The Walking Dead (episode review)

The relatively zombie-free third episode of The Walking Dead ("Tell It to the Frogs") puts the emphasis on moral dilemma.  Rick's wife Lori (who has become intimate with his partner Shane) must contend with the guilt of her betrayal when her husband shows up alive and well at the survivors' camp.  The reunion, though, is short-lived, because Rick's conscience compels him to return to Atlanta to try and rescue Merle from the rooftop where he has been left stranded.  Rick's decision to risk his own life for the low-life Merle naturally doesn't sit well with Lori, and Shane protests that Rick is endangering the welfare of the camp by taking three men with him on the expedition.  Rick, in turn, tries to explain that he has to go back not just for Merle or the bag of guns that has been lost; he needs to retrieve his walkie-talkie so he can possibly save the life (by warning him to stay clear of Atlanta) of the man who who restored him to health in the series premiere.  These various moral complications make for riveting drama, and demonstrate that The Walking Dead ultimately values the story more than the gory.

Another interesting aspect of this episode is its illustration of what day-to-day life is like for a survivor of the zombie apocalypse.  Such an existence involves more than toting guns and shooting ghouls; tasks like scrounging for food (and fuel) and hand-washing clothes are now part of daily reality.  In a moment of comic relief, the woman of the camp lament the loss of civilization's modern appliances: washing machines, computers, and coffee makers, not to mention a more personal item normally stored in the bedroom nightstand.

Through three episodes now, none of the human characters in the series have been killed off, but I'm betting that that will change next week.  Something tells me that one of the four men on the expedition is not going to survive the trip back into zombie-riddled Atlanta.  The odds against them are worsened by the fact that Merle (as tonight's cliffhanger reveals) is on the loose again--and he's unlikely to extend a hand in friendship and let bygones be bygones.