The Walking Dead: Discussion Thread

[quartermainefan]

Rick always makes choices that lead to danger for his group and eventual death. Season 2 Shane told him they had to kill that kid but Rick had better ideas about leaving him at that school or whatever that was, and sure enough Shane got cornered inside that bus. And the time earlier when they had to kill the kid but Rick said no, and the delay cost Herschel his leg. (something like that anyway). He wanted to sit around and talk with the governor in season 3 and that inaction led to Herschel's death in season 4. His silly ethics has led him to cast out Carol, someone firmly in his camp and whose job it was to watch his baby daughter. Well where is the daughter now? He was against her teaching the creepy blonde girl how to fight, but Carol's lessons is what saved Tyrese when that girl came to his rescue (or was it Daryl she saved?) Even back in season 1 he spared Merle and what happened, Merle came back to take hostages while working for the governor.

Rick always makes a bad decision that comes back to haunt the group. His farming detour was no exception. MIchonne had the right idea: find the governor. Rick should have been helping on that score all along. Even his pigs are what led to the virus that killed people earlier this season.

[DRW50]

Carol never taught the girls to shoot guns that we know. I'm not sure she would have approved of them getting in the middle of a gunfight. Yes she told them to assert themselves, but not to that level. It's very dangerous.

Shane got trapped in the bus because he got into a huge, noisy fight with Rick.

Dale, if that's who you meant, was killed because he was a dumbass who went walking in the fields in the middle of the night.

Carol had less and less to do with watching Judith, she was mostly in charge of other areas of the prison, and then had the girls. Beth mostly took care of Judith. I don't think she would have made any difference when she was there. When she was there, she had great ideas like killing two people for little reason and letting it turn into paranoia and violence. If she even did it (I'm still not sure).

I don't think that going against the Governor in season 3 would have made a big difference. The Governor had all the power, ammo, everything. Rick could have tried to kill him at the meeting but I can't see it working.

[Ann_SS]

You nailed it, Carl. I don't think that Rick is perfect. I think that is a good man who has struggled in a horrible situation. He has made far more good decisions than bad ones and his group is the better for having him. If they had people like Phillip or Shane or Carol in charge everyone of them would be dead by now. Yes, Rick's group has had deaths, but they survived longer than they would have with anyone else in charge.

I think Rick's worst decisions have been his reluctance to kill or abandon the sociopaths. He should have left Shane's crazy ass to die in that bus. They would not have been split up wondering in the woods when the herd arrived and maybe Patricia and Jimmy might have lived. Same with Phillip who Rick should have killed when they had first meeting, but he kept hoping to avoid a war not realizing that without Phillip the Woodbury folk would have been easier to defeat despite their higher numbers. Also, in retrospect Rick should had let Carol's murderous ass leave when she was bitching about him not having honor after he searched for her daughter rather than having murder two helpless sick people. However, so much of this hindsight.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

Rick's made mistakes, definitely. He shouldn't have gone back for Merle (even if in the long run that got them Daryl's loyalty). He should have left Shane in the bus. He should have killed that prisoner who got away and then proceeded to let walkers into the prison. As a leader, a lot of this falls on his shoulders (for instance, I could say the adults in camp were at fault for not remembering to keep the fire at a lower level, but they weren't the leader). With that said, he's also done a lot of good things, he's kept a very disparate group of people together, against all odds, and he's made tough decisions they likely would not have made (like killing Shane).

I do think he had little to no ability to stop anything involving The Governor. I liked Andrea, but I put a lot of that on her.

[ChitHappens]

I was shocked when Rick instantly killed the leader of the prison when the group first got there. That was the first time I have ever seen Rick to the right thing w/out hesitation, but then again, he had no emotional ties to the guy.

I can't imagine anyone else leading the group, but Rick just grates sometimes.

[Ann_SS]

Rick did quickly kill the two guys in the bar where he and Glenn found Hershel. The commonality in bar and prison situations is that those guys were clearly about kill Rick and the others.

I have issues with calling killing someone "the right thing." Murdering/killing someone other than in self-defense is not easy unless you are a sociopath or a psychopath. Even when I am yelling "kill him" to the screen to Rick or Andrea, I understand that it is a very difficult thing for most people to do even in the Zombie Apocalypse.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

I feel like Rick changed after he had to kill Shane. He loved Shane. Most of the hope and inner strength he'd had was already worn down and that was probably the last straw. It's surprising to me sometimes that he's managed to keep as much of a core of goodness as he even has.

[YRBB]

Terrific return.

The insight into Michonne's past life. Seeing a walker that reminded her of herself. Breaking down and killing all the walkers. Returning to follow Rick & Carl's tracks. The little monologue she had. Her reaction to finding them. Brought me to tears several times throughout the episode.

Carl is growing into quite the performer, isn't he? I LOVED his monologue while Rick was sleeping/unconscious. So much psychological damage & hurt. And, yet, he still retains a playfulness (the writing on the door, the chocolate pudding). The "oh, sh!t" cliffhanger was terrifying, as was fighting the walker in the house. And that little scene where he thought Rick turned. Great work.

Rick is so destroyed, in so many ways. Is he really weak? I've never thought of it this way. The writing has managed to keep him away from that exalted stereotype of the ruthless, strong man and he is ten times more fascinating for it. When he has to make the tough decisions, it has even more impact. In the end, Rick's still human, with a heart, with conflicting emotions, and a position he doesn't necessarily want to have. I am so thankful he's not the male lead caricature that so many want him to be.

And the way they did the ending was unexpected. Such a ray of light among all the bleakness.

Edited February 14, 2014 by YRBB

[Ann_SS]

Here we go!

[ChitHappens]

Present!

[DRW50]

I'm going to be offline for the rest of the night but tomorrow I will be back to share my blather. I hope it's a great episode and a great Talking Dead.

[Ann_SS]

Oh no, I think that Daryl is shutting down.

See ya later, Carl.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Ann_SS

[Ann_SS]

Oh no, who are they eating?

[ChitHappens]

Daryl know he can recylce some arrows!

I'm tired of Beth already

[JaneAusten]

Ok so who was dead and getting eaten or doing the eating? I couldn't tell.

Not sure about Beth and Daryl. I can't see that dynamic working for long.