I said last week that, starting then, all bets were off if you’re a reader of The Walking Dead books and are expecting it to follow along with the TV show. This episode very much further supports that. Other than Rick finally making his way to camp, and Lori turning a cold shoulder toward Shane, not a whole lot felt familiar. Actually, I take that back — Rick coming in and taking charge of the camp is very familiar.
At this point, if you don’t like Rick, there’s a good chance you won’t like him any more as the series progresses. He makes bold (or what some would call careless) moves to make himself feel better, often putting others in danger. Take his little mission in this episode to go rescue Merle Dixon. Let’s say he was successful in retrieving Merle from the rooftop of that building, and then let’s say they all made it back to camp unscathed. Did Rick really think everything would be roses with Merle? As a cop, hasn’t Rick seen enough scumbags to know there’s no getting through to a guy like that? I’m not saying it’s right to leave someone like that for dead, but to put himself and others in danger to get him was plain dumb.
Speaking of Merle, seriously, that hacksaw wouldn’t cut through the long bolt he was cuffed to? I will say I’m glad his situation wasn’t merely left for us to wonder about, only having him appear later in the season, armed with a hacksaw and looking for vengeance. I guess there’s always a chance that all that mumbling he did about being a bad guy and deserving what he got could have softened him, but I doubt it. My guess is they’ll find he made his way down the side of the building, catch up with him, and then someone will be killed. My money is on T-Dog getting killed by one of the Dixons, and then at least one of the Dixons getting taken out as well. As interesting as it is for the TV show to stray from the books, I wonder if their sole purpose was to be redshirt material. Add that dirtbag wife-beater Ed, and possibly his wife to that list as well.
Speaking of Ed, he and the Dixons do a bang-up job of making the men of Atlanta look like a bunch of tools, don’t they?
One last thing: is it just me or are the sounds of guts being eaten, chopped, stabbed or otherwise fondled overly graphic in this series? Not really complaining, but it’s almost absurdly pronounced.
“Why would you risk your life for a douchebag like Merle Dixon?” – Shane
“Hey. Choose your words more carefully.” – Daryl
“Oh no, I did. Douchebag’s what I meant.” – Shane
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Nov 14, 2010 @ 23:38 EST5EDT
. . . . .
Well … I’m having the same problem you are Keith:
Merle is that stupid he couldn’t cut through the cuff to escape? He had to cut through his hand? Not the links? Nor as you mentioned (and my immediate thought at the end) that rather old looking rod helping to support the duct? *yeesh*
And … how ’bout a bit of picky time: The wear and tear on Merle’s wrist and arm would have been on the underside of his wrist from all that struggling … not the top of it.
Ed, Daryl, Merle – yeah: They’re all looking as dumb as a bag of of hammers.
Tools, indeed …
I would put Shane in the tools column myself also, telling Lori that Rick had died was terrible. I mean it could have been so she would leave instead of stay or try and save him but he seemed like a scum from the first episode. I was cheering for him when he was kicking Ed’s butt however. Maybe I am way off, who knows…
I once again was feeling sorry for the lone zombie. Four on one to kill him seemed like overkill (no pun intended) and they still didn’t get it done correctly. One shot to the brain and done is what I say after all, they should have a little mercy as the used to be human beings after all and if they can risk everything to save a slime like Merle, why not have some mercy on the zombie.
Merle had two choices brake his thumb or cut his hand off. Unfortunately he was to stupid to brake his thumb. He couldn’t cut through the cuffs because the hand saw wouldn’t cut through that type of mettle. I know its a show about zombies but they have to be realistic somewhere right? And as for the wounds on his wrist form the cuffs they were so tit even if he wasn’t struggling they would have been red and bused.
The only reason for Merle to chop off his hand was if he was under time pressure, they didn’t show that.
This episode dragged. The pace was slower than slow and the entire episode was filler. 60 minutes and what actually happened? Nada.
-I hate Shane so far, but that hatred softened when he beat up Ed.
-Dixon cutting off his hand was pretty stupid. Now he is bleeding profusely and has no medical supplies. Plus the blood probably just attracts the zombies even more.
-I know it takes place in the south and people love to stereotype, but really how many hillbilly characters do we need? The Dixons were enough. Ed’s existence is overkill. Hopefully a zombie picks him off soon. Also his wife being played by Sinéad O’Connor? (not a serious question)
-Glen is so far my favorite of the group along with the bearded guy in the hat who wants his tools back. That means they are doomed.