The Walking Dead Review: “Indifference”

Anger makes you stupid. Stupid gets you killed.
–Michonne, revising Yoda

Everybody makes it out. Til they don’t.
–Someone who may or may not survive.

Title: “Indifference”

Cast and Crew

Directed by Tricia Block
Written by Matthew Negrete

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes
Danai Gurira as Michonne
Norman Reedus as Darryl Dixon
Chad Coleman as Chase Tyreese
Melissa Suzanne McBride as Carol Peletier
Larry Gilliard, Jr. as Bob Stookey
Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee
Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene
Scott Wilson as Herschel Greene
Emily Kinney as Beth Greene
Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
Sonnequa Martin as Sasha Tyreese
Sunkrish Bala as Dr. Caleb Subramanian
Victor McKay as Ryan Samuels
Brighton Sharbino as Lizzie Samuels
Kyla Kennedy White as Mika Samuels
Robin Lord Taylor as Sam
Brina Palencia as Ana

Additional cast and crew information may be found here.

 

Premise

Rick and Carol arrive at some decisions while searching a suburban cul-de-sac, and they encounter some surprisingly cheerful survivors. Meanwhile, the raiding party hits the veterinary school.

High Point

While not the strongest episode, we did get a lot of the reasons people watch this show. We see some interesting glimpses into the effects events have on the human psyche, particularly with Carol and Rick, Daryl and Tyreese, and the new couple.

We also get a suspenseful mission through a large building, which played well, if a little too like a game or haunted attraction. The characters experience no disturbances in the room where they gather the artifacts, but must make their way through a dark hallway with zombies waiting behind each door and around every corner.

Low Point

After reflecting on the impossibly slow rate of zombie decomposition the other week, I now encounter difficulties unseeing or unthinking certain conventions and conundrums related to the show, like:

-how did our party so thoroughly escape the motherlode of walking dead they encountered last week?
-why aren’t zombies, which do decompose, breeding stations for insects? Why don’t the ants and bettles get to them? The worms?
-do certain zombies continue to dust houses and mow lawns? Some of the yards we see are remarkably well-kept for land that has been overgrowing for years, and those suburban houses had less dust than many bavhelor apartments.
-the new couple have a different name for Walkers. Why has no one in this world heard of zombies before?

The Scores

Originality: 3/6 We’re seeing some slightly different character dynamics, but little that’s really new for the show.

Effects: 6/6

Story: 5/6 Though fragmented, this felt like more of a plotted story than last week.

Acting: 5/6 Andrew Lincoln and Melissa McBride’s wearied, low-key approach to their confrontation feels more powerful than the more distraught, overt emotional exchanges we saw exchanged among the other group.

Both Rick and Carol handled their decisions coldly.

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 5/6 Production remains excellent, but I am wondering about the dust and lawns enough to dock the show a point this week. Overall: 5/6 I suspect Carol isn’t gone for good, but we never know with this series until we see the body. For that matter, we may see Sam again.

In total, “Indifference” receives 34/42

3 replies on “The Walking Dead Review: “Indifference””

  1. I feel that its somewhat unfair of Rick to get to be so cold, while at the same time not allowing Carol to be. But I can see from a character perspective how it plays out this episode, its not fair, but it felt real.

    Oh, and how could two people that stupid and ill equipped to deal with walkers survive for so long?

    As to the “problems” with the walkers. That requires suspension of belief for the sake of the story. Even a short amount of thought can shred the concept of zombies as real. I think this story has a great take on it http://boingboing.net/2013/10/14/zombiesvsanimals.html

    • I recognize the suspension of disbelief with reference to the Walkers, but they could take a little more time with background details (where possible).

      As for the survivors– they may have had more skills than we’ve seen, and they were a part of a larger group, so I’m willing to accept their presence in the house. The zombies do seem to come and go as the plots require.

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