The Walking Dead: Season 1, Episode 2 Review: Guts

Guts

Original Airdate: November 7, 2010

Writer: Frank Darabont
Director: Michelle Maxwell MacLaren

In the first episode review, I touched briefly upon the debate over how faithful an adaptation needs to be.  This issue is particularly heated among the comic book community, who are very protective of the books they love because they’ve seen so many ruined when made by people who “don’t get” what the original is about, leaving the main stream to jump to the wrong conclusions because the adaptation did the original a disservice.  Some demand complete fidelity to the source material, a feat that often makes for a forgettable adaptation.  Ultimately, a good adaptation should get the spirit of the original, but be free to take liberties.  What works on the page doesn’t always work in another medium.  The on going narrative of TV, much like a monthly comic narrative, should be about keeping what works and jettisoning or changing what doesn’t.  They have a great guide for stories for the next seven seasons if they went that long, but they shouldn’t be married to the material.  Take another show that’s based of a series of books, albeit non-comic, Dexter.  To be fair, I haven’t read those books, but the plot summaries for them sound like bad fan fiction.  Dexter knew when to go in a unique direction and the series benefited.  Walking Dead can do that too.  The pilot’s changes benefited the show, developing the characters in a way that would’ve been too time-consuming on the page, but one change feels awkward and may need to be reworked if it’s going to be a part of the series in the long run.

After the prologue, the episode picks up where last week’s left off, with Rick awaiting another message from the guy on the other line.  The guy is none other than Glenn, who is with a group of survivors from Shane’s camp looking for supplies in the city (Glenn was alone in the comic, a change remarked upon briefly before they go in the sewers).  Rick has a window of escape, as the horde are busy feasting on the horse and most on the tank have left him to feed on something not in a can.  He starts off with a handy shovel, baretta and a last resort grenade to help him get to Glenn.  Unfortunately he drops the shovel and, knowing he can’t go back like he couldn’t for the weapons bag, shoots every zombie in his path to Glenn, “ringing the dinner bell” for the undead nearby.  Consequences continue to be important to the show, as Rick’s 20 second run creates a problem he spends the rest of the episode trying to solve.

The group, also including Andrea and four new characters, wind up stuck a department store.  It’s like Dawn of the Dead, except those zombies aren’t waiting for bikers to break in.  Slowly but surely they’re using rocks to break the glass doors, creating a ticking clock scenario.  Through a process of elimination, Rick decides he and Glenn will head to a construction site, swipe one of the trucks, and use the loading dock to get the survivors to safety.  Before that, however, they are going to smear the remains of a zombie all over them to cloak their scent, something done in the comics.

Although it is part of the zombie narrative, usually not much thought is given to the idea that the zombies were once people unless a main character becomes one.  It makes sense because that sobering fact ruins the fun of a good zombie kill.  This episode deals with it head on, and it’s refreshing to see it done so frankly.  Before going through with the brutal act, he finds the man’s wallet.  Finding out whom this guy was, giving him a personality besides a token “geek” is followed by Rick hacking him to pieces while the rest gather the eponymous guts to create his new ensemble.  While Rick tries to remind people of what they’ve lost, The Walking Dead is no place for sentimentality.

The attempt works swimmingly until nature intervenes, showering the streets and washing away Glenn and Rick’s security blankets.  They manage to make it to the lot with a few good axe kills along the way.  While the pilot was sparse in its action, this episode makes up for it.  The chase scenes are very intense, especially considering the high stakes the world has set up.  While it’s a close call, Glenn manages to create a distraction driving a car whose alarm is blaring.  Rick’s plan redeems himself and all but one survivor makes it on the truck.

The big misfire of the episode was Merle Dixon, a character not in the comics and the one left behind.  Nothing against Michael Rooker, who did a great job, but the writing was ham fisted most of the episode.  His racial epithets and Mel Gibson inspired lines came off so awkwardly, you wonder why anyone in the search party would ever allow this guy to go with them picking berries, much less an expedition into zombie central.  It’s an interesting idea to have the survivors deal with someone in the group who is going to be trouble, as well as the notion that even in the direst of circumstances, some people can’t let go of their hatred.  However, it was so over the top that it felt like an easy choice.  A good character is in there—a combination of Lost’s Sawyer and Justified’s Boyd—they just need to develop him better, assuming he isn’t zombie chow next week.

His psychotic behavior putts him in the penalty box, as Rick handcuffs him to a pipe on the roof.  While they never discuss what they’re going to do, the question of what they’re going to do with a maniac like him runs throughout.  This is a guy who is ready to pulverize someone over a fight he instigates over very little.  Regardless, T-Dog tries to get him out of the handcuff, but his clumsiness and a slippery roof sends the key down a drain.  The emphasis on the tool bag seems a little much for something that won’t be followed up on, and may be important in the next episode.

So with the liberties what do we have?  It’s still a very entertaining episode with good action and suspense.  Although Merle’s characterization is stereotypical, I’m willing to forgive it if they can develop him further and explain why he’s in the red at all times.  One of the great things about long form story-telling, writers and performers can fine tune the character and find something that works, even if they start on the wrong foot.

Overall Score: 8/10 Zombie smeared coats

DON’T READ, SPOILERS INSIDE (OR BELOW)

This is the segment that includes SPOILERS for the comics, so if you’re new to Walking Dead and are intending to read them later or keep a fresh perspective not affected by its events, stop reading here.

Another change in the series is making Andrea older (Andrea and Amy were twins in the book), and it seems like they’re setting up a romance between Andrea and Rick, something that seems a little controversial among fans considering how important the Andrea/Dale relationship is to the comics.  I guess they want to increase romantic tension, as things between Lori and Shane are getting hot and heavy.  They seem to be telegraphing it with the intense introduction as Andrea threatened to kill Rick for the problems he made for them and later them exchanging small talk as Andrea wanted to take the mermaid jewelry for her sister.  Perhaps I’m over reading it, but it’s something seen in a lot of relationship stories.