"Home" is a fairly strong episode of Walking Dead, but it ultimately feels a little rushed. Some situations I was convinced would take several episodes to unfold come to a head resoundingly in this episode. That sort of scripting does keep the show unpredictable, but I wonder whether more of a slow burn might have been effective in this case from a story perspective (not that I want to things to return to the banana slug-like pace of parts of season 2).
I expected the The Adventures of Merle and Daryl to last at least a few episodes, and I was disappointed when the brothers returned to prison at the end of this episode (with impeccable timing, of course) because I think a few episodes on the road with those two could have provided some valuable enlightenment into the nature of their relationship. There was some vague hints about a history of abuse involving the Dixon family but, as I alluded to earlier, that revelation felt a little too rushed. Another story line that I haven't been a fan of that could have used some more time in the slow cooker was the one involving Glenn and Maggie.
Maggie is a character I haven't particularly enjoyed since her introduction into the Walking Dead, although she has served to give the Glenn character a little more depth, which is fine. But the plot involving a rift between the two after The Governor has violated Maggie should have been given more time to develop, or excluded altogether. As is stands, the two are seen cuddling at the end of the episode, things seemingly resolved for no real reason before it was even entirely clear what the dispute was about.
The Governor and his crew also begin their assault on the prison in this episode, something I expected last episode, but when it didn't happen, I assumed would be left for much later in the season. Just last episode, The Governor seemed a broken, shell of a man (with obvious parallels to Rick), but in "Home" he is wielding an assault rifle gleefully as if nothing happened. I understand that this may be an effort to underscore the duplicity of The Governor, but some hint of his true intentions (perhaps over the course of an episode or two?) during all this would have made the transformation seem more genuine
Other developments during this episode include Michonne having become a full-fledged member of the gang, despite numerous assertions to the contrary by Rick just last week. Of course, it's obvious that Rick isn't exactly calling the shots in "Home" (we'll talk about that later), but some sort of scene explaining her sudden inclusion into the group would have been nice. Elsewhere, Tyreese and company are nowhere to be seen, ostensibly filing their nails and twirling their thumbs amidst the chaotic and violent sequence that closes the episode.
That last sequence proves to be the saving grace of "Home" for me. I've stated before that Walking Dead does action best, and the shootout in "Home" ranked among the best in the history of the series. Luckily, there should be more of that to come. But with season 3 hurtling to its inevitable conclusion, the show would be wise to take it's time. Of course, if the showrunners need to make more time, they should consider cutting all future scenes that involve Rick trudging through the forest looking for dead people. The idea of Rick cracking a bit with everything he has faced is a good one, but Lori was an unpopular character who no one wants to see return, and Rick chasing dead people around all episode is giving me far too many Lost flashbacks for comfort.
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