THE WALKING DEAD: It'll All End In Tears

Season 2 Episode 12 “Better Angels”

Dustin: Hrm….

Timothy: What now?

I’m feeling a little blue.

Really? Why?

It’s the second to last episode of The Walking Dead.

And that makes you blue, does it?

Well it’s been pretty good recently, and it makes me a little sad that it’s almost over.

Speak, gentle sir, for yourself.  I, myself, am torn.

((sigh)) Fine. Shall I use my precognitive abilities then?

If you feel you must.

Behold! I am Dusto! The Great! The Magnificent!

Dusto the long-winded…

Hush you, I am focusing my powers.

Mmmm hmmm.

Ahem! Dusto’s Predictions for the Penultimate Episode of The Walking Dead:

• In the wake of Dale’s death, Andrea will begin to see the cracks in Shane’s veneer.
• Lori will decide that not enough people are talking about her, so she will find a way to make herself the center of attention.
• Carl will spiral into Guilt Madness culminating with a sickening talk with Rick. The talk will last literally forever.
• Shane will stomp around and bluster about how Rick can’t keep them safe. It will also last literally forever.
• Theodore will…. You know what, no. Nevermind. DARYL, after killing Dale to save him, will pull further away from the group, until Carol makes him come to his senses WITH HER VAGINA!!

Well, that was gross.

Vaginas are gross, Tim, that’s why I tend to avoid them.

That’s not what I… let’s just get to the recap. Once again, Mr. Adair will bring you his snark filled recap, while I shall editorialize from time to time. Mister Curtis Smith will provide tweets for your entertainment, and it all will be observed by our very own studio audience, this week made up of Miss Anne-Marie and Mister Mike.

As always, spoilers and general naughtiness follows. You hast be warn-ed. Proceed sir.

The truck is driving down the dirt road with Andrea, Shane, Daryl, and Theodore in it. While Rick is eulogizing Dale at the little funeral. That cemetery is getting a little… large.

Meanwhile, Shane and the others are checking the fence. Rick drones on.

In a nearby field, Daryl leads the hunting party around to re-kill walkers.

Andrea pitchforks one in the head. Daryl shoots them with arrows. It’s all very cool.

At the funeral, Rick says they are going to start doing things Dale’s way as the walker hunting party goes medieval on a walker. Funeral over.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  I’m gonna miss Dale too. @SciFi4Me #the_walking_dead

Well that was in interesting cross-cutting scene. Pretty effective display of the inherent problem with both the Rick/Dale and Shane camps of thought. It’s one thing to talk about being true to your humanity, and noble to try, but there’s a world of zombies out there, and hard choices will be made that test that humanity.

On the other hand, there’s the survival at any cost school… and that, certainly in the world of Team Zombie, has led only to madness and death, and looking at the crew kicking the zombie before finally Shane splits open it’s skull? You can understand, in light of Dale’s death, some payback of a sort, but still… they seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much. Somewhere in the middle, well, that’s where our drama lies.

Hershel tells everyone they can move in the house. Lori is so proud. Theodore is put on perimeter guard. Way to have a line, Theodore!!

Theodore! You have dialogue! Yay!

Rick tells everyone that Randall will be cut off away from the farm. Rick is being all leader like, and of course, it gets Shane’s panties all in a bunch. Rick tires to convince him to go with him to drop Randall off but, of course, Shane refuses to go. He tells Rick to take Daryl. That’s the best idea Shane’s had all season.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  Jeez Shane. When can you stop being a dick? @SciFi4Me #the_walking_dead

Everyone moves up to the house.

As they walk up to the house, Hershel and Rick talk about how Rick thinks Shane is turning over a new leaf, Hershel is not buying it. Neither am I, Hershel, neither am I.

Is anyone?

They ask Andrea to keep an eye on Shane, and of course, Andrea takes it exactly wrong. Rick is terrible at talking to her. But even with all the foot in mouth that Rick has when it comes to Andrea, she agrees to keep an eye on things when he’s not around.

Carl finds Shane and asks if he can tell him something and have Shane keep it a secret. To his credit, Shane says he can’t do that. So Carl walks away. With a sigh, Shane calls him back and Carl gives him the gun he stole from Daryl. Shane asks what he was doing with it. Carl tells him about the walker in the bog, Shane tells Carl to keep the gun, but Carl refuses, saying he will never take a gun again.  

