident in that scene?

And Merle still didn’t show up.  That’s because he’s driving to Woodbury.  Kinda wish they’d stop making it SOOOO obvious that Merle is “out there somewhere.”  Think how cool it would have been if mid-way through season 2-3 they ran into him and he hadn’t been mentioned since we last saw him?