"Internment" of THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 4 Episode 5 Internment on Seat42F.

This week’s THE WALKING DEAD, “Internment,” takes place in the prison. The illness is growing worse, with more victims succumbing. Hershel (Scott Wilson) is steadfast in caring for his charges, but it’s clear there will soon be nothing more he can do for them if they can’t get medicine.

On one hand, not a lot happens with the Hershel story. There are several scenes of him helping others, and then some of the sick turn into Walkers and he fights them. This is exactly what one would expect to happen in the situation, and it’s not exactly moving forward from what we’ve already seen.

On the other hand, there is definitely an emotional journey for Hershel. He is the one in the group that has hope and faith, even as no one else holds on to such things any more. Yet, near the end of “Internment,” he can’t look at his bible. The things he has to do, stabbing the people he’s been taking care of, and watching Glenn (Steven Yeun), someone he’s close to, at the edge of death, changes him a bit. Hershel is still a force for lifting up spirits, but his mettle is definitely tested.

As valuable as Hershel is for morale, some may have counted him out in a physical confrontation, considering he is older and now has an artificial leg. But in this episode, Hershel proves he’s still capable on this front, too, fighting Walkers and saving lives. Near the end, Michonne (Danai Gurira) acknowledges this, inviting him to go outside with her, and he gratefully accepts. He’s got a new confidence in himself, and others see him differently, too.

Basically, Wilson kills it this week, and deserves tons of praise for his terrific performance, shining as the focus moves onto him.

Thankfully, no one super important dies in this episode. Dr. S. (Sunkrish Bala) is a loss, to be sure, but he’s not a long-term, central character. It would have been disappointing to lose Glenn in such a way, and Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) is quickly becoming a player to watch, so I’m glad they both survive. THE WALKING DEAD is burning through all the expendable people at the prison, but they’re avoiding getting rid of any of the major cast yet.

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is her father’s daughter. It’s not always obvious, but in this installment she wants to be a caretaker, too, and we see her attitude mirror his when she finally gets into the ward and helps out.

This type of relationship is echoed in Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln), whom we see eat peas out of the same pod, clearly a metaphor for what they are. The Walkers bust through the fence in “Internment” and father and son must work together to take out the herd. For the first time, truly, Rick treats Carl like a man, someone who can be counted on to hold his own and be a fully participating member of the group, and Carl rises to the occasion, as his father surely would.

This is something Rick has struggled with, for good reason. Carl is still a child, according to the old world order, and Rick has definitely had to help shape Carl’s morals and values recently, as those are still developing. However, Carl is also big and strong enough to hold a weapon, and is fully capable of mowing down dozens of Walkers, as he proves side by side with Rick. There is some rewarding payoff here to see that noticed and respected.

How long will the prison remain a safe haven? The Walkers keep pressing at the fence, and no matter how often the group clears the clumps of them at the gate, they always return stronger, and make it a little further each time, this week getting inside the barriers. It’s true that medicine has arrived so the group’s number of healthy people will swell again, giving them more bodies to help keep the defenses up. Yet, I can’t help but feel that won’t be enough, as greater and greater numbers approach. We saw the giant hoard Michonne and the others encountered on the road; the fences would never last against a mass that size.

We finally get a glimpse of The Governor (David Morrissey) in “Internment,” just staring at the prison. Is he coming to attack? Has he already been attacking, perhaps leading those groups of Walkers to the walls and testing the prison’s defenses? If so, why didn’t he notice the vulnerability of the ailment, with less people out working in the yards and the healthy adults going out for supplies, and strike then? He could easily have killed everyone left at that point.

The Governor is a fantastic villain, extremely dangerous and intelligent. Even if we don’t know what he’s been doing or what his next move will be, he still sends shivers down the spine. He is a cold, cold man who definitely wants revenge on Michonne and Rick for tearing down is world. Whatever he does next, it will not be signing a peace treaty or leaving them in peace.

“Interment” is a little slower than the past couple of hours, but it definitely has the ‘calm before the storm’ feel, and it would not be surprising if the final three installments of the fall run are fast and intense. I’m glad the series takes time to explore characters such as Hershel in depth before it doesn’t have time to do so anymore. This was another great episode.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

"Isolation" Not Helping THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 4 Episode 3 Isolation on Seat42F.

Three episodes into the fourth season, AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD only continues to get more intense. The latest installment, “Isolation,” finds the prison population continuing to struggle with the illness that had taken hold, more and more people displaying symptoms. Separating the infected from the others isn’t helping, and the possibility of antibiotics is far away. Also, Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) wants Karen’s killer found.

It’s understandable that Tyreese desires justice, and no one wants to deny him that. This just isn’t the opportune time to investigate, with a major crisis going on. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) try to explain that to him, but Tyreese is not in any position to hear, his mind extremely one-track at present.