It’s moments like this that, for all that Shane is horrible and crazy, that I have to give the writers credit. We know Shane is bad for everyone around him, but he will occasionally act human, and give us a brief glimpse of the man he used to be. Still want him to die horribly, but I do like these moments.

Shane goes to the windmill.

Daryl is nailing up the hole in the shed that Carl used to spy on Randall last week. Inside the shed, Randall tries to pull his hands out of the handcuffs. It’s super gross.

Inside the house, everyone is settling in. Maggie invites Glenn to move into her room, but Glenn refuses on account of Hershel, even though Hershel gave Glenn his blessing last week. I am getting so tired of this storyline.

Gah! I thought we were done with this last week! Glenn! Quit it!

Out at the truck, Theodore is helping everyone move in; Lori claims the corner of the living room for herself, Carl and Rick, but then Hershel gives her his bedroom. Lori balks at the idea (yeah right) but finally gives in.  

Theodore has another three lines. It’s almost like he’s a character on this show.

“Dear Writers: Thank you. Now, can I have an episode about me? Me, Theodore. Even a significant sub-plot. That would be just spiffy.”

Shane is adding a lookout stand to the windmill, it’s… really loud. It’s a good thing they don’t have to worry about walkers wandering around in the woods behind the house. Lori marches out to the windmill and asks him to come down. Lori thinks that Dale’s death is the first real sign of the zombie apocalypse. Where the hell have you been, Lori?

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis Hey Lori. He tried to rape you. Remember? @SciFi4Me #the_walking_dead

She apologizes for using her vagina for evil. She apologizes for using Shane’s love pole to comfort herself when she thought Rick was dead. She is just a stupid woman, after all and she needs a man to lean on. Anne-Marie slapped her forehead.

Oh my dear and fuzzy lord. Why, Lori?

She thanks Shane for being there for her. Shane looks at her with those big puppy dog eyes that make us remember that Lori is the one that messed him up so bad in the first place. Damn it, then she admits that she thought she had feelings for him too. Well crap.

Oh no, this isn’t going to cause any problems, not at all.

Darryl and Rick talk about where to drop Randall. Rick thanks Daryl for helping Dale when he was all gutted and Rick was having trouble putting him out of his misery. Daryl tells him that he is there to help Rick do some of the heavy lifting.

Back up at the house, Shane tells Rick about what Carl said about the walker. Rick decides to pass that little piece of parenting off onto Lori. Way to be an involved parent, Rick.

Shane actually has to tell him that maybe this isn’t a problem that Lori should handle. Shane even volunteers to take his place dropping Randall off so that Rick can talk to Carl. Rick poo poos that idea too, so Shane gives him the gun he got from Carl and walks off in a huff. Can someone please tell me what the hell was going on with Rick in that scene? Please?

Well, because every week, the writers pick a member of the cast to suffer from terminal stupidity. This is Rick’s week apparently. Are you watching this show?

Seriously though, you’re right… you know things have gotten really out of whack when Shane is the voice of reason. And as our “hero”, Rick sure is being a crap father lately. Between him and Lori it’s a miracle Carl isn’t warped beyond belief, oh wait. That was the last episode, wasn’t it? Ah, too late.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  Again with the pissing contest. JUST KISS ALREADY!! @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Meanwhile, out at the RV, Andrea and Glenn try to get it moving, but they can’t so they work on it together, it’s a sweet moment between the two of them. Andrea smiles thinking about ole Dale. Glenn gets all sad, he thinks he let Dale down by voting to kill Randall, but Andrea says she knows Dale knew that they loved him.

Glenn cries and jumps in the driver’s seat of the RV. They got it running, so they laugh.

Rick walks around while the others fortify the house. He finds Carl in the barn and they talk for literally forever. Rick offers Carl the gun. Rick says that Carl did not cause Dale’s death and that the kids stuff is over, and Carl needs to man up and take the gun. Rick unloads the entirety of mortality on Carl’s little 10-year-old shoulders. Literally forever. Rick monologues about his father and how he’s tired and Carl needs to have the damn gun. So Carl takes it.  

OK, as you know, I am no fan of the required monologue portion of our program, but this would be one of the few Rick speeches I’m OK with. He has, let’s face it, been rather neglectful of his fatherly duties of late. Not in the horrible Lori way, but pretty bad. This is OK. It would be great in fact, if we hadn’t had so many bad monologues from him already.

