The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 2: Sick

You got a cell phone we could borrow?

Last week's episode ended with Hershel losing his leg in front of a live audience.  The episode began with the introduction of the new set of survivors.  They are four prisoners who have managed to stay alive through the zombiepocalypse by being trapped in the cafeteria.  Turns out a guard locked them in there with a gun and left to get help.  They've been waiting ever since completely unaware of what has been going on in the outside world.  Rick had to break it to them that there were no phones, police, or government.  Just a few humans trying to stay alive in a zombie filled world.  One of the prisoners, Tomas, wanted Rick and the gang to leave. 

This was their prison.  Rick wasn't having any of this.  However, he did strike a deal with the prisoners.  They would help them clear out another cell block in exchange for half of the food left in the cafeteria.  The prisoners reluctantly agreed (for now).  Rick and the gang put Hershel on a make shift gurney and wheeled him back to their cell block with the four prisoners following (and Daryl keeping his crossbow trained on them the entire time).

 Rick gave a brief explanation to the group about their situation.  He left Carol in charge of Hershel since Hershel has been sharing his medical knowledge with her in expectation of Lori giving birth very soon.  Carol does her best with what they have (read as towels).  Rick leaves Glen with them in case Hershel turns into a zombie and needs to be taken out.  As a precaution Hershel has one arm handcuffed to his bed.


This ain't no prison riot this is a zombiepocalypse

Rick explains to the prisoners how to kill the zombies.  Be quiet and hit them on the head.  You have to kill the brain.  The first zombie that they encounter the prisoners hit and stab at it everywhere except the head, screaming the entire time.  The gang let's them know this is not prison riot.  Quiet stabs to the head.  One of the prisoners looks completely terrified and horrified at all of this. 

He backs away and is attacked by a walker that awesomely remove his handcuffs by ripping off his hand (does this mean that the zombies are starting to think and plan, that is a frightening thought).  Rick looks apologetically at the man right before he goes to kill him when he is preempted by Tomas.  Tomas hits his fellow inmate over an over again.  He didn't hesitate for a minute.  He is a sociopath that will do very well in this new world.  Welcome back Shane!  You have been reincarnated in the body of a Latino prison inmate.  This does not bode well for both groups.  We all remember what happened between Rick and Shane.

The group makes it down the hallway to a new cell block.  They run into a set of double doors with walkers waiting on the other side.  Rick tells Tomas to open one door so they can control how many walkers come in.  Tomas opens both doors and dismisses it as crap happens.  Then he takes a swing at Rick pretending to be aiming at a walker.  Rick sees right through this act (as well as Daryl).  Then Tomas throws a walker at Rick hoping to get rid of his competition.  Daryl kills that walker and shares a look with Rick that says this guy is going down.  After all the walkers are dead Tomas tries to act like it was all an accident.  Rick says ya sure, crap happens.  And then he shoves his machete right into Tomas's head.  This freaks out the other prisoners and one runs for it.  Rick chases after him and they run outside into part of a yard with zombies.  Rick runs back in and leaves the prisoner locked outside.  The prisoner pleads for help and Rick just tells him to run.  Then he closes the second door and we hear the man scream as zombies rip into his flesh.  The camera stays on Rick's face.  This was not a kill or be killed situation like the one with Tomas.  This man was not an imminent threat.  But he was still a threat and Rick did what he thought he had to do without hesitation.  The old Rick is gone.  New Rick takes not prisoners.  Rick spares the lives of the remaining two prisoners (for now at least) and leaves them in their new cell block.  They are to clear it out on their own and leave Rick's group alone.


Life and death in cell block C

A short time later Carl appears with a duffel bag full of medical supplies.  When asked where he got it he says he found the infirmary, cleaned it out, and killed two walkers.  Lori gets mad at him for going alone and putting himself in danger.  He tells her to butt out and stomps off.  I can see why Lori is worried.  What she feared would happen to Carl is already happening.  He is turning hard and cold.  Unfortunately, I don't think there is much anybody can do. 

This is the result of growing up in a zombiepocalypse.  There is no childhood.  You have to make hard decisions and be fearless.  Carl is proving himself to be a worthwhile member of the group.  They needed supplies so he went out and got them.  He is also able to protect himself.

Maggie and Beth are both distraught over Hershel.  They each chose to deal with the situation differently.  Beth went the optimist route and started cutting off the leg on Hershel's pants.  Maggie is the realist and knows there is a good chance he will die and they will have to kill him.  She goes to her father and gives him the deathbed speech.  It's alright for him to die.  She and Beth will take care of each other.   Hershel stops breathing.  Maggie starts screaming.  Lori runs in and starts performing CPR, including mouth-to-mouth.  I did not consider that the smartest move.  What if he turned into a zombie while her mouth was on his?  He could have eaten her face.  For a moment it did look as if he was going to eat her.  But no, TWD faked us out, he just gasped for air and violently swung his arm out.  Lori did something good (even though it was really risky so maybe she shouldn't be so harsh on Carl).

Meanwhile, Carol is working on a little side project.  She kills a female walker so she can practice doing a C-section on a human before Lori gives birth.  Not sure how helpful this would be on a dried up corpse that doesn't move and doesn't have a baby inside of it.  But I'll give it to Carol for thinking of a plan since she is most likely going to be the one delivering Lori's baby.  Let's just hope this doesn't lead her down the path of Dr. Frankenstein because that did not turn out well.  Also, are we meant to believe that the last camera angle used on Carol was of someone watching her from afar?  That could be an interesting new plot twist.

Some final thoughts

 

- Rick and the gang have become this group of great stealth fighters.  Compare their attack on the walkers versus the prisoners.

- I'm already bored with the Rick/Lori relationship drama.  She better die soon or become a more interesting character.  Apologetic Lori is no fun.

- Why no Michonne and Andrea in this episode? I thought for sure that the episode would be split evenly between Rick and the gang and Andrea and her new best friend.