Like many of you (probably all of you--you are reading this blog, after all) I am a big fan of AMC's
The Walking Dead. It's not the best show on television (that honor belongs to
Justified), but it's damn close, and I think this has been one of the best seasons yet. One of the reasons I'm enjoying this arc so much is the way that Rick is behaving, though many seem to think that he has lost his grip on reality. Well, is that true? Has Rick lost his damn mind? Before I answer this question, I should probably note that I think the first two seasons of the show were vastly superior to the next two seasons for a couple of reasons, but mostly because I liked Shane. Yes, he banged Rick's wife. Yes, he was a bit of a dick. Yet he figured out how to live in this sucky new world long before Rick did. Shane wasn't batshit crasy--not at first, anyhow--he was simply ahead of his time. Hell, as much as his obsession with Lori wound up pushing him over the brink, his mental collapse was likely also triggered by being the voice of reason that was continually ignored. His big scene at the barn in Season 2 was one of the best moments the show has produced to date, and I think it was rather similar to Rick's little outburst last night. The zombie apocalypse isn't a great setting for second chances or any overt acts concerning trust or lenience. The golden rule doesn't hold the same worth in this environment. In other words, Rick isn't losing his damn mind, he's looking out for his people, and he's starting to realize that it's better to be sure than to be nice. Fall in line and you've got no worries. Present a threat to the safety of the group and your ass is grass. It's not polite and it's actually a bit ruthless, but considering how things went at the prison and Terminus, that's just the way it has to be. In closing, I'm not just giving the dude a pass, I'm giving him a high five. Rock on, Rick, and fuck you, Pete.
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"Crazy? Don't you dare call me crazy!
I just figured this shit out three seasons before Rick did." |