Apparently no one has asked Daryl if Carl can have one of his guns. Oh well, details.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis Carl won’t find the world so bleak when he starts to get laid. @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Meanwhile in Hostel: The Series, Randall is still trying to escape his bonds. Shane comes in and terrorizes him a little. Shane is losing it again. Neither guy talks but Shane slaps his own head a couple of times and pulls a gun on Randall, then he notices Randall’s wounds from trying to escape and he breathes real hard.

Theodore has another line as he gives Daryl some arrows and is sent to get Randall out of the shed, but HE’S GONE!!

Dun, Dun, Dunnnnnnn!!!!!

Well it looks like Shane has taken him out into the woods. Shane tells Randall not to scream as he pulls the tape off of his mouth. Shane asks where Randall’s group is. Randall says he’s not really sure anymore, they have more than likely moved on by now. Shane says he wants Randall to take him to his group. Shane says he thinks the old group is as good as dead and he doesn’t want to be around for that. Randall is all about getting the hell out of Dodge, so they head off.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  Do it Shane. Join the dark side. @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

But they don’t make it more than four of five steps before Shane kills the hell out of him. Shane then bashes his own face into a tree to make it look like they fought.  

Everyone is looking for Randall back at the shed while Shane hides in the woods watching. He hides his gun in some leaves and runs out of the woods, telling everyone that Randall got the jump on him, stole his gun and high tailed it out into the woods.

You know, this isn’t really the most believable of stories… I mean c’mon, the kid has a huge hole in his leg, and Shane is, well, Shane. Why is everyone buying this?

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis If there’s ever a Walking Dead video game, I’m playing Shane.

Rick orders Theodore, Andrea and all the rest of the folks back to the house as he, Shane, Glenn and Daryl head into the woods to find Randall.

Daryl tries to track Randall, but he is having trouble getting a lead. He raises like, the most logical and simple questions about Randall’s escape. Like “How did a kid a puny as Randall get the jump on Shane?” and “If this is the way he came, why aren’t there any tracks?” Shane waves these off. They split up to look for Randall, Daryl and Glenn… and Rick and Shane.

Thank you Daryl. Glad to see someone is asking questions. But Shane and Rick off together, alone in the dark? This isn’t going to end well.

End. In. tears.

Everyone is hiding in the house. Carl looks out the window at the world.

Shane and Rick talk about how broken Shane’s nose is.

Daryl and Glenn look around in the woods. Daryl turns on a flashlight.

Rick and Shane wander around. Shane gets that look. They look at each other.

A woodpecker.

Daryl and Glenn are walking in circles; Daryl says that if they are going to do this right, they need to start at the beginning.  

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  What is Daryl, some kind of Windtalker? @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Shane and Rick are… walking….

Daryl finds the tracks and the blood and they discover Randall up walking around… hrm…

But of course he’s a walker now. They fight! Glenn takes a knife to his head. And they discover his broken neck.

Hrm x 2.

Shane and Rick are still walking. Rick asks him if this way feels right. Rick questions him about the missing gun… they continue to walk.

Actually, Shane says something like, “It feels as right as any.” Which isn’t remotely suspicious at all. Nope.

Daryl and Glenn play crime scene investigation and discover that oh, as I said earlier, you become a walker just by dying. But I don’t think they have put it together yet. We’ll find out for sure next week.

I think this might just be the one, you guys. And I hope it goes down like I want it to go down, but I doubt it will.

Well, you and I have been thinking we would get here in the last episode of the season, but yeah, I’m thinking it’s now.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis OH MY GOD! Do the goblins kill Shane??? @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Rick and Shane reach a clearing and Rick is in the lead. Rick is still questioning him. Shane says Randall slipped through the rafters, but we all know Daryl repaired the hole earlier.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis And here it is. The final measuring. @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Are they are going to duel or something stupid? God I hope not. Rick knows, he may have always known, that Shane was leading him away to kill him. Rick cries and Shane tells him his plan, Randall killed Rick and then Shane snapped his neck. Shane tells him Lori and Carl will get over him.

Rick asks why… Rick is such a moron. They whine at each other and Rick tells him that he will not be able to live with killing him. Shane offers to allow Rick to kill him. Rick, of course refuses.

Shane tells him that he’s better than Rick. Shane has finally lost it. He calls Lori broken and Carl weak. Rick tells him that if he is going to do this, he will have to kill an unarmed man. Rick takes his gun out and holds it out.
Rick says they should lay down their guns and walk back to farm together, and then they will all be a happy family.

