Welp, farewall to long hair guy, Tiny (what do you know, a big guy named Tiny, very creative there writers of Walking Dead), and another prisoner whose name I never got around to memorizing. I have to say that I expected the prisoners to stick around and pester Rick and crew for at least a few more episodes, but it never pays to get too attached to side characters on this show, and they've gone and done it again. It is worth mentioning, though, that at least two of those prisoners are still kicking around in the prison somewhere, which means they will no doubt re-surface at a pivotal moment later this season.
"Sick", which is our second consecutive four-letter episode title starting with 's', is a very different episode from "Seed". This second episode offers a lot less action, and a lot less zombie killing. But it does manage to squeeze in some of that stuff, which is a good sign, given that the "slow" episodes of season two all too often featured very little to no action at all. I dare say most people tune into this show for kind of that stuff, so good to see the creators fitting it in. Fortunately, this episode is never as boring as the worst of the infamous farm episodes from last season.
For a show as pulpy and silly as The Walking Dead, the show manages to ask some tough questions of it's audience. Over the course of three seasons, we have seen Rick evolve from a law-abiding man who would avoid murder at any cost to a cold-hearted killer who do anything to protect his group. The moment when Rick takes out the first prisoner was absolutely chilling given what we know about him and his history. There was a time when any one watching The Walking Dead would have stated unequivocally that Rick Grimes was a good man. Given recent developments, though, that question has gotten a lot tougher. And not just where it concerns Rick, but everyone in the group. Are the things that they do justified? Is Rick still a good man? Is it even possibly anymore to be a good man in the world of Walking Dead?
Because of our previous attachments to these characters, we root for them, and want them to survive just as much as Rick does. But think about it from the perspective of the prisoners they encounter: they have been locked away and forsaken by society. The prison where they live is the place they have come to call home by necessity. But when society comes crashing down, all of a sudden the hell they have been forced to live in becomes a pretty desirable location. Ironically, the outcasts momentarily find themselves in an advantageous position, only to be pushed out and rendered powerless yet again. The question is whether they deserved the place to begin with. It's a pretty interesting conundrum, and The Walking Dead excels at creating those kind of scenarios. I'm looking forward to seeing what depths the "good man" Rick and his crew will continue have to continue to sink to ensure their survival.
So the action is good, and the episode clicks thematically. But as always with this show, "Sick" is not without it's shortcomings. Foremost among them is the continued presence of Lori, and the completely uninteresting marital strife storyline that accompanies her appearance. Unfortunately, Lori has been such a cloying and frustrating character throughout Walking Dead that I really couldn't care less if her and Rick get together or not. It does add an element of complexity to the show that Rick is (presumably) fighting so hard for a family that may or may not even really be a family anymore, but Lori is so annoying that I would rather the Walkers chomp her to bits than see the resolution of this storyline. The character of Carl is equally off-putting. He is actually making himself useful this season, but we saw the beginnings in this episode of a potential "Carl is rebelling" storyline, which does not bode well. Also missing this week was Michonne. The Carol side plot in this episode was harmless enough, but I don't think anyone would have complained too much if they had cut those elements to shed more light on Michonne, and what she and Andrea are up to.
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