Having been somewhat short-changed throughout the series, T-Dog has sadly met his demise, though in a gloriously heroic fashion only capable in the apocalypse. Nipped while re-locking the gate to the infested segments of the prison, he then goes on to save Carol by body slamming a hoard of Walkers – kudos my man. I’ve always liked the character and IronE Singleton’s portrayal of him. And even though he stood as a supporting character who was doomed from the get-go, I do wish the show runners has given him more to do that just being “that black guy who showed up occasionally.”
In fact, having recently re-watched the first season, T-Dog has a rather prominent role, not the least of which was losing the key that lashed Merle to a pipe in episode one of the show. He was relegated in a big way to secondary in season two which now in a big way is beginning to show its faults in the light (or should I say darkness) of this third outing. For me, he will be missed.
Foreshadowed in more subtle ways than The Walking Dead is usually given credit for, and employing previous misdirects that ultimately had me screaming for current contrivances, Lori Grimes became the second fatality of episode four.
Diverging from the comic books in the way she perished as well as the fate of her baby (in the paper version, The Governor’s siege of the prison leaves Lori and her unborn baby dead), I assure you nothing was lost in the way of emotional potency – a sequence even harder to watch if you recall Rick and Lori’s reunion when the former is rescued from Atlanta and first introduced to the group.
Andrew Lincoln will make you weep when Carl, Maggie and the unnamed newborn emerge from the depths of the facility with Lori not in tow. It’s his best instance of acting to date and a supremely unpleasant sequence to watch. Carl on the other hand, who opted to deliver the (second) fatal blow to his mother, is more stoic, but is equally potent in the immediately prior scene where he and his mother make amends moments before the impromptu C-section claims her life.
As was the case when both Dale and Shane unexpectedly perished in quick succession at the end of season two, The Walking Dead is holding no punches this go-around when it comes to offing series regulars and thus far has managed to do so in universally jarring fashion. From those aforementioned rivals, to Amy and Sophia and now our new additions to the afterlife, even when we’re talking about walking corpses, this show is able to get under your skin in more subtle ways than ever imaginable.
The best (and ultimately the most extreme) is certainly yet to come as we see how Lori’s death will impact both Rick and Carl – one having delivered the emotion blow and the other the physical. It’s becoming quite clear that Rick is slowly losing his grip on the handles of his rocker, not to mention his sympathy and humanity as evidenced by his continued hatred towards the persisting prisoners.
As for Chandler Rigg’s Carl, the aftermath of killing his mother puts a huge weight on the shoulders of the young actor. Often maligned for being the weakest of the cast, it’s up to him to bring something to the table other than distanced glances and odd motivations. The man continues to mature as a thesp, so let’s hope this tragic turn of events provides the spark needs to see an altered Carl Grimes.
A far different episode than we’re seen from The Walking Dead so far, “Killer Within” is bleak and morose even when the staples that made this show a hit remain intact. The lack of visible momentum on the Woodbury front aside, this is a jarring and haunting entry of the series that for the time being at least, seems intent on being a serious drama and horror series alongside its more baser zombie roots. An applauded decision to be sure.
