After a rather slow episode last week that was almost devoid of zombies, this action laden episode put the undead front and center once again. This was a heavy, violent episode that had a lot of emphasis on family. It dealt with the ties that bind, whether they be blood ties or the ones we choose by association, or even the ones that are created out of necessity.
This episode jumped back and forth between the men in the city (Rick, T-Dog, Daryl and Glenn) and the survivor camp. The episode begins with a rare moment of tranquility as Andrea and Amy wax nostalgic about their father, who taught them both to fish (albeit in very different ways). The skill proves invaluable, and the two women bring enough fish for a feast back to camp with them.
In the city, the men come across Merle’s bloody hand and deduce that he cut himself free. They follow a trail of blood down through the building, and Daryl keeps commenting what a tough son of a bitch his brother is. Right on cue, they find evidence that Merle must have cauterized his stump. A tough son of a bitch indeed.
Back at camp, Jim is exhibiting some troubling behavior. He is obsessively digging holes in the ground in the hot sun, and the survivors are worried that something is wrong with him. He won’t stop, even when coaxed to, so Shane has to physically overcome him, for his own good.
