The Walking Dead S02E09: "Triggerfinger"
It had been a while since there was ever a real sense of danger in The Walking Dead, but the first half of "Triggerfinger," a gigantic improvement over what's come before it in Season 2, put several of our survivors right in the heart of the *cue Sterling Archer voice* daaaaanger zone. Let's face it, as much as the show wants to be about the psychological strains of survival in a world that's gone to shit, we as an audience thrive on the feeling of danger and that sense of "oh my gawd everyone is going to diiiiie!!!" And that sense of danger amplifies what the writers are trying to say: that things are different now.
You can put everyone on a farm talking about danger for a few episodes, or you can throw them into danger, let their actions speak for themselves, and have them discuss their cracking states of mind while the blood is still wet. Each and every time, the latter will be more effective. "Triggerfinger" did just that, and is the model episode for what will make the The Walking Dead work and scare our skirts off. Even the name of the title of this episode got it right. Where's the sense of danger in "Nebraska?"
Obviously The Walking Dead can't do this each episode. When surviving a world in which the dead rise to eat the living, it's recommended that you find yourself a nice, safe spot and stay there. And that's what Rick and his friends did with Hershel's farm. But where The Walking Dead made its mistakes was in not bringing any danger to them. While staying at Hershel's B&B;, the survivors were closer to starting a composting program or adding a new addition to the house than they were to being eaten by the undead. That's just not good television for a series that bills itself as an unending nightmare.
So let's all stand up and applaud Lori fighting zombies in the street and Rick, Hershel, and #Glennsanity (copyrighted) pinned down in a bar battling both live and unlive threats. Because admit it, that's why you really tune in. We might think we're above appreciating The Walking Dead based on the amount of times we pull the covers up to our eyes, the number of zombies that are punctured by pickaxes, or how many mouths are eaten off of someone's face, but I'm done kidding myself. When I look back on my fondest memories of the show, it's not when Dale tells Lori that Shane's dangerous, it's when Daryl puts an arrow through a walker's skull and says, "Shut up" or a wave of zombies are shambling by while Rick and crew are within spitting distance of them hiding under cars.
Having said that, the talky-talky parts in the episode were really good because they were more than simple commentary about the world no longer being a fun place to live. Shane let slip that Lori was pregnant. Story advanced! Stubborn Carol refused to let Daryl project anger about Sophia because of his own guilt. Character development! (Loved Carol in this episode, by the way.) Andrea and Shane's us-against-the-world talk aired things out and addressed Shane's anger issues exactly how we all wanted them to be addressed: straight-forward and with reason. Shane, you're right, but stop being a dick about it. Even when Glenn admitted that he froze to Maggie because he loves her it explained some solid internal character conflict. Heck, Rick and Lori even felt like a couple for once.
I'm normally of the mind that television shows don't owe anything to their audience except for some rare cases (Lost owed answers, True Blood owes skin). The Walking Dead is one of those rare cases, and each episode ought to scare us and put threats face-to-face with the characters. "Triggerfinger" showed that The Walking Dead can be the series it wants to be AND we want it to be. Best episode of Season 2 so far.
A Few Awesome Things
Rick Gets A Leg Up
Thank you, Rick Grimes, for doing what we were all thinking. I realize the noble thing to do when a victim is trapped with immobility due to an appendage impaled on a spike or crushed under under a rock is to cut that darned thing off, but that wasn't going to work in this situation. But zombies were-a-comin'! So what does Rick do? He just yanks Randall's leg off the spike *rrrrrripp* because it was the right thing to do. I like to think I would have done the same thing, but I probably would have steered the zombies to him for a free snack and used the extra time bought to escape.
Lori Street Fights
Lori stumbled into my good graces momentarily with her post-car crash street brawl with those two lame-brains. How about that down on the D-pad, middle-kick button leg sweep she did? Not sure I would have gone with struggling to get a gun to kill the second zombie, I think I would have finished him off with the hub cap. Get my hands dirty! No sense in drawing more attention with a gunshot. There were two walkers there, there could have been a lot more nearby. Think, people!
What to Do With Randall?
So you killed two guys from Philly, and now you saved one of their friends. Randall's people didn't care enough to wait for him when the Zs hit the fan, so are they going to bother trying to look for him now? For all they know, the zombies are picking bits of him out of their teeth, so I don't think hanging onto Randall is as big of a threat as they think. I'm surprised no one in the survivors camp even thought of recruiting him to their side. Everyone seems bent on pushing him out into the wilderness alone with a bottle of Yoohoo and some stale bread with a card that says, "Good Luck." What would you do with him?
