The Walking Dead: Season 4 Episode 9: After

I've been anxiously waiting for The Walking Dead to return after its midseason hiatus, and Episode 9 of Season 4, entitled After, premiered last Sunday. I must admit I am a late-comer to this series as well; my 13-year-old son turned me on to it (after I realized he was watching it). I downloaded every episode I couldn't watch online or on-demand, and now I am hooked. I was never a big fan of zombies, but they are all the rage now, and thus the drama and writing has vastly improved. The character development that is stretched out over so many episodes is gripping; I am on the edge of my seat to learn much more about Darryl and Mishone, my two favorite characters. Last Sunday, Episode 9 cast a glimpse into the lives of the group after their prison safe-haven was destroyed, beloved Hershel was murdered by the abominable Governor, and baby Judith was presumed eaten by zombies by Carl and Rick, who has been almost beaten to death.

I must admit I was kind of angry throughout this episode that we only saw Rick and Carl; mostly Carl, who was acting like a preteen prick. I mean really, do preteen boys still get that angry and blame their dads during a zombie apocalypse? Don't you think he would just pull it together? Perhaps it was realistic the way it was. Surely these kids' development has been skewed by death and destruction. I'm concerned that Carl is going to go the way of Wesley on Star Trek the Next Generation: First he was cute, and then he was annoying and all the die-hard fans hated his guts. There is some tricky writing to be done to make Carl come through this series as a likeable or love-to-hate character; at least one that lasts. Of course on this show, it's conceivable that no one is meant to last.

Mishone's previous life and her inner battle was also showcased on this episode; I was happy to see her decide to pursue love instead of loneliness after all hell broke loose. Sure, she had a mini-breakdown and at first went back to her old ways of dragging zombie pets behind her, but then she turned it around and went back to join Rick and Carl. Thank God, because that boy needs some help! I was also grateful that the writers did not overlook the fact that Hershel's head was going to be growling and snapping; thank goodness they had Mishone take care of that. I am heartbroken over the death of Hershel. Whereas I was cheering when Dale got devoured on Hershel's farm in Season 2 (Dale was so annoying), I am truly saddened at Hershel's passing as you are when a favorite character--flawed yet endearing--will never be enjoyed again.