The Walking Dead – Season 4 Mid-Season Finale

I could not even put together a sentence last night after watching the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead, and could only blurt out “February?!?!?!?”

What a mind-blowing episode. The Walking Dead, for me, is one of the top shows on television right now, although I did feel that this season so far was dragging on a little, and with the introduction of the flashing back sequences with the Guv I was more than a little confused; we hadn’t seen him in quite a while, so I had no idea if what we were seeing was his past or his present.

Before we go any further, I understand that the show has strayed quite far from the graphic novels, which I have not read (I hate spoilers). So I am blissfully unaware of the story lines of any of the characters, and have no idea who survives and who doesn’t, provided the show keeps to that line at all.

Hershel. I can’t believe it. I always loved the fearlessness of TWD in killing off major characters. It is, after all, a zombie apocalypse; just because they are central characters doesn’t mean that they will maintain the skills necessary to avoid death. If I had a choice, though, I would have given up Michonne; other than a sword and balls, she really doesn’t seem to have much else to offer. Hershel, on the other hand (even though a veterinarian), has all his medicinal experience and knowledge, as well as the ability to make Rick see reason. Good bye, Hershel; you will be missed the most (so far).

Daryl. I don’t know how many times during this episode I told my partner I was going to quit watching if anything happened to Darryl. Thankfully, nothing did, and the Reedus gets to work another day. Daryl always has Rick’s back; when it was time to tell Tyrese about Karen, he was going too. When the Guv showed up at the fence, Daryl nodded his encouragement to Rick to go out and talk to him. When Rick finally takes the reins again, he has a solid and loyal ally at the ready.

Rick. I think it’s pretty obvious by now, even to Rick, that he has no choice but to start making decisions again. I wasn’t a fan of a Council that didn’t include him, but it’s my thought that after he was seeing his dead wife everywhere he decided it was time for a little mental down time. I also feel like he didn’t really like who he was becoming as leader (who did, really) and so took a wise step away in order to get back to himself, which happened.

Carol. Yes, I know she is gone, but she figured in this episode. When Tyrese shows Daryl and Rick the filleted rat and says “Whoever did this killed Karen”, and Rick tries to assure him it wasn’t – because Carol admitted to it – Tyrese insists that it ties in to whoever was feeding the rats to the walkers; that was one of the little girls that Carol was protecting. All of a sudden, it explains why Carol copped to it and accepted her quick exit so easily; she knew who had actually killed Karen and the other fellow whose name suddenly escapes me.

Zombies. What I learned this week: zombies can in fact cross water (and live under it, apparently, as seen the week before), and did anyone else catch that walker who was approaching Daryl with something sticking out of its head already? It looked like it had been stabbed in the head with a piece of rebar…which would mean that stabbing them in the head no longer works either.

Judith. I don’t believe that L’il Ass Kicker is actually gone.

The Governor’s Girls. I hope they made it out. And I love how she left him laying there with the zombies approaching. Take that, asshole. Good riddance, finally.

I hate that they had to leave the prison, of course, but really: what kind of show could it continue to be if they lived out their existences safe in a prison growing vegetables and reading books? It would be a pretty boring zombie apocalypse, that’s for sure.

Way to shake it up, folks; can’t wait until February!