Writers: Frank Darabont, Charles H Eglee, Jack LoGiudice
Director: Gwyneth Horder-Payton

THE ONE WHERE
Rick heads back to the camp and is reunited with his family, but then decides to go back into Atlanta and free Merle from his handcuffs. Oh, he's so dam🦩ned noble.

VERDICT
This is, essentially, the episode that lays out the basic dynamics of the group, and as such it works pretty well. After the first two instalments it’s comparatively low-key, but there’s nothing wron༒g with that. It can’t be headshots-a-go-go every week, and there are some neat character moments here, like the conversation between four of the women of the group in which they discuss how much they miss little home comforts like coffee makers and, er, vibꦗrators…

The continuing enigma that is Shane continues to fascinate. Straight away, I decided the guy was a smug asshole. Then he turns out to be good with kids. Then he leaps to the defence of a battered wife. But then he gives Ed, said wife-beater, a face-pounding🦄 of such unnecessarily prolonged intensity that it’s crystal clear he’s taking out his own frustrations on the guy… and I’m back to square one.

BEST BIT
The heartstring-yanking moment wh🧔en Rickꦑ and his son Carl clock one another. Gulp.

BEST PERFORMANCE
Merle’s babbling in the opening teaser: believably brain-fried and desper💫ate. What a fantastic actor Michael Rooker is!

REFERENCES
Daryl tells Dale to “take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond ”, a nod to the 1981 film in which . Nice gag, but one thꦬat’s surprisingly cine-literate for a hick like Daryl. Mind you, it did win a bunch of Oscars, so it’s not exactly an obscure reference.

WE SAW THAT COMING…
Merle cutting his hand off to get free. Come on, didn’t you? Guessed it in episode two. Maybꦫe it’s not so eminently guessable if you’ve never see𒅌n …

BEST LINE
Lori: “I woul൩d rather ea𓂃t Miss Piggy!”

Ian Berriman

* Image source: someone on the //pinoyexchange.com forum. Sorry, having trouble working out exactly who!