The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 13 Review: Beside the Dying Fire!

The Walking Dead season two on AMC has come to an end with “Beside the Dying Fire,” and the season finale happens to be one hell of a show! This episode has probably been the best one yet. There’s action! There’s horror! There’s plot! There’s no end to the number of badass moments! Let’s check in with Dale for his thoughts.

Action Chick, can you tell me why so many people back into parking spaces? It seems like it’d be a whole lot easier just to drive into the space and then back out into the parking lot. You have more room to go in reverse, after all. And another thing—

Hey there, Dale.

…What can I do for you, Shane?

Nothin’. I just figgered that, what with both of us bein’ dead and all, that we could both do these little recap things.

What do you mean, ‘both of us being dead’? Only dead things around here are the walkers and my first wife’s libido.

Dale, brother, I’d hate to break it to you, but—

No, Shane. I won’t hear it. This is my moment of Zen and you’re interrupting it with your thoughts of the macabre.

I see how it is. You want this all to yourself.

Well, more or less, yeah. I mean I wouldn’t mind having a co-host once in a while, but only if you stop talking about this awful ‘death’ stuff and make sure to watch your language. No reason to be morbid, Shane.

Right. Cause nuthin’ bad ever happened ‘round here, ‘specially not to either of us.

Exactly!

Thanks, Dale! Now for what happened this week:

Beware Spoilers Below!

A massive horde of zombies wanders toward the farm due to the noise Carl made shooting zombie Shane at the end of the last episode.

While heading back to the housem Rick and Carl notice they’re being followed by a freakin’ huge horde of zombies so they lead some of them into the barn, set it on fire, and escape through the back.

Meanwhile, Daryl and Glenn report to the group that Randall had zombified despite dying from a broken neck. Before this information can sink in, they notice the horde approaching, arm themselves, and then take to them vehicles for a little drive-by zombie killing action. Hershel’s son, Jimmy, who really was only there to up the body count, gets eaten by the zombies while trying to help Rick and Carl escape the barn. Eventually things get too nuts and everyone drives off in different directions, with Maggie and Glenn in one car, Daryl and Carol on the Dixon-cycle, and T-Dog driving away with Lori and Shocky, the girl who tried to kill herself. Somewhere in the hub-bub Andrea gets left behind, Patricia (also known as “Who’s That Chick?”) gets torn apart by walkers, and Hershel makes a Rambo-like last stand against the zombies trying to take over his farm. Rick shows up just in time to save Hershel-bo, and they take Carl and escape.

Everyone meets back up on the highway where they left the supplies for Sophia. They count who’s dead, decide that Andrea’s dead or lost, and drive east toward the coast.

Rick’s car is about out of gas so the group stops to decide what to do. That’s when Rick reveals…THEY’RE ALL INFECTED WITH WHATEVER CAUSES THE ZOMBIES! That’s why the people have been turning without being bitten, and that’s what Jenner the CDC doctor whispered in Rick’s ear ay the end of season one. Everyone gets mad at Rick for not telling them. Later he tells Lori all about how he killed Shane and Carl killed zombie Shane, leading her to get mad at him all over again and won’t let him touch her.

(“So just to be clear, which part are you mad at, me killing Shane or Carl killing zombie Shane?”)

We then find Andrea, looking tired from having spent the last twenty-four hours fleeing from the zombie horde on foot. After taking out a few dead-heads in melee combat she collapses, utterly exhausted, as a zombie lunges for her. Before it can sink its teeth in a mysterious person shows up and saves her. This person is cloaked in black and toting two armless zombies on chains! Who will it be!?! Hmm….

Elsewhere, after a stressful evening of arguing about what to do, Rick starts to lose his crap, spilling the beans to the rest of the group about killing Shane. He then continues this tirade by yelling about how “this isn’t a democracy anymore… It’s a cheerocracy!” Okay, maybe not that last part. Still, he spits and rants like a total psycho/badass/scary control freak, telling everyone to go and see how far they get without him, but no one does. They all stay put. The last shot is the darkened outline of a huge prison in the distance. Could this be the new hope that Rick is looking for? Who is this hooded person? (Fans of the comic already know the answer to that.) And what will happen now that Rick’s through with this democracy and has declared things a full Ricktatorship?

Likes:

• The whole episode was super intense!
• ZOMBIE HORDE!
• The barn burning in a sea of smoldering beauty.
• Daryl’s thoughts on dying tonight? “It’s as good of a night as any.”
• Hershel’s shift from Grampa McFollowstherules to a complete badass, dishing out headshot after headshot.
• Rick’s badassery and shift into survivor Nazi.
• The reveal of the hooded character, who fans of the comic will know as Michonne, another awesome action chick.
• The view of the prison at the end, hinting that season three is going to rock even more.

Dislikes:

• Aww, I don’t think group ever got to sleep in Hershel’s house. They’d just packed up their crap and left the front lawn when everything went to utter hell.
• Honestly, there was nothing to dislike here. This episode rocked balls!!!!