'The Walking Dead' Season Finale, "Beside the Dying Fire" TV Review

The second season finale of The Walking Dead will probably be another ratings record setter or very close to it...  and as it opened, the season finale, titled "Beside the Dying Fire" brought some high energy action and pretty much didn't let up.  For once, thank god for commercials.  It gave me time to take a breather!

And as always, SPOILERS ENSUE if you haven't seen the episode yet...

(These Comic-Con lines are killer)

As the Walking Dead episode opened, we were taken back some undetermined amount of time... opening to a scene in a city full of walkers following a helicopter sound out of the city and into the countryside.  They then amble on their own through the night, across a field where they run into a fence.  But the sheer mass of dead break the fence down and into the woods they go.  It's in the woods that they hear the gunshot from Carl taking down walker Shane.

And all "yuck" hits the fan as this huge herd of walkers ambles onto the farm, seemingly from all directions.  The premise is to run, but then there's this:

Hershel (Scott Green):  "It's my farm, I'll die here."

Daryl (Norman Reedus): "Alright, it's as good a night as any."

(Unfortunately, that's not the fire department staff!)

The farm is swarmed with the gang being overrun.  There's no tactic to dealing with being overrun.  The gang get their cars run interference trying to draw the walker herd away, but it just doesn't work.

In the end, the living are driven from the farm and it looks like Andrea (Laurie Holden) got separated and left behind...

But as the smoke settles, the groups, though separated, find their way back together at a predesignated meet point on the highway, back where they lost Sophia.  Everyone except Andrea.

But there was a nice looking zombie in an argyle sweater!  The yuppie walker!

(Anyone know where In-n-Out is around here?)

The gang decides that Andrea is probably lost and moves on with little compunction about the matter.  (This is what happens when you don't conform with the gang...  they move on first chance they get!)

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Ah, but Andrea is not dead... she's on the move trying to stay ahead of the ambling hoard.  She has her own issues but she's holding her own while her ammo lasts, but then she's out of ammo and falls to a trio of walkers.  She take two down but the third one is about to get her when it finds itself beheaded by a sword.  (Now that's saving ammo)

The sword wielder presents an incredibly unique and mystifying visual, there stands the wielder, enshrouded in a hood and cloak, with two armless walkers on chains in submissive tow.  Wow!  Welcome to the scene Michonne!  See who is cast as Michonne in The Walking Dead.

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As the group hunkers down, they discover that Jimmy (James Allen McCune) and Patricia (Jane McNeill) fell to the walker herd and that Rick (Andrew Lincoln) had to kill Shane (Jon Bernthal). 

And when Rick told Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) earlier about being tricked by Shane and having to defend himself...  she gets all weird and upset with Rick.  Was she in love with Shane?  Did she have ulterior hopes for that confrontation???  She's so annoying sometimes.

And then there's the thing where Rick tells the group how dead people are getting up without being bitten... that Jenner back at the CDC said everyone was infected... but he wasn't sure if Jenner was right or not, until he saw Shane get up.

And for some reason, the group is upset Rick did not tell them about this.  It does not matter if they knew or not.  It's not like one can decide, Oh, wait, I don't want to die now. I don't want to turn into a walker.  Get over it people!

In the end, Rick lays the down the law, saying he just killed his best friend for them, and said they could stay or go, but staying, his word is the law.

The scene pans back and away and off in the distance, a prison... I think.  Was that a prison?

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So it would appear that this new season, especially the latter half of season 2 of The Walking Dead, has proven itself after the exodus of Frank Darabont.  At least as far as zombie action is concerned.  It answered the call for fans to need more action and less detailed story.

The big expirations were Sophia, Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) and Shane.  We saw Shane's death coming form a mile away due to various issues.

That helicopter is interesting.  That's the second time we've seen (well, heard) it in the series, the last time being early in season 1.

And that's that.  It's a wrap.  Below is an extra provided by AMC and as we all know, the Governor will be showing up next season as well as that mystery character with the sword, Michonne... an obvious person who has adapted to the present scenario of the zombie infection.

Filming of season three of The Walking Dead starts up in May...  and I presume season three will kick it in gear in October like the last two.

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The Walking Dead Behind the Scenes



Later all and thanks for coming by!  -Bruce