The Walking Dead Review: “The Same Boat”

Editor’s note: this review of AMC’s The Walking Dead will contain some spoilers. I will try to keep them to a minimum, but they’re be there nonetheless. You’ve been warned.

The Walking Dead continues its current tread of sort of having an anthology collection of stories styled episodes that weave together at the end.

“The Same Boat” was mainly focused on Carol and Maggie, but it certainly is safe to say Carol was under the biggest spotlight.

In season one, Carol was the pensive abused housewife that was lucky to be along while following the group of people better suited for the apocalyptic world in which The Walking Dead takes place. As seasons marched on Carol became the hardened survivor who was comfortable and, in a detached way, able to coldly kill as needed to protect herself. This character trait has, seemingly, come to a sudden standstill as “The Same Boat” shows Carol struggling to justify killing. Or, at least that is what it appears to be.

As Maggie and Carol were tied up as prisoners, Carol gets her hands on a rosary that was dropped by a zombie. Carol begins showing signs of a panic attack and a captor takes off her gag so she can breathe again. Considering her past behaviors this seems like a calculated move on her part. Playing in this humble and unsure role is something we have seen her do before but in this episode she never transitioned out of it.

She begs the captors to let not harm Maggie or her baby. She does this while clutching the rosary showing a meek god’s servant type of character. What is odd and a huge character change is that she never left this role of timidness. Later in the episode it almost cost her the life of Maggie and herself.

My best guess is that Maggie’s pregnancy (assuming the knife swipe didn’t kill the baby) has caused her to rethink the value of life. She isn’t a pure sociopath, just battle hardened, so this is a struggle that is believable.

A few other minor changes to the show were welcome as well.

• I absolutely loved the first person point of view as Maggie and Carol were looking out the hood.
• Anyone else notice the music in this season has become better? I think I might buy the shows soundtrack now.
• The scene setting in the slaughterhouse was utterly amazing. It reminded me of the Silent Hill video game series.
• The character of Molly is epic and perfectly cast. I was hoping she would stay around.

Grade: