Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror | Thriller

Air Date/Time: March 4 at 9/8c

Network: AMC

Director: Greg Nicotero

Writer: Angela Kang

Summary: Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC‘s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually,Teachers, Strike Back), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. Jon Bernthal (The Pacific, The Ghost Writer) plays Shane Walsh, Rick’s sheriff’s department partner before the apocalypse, and Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), is Rick’s wife, Lori Grimes. Additional cast include: Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun,Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, Chandler Riggs, IronE Singleton and Melissa McBride.

Thank you, episode writer Angela Kang, for what is easily my favorite episode of the season. Yes, the entire season to date, starting back in October. You have even managed what had until now been thought impossible: you wrote not only a top-notch episode, but a top-notch farmhouse episode. You even made me like everyone again, even if a character is doing unlikeable things. The balance between tension and drama and sweetness and raw fear and sorrow and recovery and base motivation and morality and survival, is perfection. You have written an exemplar of how drama can and should be, both with and without action. This is the kind of episode that The Walking Dead is capable of, and did in fact achieve in five out of six episodes in Season 1, and has struggled to achieve in Season 2.

I accept that it’s possible that the episode wouldn’t be as good had we not had to slog through all the rest of this season, but I don’t think so. I don’t think my love for this quietly exquisite episode is a rebound from what I disliked about previous episodes. Though it is a culmination of sorts, this episode can and will stand alone and on its own as How It’s Done, or at least How It Should Be Done. And to the extent that there is a “writers’ room” and others worked on the episode as well as the overall story line, well done to all, but as it is Ms. Kang’s name on the credits, I hereby bestow upon her a lovely figurative tiara in recognition of and in gratitude for her achievement. Likewise, kudos to Greg Nicotero on an excellent job in directing the episode. Great angles, great movement, great tension, superior pacing, enhanced by every aspect of production. Lighting, sound, editing, effects, visuals, everything. And as always, I bow to Bear McCreary’s minimalist perfection in music.

Excellent work by all of the cast, especially Andrew Lincoln and Laurie Holden, and a standout performance by Jeffrey DeMunn. But truly, everyone is on their A game in this episode. Everyone.

Of course there has to be some problem somewhere, and here it is: T-Dog. Really? Really? Did he have some other shoot going on? Did he do something to irritate all of you somehow? Continuing this series’ lack of respect for that character is the one blemish in an otherwise beautiful episode. Had I not seen Season 1, I would have absolutely no expectation that the next (and last) two installments of Season 2 will reach this level of quality, but I did see Season 1, so come on, Everyone Who Works on The Walking Dead, please tell me that this episode sets the tone for the rest of the season, and the series. This episode proves what you can do.

I give The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 11 Five Out of Five Stars.