The Totally GIF-able Moment When a Zombie Had His Mouth Peeled Back By a Shattered Windshield
That. Was. So. Cool.
Episode MVP
Some people are better at the whole surviving thing than others. I'm going to hand out episode MVPs to the person who best acts in the spirit of staying alive on both a personal level and a group level. Today the award goes to Rick Grimes, for his excellent leadership skills in the bar and yanking Randall's leg off the gate. His only questionable decision was telling the guys from Philly what had happened in the bar, but I understand why he did it. Congratulations, Rick! I'm sure you'll be getting a few of these over the course of the series. Maybe you can share one with Lori, because there's no way she'll win one. Who would you give the MVP to?
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
Well, it wouldn't be Lori. She loses all brownie points she gained from plucky zombie fighting for being dumb enough to believe Shane's lie. I mean, honestly. Was it really plausible that Rick was back safe at the farm, with Lori missing out in the night somewhere and walkers around and he just sat back and let Shane go off to rescue her? Think, woman!
But, that aside, I loved everything about this episode. And some of us don't watch for the zombie action. If that was all that this show was about, I'd have bailed long since. Some of us watch because the show is a great mix of zombie action and character interaction. It's the blend of the two that keeps me on the edge of my seat each week.moreless
This was a brilliant ep. Reminded me of why I started watching this show in the first place. Gotta admit, was really hoping that zombie with his face peeled back would make dinner out of Lori. Would've put everyone out of their misery a 'lil bit!
"The Totally GIF-able Moment When a Zombie Had His Mouth Peeled Back By a Shattered Windshield
That. Was. So. Cool."
Haha, I thought that was pretty awesome too. It doesn't look like there was any damage to Lori's baby, so for a second there, I thought the whole reason they made Lori get into a car crash was so that they could show a zombie scraping the skin off his face while trying to eat her through the windshield.
Anyways, this was a better episode. Some good action. Some good drama. Some good dialogue. Please try and do this more often, TWD writers.
Since Tyreese hasn't been introduced in the TV show and Shane is still alive, it looks a lot like Shane is becoming the Tyreese character, battling for leadership with Rick. I foresee a big fight between the two (as in the prison between Rick and Tyreese) before Carl settles things like a boss.
Didn't suck. Comparatively.
Eh..
. you are right on the money. I finally like this show again. first time since like the 3rd episode of the first season.
I completely agree.
Finally an episode that had my full attention (not once did I pick up my iPhone!)
I'd like to add that I enjoyed the way it ended, is Shane about to become the hunted?
Solid ep..
My only complaint was that the episode was just too dark for the first half; it's awfully tough to get excited about the action when you can't see it...
Am I the only one who saw Hershel's evil intention when sending out Glenn in harms way?
"There's a bunch of bad guys with guns out there, and you're apparently hooking up with my daughter against my will. Go out there and check if it's clear passage. I'll cover you, promise.."
Also, Glenn first appears to be shot (and killed?), but is actually safe and sound behind a dumpster. Offcourse Hershel doesn't think of mentioning to Rick that he was the one who send Glenn out in harms way.
And, returning to the house, Maggie runs just past Hershel to prove that she was more worried about Glenn getting back alive than her own dad. Must break the old mans heart. My bet is that Hershel soon will do what he can to get rid of the housebreaker Glenn once and for all..moreless
I thought Hershcel's face when Maggie flew past him to Glenn was absolutely hilarious. LOL.
Rick was amazing! I loved him in this episode. I feel like he is THE MAN and that Shane is on a downward spiral. Does Andrea back him just because he scratched her sexual itch? I mean, he sure does a lot of touting about how real his feelings are for Lori. I just don't think so. Mentally stable people don't try to rape those that they love. I think Andrea was a little more in my favor (though she still annoys me) when she told Shane to settle down and stop being a dick, whether or not he is right. However, I liked Carol too. She is getting better, and if she died, I would be bummed. Andrea, however, I would do a happy dance. T-Dog, I would barely notice. When he came running up in the last episode, I thought, "Who is that?" Then a moment of recognition, "Oh yeah..."moreless
We need more T-Dogg! I was a T-Dogg once in high school, people didn't even notice if i was there or not!
Maggie has had more lines in half a season then T-Dogg has in 2! Either they save him up for a cool story line, or he will be killed brutally.
And dont go gangstah on me!
T-Dogg fan!
Actually I am sick of being mad at Lori and because I don't think they kill her off soon I'll have to either ignore her or start to ... respect her ? Tolerate her ? That is going to be hard. Really hard. But I like this show so much ...
