The ‘Iron Eclipse’ plot is revealed and Agent Cross must fight for his life in this week’s issue of Star Wars: Agent of the Empire. GONK checks it out!
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The reason I like The Walking Dead, both the comic book series and the television show, is that it ties me up in knots. A good issue or episode will keep me sick from intensity, almost like I’m ready to throw up.

I don’t want to have to be in situations that would cause that feeling myself, but I love when a piece of finely crafted art can force those feelings from me, without even trying too hard. Perhaps I invest too much of myself into a story when I decide I like it. At the point where I decide I’m all in, I trust the ride it’s going to take me on and I’ll probably like the end result (like LOST). And unless it gets just completely godawful (the way Heroes did) I’ll stick it through to the end.

As far as The Walking Dead is concerned, I’ve never been given a reason to whine or complain. Every episode, no matter how long they’ve stayed in one place or stagnated as a group, it’s been for a reason. The writers on this show are much more clever than people give them credit for. This entire season has been an epic, stakes-raising game that led directly to this episode. That we’re getting another after this is just icing on the cake.

This episode begins with Dale’s funeral and takes us all the way to the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Carl killing Shane.

Perhaps more has happened in this episode than any other in the season, and it felt like someone lit a fuse and we just had to watch the fireworks. This episode is about very, very hard choices. That’s what the whole series is about. And I think we’ve seen Rick at his absolute lowest now. It’ll take a lot of doing to bring him lower.

But all the credit for the impact this episode had goes to Jon Bernthal. He is an amazing actor and I’ve loved to hate him over the last season. He’s caused problems, made terrible decisions, driven wedges into the group, and now he’s tried to kill their leader. His constant manipulation of situations to get them to play out exactly how he feels they should go finally bit him in the ass and the group will be better for it.

This episode was a carefully constructed piece of music, building to a crescendo that played out beautifully, but the musical notes were tensed emotions and the cymbals crashing were lives at stake. Plenty of things have come to light that need to be discussed with the group (Shane’s plot, they’re all infected, etc.) but that is just going to have to wait.

In classic Walking Dead fashion, the bullet that saved Rick’s life from zombie Shane is also the shot heard ’round the woods, calling a herd of walkers down on the farm.

Just because Shane is dead, it doesn’t mean things are going to get any easier. Will the season finale be the episode that puts the group back on the road and off of Hershel’s farm? Or will be left hanging until October?

We’ll just have to wait until next week to find out.

On a side note: I want to speak to some comments that were made on my review of last week’s episode. There are two things that are completely surprising to me about this show. The first is that there seems to be a contingent of conservative Walking Dead viewers who couldn’t empathize in the least with Dale’s calls for humanity, but actually revelled in his death because “liberals have somehow convinced people [that] standing by and not stopping those crimes is fine.” That comment was particularly scary to me and I think for obvious reasons.

The other thing that I still can’t wrap my head around is that there are people who only watch this show because there are zombies on it, and if there aren’t zombies, or not enough zombies, they couldn’t care less. This is a drama. This is essentially a soap opera. Zombies are the canvas this story of survival is being painted on. Embrace it. Care about the characters. That’s the point. Don’t get upset if there’s an episode that deals with the relationships of the characters. Because THAT’S what this show is about. Not zombies.

If you don’t like that, fine.

But don’t complain to me that there aren’t enough zombies, just go re-watch Zack Snyder’s mindless, soulless Dawn of the Dead remake one more time.

This show is much more mature than that and I’m grateful of that fact.

I’ve long felt that Attack of the Clones and The Empire Strikes Back are sister films, tied together with similar themes, motifs and struggles. This episode of The Clone Wars unites the looks and themes of these film episodes of Star Wars but from a twisted version fueled by the Dark Side.

This episode picks up where the Season 3 finale left Savage Opress, on his search for Darth Maul. He’s on some backwater planet that has visual cues right out of Attack of the Clones, even recreating sets and characters from Dex’s Diner. (I was actually hoping it would be Dex’s Diner, after Pong Krell I need a likable Besalisk.) Savage is searching for his brother, questing for him at the behest of Mother Talzin (much like Luke is sent to Dagobah by Obi-wan), and it leads him to a planet called Lotho Minor.

