| "Pretty Much Dead Already" | |||
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| The Walking Dead episode | |||
The group, led by Shane, kill all the walkers stored in Hershel's barn. |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
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| Directed by | Michelle MacLaren | ||
| Written by | Scott M. Gimple | ||
| Original air date | November 27, 2011 | ||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| The Walking Dead (season 2) List of The Walking Dead episodes |
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"Pretty Much Dead Already" is the seventh episode of the second season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC in the United States on November 27, 2011. In the episode, Glenn (Steven Yeun) reveals to the group that there are walkers in the Greenes' barn, dividing the group on what to do. Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) sets a deadline for the group to leave, unless Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) does a difficult task. Meanwhile, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) slowly loses his sanity after many secrets around him are revealed. This is the last episode of the series to air before the series goes on hiatus until February 12, 2012.
"Pretty Much Dead Already" was generally well received by critics, who praised the episode's ending, as well as the development of the characters. In the United States, the episode was viewed by 6.62 million viewers, which was an improvement from the previous episode.[1]
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During breakfast at the camp, Glenn (Steven Yeun), with the urging of Dale Horvath (Jeffrey DeMunn), finally tells the group that the barn of the Greene family is full of walkers. The survivors inspect the structure, and debate on what they should do; Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) furiously demands they clear the barn, or leave the farm, while Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) reminds him that they're guests on Hershel Greene's (Scott Wilson) property and they could not leave without Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz). The group therefore argues: Shane believes Sophia is long gone; Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is furious that Shane would give up. Rick agrees the barn needs to be cleared, but insists on getting Hershel's blessing.
Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) is upset with Glenn over telling the group about the barn. Glenn confronts her, telling her that her safety is more important to him than her liking him, and that secrets are what will break the group up from each other; they reconcile after this confession. In the stables, Daryl prepares to saddle a horse to go searching for Sophia. Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) stops him, expressing her doubt that Sophia is still alive, and telling him she doesn't want him to get hurt again. He responds angrily, but later apologizes by taking her to a pond where another cherokee rose is blooming - this restores her faith in finding her daughter.
Rick interrupts Hershel's lunch to discuss the barn, where Hershel dismisses his concerns, then demands that the group leave by the end of the week. Rick admits he and Hershel have differing views on walkers, but insists that if Hershel sends his people away they'll die, especially as Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) is now pregnant. Rick finds Shane brooding by the barn, where Shane defends his opinion about the barn. The two argue until Rick finally blurts out that Lori is pregnant. As Rick leaves, Shane congratulates him, albeit with a look of fear and shock on his face.
After being confronted by Maggie, Hershel and Jimmy (James Allen McCune) bring Rick to a forest swamp, where they find two walkers stuck in the mud. Hershel explains that if his group wants to stay, they have to treat walkers like people — starting by helping Jimmy put these two in the barn. Rick, desperate to stay at the farm, agrees.
Shane confronts Lori, telling her Rick isn't strong enough to keep her and Carl (Chandler Riggs) safe - he also tells her he believes the baby is his. She responds by saying that "Even if it's yours it's not going to be yours." Shane storms away, but Carl stops him, insisting that they stay and search for Sophia. Shane says he will do whatever is necessary to make it possible to stay. Lori watches from a distance as Shane conspires with her son.
Dale, suspicious of Shane's actions, tries to warn Andrea (Laurie Holden) about Shane, but she brushes it off. After distracting Glenn, Dale steals the weapons and leaves the RV. After Shane realizes that the guns are missing, he finds Dale in the swamps, preparing to hide the weapons. When Shane attempts to stop him, Dale trains his rifle on Shane, who dares him to shoot. Dale backs down, but warns Shane that he is losing his humanity.
Shane brings the guns back to the farmhouse and arms the rest of the group. T-Dog (IronE Singleton) spots Rick and Hershel emerging from the forest with two walkers attached to snare poles. Shane, at the point of insanity, screams that walkers aren't people, and demonstrates and explains how the walkers aren't alive but completely dead by shooting the female walker several times in the torso before executing her with a shot to the head at point blank. He then angrily breaks the lock on the barn doors and steps back, training his gun, and tells the survivors that it is a new world, and they will have to fight to survive. Walkers start to file out and all the survivors except Rick form a firing line and execute the dead as they emerge, while Hershel watches in shock. As the group calms down, thinking all the walkers are dead, the missing Sophia stumbles out of the barn as a walker with a bite mark on her neck. The survivors lower their weapons in shock as Carol begins to sob uncontrollably and run towards her daughter, being stopped and comforted by Daryl. Rick's face hardens as he retrieves his gun, walks up to Sophia and solemnly shoots her in the head. The episode ends with a shot of the stunned survivors, standing before the bullet-torn walkers and Sophia's crumpled body.
"Pretty Much Dead Already" was met with general acclaim from critics. CNN's Henry Hanks said the episode left us "with a final scene that we'll be talking about until [the show's resumption in February]".[2] Aaron Rutkoff of The Wall Street Journal called it "the single best episode in the entire run of 'The Walking Dead.'"[3] Kelsea Stahler, writing for Hollywood.com, commented that "these writers certainly know how to build to a hell of an emotional, stirring end."[4] Eric Goldman of IGN praised the episode's "completely depressing" twist ending, and gave the episode an eight out of ten, an "impressive" rating.[5] Nate Rawlings of Time criticized the season's slow pace, although he called the episodes ending "the perfect nail in the coffin for television’s slowest subplot."[6]
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