Describe season 2
Continuation of great character design and writing.
Deep meaningful plot with major psychological undertones.
Balance of action and drama
The zombies take a back seat as the characters and their own agendas take center stage.
- Rick still trying to figure out his role as a leader, saving his son and sophia
- Shane has come to terms with his reality, one of the few who has and is now willing to do whatever it takes to keep people safe, turning to his inner monster something I will touch on later.
- And much of the other cast has their own set of issues, that are all interesting, meaningful and add to the overall story.
In the very beginning at the highway and then Not until the very end do we really deal with a zombie problem. I believe this is intentional by the writer. To emphasize the safety that the farm offers and the idea that the world may still go back to normal at some point. The Farm offers false hope to everyone but they won't realize that until its too late.
As the season progresses different dangers present themselves including the living. A problem non-existent in the first season. This is meaningful as it is another representation of the final fall of civilization.
That is one of the things I love so much about this season and the first as it carefully and meticulously documents the complete destruction of society. You’re not watching a movie about people surviving an apocalypse, you're watching a detailed presentation of each step of the fall of man and the people caught up in that.
I honestly have very little bad to say about this second season. Especially after watching it a second time.
On the surface and at face value you think its just a dragged on season of trying to find a little girl, and boy who gets shot and wont stay in the damn house… GET BACK IN THE HOUSE CARL!...
But after watching it a second time i see the overall plot is deeper, more meaningful and accurate on its way to tell the story of this group and what each person is feeling. Allowing us to make our own conclusions as how to feel about what each character is doing or not doing. We find that we can relate to some, or not at all to others. And yet its natural, not forced.
The story much like the first season allows you to think for yourself, pick sides, and determine who's on the right path.
It also shows you a much deeper and psychological look into what surviving a pandemic may look like.
There's also some really deep symbolic moments throughout the season.
- Sophia is lost, she's an innocent little girl and the group is searching while searching for the old world, and the safety it holds. While Sophia’s death represents the death of innocence, and peace.
- The capture and potential execution of their hostage represents the end of civility, justice, and law and order. It represents the world changing into a surviving versus living state.
- The debate between Dale, Shane, and Rick about whether or not to execute the hostage is a representation of the old world and the new world. Dale is the old world and Shane represents the new one. Like the devil and angel on his shoulder Rick has to stand between them and make a choice of where he wants to go. Where does he want to lead the group? Does he hold on to what the world was? Or accept that the new one is here and it's brutal, cold, and unforgiving.
- And don't think for a minute that Dale's death was not calculated and purposeful. As it represents the death of the old world. Dale Dies, and Shane comes back after being killed, showing us that the new world can't be avoided. Something we will discover in more detail as the seasons progress. Everyone eventually becomes Shane.
Yes at first viewing I thought, well this is mundane. But after watching it again I can appreciate the pace of the season, the lulls mixed with the highs. The fact that every character had their own individual story within the overall plot making it deeper and more interestings.
The last season was a master class on character design, this is a master class on how to write a freaking interesting story.
Everything feels so well thought out, and purposeful. Each character changes with each conflict and in their own ways that resemble their personalities established over the previous season.
This show dives into some deep psychological traits as well that I find really interesting, and helps to make each character unique and worth investing in.
As I stated earlier Shane was able to realize the writing on the wall pretty quickly, taking on a roll as a leader in the early first season, and making sure the group was safe. As the second season progressed we watched as Shane Channeled his inner monster.
Something that all men have to do in real life. This comes from Dr. Jordan Peterson a renowned psychologist and author. He tells us to see just how much of a monster you can be and then tame it. Learn to channel it, and become stronger as a person by controlling it.
In other words, understand what you're capable of doing, and understand that you can control it. Realize how far you are willing to go, and be able to stop.
The Problem is Shane cant, and we see him grow from a controlled monster, to a tyrant. And that can happen very easily to anyone. It is why you should learn what you're capable of now and how you can control it or you too will be at risk of becoming a tyrant, or possibly a psychopath… who knows.. But it won't be good.
Shane represents the man finding his inner strength to do what is necessary and losing control of that. Whereas Rick is on the same path, the only difference is Rick isn't willing to do everything it takes at first, and he has to learn otherwise. Rick killing Shane represents Rick realizing how much of a monster he can be and may need to be. It's him crossing over into the new world as well.
The answer is can he control it? Or suffer the same fate as Shane and fall into chaos and become a tyrant? At the end of the second season you can see the visual and personality changes in Rick after that event. He is teetering on becoming the Tyrant as he tells everyone it's my way or the highway and shutting them down.
I think we will see much of the same from the rest of the group in the seasons to come. Each person will have to wrestle with their demons, navigate this new world, and how to survive in it while trying to keep their hands clean. Unfortunately that won't be easy, and maybe not even possible.
This is why the second season is such a great one, well written and executed from start to finish. It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and second guessing your own feelings about characters and situations. And if you are like me, you can see deeper psychological meanings behind many of the events in the show.
I strongly recommend this season, and find it a close runner up to the first. Its great for its own reasons, picks up right where the first left off but then turns into its own. Most shows struggle to do that, and can't get past the first season. Each new season mimicking much of the first. But not with The Walking Dead. This could have easily been the first season if they wanted and it would be damn good and made perfect sense.
Wrap it up.
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Intro:
The Walking Dead Main Theme
Apple Music, Bear McCreary
Big Rock License
Big Rock by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3436-big-rock
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
IMBD LINK TO SEASON 2:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520211/episodes?season=2&ref_=tt_eps_sn_2
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