We don’t know a lot about Tyreese yet. He’s portrayed as caring, compassionate, and non-violent, but something about Karen’s death makes him snap. He slugs Rick, which earns him a beating. Then, later in the hour, he hesitates to engage in battle with walkers, only to come out slaying in a massacre-like fashion. Does this man have anger issues he is trying very hard to control? Does he know he can be dangerous and deadly under the right circumstances, and fights against that nature? This is a new side of him.

Tyreese’s power could be quite useful. The group could use someone who can kill dozens of walkers while managing not to get bit themselves, a moment reminiscent of the comics. But if Tyreese resists the urge to act like this, he’s not really helping. And the question is, if he gives into the rage, might it unleash something he can’t control around people, as well as walkers?

Rick has the same rage-addiction, though perhaps is not as big or strong as Tyreese, and so poses less threat. Rick still has enough strength, though, to beat up Tyreese, who is not fighting back at full power, leaving Tyreese with a black eye. Rick would do worse if Daryl didn’t pull him off, not intending to stop wailing on Tyreese himself.

What about the apocalypse triggers such extreme reactions? Rick has been through a lot, sure, but he wasn’t particularly violent prior to everything going down. Now, he’s spent months acting like a farmer and trying to control himself, as well as set a good example for Carl (Chandler Riggs), which is working, at least for his son, Carl resisting the urge to unnecessarily kill walkers. Is Rick really still so on edge that he can snap again at a moment’s notice? Or does he just need to be careful not to fall back into familiar habits until they become unfamiliar, which may take a while longer?

“Isolation” finds way too many people getting sick. Pretty much all of the newbies, including Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), Doctor S. (Sunkrish Bala), and Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) are ailing, and soon Glenn (Steven Yeun) comes down with it, too. Is this what will wipe out the heroes once and for all? Not walkers or a murderous governor, but a microscopic disease?

This is expounded upon in dialogue, with Glenn lamenting the situation. He’s right that this sucks, something they can’t easily fight after all the struggles they’ve been through. Yet, it also makes sense, a bunch of people living in close quarters without the modern hygiene and disease prevention techniques they were used to prior to everything falling apart. It’s a really frustrating danger, with no clear solution.

Everyone deals with this in a different way. Beth (Emily Kinney) tells Maggie (Lauren Cohan) that they’re not allowed to be upset and worried. Hershel (Scott Wilson) risks his life getting herbs, then further endangers himself by personally delivering the folksy medicine to the patients. I can’t see any of these being a “right” or “wrong” approach. Yes, Hershel may be putting himself at an unnecessary risk when the group needs people to stay fit. But it also shows the depth of Hershel’s caring to be so unworried about himself. And Beth can’t be blamed for wanting to turn her feelings off, having suffered enough, but is she losing her humanity?

I love that THE WALKING DEAD poses questions like this without answering them. It depicts a great many different personalities, each of which has different thoughts and beliefs. We are allowed to observe and make our own judgments, with much open to debate. The strength of the series is in sparking those conversations and making their viewers think for themselves, rather than explicitly telling us what should happen. Even after a decision has been made by a character, we don’t know if it’s the right one, and it could come back up later on.

For instance, Rick determines that Carol (Melissa McBride) is the person who killed Karen. Carol freely admits this when questioned, then walks away without further comment. Without being told, fans know that Carol killed Karen to try to stop the illness from spreading, in the name of protecting everyone. Yet, Rick, as a lawman, might feel the need to punish Carol. Or at least tell Tyreese. And we don’t even know how Tyreese will react when he finds out, as he clearly holds Carol in high esteem earlier in this hour. Carol’s actions wills have consequences, but she might have been in the right, even if the disease still continued its rampage. Even if she is correct, can she be forgiven?

If Hershel’s natural remedy doesn’t pan out, the only hope is to get medication, which could possibly be found at a veterinary hospital fifty miles away. Daryl, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Tyreese, and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) set off to retrieve the life-saving antibiotics, but run into a megaherd of walkers. They are forced to flee their vehicle, meaning it will take much longer for them to obtain the drugs and get home.

I feel like they might be too late, at this point. People are dying within a day or two, not lasting weeks. Fifty miles is a lot of ground to cover on foot. They may find an alternate mode of transportation, but not even having made it to the college yet, it looks like they still have a distance to travel.

Also, when did the walkers form such huge herds? Megaherds are something the comic deals with later in the story. This has to be a sign that the show will go there, too, eventually, if not right away. A megaherd is not something easily turned away, and we’ve seen what a much smaller group can do to the prison’s fences. This kind of threat is super deadly, and if it reaches the group’s stronghold, I don’t see how they could possibly defend against it. This may be why the prison must be abandoned.

Lastly, before leaving the car, the supply party hears a voice on the radio. This means other survivors are out there, nearby. That makes sense, given that the main characters have run into others before. But it also looks like they won’t be able to stay “Isolated” much longer, if others are actively seeking out survivors. Will this be another Woodbury situation, or might the new people offer assistance?

“Isolation” is a busy hour, with a lot of developments and implications for future events. It’s an excellent installment, full of exciting drama and moral quandaries. Let’s hope the show stays this good.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.