Well The Walking Dead has finally returned from its winter hiatus and things couldn’t be more hopeless for our ragtag group. Max Level Geek is loving the new season and we are dying to hear what you think. As always, there are about a million questions left to be answered, but let’s take a look at some of the things that were revealed in Episode 9.
The prison has been compromised (Thanks “Brian.”), the group is scattered and on the run, and no one knows who lived and who died. In the chaos, we find our first few survivors: Michonne, Carl, and Rick.
1. Carl becomes the man of the house.
Rick and Carl have escaped the horrors of the prison attack but Rick is seriously injured (getting repeatedly punched in the face by The Governor…er…Brian… will do that to you.) Barely conscious and hardly able to walk, Rick is not in any shape to protect Carl. Luckily Carl – being a teenage boy – has been itching to prove to his father that he is more than a boy and sees this as his opportunity.
There is much friction between the pair as Carl resents his dad and Rick, as usual, handles it by yelling in a low voice. If you were playing this week’s Max Level Drinking Game, we are so sorry for your hangover tomorrow.
2. Michonne’s back story finally!
Everyone’s favorite Walking Dead character FINALLY gets the back story we were craving. Unfortunately, this being The Walking Dead, they gave us only a taste.
In a dream sequence, Michonne is revealed to have a “lover” and even a child! Michonne was a mother? That certainly paints an entirely new picture on all we’ve been through with the sword-wielding bad ass. What makes her tick is starting to come together. Her issues with the Governor suddenly appear much deeper than a simple grudge.
3. Rick and Carl get to play house.
This episode was much quieter than the ones we’ve seen recently but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t loaded with information. In an interesting development, we get to see Rick and Carl play “what if?” Of course, there are still zombies trying to bite their faces off, but the moments of simple domesticity between father and son are fun. It’s gives us a glimpse at what they missed out on when the world ended. Carl gets to have a teenager’s room, Rick gets to sleep on the couch (and not do much else.)
Carl rebels (hey, he’s a teen!), but after pushing his limits he realizes that he still needs his dad (hey, he’s only a teen!). Rick seems ready to finally begin to look at Carl as the adult he’s growing up to be and not the kid he was. Leave it to The Walking Dead to have a moving and heartfelt father and son moment in a series about shambling flesh eating zombies. Brilliant!
4. My God, Michonne’s zombie-killing rampage.
We don’t have the hard numbers, but it’s a safe bet to say that Michonne has the highest zombie kill count of anyone on the show. Her sword skills are just so deadly. She puts those skills to good use when she has a meltdown near a pack of zombies. If there is one thing to know about Michonne it’s that you don’t want to be within sword’s length of her when she is upset. About 20 zombies end up a head shorter in the most violent, most spectacular scene in the episode.
5. Michonne, Rick and Carl re-unite.
The group becomes three when Michonne tracks down Rick and Carl at the house they are holed up in. If you are ever looking for Carl just look for the empty tub of chocolate pudding. It’s an interesting pairing considering only months earlier, Rick was ready to throw Michonne out of the group and Carl was the only one who spoke up for her. By this point, we think it’s safe to say that Michonne has proven her worth.
