Walking Dead: Vatos & Wildfire
"Nothing is as it seems..."
Often applied to series where we, the viewer, are to believe one thing but are swerved by something else entirely. So Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn return to Atlanta to rescue Merle, when they will encounter a group of survivors with the appearances of thugs looking to score guns in exchange for Glenn who has been kidnapped by them. What Rick and his crew soon learn is appearances can be deceiving. They are plunderers protecting old folks left behind by hospital staff. Guillermo (Neil Brown, Jr.) and his second in command (Noel Gugliemi) talk a big game but this is built on protecting their own with a façade of threatening intent. Only an old lady comes between Rick and Guillermo as all guns are drawn... implausible as it may be, appearances can help you stay alive and there has to be an out in the plot for our heroes to escape. And it shows Rick's sympathetic side as he does indeed leave a few guns with them.
This subplot in "Vatos", the next-to-last episode of the first season of The Walking Dead, was not as impactful as Jim's emphasis or what led up to the meeting with Guillermo's bunch for me. I loved how Rick and company follow Merle's blood trail, in a sense following the bread crumbs left behind. The found walkers laid out, an iron on a stove with blood and flesh indicating his cauterizing the "stump" where his sawed-off hand once was, and a broken window where he fled from the building; Merle left calling cards of where he went, his steps, and the loss of blood which would certainly weaken him. Later it appears Merle stole their van leaving them to walk back to camp on foot, hurriedly as the dark begins and the threat of walkers intensifies. The walkers in Atlanta seem less significant as they have been: Rick and crew have little trouble with them at all. The camp, however, is a different story. They are overrun and many perish. No longer can the camp depend on remaining on the outskirts of the city: the dead are on arrival.
A frustrating staple of The Walking Dead is how certain characters are not given much until the episode they are to die. Early in the first season we see this and it has remained to this day. In "Vatos", Emma Bell finally had a chance for some emphasis. She plays Amy, Andrea's sister. They share a conversation about fishing with their dad and pole line knots. Emotions arrive to remind them of what they have lost. Amy's birthday is coming up, which leads to a scene where Andrea is hunting for wrapping paper in Dale's RV. Uh, oh...on a zombie show, the mere mention of an upcoming birthday is about as damning as a cop approaching retirement in an action movie. Going to pee, Amy leaves a pleasant fireside fish fry where Dale in paraphrasing Faulkner and is accosted by walkers taking a bite outta her. Game over, man, game over!!! It gives Laurie Holden a big dramatically gutwrenching moment where her Andrea must say goodbye to departing Amy. Oh, and not long after Carol's abusive dirtbag husband tugs on their daughter's arm "wanting her to stay" with him in the tent, he's zombie food...too bad he didn't get a real Game of Thrones demise, jazzed up all gruesomely. Romero would have done him in real good...he'd have went out in style! Saw Nicoterro as one of the walkers among those attacking the camp! Cool cameo.
"Wildfire" (referring to the apocalyptic disease that brought about the zombie outbreak), in the semi-final episode of the first season of The Walking Dead, featured a key scene which further comments on Shane's gradual descent as he and Rick check the perimeter of their camp as the dead walkers are carried to a fire pit and their own fallen are axed in the head and buried. Shane points his shotgun right at Rick who is at a distance and contemplates pulling the trigger! He decides against it, and lucky for him he didn't as once he turns around Dale is standing there! DeMunn's expression for his Dale of shock and disbelief is hilarious. Clearly Rick's presence is taking its toll.
Up until now, I've mentioned Daryl in passing but not at any great length. Early on he's portrayed as an antagonist. He doesn't go looking for trouble as much as address problems as he sees them confrontationally with little mincing of words or hesitation. Leaving his brother in Atlanta has left Daryl at odds with them all.
Andrea knelt over her beloved sister (it was revealed in "Vatos" that they were aged twelve years apart) all night into the day until Amy turns. Others are nervous and aware that Amy will be turning zombie soon so Andrea is in danger if she allows her grief to overcome her good senses. It builds to dramatic effect as Zombie Amy awakens with Andrea having to put her down.
Jim got his character development in "Vatos", and Rick wants to rescue him from succumbing to a zombie bite by getting him to the CDC in "Wildfire". He's a goner so what big dramatically send off will TWD give him? After his health worsens, no longer able to walk without help, his bones brittle, stomach nauseous, Jim requests to be sat alone under a tree. Left by them to turn after death. No bullet in the noggin or ax chop to bid him adieu.
Noah Emmerich has a guest spot as Dr. Edwin Jenner, a lone scientist working, it seems, on a possible cure at the CDC. His facility will be the next momentary shelter in the season finale.
I did forget to mention Morales and his family decided to move on to Birmingham while the rest make for the CDC. Interestingly the writers decided not to just kill them off during the zombie attack on the camp in "Vatos". So in "Wildfire" Morales and his own head away from the show and the remaining survivors head for CDC to meet up with Edwin Jenner.
Loved this shot as Rick tries to tell Morgan (who, at this point, was last seen in Days Gone By) not to bother with Atlanta. A city full of the Dead and the outskirts not much safer.
