Posted by Janie Logan Nov 8, 2010, 6:47 GMT
Rick (Andrew Lincoln) learns in "Guts" what desperation can drive a man to do. Photo courtesy of AMC.
At least the second episode of The Walking Dead was upfront about the more visceral approach it would be taking after last week's premiere… "Guts" didn't hold back from showing the ugly side of these characters as they fight for survival.
After taking refuge inside a tank in downtown Atlanta, Rick joined up with a group of people in a nearby building. With the throngs of zombies closing in, you'd think these folks had big enough problems to deal with, but emotions were running high and a redneck named Dixon (guest-star Michael Rooker) picked the worst time imaginable to show what a macho racist he was. As a result, the others left him behind, handcuffed on the roof with the zombies on their way up. That hacksaw didn't look too far away for him to reach, though...
It was hard to get to know anybody amidst the petty fighting and chase scenes. I know it takes time to get invested in characters on a new show, but I thought this episode sacrificed story for the sake of action and shock factor. From the stuff with Dixon ("Well, screw you twice!"), to the zombification of Rick and Glenn, it all felt a bit heavy-handed, particularly with the obligatory memorial to the dead guy whose guts they were about to smear on themselves:
"One more thing--he was an organ donor."
It's not that I found the scene gratuitous--I understand why they needed to do it, just like I understood it when Malcolm Reynolds covered Serenity in bodies to travel safely through Reaver territory. It wasn't an easy thing to do, for Mal or for Rick, but it was necessary. In this situation, though, pulling out the man's wallet to reflect on his life before they chopped him up with an axe was just too much.
That having been said, the show certainly isn't lacking in boldness. I'm thinking of the Lori-Shane sex scene that kicked off the episode.
Rick's primary motivation for continuing to fight these zombies--the thing that makes being covered in rotting entrails bearable--is the thought of being reunited with his family. They are his reason for living. At the same time, his wife and best friend are off having an affair. It's hard not to hate them.
If you'll forgive me for saying so, it takes "guts" to show the worst of your characters before the audience has had time to get to know them, to sympathize with them and make allowances for their behavior.
As Jeff Jensen and Dan Snierson say in their EW recap, "the episode was all about power. Who gets to make the rules? And how relevant are the old rules of civilized society--about anything, from adultery to civil rights to looting and murder--when civilization breaks down?"
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