Walking with The Walking Dead

Has it really been 5 weeks already, and there's only one episode left until the end of next freakin' year? Damn. This week's episode was smaller in scope, and dealt primarily with the group dealing with the aftermath of last week's attack. As such, I won't really have a whole lot to say about it, but you just know there are a couple of things I want to talk about. First things first though, once again, if  you haven't seen the episode yet, stop reading now. SPOILER ALERT in full effect from here on out.

Episode 5: Wildfire

So as I said, they're dealing with the attack from last week, and some better than others as to be expected. Daryl and most of the men in the group are making sure the zombies are dead again, and burning the bodies, and preparing the bodies of the people killed for burial. Remember last week when I mentioned that I didn't really care for Andrea and Amy? Well, this episode didn't really do anything to change that, but it did give me what I thought was an extremely emotional and very well done scene, probably second only to when Rick first arrived at camp and saw his family alive. Andrea refused to let anyone get near Amy's body, while she sat beside her from the moment she died, even going so far as to pull a gun on anybody who got close. The others weren't sure what to think about her, given her state of mind, but I knew exactly what she was doing, waiting for Amy to return from the dead so she could be the one to end her suffering. If you can call being a reanimated corpse suffering that is. Most days that sounds pretty good to me.

During the cleanup we also learn that Jim didn't make it through the battle unscathed, when fresh blood is noticed on his shirt. He tries to play it off, but eventually is held down and a we get a look at a big bite mark on his abdomen. There is some argument as to what to do with him, but eventually he's taken inside Dale's RV and kept watch over. A couple of reasons why I like this, one it happens in the comic and it's good to see that we're not moving away from it entirely, and two it gives a glimpse as to the transformation that takes place once bitten by a walker.

The Rick and Shane feud is really beginning to flare up this week, with arguments over just about everything. Shane even has Rick second guessing himself, and they're both going to Lorie for affirmation. Quite the triangle we have forming here, and again I was beginning to think that I was going to be right about where this season was going to be ending. Especially when Rick and Shane went out into the woods to do a sweep, and tempers flare, ending with Shane pointing his gun at Rick when he has his back turned to him. In the comic this is where Shane really loses it, and is also where he exits the book. In the show, however, Dale walks up, sees what is happening, and Shane plays it off like he thought Rick was a walker or something else, saying that they really should start wearing  reflective vests. I still don't think things will end well for these two, but it's not looking like the situation will come to a head this season.

It's eventually decided that the group should move out toward Atlanta, to try and get Jim some help from the CDC. Not everyone is on board, and the group does a bit of a split here. Fine by me, as the ones who leave aren't in the book, so now I won't have to bother learning their names. Along the way, the RV breaks down, and while stopped Jim asks for Rick and company to leave him behind. The virus has almost taken over him, and he wants to go be with his family. Another part of this week's episode that I liked because it was from the book. After making sure Jim knows what he's saying, and that it's what he really wants, they leave him sitting under a tree, and move on toward Atlanta.

Here's where the episode loses me a little. We get a look at a scientist inside the CDC who's apparently been working on a way to cure the disease by himself, as he appears at least so far to be the only one inside the building. When Rick and co. arrive, the CDC is in lock-down, with dead bodies laying around outside. Once they start banging on the doors, the bodies start moving around. You'd think that at this point they might know better than to do this. After a few minutes, and some serious begging and pleading into a camera that they're not even sure someone is watching, the door eventually opens to an ominous white light.

So going into the season finale next week, we're completely off the comic continuity again. It's going to be interesting to see what happens inside the CDC. Will they attempt to stay there, like they do the prison in the book, is the scientist going to be joining the group, or will he go the "mad scientist" route and attempt to experiment on them with the disease? I'm sincerely hoping things don't get all "Resident Evil" route here. I don't think it will, but this last scene REALLY reminds me of Capcom's survival horror zombie offerings. Hopefully we'll find out some of the answers next Sunday before we have to wait the excruciatingly long time until season 2 begins.