For the rest of the season I will try to stop complaining about Lori, stupid behaviour of any of the survivers and listening to the same conversations over and over again.
Like many of the commenters here I am maybe way to rigorous with the show and expect to much.
Keep Randall. Like Tom, I found myself surprised to learn the group was so admit about seeing this new character leave. Keeping Randall is smart, and morally just. Rick said point blank why he chose to save Randall rather then the man who'd been shot in the shoulder by Hershel.
"He's just a boy" Rick yelled towards Glenn & Hershel.
In Rick eye's this was a young boy who was living in a world where he could except the less then desirable life style he was in or die on his own. Rick understood that a young man deserve the chance to be more rather then an adult who was.. well, lets say set in their ways.
There's your moral view point. Why would it be smart to keep Randall? Three reasons.
1) Everything they need to know about their new enemy ( an enemy likely to be back with trouble ) is sitting in Randall's head. The knowledge of any human to drop in is sooo important. He may not have answers about the infection from his journey like Rick & the gang. Yet even having knowledge about what places are over run, how many pockets or survivors, and etc can be so essential. Especially when knowledge is a hard thing to come by any more. Add the fact that we know Randall is knowledge able about a pocket of humans who pose a threat, and you end up with a young man who is VERY valuable.
How many people are in your camp?
What kind of weapons do you all have?
How many guns?
How much ammo?
Is your old camp planning to locate here or move forward?
Are there women & children in your group?
What is your groups leader like??
Noooo, why would these questions be important?
The second reason Randall is essential is because of the lack of care shown by this mans own clan ( clan being used for lack of a better word for this opposing ka- tet ). Rick saved the life of a man whose own people cared little for him. Rick didn't have to put their lives on the line for him, and I believe even Randall must see that these men may not be the country buck fools they thought, but rather people worthy of his trust & loyalty. They should try and build on that re-pore!
Thirdly, and most importantly, Randall is young. We have seen this group of survivors strive to out last these zombies. Yet deep down they know that out lasting the walkers may not be possible. There is no promise of a 28 days or 28 weeks later opening where its simply out lasting. With this in mind I believe our rag tag group realizes that if they dont find some way of moving forward, keep in mind i do not mean merely surviving, but actually striving to have more. These people need a future; romance, family, etc. If they dont strive to have a small version of their old lives then they are already dead. Randall fits into this philosophy 100%. Randall is young, and if humanity can survive this Armageddon in the long run then youth will be essential. As cold as it way sound I believe youth is equally as important as doctors & gun men in this world. The youth would die out without the wisdom of Rick and Hershel, but without a youth to protect, like Randall, Carl & Sophia Jr. ; ) , then whats the point. Honestly, what is the point fighting without people to pass this world to? Randall may not be as young as the kids in this story, but after Sophia I'd thought their views may have changed in regards to what they fight to protect. I know the barn event hardened the group, but at the same time it should serve as a reminder of what they are trying to live for. I dont know though. I guess that's just my 2 cents.
moreless
When did hershel become so damn cool!! He wanted to put Randell out of his misery. when Maggie was crying cause he was drinking, he was like, please lady I've got bigger problems (love that the show didn't go after school special with resident alcoholic!) and then telling off Shane like he was his daddy was awesome!!!!
I thought the whole point of having the accident with Lori was to finally put an end to this baby thing already - but no, it was just another stupid move by our beloved Lori! (or rather, some another forceful move to bring action into the plot - it was thrilling, though, I gotta admit it) Daryl said it all: dumb bitch! This guy's been my hero for a long time, and yet, he hadn't given up on the survivors, he was joining the search party when the others arrived. Love Daryl!
I don't understand half of the complaints that I have read about this season. Think of it like music - a slow, soft moment makes the loud, heavy moment that follows, that much more effective. The pace slowed when the gang first found the farm, to provide us with a sense of safety and normality. Now things are speeding up again with the barn shootout, the walker car crash and that mess Rick and friends got into up town. That feeling of security is deteriorating and I think it's fair to say that over the next few episodes, Shane will be in some trouble and a zombie take over of the farm is imminent, so the pace is definitely picking up. The second season has twice the episode length and half the budget of the first season, so this musicy structure is fine by me and I can't wait for the peak of the "loud, heavy moment". Hope I have made sense!moreless
i dont want to get into this again... there's a reason why people were much happier with this episode compared to where we were before... the pace clearly changed....im glad you are "content" with a slower characterization.. however must of us want this kicked up a notch and character development can still happen at a faster pace.