Lotho Minor is the dark side’s equivalent of Dagobah. Where Yoda’s exile is on a planet steeped in nature, allowing him to live a quiet, dignified life off the land, Lotho Minor is a scrap heap, a burning world. Scavengers and snakes are everywhere, and Darth Maul has spent his life amongst the wreckage, forced to wallow in his anger and hate.

Yoda spent his time in exile in focused quiet. Maul spent it living in a hole like a broken insect.

I’ll be honest, this episode provides no answers. It raises more questions that, I hope, can be answered in the next episode.

Understandably, Maul is lost, confused, and thirsty for revenge.

A shockwave in the force alerts everyone, Dooku, Asajj, Yoda, Obi-wan, and Anakin, that something sinister is brewing.

There is a lot to like in this episode from a themes and Star Wars lore standpoint. It was incredibly satisfying on that level. As far as the action and the actual motions the characters went through, it felt a little bland and by the numbers. Before the episode started, I felt assured that we’d see two acts of Savage’s quest for Maul, then in the third act he’d find him. We’d then be teased for the finale. This was so by the numbers, I predicted it before the episode even started.

I’m not saying this is a negative, I’m just saying the risks they were taking in this episode didn’t necessarily have to do with the telling. Which is fine, since they took some very compelling risks elsewhere.

For starters: Darth Maul’s spider-body.

The entire single sequence Maul appeared in was creepy, unnerving… It just felt as though the captured the unsettled spirit of the primal madness of the dark side and put it on screen and I liked it very much.

This is one of those episodes that was solid in its way, but doesn’t work as a standalone. It has to be coupled with the knowledge that something is coming next, that so much came before it and something is coming next. Taking that into account, it did exactly what it was supposed to do: bring back Darth Maul to the Star Wars universe in a way that’ll send shivers of unsettling fear down your back.

As for the technical aspects of this episode, it felt top notch as always, but I really want to download it on iTunes to really immerse myself in it. I won’t have to deal with those annoying lower-thirds, glaring ratings boxes, promos for what’s on next… They’re really disrespectful to the artistry on display and I can’t wait to see this episode in HD. I want to see the detail on the scavengers, and on Darth Maul’s body. I want to see the firebreathers on Lotho Minor up close on my monitor in all the detail it deserves… So, yeah, I’m going to have to buy it on iTunes tomorrow.

The more I watch the SD cable signal on my HD tv, the more I hate watching this show on a television, but this is as soon as I can see it.

The season finale airs next week.

It’s been no secret around these parts that I’ve been excited for the release of John Carter (of Mars). I’ve been posting every trailer, chiding people to read the books, previewing Marvel’s comics. I’ve been a fan of this franchise for a while and it’s been evident in all of my coverage.

Where some people saw doubt, I saw the team behind the film and expected that they would give me something better than the average Hollywood blockbuster fare.

My trust in them was not misplaced.

Andrew Stanton, Michael Chabon, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Giacchino, Ryan Church, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston, Samantha Morton. It’s names like these that made this film one of my most anticipated films of 2012.

And it came off beautifully.

There’s one thing you have to do for this movie, and that is this: forget that you’ve seen every other cliched, formulaic blockbuster of the last thirty years. The source material is the thing that inspired all of the tropes we’ve seen in cinema since the old Flash Gordon serials and somehow John Carter’s adventures have remained sacred and off the big screen.

Watch this and understand that it’s true to the source material. You’ll have fun.

But on a subconscious level, you’ll be entertained by a level of filmmaking much more even handed, capable, and mature than you’re used to. The story is told elegantly, the wraparound sequences serve a purpose, the characterizations are deep and complex. The princess, Dejah Thoris, isn’t just a damsel in distress, she’s vulnerable but can take care of herself. The hero, John Carter is that devil-may-care rogue we all love in films, but he has a complexity to him that makes him truly human, which is an important distinction when you’re in a land full of martians. There’s so much more going on in this story beneath the surface and behind all of the characters, it’s just incredible.

