The Walking Dead Forum

QUICK FIND THEIR CAR KEYS GUYS AND WE CAN ROLL TO VEGAS

Well, that sure was an episode of The Walking Dead, even if it wasn't precisely a great episode. As the title implied, "Secrets" was mostly about the spread of knowledge throughout the camp: who has it, who doesn't, and the inevitable flow from the former to the latter. It wasn't an episode in which anything especially new happened, although a few characters learned about events that happened in previous episodes. Complications ensue. A short recap:

• Lori attempted to abort her baby via an overdose of morning-after pills (helpfully labelled as MORNING AFTER PILLS on the box), only to throw them up after changing her mind.
• Glenn somehow managed to not tell anyone about a barn full of walkers other than Dale.
• Shane and Andrea had sex after some zombie killin'.
• Rick found out or confirmed his suspicions about Lori and Shane, as well as learning about Lori's pregnancy.
• Herschel was revealed to be slightly more crazy than everyone thought he was by implying that he believed that the zombies in the barn might have some kind of disease that can be cured.
• That kid's still missing.

The Walking Dead is a show that allows its viewers to know essentially everything at all times, so the spread of secrets is generally only interesting in how it affects the thought processes or actions of the characters: we already knew about the zombies in the barn, and Lori's pregnancy, and Lori and Shane's relationship, and such those revelations aren't particularly new ground for us. The decision to make Rick's discovery of the latter two events take place at the very end of the episode didn't help kick it into high gear, and although it seems certain that everyone will learn of the barn next episode, the knowledge of its inhabitants is only of interest to a viewer after it reaches someone with the ability to move the plot forward, which at this point is either Rick or Shane. Until they find out, the barn is just a thing where something exciting might eventually happen.

So, not a tremendously eventful episode, and one that seems to be fully in line with the slow burn that the show has been on for the past five shows. There was at least a bit of zombie killin', although both skirmishes utilized the somewhat trite "silent zombie" archetype that relies on zombies appearing, soundlessly, where no zombie was just seconds previously; that was especially egregious in the Shane/Andrea shootout, where dozens of walkers just kind of showed up, despite the pair being relatively quiet. It was a convenient way to get a few headshots in, but felt a little contrived nonetheless. And jesus, they better find that kid or give her up for dead at some point soon. I could't care less about the outcome of that plot at this point--hell, even her mom seems pretty much ready to move on.

All I know about the last episode of the half-season is that something exciting better happen, and we better see some kind of change of location. If we're still playing farmville when the show comes back in February, I honestly don't know if I'll continue to watch it.

Just finished watching it. I remember when I was excited to hear the show was moving to 13 (or whatever) episodes. Oh how nice it is to be Naive.

Just stop watching Rorie. It's clear you don't like the show and don't appreciate the slower pace.

Yup, last season I was saying how bad of an idea a full season was. The show should have stuck to the seven episode order, the writers just can't keep a decent pace going from the sound of things.

I agree that the show just seems to be running in place, but to be honest I do appreciate its slower pace. I like to think it's leading up to something.

Still enjoying the show

Looks like they ruined a good scene from the comics, replacing it with an utterly lame 'Andrea empowerment' shoot out.

Maybe I've gotten used to the slow pace from slavishly keeping up with the show for lack of zombie shows or maybe I actually found this episode interesting because it went by faster than past ones. It is most certainly an uneventful episode in terms of action and central plot progression, but it's an episode that airs all the laundry out there. It's setting up the dominoes. I liked that Maggie pointed out Glen's leadership and bravery since I never really thought about his actions as that way, I mostly just noticed how shitty he is at playing it cool and keeping a secret. It was a slow episode, but I think there were much worse episodes in the past. There was a sense of relief that all this shit was getting out in the open because otherwise it would definitely be an episode where characters would once again be spinning their wheels. Even Lori, who still found an excuse to be wide eyed and worried over Carl's gun training, was pretty interesting and sympathetic here. And Rick isn't totally naive either and had assumed Lori had slept with Shane. So some characters got some depth here. One character that got turned around for me here was Dale. He tried to make Shane out to be the bad guy and I thought that was unreasonable. From his perspective, all his accusations are just conjecture. For as cold and emotionless as Shane is trying to be, you know he still cares for the group. Dale just got pissed that he slept with Andrea and I don't think that's his business. Quite frankly, I'm finding his "compassionate and all knowing grandpa" schtick kinda old.

As for the missing girl, I'm just hoping she transformed into some kind of badass, self sufficient zombie slayer/survivor seeing as how everyone believes she traveled however many miles on her own. That'd be a cool turnaround.

I don't really think Herschel is all that crazy to think that there may be some way to fix the walkers in the barn. If anything, he's just misinformed. You have to keep in mind that this is a guy who's essentially cut off from what's happening around him, in terms of both information and the destruction at large, so for him to not know that the walkers are the dead come back isn't too far-fetched. I could see him maybe knowing as much information about the goings on up until all means of communications where lost, and at that point, perhaps people still held out hope that this was just a disease that could be cured somehow, and thus he still holds on to that belief.

Have to admit, was disappointed with the slow pace of the episode, and it is something I am not liking too well. I did like the fact some secrets and other issues were brought up and the drama ratcheted up, but that doesn't compensate for the lack of anything really happening. Still will continue to watch but if the show continues like this, may think twice about it.

Oh, and God, every time Lori shows up in any scene, she has diarrhea of the mouth, and never shuts the f up. Enough already.

This show is only interesting when you're folding laundry.

@Sgtpierceface said:

"Shane/Lori shoot out" should be Shane/Andrea, right?

Yes it should be.

Fell asleep watching it last night.

The problem this show has is that it's proven to the audience is was better before it become a slow burn drama.

I think people need to realise that the zombies are incidental to this show. It's a relationship drama.

Glenn's line to Dale: "There's walkers in the barn and Lori's pregnant," pretty much sums up the last three or four episodes in eight words.