Oh, let's be accurate here. There's a reason SOME people were happier.... Not everyone thinks as you do, you know. Some of us aren't one bit frustrated with the pace of the season so far and have loved every moment.
Well actually, *maneuvers shoulders*, I HAVE read 1 to 10 a while ago and then lost interest. Comics aren't my thing, so sue me.
afraid i can't sue you, i'm not a fan of litigation. however i will say that the story thats developed in the comics does not convey any kind of sense of safety and normality... thats why all those episodes spent on the farm started weighing on people, hopefully things are picking up and we'll have some prisons scenes to look forward to
I was trying to say that I am content with the slower scenes of characterization. I have not been talking about the comics. A virus on my PC has not redirected me to comics.com I have checked, this is still tv.com
all i can say is that i hope the writers follow the comic... if so.... lamo lori will get what she has coming !!!
Very good ep, I agree that it's probably the best of the season.
Rick and Hershell (who have officially become bff's) really racked up some badass points in this one. Glen was good in this too, but for no reason whatsoever should he dump the hottest girl he'll ever be with - and that's without assuming that most other girls are zombies anyway.
I really like Lori's speech to Rick at the end. A lot of people have taken it as manipulative, but the truth is she was just trying to make goody two shoes Rick aware of a very real and present danger. I find Shane entertaining as much as the next guy, but if in reality soeone was doing my wife by telling her I was dead (intentionally or not) and then after I came back was still trying to do her and be the father of my son and claiming the new baby as his and lied to her again about my safety I would feel very threatened and try to get him out of the picture. Shane is obsessed not only with Lori but with Rick's entire family and that is friggin scarymoreless
Well, I would like this show to be as awsome as everybody else. To be honest, there are only two episodes that stand out from this mindless talking and anoying the crap out of me: First one was the pilot: I like the silence, the aura of doom and ... ahhh... bicycle girl. That war true horror.
Second : The episode before christmas...well, the last ten minutes. Well, that was a shocker.
This one, trigger finger, was alright. The walkers were very nice, but still not creepy enough. The scene where the kid's thigh was just pulled off the fence was cool too. But...but, but, but: Please let those guys go away from the farm. It is soooo boring. Only talk, talk, talk, talk. Stereotypes and the same conversations over and over again. Did anybody notice: Our heroes are basically hanging out on that farm. Don't they know that there are walkers all over the country? Those walkers could stumble onto the farm any minute.
God, what I would give for the hoplesness of the first episode.
Btw: Did anyone notice that Lori has crazy eyes? Look at the foto in the opening credits.moreless
I need someone to explain Lori's plan of action to me. This is the woman who couldn't handle driving to town in a car but suddenly was completely willing to try to walk to town alone? Is that right? She was actually mad at Shane for lying to her so that she'd get in the car and off the road that obviously had walkers on it. Do I have that correct? She basically planted the seed in her husband's head that Shane (a living person) needs to die but has been one of the most vocal, second to Dale, about staying moral and human? That character is ridiculous, just kill her.
For the sake of my appreciation for all human beings, I attribute Lori's all-around odd and stupid mind to her pregnancy. I know she's not far in, but hormones and such can kind of explain her idiocy.
Or, uh, the more obvious reason: the writers often stink.
I feel your pain!
Best episode since the x-mas hiatus!
i really did like this ep but i do think that pretty much dead all ready was better. nebraska was boring as sh!t until the last ten min but this one was pretty good all the way through. i was getting annoyed with shane and lori's long drawn out talk about him lying to her about rick being back at the camp.and how did she believe that bs? obviously he wasnt back. (A.) she had to know he was telling her what she wanted to hear so she would go back (B). rick and glenn would've passed right by her flipped car and went to check it out to see if she was ok. i think this was a plot flaw.
everyone knows by now that shane is a murderous douche-bag that killed otis and wants lori's butthole all to himself, so i think he's gonna make a move on rick so that he can be the father of lori's baby and not have to worry about rick getting in the way. idk why he won't just give up, he all ready banged andrea ,ever since, she's been all up on his cock in love with him. is lori really that great? i find her extremely stupid, and if anything, she's gonna end up getting her son killed. (she won't let him carry a weapon and there are freaks trying to make a meal of his preteen face.)
i hope that glenn and maggie aren't over with, i really like seeing that extra dimension to glenn's character and it gives him something good to hold on to in this world made of sh!t.
i wish they would give randall a chance to prove his value and let him decide if he wants to stay and pull his weight. everything should not be up to shane. come on, if it really came down to it, could you leave a 16 year old kid to get eaten by zombies? i would have at least gave him a bullet in the head. i hope the rest of the season stays at the same tempo that this ep set. here's to next week.moreless
Don't get why the show has to stereotype the woman as ***s that can't make sound and solid decisions. Lori and Andrea especially are just acting totally irrational and annoying. I really wouldn't have minded Lori getting her mouth scraped off by the broken window instead of hte zombie, HATE her so much!