But it’s still a Saturday afternoon serial, perfect for a matinee.

The action and adventure in this film is top notch. Just like the books, it’s breathless and fun. I had a hard time keeping the dopey grin off of my face. Not only did the characters and situations cause that reaction, but so did the level of care that went into the craft of the filmmaking.

The editing and visual storytelling was much, much better than your average Hollywood fare. Plot points and character motivations aren’t spelled out for the dolts in the audience, it’s doled out to you like an excellent three course meal. You have to work for the understanding and context provided in the film and are rewarded with one of the most fun adventures that’s been on the big screen. This is easily one of the best films to come out this year so far, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it will probably outshine most of the summer movies this season.

Ignore the marketing they’ve done for this film and just trust me. I can’t impress upon you enough how entertained I was by this movie. You don’t need to know anything going in. All you need to do is just go.

You’ll like it.

A lot.

Trust me. I left this movie with a big grin on my face, fulfilled. Satisfied. People always seem to complain about today’s movies not being as good as movies used to be. I assure you, this movie will not have that problem. If you’re even half a fan of good adventure movies, this is how you should be spending your weekend.

This will be as spoiler-free as possible.

First things first, just to make sure we’re clear, I have not completed the game. I merely want to express my opinion of my most-anticipated game of 2012 before the weekend when I know many fence-sitters will decide whether to purchase. If you don’t want to read everything, let me just get the answer to that out of the way: YES! Should this have been my most-anticipated game this year? Perhaps not. It’s very good and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. But, seeing the Assassin’s Creed 3 media recently (which, I doubt was coincidence that it started right before Mass Effect 3 launched) I’m pretty excited for that one as well. If GTA V happens in 2012 I’ll be overexcited for that one too. But anticipation has nothing to do with it. The game is good and well worth the $60.

My first impression of the game was a little bit of confusion and doubting my own memory. I decided I would continue the adventures I had with Mass Effect 2 and imported Commander Betch Shepard. She’s a severe woman and rightly named. She was my renegade character. Immediately upon importing I noticed something missing in her appearance, the scars that represented her renegade choices and glowed red were nowhere to be seen. Disappointing, but move on. As I’ve put 15 hours and 12 minutes into the single player campaign (I have no idea how close I am to the end but my minimum galactic readiness hasn’t been hit) the scars have started to return. That’s because she’s still rightly named. It goes a little against my nature, but I’ve made that character a horrible person. I had also noticed that her face didn’t look quite as angular and her hair was too light. That’s when I started doubting my memory. I’m not getting senile. Bioware has acknowledged a glitch that causes imported character appearances to be a little different. A patch may be coming but it’s really no big deal. You have a chance to refine the appearance if you care that much. So you know a little about my import:

• Betch Shepard: 47 hours in Mass Effect 2 (PS3 so I used the comic for ME1‘s choices)
• Origin: Colonist
• Reputation: Ruthless
• Class: Infiltrator
• Killed Rachni Queen (1)
• Rescued Ashley on Virmire (1)
• Chose to save council (1)
• Destroyed Maelon’s data (2)
• Had Wrex die on Virmire (1)
• Destroyed Geth heretics (2)
• Left Collector base to Cerberus (2)
• Survived Suicide Mission with 11 crew members – Jack died (2)
• Romanced Kaidan, now deceased (1)
• Romanced Jacob, current whereabouts unknown (2)

It’s important to note that your class still determines your “abilities” but it no longer detmerines your available weaponry. There are sniper rifles, assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, and pistols. All classes can use all of them. Their weight and your power recovery is the limiting factor. If you’re a gunner, take them all, but don’t plan to use your abilities very often as you’ll be 200-300% slower in regenerating power. If you’re a Jedi, you could probably drop them all. Melee will still work and your Warp or Incinerate powers will regenerate much faster.

