The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale: Meet The Walkers

The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale: Meet The Walkers

Posted on Wednesday March 28, 2012, 17:49 by Stephen Carty in Small Screen

The second season of AMC’s The Walking Dead has split audiences. But whether you hold the series as a compelling zombie drama or a dragging talk-fest, there's little doubt that the finale delivered a gripping example of how good it can be. In fact, it's the best instalment since the cinematic, Frank Darabont-directed feature-length pilot. As Hershel’s amusingly-isolated farm was finally overrun by hordes of Walkers, there was bags of zombie carnage, plenty of incident and a final shot that will have many of us – especially fans of the graphic novel – wishing that the third season started next week. For anyone wishing to read on, it goes without saying that major spoilers are to follow.

Of course, a key moment was the introduction of hooded warrior Michonne, a fan-favourite from the comics who pitches up wielding a Katanna blade and dragging two armless, jawless zombies shackled behind her (!). Another was Rick revealing what Noah Emmerich’s despairing Dr. Jenner whispered to him in the season one finale: that everyone carries the virus and will become a Walker upon death regardless. Bitten or not. Then there was the teasing final shot where the camera panned up to reveal a large prison complex in the near-distance, which is presumably where our gang will be spending their time next year.

But the episode stood out thanks to a stunning, tension-packed first twenty minutes, which unleashed enough zombie action to satisfy those who have (understandably) complained at the infrequent presence of the living dead this season. With the countless Walkers ambling onto farmville, the barn was burned (providing a nice visual), survivors got chomped, Hershel briefly turned into the Punisher and Lori lost track of Carl for the 47th time this year. As always, the splattering special effects were flawless, especially considering the scale of what was required, to the point that you realise just how much we take the consistently impeccable work of Greg Nicotero and his team for granted. Take a bow, boys: great efforts once again.

OK, so the chomped-up casualties were only peripheral characters whose names most people probably didn't even know (The Walking Dead’s equivalent of Red Shirts), but we can agree that there have been enough 'big' departures recently. First there was the affecting loss of Jeffrey De Munn's Dale, and then the surprising murder of Jon Bernthal's Shane, both of whom were suspected to be the mystery cast member who asked to leave after Frank Darabont left the show (the former is a Darabont regular, while the latter has just been cast in his new pilot for TNT, LA Noir). Regardless, after this one-two punch of crucial group-member exits, it might have been unwise to trim the cast further.

That said, the show's characters still aren't nearly as interesting or sympathetic as they need to be. Certainly, the ensemble spends plenty of time talking (so much so that the supplementary show’s name - The Talking Dead - has become an apt nickname for the series itself), but it's still hard for the audience to care for that many of the gang. Contrast this with fellow survivor-based show Lost (as unfair as the comparison may be), which had about 14 leads and at least six genuinely interesting characters (Locke, Sawyer, Ben, Desmond, Jack, Hurley). Here, there are only a handful who have been developed beyond mere Walker-fodder, while the others are either one-note (Carol, we're looking at you), ignored (poor T-Dog) or less than likeable.

Sarah Wayne Callies' Lori Grimes, in particular, comes across as unlikeable too often, although her hypocritical cold shoulder to Rick when he admitting to killing Shane (after essentially suggesting he do as much a few episodes back) is more down to inconsistent writing than it is the actress. Elsewhere, too, the finale boasted a few niggling inconsistencies, like Carol suddenly planting a seed with Daryl that Rick uses him as a henchman. Where in the name of Geroge A Romero did that come from?

Overall, however, this was a fantastic way to end an uneven season which, in retrospect, really was a game of two halves. While there were terrific moments spread throughout (Shane killing Otis to save himself; the reveal of where Sophia has been), the first batch of episodes spent too long treading water at the farm and lacked regular zombie peril (although both aspects were the consequence of budget cuts). The final run, however, offered a notable improvement and showed just what The Walking Dead is capable of, ensuring that we’ll definitely be back come October for season three. Whether this strong finish was a temporary band-aid or a crucial corner-turning, though, remains to be seen.

So what next? Well, aside from the fact that the aforementioned prison is a popular part of the graphic novel run, there’s the exciting news that British actor David Morrissey (State Of Play) has been cast as villainous Governor (no relation to Arnie), who’ll likely become a major antagonist. There’s also the long overdue change of scenery, provided we don’t hop out of the farm frying pan and into the prison fire, that is. In addition, a return for Daryl’s redneck, missing-a-hand brother Merle has been teased by comic creator and show producer Robert Kirkman, and we all know that more Michael Rooker is a reason to celebrate.

But what did you make of season two finale, Empire fans? How will Rick's dictatorship (Ricktatorship?) go down next time? And will Scott Wilson be allowed to unleash his Hershel-nator again? Let us know your thoughts…