The Walking Dead S02E07 Review: They Found Sophia!

The Walking Dead, Season 2, Episode 7: Pretty Much Dead Already

Well that was gutwrenchingly depressing. It's a great moment for the show, that's for sure, a real emotional blow, and one that really hit the heroes in a way that this show has been able to excel at -- the simple feeling of just losing everything. After six episodes of Rick and Daryl building up hope at finding Sophia, after six episodes of slight clues and putting others in danger... Sophia has been dead all along, stuffed with the other zombies inside Hershel's barn. Dealing with Hershel's zombie barn alone seemed to be the focus of the episode, and I honestly didn't think we were going to see Sophia addressed at all. And the barn plot itself was great in and of itself... the additional bombshell of Sophia having died and zombified is just an additional WTF moment and a big gamechanger. 

And for all his bluster and all his far-too-happy-than-appropriate wanton shooting at the barn zombies (in front of their families, I might add), Shane's too much of a pussy to pull the trigger on Sophia, leading Rick to calmly just walk up and do the deed in what is one of the most memorable and strongest scenes of this series so far. Yes, it's a sucker punch, but man, what a sucker punch. It's a real strong showing that, hey, not even child characters are immune to death and horrific zombification. Or off-screen deaths. 

Shane's also a gigantic dick this episode, isn't he? I mean, yes, he's voting for pragmatism. That could be the right thing to do, even, abandoning a lost cause -- heartless as it sounds -- for survival. Forcing their right to bear arms and shoot the zombies dead in name of survival. But he didn't have to be such a huge dick about it. Picking a fight with Daryl and calling him a methed up piece of shit shit, when all Daryl wanted was to find Sophia? All but threatening to kill Dale if he tries anything funny? Confronting Lori about him being the son's father despite Lori's feelings about Rick vs Shane being clear as day? Breaking down the barn gates like a madman to execute all the zombies inside in front of Hershel -- who still views his wife and stepson as alive but sick? Callously shooting the zombie that Hershel was wrangling in the chest and stomach, and then headshotting it... okay, that bit was cool. But that is one cool moment among many assholish moments, and it's hard, really, for me to like Shane at all. Especially after that jackass confrontation with Dale. A great scene, to be sure, for both characters, but still, it doesn't do Shane any favours. 

But evidently some people in the group do admire Shane's style of leadership. Last episode we've got people training with guns with Shane, and Andrea definitely prefers Shane to Rick. If there should be a rift between Rick and Shane...

Though really, I do see the point of Shane rallying up the others to mercy-kill the zombies before they eventually break loose and murder everyone in the farm. And, well, when Hershel is recruiting Rick to wrangle up two zombies from the swamp to the barn, that's just, well, insane and I can't blame Shane for going really off the rocker at this point. Breaking the door open instead of leading Daryl, Andrea and Glenn to the second level and doing the deed from there would definitely be the better choice, really. 

Speaking of Glenn, he's got a lot more mileage this episode. Yes, the focus was more on Shane, Rick and Dale, but Glenn gets a fair amount of great moments with Maggie, a nice little buildup to being an official couple, and how their actions are mostly built upon not wanting the other person to be hurt. Also, Glenn got an egg hat this episode. That was funny.

But still, definitely a great episode. Not only for the big Sophia twist, but for everything involving the barn. Now I just wonder why no one in the Greene household mentioned the fact that they have Sophia in their freaking barn when they have been so hectic about finding the little girl... and the general fallout from this is going to be a big game-changer. Good, because this show really needs a kick to the arse to move forward.