Often applied to series where we, the viewer, are to believe one thing but are swerved by something else entirely. So Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn return to Atlanta to rescue Merle, when they will encounter a group of survivors with the appearances of thugs looking to score guns in exchange for Glenn who has been kidnapped by them. What Rick and his crew soon learn is appearances can be deceiving. They are plunderers protecting old folks left behind by hospital staff. Guillermo (Neil Brown, Jr.) and his second in command (Noel Gugliemi) talk a big game but this is built on protecting their own with a façade of threatening intent. Only an old lady comes between Rick and Guillermo as all guns are drawn... implausible as it may be, appearances can help you stay alive and there has to be an out in the plot for our heroes to escape. And it shows Rick's sympathetic side as he does indeed leave a few guns with them.
This subplot in "Vatos", the next-to-last episode of the first season of The Walking Dead, was not as impactful as Jim's emphasis or what led up to the meeting with Guillermo's bunch for me. I loved how Rick and company follow Merle's blood trail, in a sense following the bread crumbs left behind. The found walkers laid out, an iron on a stove with blood and flesh indicating his cauterizing the "stump" where his sawed-off hand once was, and a broken window where he fled from the building; Merle left calling cards of where he went, his steps, and the loss of blood which would certainly weaken him. Later it appears Merle stole their van leaving them to walk back to camp on foot, hurriedly as the dark begins and the threat of walkers intensifies. The walkers in Atlanta seem less significant as they have been: Rick and crew have little trouble with them at all. The camp, however, is a different story. They are overrun and many perish. No longer can the camp depend on remaining on the outskirts of the city: the dead are on arrival.
A frustrating staple of The Walking Dead is how certain characters are not given much until the episode they are to die. Early in the first season we see this and it has remained to this day. In "Vatos", Emma Bell finally had a chance for some emphasis. She plays Amy, Andrea's sister. They share a conversation about fishing with their dad and pole line knots. Emotions arrive to remind them of what they have lost. Amy's birthday is coming up, which leads to a scene where Andrea is hunting for wrapping paper in Dale's RV. Uh, oh...on a zombie show, the mere mention of an upcoming birthday is about as damning as a cop approaching retirement in an action movie. Going to pee, Amy leaves a pleasant fireside fish fry where Dale in paraphrasing Faulkner and is accosted by walkers taking a bite outta her. Game over, man, game over!!! It gives Laurie Holden a big dramatically gutwrenching moment where her Andrea must say goodbye to departing Amy. Oh, and not long after Carol's abusive dirtbag husband tugs on their daughter's arm "wanting her to stay" with him in the tent, he's zombie food...too bad he didn't get a real Game of Thrones demise, jazzed up all gruesomely. Romero would have done him in real good...he'd have went out in style! Saw Nicoterro as one of the walkers among those attacking the camp! Cool cameo.
"Wildfire" (referring to the apocalyptic disease that brought about the zombie outbreak), in the semi-final episode of the first season of The Walking Dead, featured a key scene which further comments on Shane's gradual descent as he and Rick check the perimeter of their camp as the dead walkers are carried to a fire pit and their own fallen are axed in the head and buried. Shane points his shotgun right at Rick who is at a distance and contemplates pulling the trigger! He decides against it, and lucky for him he didn't as once he turns around Dale is standing there! DeMunn's expression for his Dale of shock and disbelief is hilarious. Clearly Rick's presence is taking its toll.
Up until now, I've mentioned Daryl in passing but not at any great length. Early on he's portrayed as an antagonist. He doesn't go looking for trouble as much as address problems as he sees them confrontationally with little mincing of words or hesitation. Leaving his brother in Atlanta has left Daryl at odds with them all.
Andrea knelt over her beloved sister (it was revealed in "Vatos" that they were aged twelve years apart) all night into the day until Amy turns. Others are nervous and aware that Amy will be turning zombie soon so Andrea is in danger if she allows her grief to overcome her good senses. It builds to dramatic effect as Zombie Amy awakens with Andrea having to put her down.
 |
| Jim is not able to hide he's bit |
Jim got his character development in "Vatos", and Rick wants to rescue him from succumbing to a zombie bite by getting him to the CDC in "Wildfire". He's a goner so what big dramatically send off will TWD give him? After his health worsens, no longer able to walk without help, his bones brittle, stomach nauseous, Jim requests to be sat alone under a tree. Left by them to turn after death. No bullet in the noggin or ax chop to bid him adieu.
Noah Emmerich has a guest spot as Dr. Edwin Jenner, a lone scientist working, it seems, on a possible cure at the CDC. His facility will be the next momentary shelter in the season finale.
I did forget to mention Morales and his family decided to move on to Birmingham while the rest make for the CDC. Interestingly the writers decided not to just kill them off during the zombie attack on the camp in "Vatos". So in "Wildfire" Morales and his own head away from the show and the remaining survivors head for CDC to meet up with Edwin Jenner.
Loved this shot as Rick tries to tell Morgan (who, at this point, was last seen in Days Gone By) not to bother with Atlanta. A city full of the Dead and the outskirts not much safer.
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| Rick speaking out to Morgan |
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| Emma Bell's zombie turn |
Rick and company arrive at the CDC to quite a horrific sight.
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| Shane flirts with shooting Rick! |
Carol, in a memorable moment, buries the pick axe numerous times in her dead husband's head. Quite a therapeutic release for sure.
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