Hanging on to Randall seemed like a reasonable thing to do -- he didn't seem like a big tough guy, just a lost kid, and no the others won't be looking for him. IF they let him go, though (and it looks like they do based on the clip from next week's show), it'll create more conflict as Randall may well meet up with the others and they go back a-lookin' for the farm.
I agree with most of what you say in this article, Tim, but I think you're assuming a bit much when you state that there's one way the fans want this show, and not another. I'm not sure I find this the best episode of the season, but it was definitely one of them. The fears and tension were a lot different, of course, but on the whole the intensity of this episode made it one of the betters. And that zombie peeling half his face off to get through the glass at Lori... wow.
moreless
id like to thank the people of The Walking Dead for the shirtless Andrew Lincoln scene :]
Best episode of season 2 so far? Have you lost your mind?? This was a decent episode, but Pretty Much Dead Already, is a classic in modern television. Please refrain from using statements like,'the show that we want'. Speak for yourself. I love all the psychological trauma and thoughtful character interaction and development.
There are a million shows out there that take the easy way out and just have people being shot at, or threatened by villainous types, as a cheap way of generating suspense (I'm especially looking at you Terra Nova), as opposed to true thoughtful storytelling. Other than an overly long search for Sofia, I'm quite happy with the direction of the show and don't need people being shot at, and endless zombie attacks, every single episode. That is why when these things do happen, they are that much more effective.moreless
you must be a lori fan...
This is a little off topic, but does anyone know where the hell Arch_Angel88 is? I know he writes for the site now, but he hasn't had an article since Chuck ended, and I miss his comments.
Me too!
Slightly better, but still slow.
Poor Shane, just another victim of bad PR. Besides his own tempstuous actions, now he has Dale and Lori campaigning against him. But what did Shane doi that was so bad? Kiled Otis? Well, they were both about to get eaten anyway, and his actions saved Carl (the kid) for which Rick can only be eternally grateful. Kill the zombies in the barn? Even Hershel admits the walkers are not people thanks to Shane's demonstration. Lie to Lori that Rick was back sound and safe? But Lori had to be protected against her own stupidity, and had to be brought back to the farm. Sp, Shane is actually one of the good guys.
dude if i was in the midst of an apocalyptic zombie world... daryl and shane would be the people i would want kicking ass next to me... lori and dale wouldnt last a second!
"The Totally GIF-able Moment When a Zombie Had His Mouth Peeled Back By a Shattered Windshield
That. Was. So. Cool."
It was so totally cool indeed. That f**ker must've been as hungry as a mofo. lol
Even though this episode had some of the usual complaints, it was a step in the right direction. I'm really liking the direction of Rick's character, and Daryl once again proves why he is a fan favorite. Loved it when he referred to Lori as a dumb bitch, and Lori has taken Andrea's spot as most hated character on the show. I haven't found Andrea annoying this season 2nd part, but Dale is getting more annoying every week. The ironic thing with Dale and Lori is that the writers probably intended them to be sympathetic and the characters they wanted us to agree with, and yet the audience wants them dead. Complaints aside, I look forward to the next four episodes.
*sigh* And yet another one telling us what we think. Some of the audience may want them dead. SOME of them. Others disagree with you. For myself, I don't think there's a character I don't like in this show. I don't want any of them to die.
Boring would be a better word to describe the whole Season 2 debacle so far. More stupid stuff by stupid people who seem to be only surviving because the writers are too attached to them or don't know how to build a compelling story arch, maybe they just want to take their sweet time to do it. Fine. Better get going, step up your game, split the group, do 2 plot lines, more action, less bla bla bla, boohoo, mimimi, I froze cause I thought of your sweet mumu! BTW whatever happened to the kid and the dude from S1 EP1? It would be quite refreshing to see other faces and their failures to adapt to a world gone down the shit drain.
I agree - best ep of Season 2 so far. I just wish Frank Darabont was back as showrunner then we could have great eps every week.
As much as I want scares and gore every week, I agree with the writer's pacing. There's more impact when the suspense is built up. Its the same as Breaking Bad (though I'll admit character development and writing is far superior on BB).