Well, now I've watched it. I have to say it's quite refreshing to see such a long scene of zombie stealth in a season opening. Rick taking on two zombies in hand-to-hand combat was also quite epic, but did anyone else think more of slapstick comedy than horror thriller when he bullseyed that zombie with a rock in the head?

I actually would have preferred it if they hadn't made Shane a drunken creep. I think these situations ("romantic choice") are much more interesting when we can sympathize with both characters and the choice isn't a no-brainer. Kind of how it's done in Superman Returns, or even The Ugly Truth. (Yes, I enjoy watching romantic comedies.) Then again, they might still do something just as interesting depending on how this thing with Andrea pans out.

One also has to wonder why Rick keeps his hat on even now that there's no police force left. Time for a pop quiz! Is it...

a) to block out the sun,
b) to signal to other survivors that he is a lawman, or
c) sex appeal?

I really enjoyed the premiere of season 2, although it got mixed reviews. I have read a number of complaints about the lack of anything happening, which made me blink in disbelief and just shake my head. I mean, were we all watching the same thing?

I see Rick on a downward spiral. His desperate need to atone for the estrangement of his family prior to his coma, and the guilt that he wasn't there for them (because of said coma) combined with his grief over the last few deaths have him reaching for new depths of heroism, and not for the want of praise, but to just make the past better. It's causing him to lose faith in his abilities, in himself, and in survival, which is dangerous for a leader.

Andrea's confrontation with Dale made me sad. I had hoped that his efforts to save her life would have given her a new lease on life, but instead, she's almost as bitter as Shane, whose own character development (or rather, degeneration) is disheartening. But the "us vs them" division Andrea has planted in Shane's already dark thoughts could lead to leaving the party even more vulnerable.

Lori's decision to let the boy tag along with Rick and Shane was very calculated. Because even with Shane now being King of Jerk Moves, not even he would stoop to "accidently" shooting Rick with the boy present. And you could see the thought cross Shanes mind (again) and the eerie understanding that it would be possible in Lori's eyes.

And oh my goddess, the final scene almost killed me. Like Rick, I had taken the stag as a sign to be strong, that there is still beauty and hope left. And then.... THAT happened.

The group's ranger saving the black man was brilliant and proves there's reason to like him, despite his brother, whom I am pretty sure we've seen the last of. And the zombie hoard moving through the auto-graveyard was very suspenseful. Dale clearly knew calling out a warning would have damned them all, as did Rick, and the fear and concern on Dale's face was touching.

All in all, I am thoroughly confident in the new director and while I will miss Darabont, the new guy's doing just fine.

I guess what you Innmates familier with the comic version of the Walking Dead have been saying about Shane is true afterall.
Not to spoil it for anyone watching who has yet to see tonight's episode but damn he is a bastard, after tonight I think things are gonna get a whole lot worse huh.

Still loving it though and glad it was picked up for a 3rd session.

BRAINnnnnnESSSSS

Well, now it makes sense from a storytelling point why Otis and Shane went to the school for supplies. As none of this occurred in the comics it was terra incognito for me. Excellent book-ending of the episode there with Shane shaving his head, eyes all a-crazy in the foggy mirror.

This episode seemed to deal a lot with faith. Glenn praying for the first time in his life, Andrea's exchange with Daryl in the woods near the hanging Zombie, Lori's personal crisis with Carl's life in such uncertainty. When nearly everything you once held dear--or took for granted--is gone, what else do you turn to?

Tann, had you read the comics, you'd know by now Rick has had his share of dark moments, actions he's taken that were unthinkable even under the circumstances (remember the cannibal hunters? Yeah, Rick made that happen). Even children aren't spared from the brutality around them, that's just how much this horrifying new world changes people. I'm explaining, not justifying here. I do think that this is what pushes Shane past the point of no return. He's never had that rigid moral code that Rick desperately clings to (so far in the show at least). I don't believe Shane will act out against his group, but anyone else who even slightly puts our survivors in jeopardy. . .Shane will just have at them because in his mind it simply needs to be done. He isn't a peace officer anymore and doesn't claim to be. Right or wrong (by our relatively comfy standards) he'll do whatever he feels he has to.

So, what's in the well? Maybe I should ask WHO'S in the well? I sure hope they're getting water from somewhere else. . .

Pssst.... Not everyone watches it the night it comes out!

Since we have no cable at the mo, we stream them the next night from the internet. So, sadly, I ended up reading part of the previous post before catching the episode.

All I will say right now is WOWOMFGWTF! Definitely makes up for last weeks ep.

I can't imagine the pain in Lori's heart when she confessed her thoughts on Carl's survival to Rick. It's something so terrible that you get to see just how strong she truly is, and how she's really trying to be all in when it comes to her marriage. And This is a fascinating relationship, because Rick was heartbroken, but open to her, and they really got to explore some of this dynamic. It was great that he didn't judge her, and tried to understand her point of view.

Glenn's prayer-virgin scene was pretty good, but he needs more of a story. He needs something he can sink his teeth into and I really like the potential love interest that's unfolding for him. He seems like kind of a flat character right now, not at all like season one.

I am really enjoying the Dale/Andrea relationship. Both of them have lost family close to them, and you can see him trying to forge a family type bond with her, and her coldness and distance is almost physically painful. But they made great progress, and I can't wait to see how they handle things.

