While the idea was to blog live during the show, technical difficulties prevented this from happening. However, I am confident that my computer issues did not hinder YOUR watching the show. Regardless, enjoy the blog re-cap of Season 3 Episode 1: Seed.
The show opens in early spring. We’ve missed the winter months (during our summer). Rick’s group has left the farm, and gathered herds of zombies. Andrea, still with Michonne, is battling the flu (H1N1???).
The episode is loaded with Walkers and, best I can recall, the most slaughtering said Walkers in a single show. Grizzly, and raw. Bloody, and gruesome. Loved it. I was captivated in front of my television. Hated when the show ended. Hate that I have to wait another week for the next installment.
And yet, there were still parts I’d pick apart. Not scenes. Characters.
Here we are in Season 3. I know it was only the first episode, but – come on, T-Dog is the most, long lasting, underdeveloped character I’ve ever seen. I can’t even recall if he has a back-story. If he has a voice, I don’t remember him ever talking. Once, when he had a fever and was conversing on the side of the RV with Dale in Season 2. Either kill him, or use him to move the story forward. I feel like he is a token Black character. Nothing more. That pisses me off.
In contrast, Maggie’s little sister, Beth—she sings a song. Part of one. Rick’s kid, Carl, is in puppy-love. So far, yeah, she’s cardboard. A Flat character. But at least the writers are working on who she is. Which is fine. But, hello? T-Dog. Anyone? Anyone?
Anyway. The show opens with Rick’s group storming a house. Destroying Walkers inside. Carl, all of 3 feet tall, and dressed like a cowboy with his dad’s sheriff hat, totes a handgun and clears rooms. I suppose after shooting Shane, and an obviously long winter, Carl has been forced to grow up. His pregnant mother doesn’t seem to protest as much. Not anymore.
It’s clear that supplies are worse than low. There seem to be an abundance of Walkers in the area. The idea of going house to house for the rest of their lives is not appealing. To find another location like the farm, where they can establish some normalcy appears to be the goal.
After, while Rick and Dayrl hunt, they stumble upon a prison. Spiraled barbed wire fences outline the perimeter. Possibilities are possibly endless, except Walkers fill the courtyard. Since Rick is in charge, and the group is not part of a democracy, he explains that inside the prison is likely to be weapons, food, and an infirmary filled with medical supplies.
In a choreographed assault, Rick’s group breach the courtyard. Taking down Walkers with bullets, arrows, and blades. Most of the now-dead Walkers wear prison or guard uniforms. A few, dressed in civilian clothing—which raises questions.
The interior of the prison is dark. Dirty. More dead littered everywhere. As they explore, they are surrounded. Hershel is bitten. A Walker tore a chunk out of his lower leg, just above the ankle. Once dragged to safety, Rick uses a hatchet and hacks away at Hershel’s leg below the knee. The bone doesn’t sever easily. Whack after whack after whack, the leg finally separates—hopefully before Hershel is infected from the bite (but I doubt it).
The show ends when a handful of what at first appear to be Walkers are standing outside the room staring in the window and watch Rick wield the ax. We know they are not infected when one of them speaks. Perhaps in awe that a large group of non-Walkers is inside the prison, or are just caught off-guard by Rick’s seemingly barbaric display of human-lumberjack-ing.
Are these men part of Randall’s group? Are they in fact more vicious and dangerous than they appeared at the end of the show (which was kind of dopey and dumb)? Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out!
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Oh. And below is a list of Characters:
Rick Grimes—The Sheriff, and main character (Andrew Lincoln)
Lori Grimes—The Sheriff’s wife (Sarah Wayne Callies)
Carl Grimes—The Sheriff’s son, becoming slightly annoying (Chandler Riggs)
Andrea—The Blond, who gets tougher and tougher (Laurie Holden)
Glen—Dating Maggie Greene, Hershel’s daughter (Steven Yeun)
Dayrl Dixon—Perhaps my favorite Redneck with a Crossbow (Norman Reedus)
Hershel Greene—Maggie’s father, and owner of the farm (Scott Wilson)
Carol Peletier—Sophia’s Mom. Enough said, possible love interest to Dayrl (Melissa McBride)
T-Dog—A very, very underdeveloped character, a shame (IronE Singleton)
Beth Greene—Maggie’s kid sister (Emily Kinney)
Michonne—(“Me-shone”) armed with a katana and 2 armless/jawless zombies (Danai Gurira)
… And those who were significant and died in Season 2 …
Shane Walsh—The Sheriff’s one-time best friend (Jon Bernthal)
Dale Horvath—The Conscience of the group (Jeffrey DeMunn)
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Phil,
ReplyDeleteGreat write up! This will help pass time till the next episode, as I recently became a Walking Dead follower.
I agree about T-Dog, kill him or build his character, otherwise right now he is just wasting space and food that the group needs. Ashley and I (yes she just started watching it too!!) actually just mentioned that at the end of Season 2 that he appears to just be a "token black guy" to add diversity to the group.
Now as for the group in the prison that was seen before the credits rolled, I couldn't see them as being part of Randall's group. Based on the fact they were wearing what appeared to be prison garb, I couldn't see the connection.
Despite Rick's effort however, I agree with you that Hershel is as good as dead and Rick's reasoning for keeping him alive seems selfish from my angle. For Lori and the baby.
So here's a question for you, why do you think Rick has "separated" himself from Lori? From my POV, it could be how she reacted to Shane being killed....