Yeah, this hasn’t exactly worked well before…

Then Rick stabs him.

Oh. Well, I confess I didn’t see that coming. Not like that.

Yeah, I was honestly not expecting this. But, then Rick cries about how sad he is that Shane made him kill him. Mike says that even when Rick is doing something cool, he has to be a vagina about it.

I can only agree.

Oh c’mon you two, he just killed his best friend. Yes, Shane was going to kill him, but still. Rick has always hoped that he could have that friendship back, and I think we can give him a little sadness.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  One has to admit. He had it coming a long time ago. @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

So Shane is dead, and Rick is blubbering like a girl.

Sigh.

Oh, and there is Carl. Rick gets up to go and explain to Carl all about acts of self defense, but Carl raises his gun.

Where the hell did he come from? How did he find them in the dark? WHY IS LORI LETTING HER SON WANDER OFF INTO THE ZOMBIE INFESTED WORLD? Where is Child Services when you need them?

Also, with all that walking, how the hell are they so close to the house?

Hrm…  

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis  Carl, can’t you use your words?

Rick is all like “Don’t shoot me, Son” and then Shane rises from the dead as a walker.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis Yay! Zombie Shane!!

Well, the original Death of Shane in the comic has been left far behind, and after all the back and forth between Rick and Shane, I can see giving Rick the official kill here. And about bloody time, I’m afraid. But yeah, it’s “good” that Carl got to put down the zombie Shane. Although as far as father/son bonding moments go…

But ho! The shot has notified all the walkers in the forest to their location.

And here they come.

Thank heavens all the shooting at the barn a few episodes ago didn’t bring them coming. Or the target practice before that. Or Daryl shooting Dale last episode. Thank heavens the zombies have the script and know when the best time to attack for dramatic effect is.

OK, let’s review Dustin’s predictions…

Dusto! The Great and Power…

Yes, yes. Let’s see… No 1. Hmmm. Recycled from last week, and still not certain, and now, of course, not really an issue.

Sometimes the future is cloudy.

Right. No 2. Well, this one you may have got… Lori did go apologize to Shane, which may have been the final trigger for him to go after Rick… OK, you have that one.

Success!

Don’t get too excited, we have three more. No 3. Well, we have the guilt, we have the talk, we have you and I disagreeing about the sickening nature of it, but I’ll give it to you.

I am magnanimous in my victory.

No 4! Since we have Shane walking about so much, I’ll grant the stomping, and he does get a chance to tell Rick his failings, so again, you have a hit.

Bow before the Great and Powerful Dusto!

Alas, oh Dusto, No 5 is a complete wash, since Daryl is even more a part of Team Zombie’s events this week, and seems to be moving into position as Rick’s right hand, so no joy for you there.

That’s still 3 out of 5. Better than the last two weeks.

Well yes, you have gotten better, this is true. But don’t get cocky sir, because next week, well, next week is the final episode of Season 2, and given the last two episodes, I’m thinking all bets are off. Now we know that the Governor will be appearing next season, and you kids at home who have read the comics have some idea about how we’ll get to that character, but if the last two seasons have shown us anything, it’s that the path there will be quite different. But I’ll be honest, I’m not hopeful for the original residents of the Greene farm. We’ll see.

But honestly, I have enjoyed the last few episodes, flaws and all. Even with the monologue-ing and the writer-ly nonsense, these last few have been pretty solid. It almost make me sad the season is almost over, because they seem to be back on track.

See? Blue.

I said almost. We still had to put up with the whole Sophia thing and some terrible time distortions and some really stupid behavior from just about everyone, except, you know what? Theodore has been conspicuously short on the stupids this season… maybe not having any dialogue is the key.

We can only hope for an episode where no one speaks.

Heh. So! Shane is finally dead. Twice. Rick has claimed his Alpha Male status at last and Carl is a crack shot in the dark. The fallout from the rest of Team Zombie should be interesting, especially in Andrea’s case. Stay tuned kids…

Oh yes, our lesson of the week. Don’t walk off into the dark woods with someone you know wants you dead. That’s just asking for trouble. Seriously, don’t do it.

Curtis Smith ‏ @Creepy_Curtis Alright. Season finale next week. Please be awesome! @SciFi4Me #TheWalkingDead

Let’s hope. See you next week.

[Official Show Site at AMC]     [Previous Recap: “Judge, Jury, Executioner”]