The Walking Dead - Tell it to the Frogs ***

 I went back into my blog to see if I wrote how much I had written of the first few episodes, I have twice, so I'll add that the intensity of Shane realizing some of his "clout" has faded since Rick arrives to "replace" his "replacement". Shane loved to be that replacement father and husband. He's clearly unsettled by Rick's presence, knowing that he won't be able to fuck Lori any longer. When Shane just wants to search for frogs with Coral, Lori puts the kibosh on that right away. Then learning that Shane told her Rick was dead, all the awkwardness that exists between Lori and Shane is just intensified. Lori really enjoying that time with Shane just erased by Rick showing up unexpectedly. Shane taking out his building rage on Carol's abusive, repulsive husband, Ed, seemed inevitable. I think throughout the episode you could see Shane needed to punch somebody repeatedly in order to relieve himself of all that pent-up frustration and loss of his possible surrogate family, so Ed was the perfect punching bag for that. This is always what I personally get out of the episode. The Rick and Lori chemistry was always off to me. Rick is the committed husband and father who seems hellbent on doing the right thing (here, anyway), not just willing to let Merle Dixon roast under the hot sun and die of starvation. With Daryl emerging from the wood with crossbow and a ton of attitude (the damn deer he's been hunting, deprived thanks to a zombie), wanting to go get his brother, Rick also realizing he needs guns, ammo, and the walkie-talkie, a dry run back to Atlanta is on. Lori doesn't like it, but Coral seems confident Daddy will return. Coral is right that Daddy had made it through a lot of danger to get back to them. I remain amused that there run back to Atlanta seems all easy-peasy. Merle being gone, having taken off his hand to get out of the cuffs, leaving Daryl distraught, closing the episode felt right since he was the one who opened it...talking to himself, Merle was baking and losing his wits. The shot of the two dehydrated zombies fighting to get past the chained and bolted door, with Merle trying to reach a saw with his belt buckle, really kicked this episode off splendidly, I thought. The show really did have a lot going for it in its early stages. But Carol being just an obedient wife who took her bruises and slaps from that piece of shit husband is a stark reminder of where she was at the beginning of the show in comparison to now all these years later.