After 15 hours I have a nice little crew of five. Two of them have been in your crew in previous games. There’s a third recurring character, whom I won’t spoil, that left the party early on. One of the five is also the bonus character included in the “From Ashes” DLC. Javik’s race has been spoiled everywhere but I won’t mention it in case you’re hiding. Of the other two, one you know from a previous game, in a weird way. It’s kind of creepy. The last is the new character, James Vega, voiced by Freddie Prinze, Jr. He’s kind of a dink, but I like him. He definitely likes Betch. She may like him, but she’s weighing options at this point. I’ve picked up four other character that just hang out on the ship so far. Two of them, a reporter I took against my better judgment and Dr. Chakwas (from the previous games), are apparently optional. The other two are story-related so I won’t name them.

Throughout the first two missions, which are forced narrative (the game doesn’t get open-world until they’re done), I couldn’t help but concentrate on what many conversations could be like with a different Shepard. There’s an immediate reference to Shepard’s destruction of an entire Batarian star system right away. That event happens in “The Arrival” DLC. What if I hadn’t played it? I know there’s a built in system like ME2‘s comic to give you the prior choices, but I didn’t use it since I imported. Shepard also meets up with Ashley or Kaidan (Ash in my case) right away. One of my other Shepards romanced Kaidan, kept him alive on Virmire, and was celibate in the second game. How will her conversation differ?

When it comes to the story, you should know that no matter how you left things with your former employer, the Illusive Man, you now oppose Cerberus. If there was any doubt of that, Betch erased it when she sniped the first Cerberus operative she saw on Mars. Which brings me to the gunplay. Totally solid. This is just as good as ME2.

The upgrade system is more extensive. Rather than maxing a single power and then evolving it, you now have choices three times throughout the six levels of upgrade. Do you increase your Overload’s area of effect, or its damage? Do you make your specialized ammo stronger, or share it with your friends? If you choose one at level four, you can’t choose the other at level five. Each of the last three levels has two choices, and you’re stuck with them. Actually, that’s not true. You can reassign them later, but at some expense. Your squad’s abilities can be unlocked for Shepard through interaction with the character, rather than by beating the game as in the last one. The first of these I unlocked was through an interaction with James Vega, definitely one of the most enjoyable conversations I’ve had so far.

I took a lot of notes, but rather than venture into spoiler territory I’ll just list what I would have tweeted as I played (in order), if I were on Twitter that is:

• “Sorry, Garrus.” (That was me, not Betch. I actually apologized to him through my TV.)
• Is it strange that I’m worried about Cylons? (This was not in regards to Geth, actually.)
• What does it say about me that I don’t trust the reporter?
• Protheans have teeth. Why do I think that’s strange?
• Where is my space hamster?
• Cortez is awesome. I simply can’t be hardass to a guy that just lost his husband.
• Maybe I’m thinking too much like Betch, but I don’t think Garrus has the proper respect for Shepard.
• Call it Grissom if you must, but I know the Xavier Academy for Gifted Youngsters when I see it.
• Did Javik just take me to task for not earning Jack’s loyalty? Or for letting her die? He better not try that shit when Bub Shepard’s in command.
• I am an asshole. If machines and humans want to grind gears, what business is it of mine?
• I’ve been talking to people on the Citadel for 2 1/2 hours. Sure the Kasumi thing was worth it, but this is kind of boring.
• Is that the Death Star?

That list thing worked well, so let’s try it again. Here are the basic pros and cons I’ve discovered:

• Pros:
• Heavy, blind decisions that last. Make them and move on. Saving and reloading doesn’t work because you won’t know the consequences immediately.
• Seth Green.
• Squad interactions sometimes have instant rewards, rather than feeling like an investment.
• Side missions are added dynamically, almost organic.
• Critical path is much more clear. If you want to just end-run it
• Cons:
• Critical path is much more clear. It’s open-world, but feels too linear.
• Very talky.
• Weapon modding and upgrading is tricky and never explained.
• Citadel as a hub world is terrible.

