Vatos and the walking dead

Last night episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead," was a bit hit or miss.  Not bad TV by any stretch but the tone kept shifting back and forth.  It begins with some first class survivor guilt back at the camp.  Two sisters are mourning their father while fishing on the most perfect lake in Georgia.  Meanwhile, another happy camper is digging a lot of holes.  A lot of person sized holes. 

This concerns the happy campers.

Meanwhile back in Atlanta, our Cop Hero, Wily Asian, Token Black Dude, and Crazy Cracker with a Bow, are looking for Merle AKA Crazy Cracker with now only one hand.  Following his trail is amazing as they discover all the things he did AFTER cutting off his hand.  Not many people are up for zombie killing after that, but Merle is made of sterner stuff and even cauterized his own wound.  Hopefully, we'll find Merle again later but right now we have other problems.  A bunch of home boys have just popped up to take the bag of guns but leave only with Wily Asian and an arrow in the ass.  Ouch.

Back at the camp Cop Hero's Friend Who Has Been Sleeping With Cop Hero's Wife And Has Control Issues aka Shane is handling things with subtly and aplomb.  Well, in actual fact he wrestles the Grave Digger to the ground, cuffs him, and ties him to a tree.  For his own good of course.  Meanwhile, the fellow that also had a bit of Shane's tough love is huddled in a tent counting his teeth and sorting making the moves on his daughter, luckily his wife now has a backbone infusion and they leave his sorry ass in the tent.

Sooo, in Atlanta there is talk of a hostage exchange, and neither side backs down.  Then from out of the left field an old lady spills the beans on who these tough homies actually are.  Won't spoil that, but i will say I was slightly let down cause it had the feeling of an after school special message.  Yeah, yeah, don't judge books by their covers.  But I reserve the right to judge guns by caliber.

Finally, there is some finality to some characters as they bask around the campfire at the camp.  Suddenly the dead swarm over them.  People die, dead are killed and it's about fifteen minutes of chaos and terror.  Sort of puts the kibosh on the whole we are going to make it let's hold hands and sing kumbaya feeling that was around early on this episode.  Will the next episode get even darker?  I do believe so.