I have to admit, though, I am pretty creeped out now, and not for the reason you think. Yes, Shane's pretty much the douchiest man alive right now, but that's not it. It's Sofia. She's just....vanished. There has been NOTHING to indicate she is dead, alive, or walking dead. They've set Doyle up as this great hunter and tracker, but he can't pick up ANY signs? So now I'm thinking the Wendigo got her. Because she's a little girl, not an experienced survivalist, and sheould have made some sort of signs of life.

And Shane/Otis. Holy... wow. I was totally buying the "I tried so hard" story...I even cringed when he was handed Otis' old clothes to change into. Like wow, thanks for saving the boy, here's a theoretical kick to the crotch. Enjoy wearing the threads of a guy you failed to save.... and then the scene in the bathroom. THe flashbacks. I was, honestly, horrified, then angry, then horrified again.

I am so in love with this series.

As mentioned before, there has been quite a bit of faith in some of these episodes. Were these religious themes in the comic book as well or did they add it for the TV series?

...Hershel (and, to some "trickle down" extent, his family) was a very religious man in the graphic novels.

That said, though, I don't know that religion was the recurring theme so much as faith... the presentation of religious imagery and verbiage, though, is usually the most widely recognized (perhaps even accepted?) representation of faith as a concept... and faith, I imagine, is what just about any "survivor" of any cataclysmic event would have to find somewhere along the line.

Loving season 2, so far, by the way... I know I've read posts on other sites (IMDB, AMC's website, etc) that complain about how "slow" this season seems as compared to last but I'm just not seeing it. Sure, the encounters with walkers have pared down a bit but, given their location, that's not really surprising and, while the "action" is a little slower, the character development has certainly picked up, IMO.

Two open questions for anyone who wants to discuss:

1. Is there any reason apart from poetic license that some people have survived so easily while the rest of the world was destroyed? The father and son that Rick met early in the first season had no problem holing up in their house in the suburbs, even taking pot shots at the zombies every now and then. Likewise, the family on the farm don't seem to have had any major problems even though there were clearly zombies nearby (the one in the well, for example). (Not that poetic license is a bad explanation, but I'm wondering if there might be more to it than that.)

2. Why does Hershel insist that Rick and the others leave as soon as Carl is alright? Is it simply because more braaains tend to attract more zombies and more intrigue or is there something more subtle to it? Those of you who have read the comic book might be able to contribute a bit from there, as long as it's spoiler-free.

...I think the second of those questions was answered by the end of last night's episode. Hershel is "anxious" to see that Rick and company get on their way ASAP because he's hording walkers in his barn! (I won't go into the whys and wherefores of any of that, now - mainly because A) I'd be basing anything further I said about it on what I've read in the graphic novels (which, as we already know, diverges a bit in places from what's shown on the TV series) and B) because it's possible that not everyone is "caught up" just yet and I don't want to spill any spoilers beyond what I've already spilled.

As to question 1... I don't think there's really much explanation as to why some folks seem to have had an "easier time" surviving than others. It certainly can't come down to preparedness (because, really, who's prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse... I think most of us are more inclined to being prepared for the "real threat" of nuclear or biological cataclysms these days than the "fantastic, far fetched" possibility of the dead coming back to life and that being the cause of humanity's end. Perhaps it comes down to "perception" at some base level - the folks that have survived so far were more able to "see" and "believe" what was really happening and, as such, managed to keep a step ahead. Then again maybe it's just dumb luck.

For the record, though, the house where Morgan and Duane (the father and son you mentioned from the first season, Scabby) were holed up was not their home... Morgan and his family took refuge there while hunting for supplies/provisions/what have you after abandoning their own home... the reason they stayed behind/lingered there is because that's where the Mrs "turned" and Morgan feels the need to stay there until he can muster up the wherewithal to put one in the head of his beloved/now-undead wife.

I started reading your first paragraph until I realized that new episodes are shown on Sundays. I don't watch mine until the following weekend (since Walking Dead is not on any Swedish channels). I'll read the rest of it once I've actually seen those barn-dwelling walkers you mention.

Sorry about that, Darth Scabby... I'll keep in mind, from here on out, that you're "on delay" where current episodes are concerned.

Now I can see why Herschel would want the others to leave as soon as possible. He does seem to be a control freak patriarch in general, though, so it's quite possible he would have asked them to leave even without those walkers in his barn.

I also enjoyed Daryl's meta-humor when he explained why the Chupacabra wasn't all that implausible. If a zombie apocalypse really happened, which other things would you start believing in?

Does anyone else think Rick is a lot like Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies? Apart from being the group's leader, I think he also has the same demeanor, facial expressions, and voice as Viggo Mortensen. And if Rick had worked in Texas instead of Georgia, he might even have been an actual ranger.

...HOLY @#!*!!!

I was not expecting that to be where they finally found Sophia!

I won't say too much more about "Pretty Much Dead Already" just yet (as I know Scarab and likely a few others are "on delay") but that was one heck of a "mid-season" finale! I can't believe we've got to wait until February to see that last half of this season!

Don't let me hold up a good discussion. I will just have to muster the willpower to avoid your deliciously tempting spoilers.