Episode Title: Secrets
Original Airdae: 11-20-2011
The day begins on the farm, which includes Patricia dumping a load of incapacitated chickens into the barn for the captured Walkers to feast. Apparently after Glenn’s late night discovery, Maggie managed to keep him quiet. Unfortunately, between the barn and Lori’s pregnancy, Glenn spills all his secrets to Dale. Hershel tells Dale to keep it to himself and mind his own business, because the “people” in the barn are just “sick.” Lori discusses her situation with him and asks Glenn to go back to town to get her some “morning after pills.” During their trip at the pharmacy, Glenn saves Maggie from a Walker attack.
Meanwhile, Rick and Shane teach most of the Group plus a few of Hershel’s people to shoot. Andrea actually improves and Shane asks her to back him up on a search for Sophia in a nearby neighborhood. It’s a dead end up, but after a close call with the small group of Walkers, the two pull off to the side of the road and have sex. Upon returning to the farm, Dale confronts Shane about leaving the group. Shane refuses. Lori takes a handful of the “abortion” pills, but throws them up. Rick finds the remaining pills and Lori finally confesses she’s pregnant and that she had an affair with Shane.
This episode was very character driven. Though not much pushed the plot, members of the Group made tough decisions that will affect many in the long run, the main of who being Lori. As I think I’ve said, I cannot imagine finding out such tough news in this type of environment. It’s a decision I never envied her, not that there really was anything for her to decide, because I’m 99% sure morning after pills wouldn’t help her weeks after the fact. But Rick’s reaction to her taking them (as well as Maggie’s outburst at “fetching” them) bothers me more and more every time I see it. Rick is too optimistic and determined about bringing a child into this world and hoping to raise it. Lori is far more grounded, plus has much more to fear because of the uncertainty of what will happen to her in all this. And yet Rick yells at her. It becomes even more upsetting knowing the repercussions of this decision in future seasons, when her fears become justified.
As for Dale, this is where my tolerance for him finally comes to a crashing halt. He doesn’t bother me as he discusses the Walkers with Hershel or the pregnancy with Lori, but when he suspects something happened between Shane and Andrea just from a look they exchange, then he goes on to outright accuse Shane of sacrificing Otis to save himself, I can’t but wonder from where his psychic abilities have magically appeared. Of course he is right on both counts, but a person can only be so intuitive, and the writing has gone beyond that here. It’s not as though I favor Shane and Andrea, but old meddling men sometimes need to be put in their place.
Overall, this was a nice set up for the storm that’s brewing in the next episode, the mid-season finale.
Channel: Superhero 