A lot of my gripes are actually pretty minor. My issue with spending so much time on the Citadel is partly my own fault. I let several reasons to go there pile up then tried to tackle them all at once. More tasks appeared while I was there too. I could have left at anytime, but I’m a little OCD and I don’t like loose threads.

The last part I haven’t mentioned is the multiplayer. This is a mode I’ll normally skip, but I played quite a bit in the demo and had a lot of fun. Based on pre-release media I expected the single player campaign would eventually introduce me to the mode but it hasn’t happened. I put in a few hours today just to try it. There are a lot of variables involved, but it seems the demo was a lot easier than the true game. Is it because I was starting over at level one? Because the map is unfamiliar? Because the enemies are more robust? More people playing it that haven’t figured it out? Probably all of those. Or maybe it’s just harder. In the demo my teams completed bronze level missions 95% of the time. I even beat a few silvers. Golds never made it past Wave Five. Of 12 matches in the retail version, I’ve completed one bronze. At least ten of those matches were on bronze difficulty. The other two may have been but I didn’t actually check.

As for what the mode contains, it’s just waves of enemies on a map. You have up to three companions. Usually you just have to kill people. Sometimes you have to kill specific people quickly. Other objectives will require you to defend a certain zone for a period of time, or four different zones for a smaller period while one of your characters is ineffective. None of this is groundbreaking. You’ve done it all before in other game universes. What makes it compelling is the Mass Effect universe. In addition to your two weapons (you choose which two), you’ll have three “powers.” Your class determines the powers and they’re all familiar from the single player campaign. It’s forgettable, but enjoyable.

Ultimately, if you’re a fan of the series this should be a no-brainer. If you’ve enjoyed them but haven’t decided if the finale is worth your time, DO IT! If you’re new to the franchise? I don’t know. I do think you could be lost, but I also think you could still have fun. The story is complex, but the segments are enjoyable enough on their own that you’d probably adapt. Combat is a little bit specific, but if you play video games you’ll adapt in no time. I’ve had a great time so far and fully plan to work my way through this one at least three times. For now, my only question is whether I want to try an Insanity run to get the platinum like I did in the second game. That was hard and I think I might just like to enjoy this on normal.

“Don’t Stop Believing” and  “Wheel in the Sky” are probably some of the greatest rock songs that have ever been created but of course, everyone knows Journey for these songs. In this review, I aim to bring light to some of their lesser known musical creations that are just as good. With founding vocalist Gregg Rolie,  the band was on its way to…..nah….just messin’ with ya.

Journey is the latest game to be released from those artistic fellows over at thatgamecompany. It’s slated to release next Tuesday but us Playstation Plus-ers get it a week early. I knew it was worth it. Thatgamecompany brought us such games as “Cloud,” “How Flower Petals Saved the World” and “That Cell Stage from Spore.” I honestly really enjoyed these games, for their artistic aspirations and wonderfully composed music, mostly that of their latest game, “Flower.” The beauty of the environment and the ability to get lost in the colors and music was a very engaging idea and even now I show it to new people all the time. I have been anxiously waiting for the next game in their catalog to be released so I could have this experience again.

I would like to share my experience of the game with you as I played it:

The game opens with the most impressive looking sand I have ever seen. I mean, sand in real life doesn’t look this good. I rotate the camera, my character stands up and then I’m free to do whatever I want. There are dunes as far as I can see and a mountain, maybe Sauron, off in the distance. I started running in the opposite direction the game obviously wanted me to go and quickly decided I was about to get very lost in this expansive wasteland of nothingness and it would probably be a good idea to turn around. I came over the crest a hill with posts sticking out of it and I am presented with the title screen. Very nice presentation, thatgamecompany. I SSX my way down some hills (which is actually really fun) and into this graveyard looking area where I find some floating pieces of cloth that bestow upon me the greatest video game power of all; jumping. Yadda yadda yadda, three hours pass and I beat the game. Woot!

