Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 8 "Nebraska"

2 guys walk into a bar

I'm starting this post with the most interesting scene of the episode.  Rick and Glenn go looking for Hershel who has gone into town to drink away the second deaths of his family members.  Now they are dead for good.  We come to learn that Hershel used to drink a lot.  He has finally accepted that there is no cure for the zombie virus.  Only a bullet to the head can end zombieness.  Out of nowhere two strangers walk into the bar.  They try to act friendly and chat up the gang but it all comes off as very sinister.  They mention that they have a gang of their own and that they are looking for a place to settle down.  Rick tells them that they can't stay with them at Hershel's farm maybe they should try Nebraska.  Then one of them makes a move for his gun and Rick kills both of them.  Rick has not looked so badass in a long time.  This is one of the most interesting scenes from this episode.  It introduced a new threat, other survivors.  Rick has finally gotten a taste of what Hershel has been feeling.  These people pose a danger to them.  Zombies are a lower level threat to humans since they can't think.  Zombies just want to eat.  People kill for all sorts of reasons.  They can plan ways of hurting people that doesn't involve killing people.  They are also competing for resources.  Those who shoot first survive. 

Farewell Sophia

Shane angrily asks Hershel if he knew that Sophia was in the barn all along.  Hershel says no.  It was Otis's job to gather the walkers and place them in the barn.  He must have found Sophia before the group arrived and since Shane killed Otis, Otis never had a chance to tell anyone about the zombie girl in the barn.  A group funeral is held for Sophia and the barn walkers.  Carol refuses to go.  She says that Sophia died days ago and that walker was not her daughter.  Carol's refusal to go to Sophia's funeral really upsets Daryl.  He has spent every day looking for that little girl.  Keeping the faith in the group that she was alive.  He almost died looking for her.  He did it all for nothing.  This was his purpose in the group.  It made him feel like he belonged and now it is gone. 

Carol expresses her grief for Sophia in her own way.  She walks out in the fields and tears out a bunch of Cherokee Roses.  This is the same flower Daryl told her about a few episodes back that he saw as a sign that Sophia was alive.  This followed an unexpected moment of tenderness shared by Shane and Carol.  When Carol walks back to the camp Shane sees her hands are dirty and cut.  He gently washes them.  We have not seen this side of Shane.  He has a little bit of humanity still in him.  If he would tap into that part of him a little bit more he would find it easier to communicate with Rick, Hershel, and Dale.  But then there would be no drama in the show and he creates such wonderful drama.

Other random things that occurred in this episode

- Carl tells Lori that he would have shot zombie Sophia.  This really freaks Lori out because he was so calm and nonchalant about it.  He is no longer that same little boy pre-zombiepocalypse.  His innocence is gone.  Is that really a bad thing?  In a zombiepocalypse the innocent don't survive for very long.  He is the new kind of person that will grow out of this experience.  I think Lori is mourning for his loss of innocence, scared for what he will become, and frightened of what kind of life her unborn child will have.

- Maggie tells Glenn she loves him and he says nothing back.  I think Glenn is really overwhelmed by this.  He just met Maggie, the world is in shambles, and he has never had anyone say that to him before.  I can understand his hesitancy in responding.  Let's hope he doesn't put off responding for too long.