Now my thoughts:

I would like to first point out that the graphics and ambient music are top notch.  More than a couple times I just had my character sit down and look at the environment for a couple minutes. I never once thought that getting lost in a desert would be this soothing…

The game itself seems to be driven by nothing other than the curiosity of the player. I feel that people who want fast-paced action or an intensive plot might not find this game very appealing. However,  I absolutely love playing games that aren’t the same thing I’ve experience hundreds of time so I welcome thatgamecompany’s creations.

As you progress through “levels,” you come across new obstacles and environments to traverse which keeps things interesting. Later in the game, there are a few moments that were truly breathtaking (especially the end) but I really don’t want to give anything away. Not long after starting the game you will inevitably run into another wayward traveler. If I’m not mistaken, you can progress through the entire game with this other player if you choose to. If not, you’ll find another person shortly after separating from the previous one. From my experience, there is pretty much always someone else running around with you, whether you notice them or not. You can only communicate with them through making your character shout at different volumes which really adds to the anonymity.

The biggest downside to these games they put out is usually the length. I beat the entire game in about three hours and I know, that’s pretty damn short. The experience itself makes up for it though. The $14.99 price tag might scare some people away but if it’s any consolation, the game definitely has re-playability. I missed some of the collectibles and secrets and I actually like the idea of going through the game again. Then ending sequence was also pretty damn cool and had me yelling at my in-game partner.

If you can get past the price tag and the how short the game is, this is definitely a game worth getting.

I give “Journey” 4/5 current members of the band Journey

Also, I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite music cross-overs involving the aforementioned band:

This week we also get a The Clone Wars digest, and Jeremy Barlow takes us into some darker territory with ‘The Enemy Within’.
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Will old loyalties really change in this week’s Star Wars comic: Crimson Empire III? GONK takes a look and reports in as Kir Kanos and Mirith Sinn take on the Empire!
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I’d like to take this moment to welcome our newest bot to the team. Hailing from the middle-southerny parts of Utah, RoboLincoln will be helping us tear apart, and praise games and game news. When he’s not grooming his beard or righting the wrongs of an oppressive America you will find him on his couch analyzing anything and everything he can find.

While The Darkness II has plenty in common with its predecessor, not the least of which is a penchant for intense gore, it’s the differences from the original which make it a game worth playing. The illustrative graphics style of this sequel is much more conducive with a comic based game, though in fairness it’s not hard to compete with the graphics of a five year old game. Though the look may be intriguing most of the character models fall flat on their face. The main villain seemed to get most of the design attention while the main character Jackie bears a terrible resemblance to Tommy from 2006’s Prey. The new look for the game works best where it counts, your demonic tentacles are amazingly animated and are disturbingly entertaining while eviscerating mobsters and dismembering cultists,.

The game-play for this installment has been well streamlined and seems far less rigid. Gone are the weird creeping tentacle sneak attacks of the first game, which is only the second time I’ve praised a game for getting rid of game-play elements. Also missing from this more focused sequel is the more open world aspect and the direct control of the Darklings. Without the minions and with some reworked gun play the controls feel tighter and flow much better. The upgrades also add a taste of personal flare to the game, allowing you to focus on your personal strengths. Though the only one that gives you any real sense of accomplishment is the tentacle upgrades. To keep the game exciting I recommend focusing on tentacle upgrades, without new ways to slaughter enemies you find yourself quickly running on fumes. Creativity is easily coupled with some basic advice, stay out of the light.

Multiplayer for the Darkness II is unnecessary at best. The co-op feels like an afterthought, while attempting to continue playing I found myself striving for games with better built multiplayer. This one will be forgotten in 6 months tops.

The enemies in the game vary from the common cronies (mobsters and cultists with guns) to the slightly creative (cultists with giant mobile spotlights and a man who disarms you with a whip). The bosses while good at taunting the emotionally vulnerable Jackie, are rather simple (most of them can teleport). The developers seem to have a simple idea behind level design, just keep ambushing you. It’s a little overwhelming at first then it quickly becomes tedious, and it begs a simple question about the motivation of some of these inept challengers. Why would you screw with a guy that has demonic snakes coming out of him?

The story for the Darkness II teeters on the border of great and mundane on more than one occasion. You’ve got moments of genius where you see a truly disturbing villain who seems desperate to tear the darkness from you to accomplish his own ends. Then there are the drawn out scenes of Jackie talking to someone is his mansion. Generally the mansion scenes are a complete waste of time because none of the characters (I use the term loosely) have any grasp of the situation you, as the protagonist, find yourself in. It’s all very strange how these mobsters of yours think its business as usual when their boss becomes a demonic demigod. If my boss suddenly morphed into a horrifying demigod the least I could do is scream. While loading levels, Jackie monologues to the player about the love of his life and his childhood, this would have been much better to install into the game itself rather than leave it as loading fodder only. This could have helped turn the story from something average, into something much more special.

While the Darkness II reaches further than its predecessor with regards to game-play it falls short of the gold. With whatever comes next for Jackie, I want to feel more emotionally invested in a terrifying story, and challenged by disturbing enemies. I hope that nest time the developers choose to truly indulge the darkness, some graphics, and not just the gore.

Score: 7.75/10

This episode of The Walking Dead was nothing short of brutal, but has it pushed us over an edge we can’t return from?

There’s really no way to avoid spoilers in talking about this episode in any scholarly fashion. So, consider that your warning.

After the events of last week, the group spends most of this episode deciding the fate of their prisoner. Most everyone is arrayed against Dale who is working tirelessly to prevent the execution of this kid. He’s absolutely right, too. Can they kill him for a crime he might commit without selling out themselves and their ideals and their humanity.

I think the answer is clear that they can’t. But because Shane is pushing so hard to prove Rick, Rick can’t back down on the execution. He can’t get out of it and expect to lead the group. And he can’t let Shane lead the group, because that way leads to madness.

Though Dale pleads his case well to everyone, his pleas are falling on deaf ears and the course of action is set.

The character who really plays the most important part in this drama, though, is Carl.

One of the things I love most about the comic book is trying to imagine what a world like this would look like to the next generation. How would they act? How would they see things? How would their sense of morality and justice, right and wrong, be shaped by the volatile nature of constant survival?

Carl is so damaged by this world that he seems almost sociopathic. He has no empathy whatsoever. He breaks in to observe the prisoner, not because he wants to help him or set him free, but to observe him like an animal in a cage. Somehow, the world seems less dangerous to him under that harsh light and he has no qualms exploring in the woods. There, he finds a walker and there is absolutely no fear for him until it’s actually trying to eat him. Up until then, he’s content to get close enough to observe so long as he’s out of reach.

But the walker gets loose and Carl runs.

Does he go running home to cry? No. He internalizes everything, never mentioning the incident. What good would it do?

Then, after he gets back, he wants to witness the execution. It reminded me quite a bit of Yukio Mishima’s “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea” about the adolescent boys who commit a murder as a lesson in objectivity.

I found it ironic that the only thing that invoked Rick’s sense of empathy was Carl’s lack of it. When Carl chides him to kill the boy, Rick simply can’t continue. How do you react to a world where your innocent little boy is egging you on to kill a man in cold blood in some misguided attempt to “save” the group.

But Carl’s lessons in objectivity have consequences. His adventure with the walker came back to haunt him.

For all of Dale’s logic and reasoning, he’s still no match for the walker that Carl let loose and is literally torn open. And somehow, killing this man, this friend, out of mercy seems so much easier to do than killing the unarmed stranger execution-style. But will Dale’s hope of retaining their humanity die with him?

This is the part of the episode that’s troubling me. I thought this was a fantastic episode on its own face, but the show needed the balance Dale provided. He was a steady voice of reason, a man of logic, and an incredibly entertaining character. Now we’re left with Shane, Rick, and Daryl to lead the group, all super-macho alpha males, nary a thinker among them.

Will Dale’s death throw the show out of balance along with the group?

As we gear up toward the season finale, only time will tell.