TV Talk: Walking Dead ep 1.2-Guts (Meredith’s Response)

I love Michael Rooker as much asway, way more than the next gal, so I’m game to see where this role will take him, but I can’t pretend to dig his introduction. He’s got about as much nuance and subtlety as a dick joke. He hates black people and Mexicans! He likes to shoot shit up! He’s super angry! And he’ll be goddamned if he’s gonna let some cop and a taco vendor tell him what to do, or whatever! I’m all for bucking FCC guidelines and pushing the envelope, but it had  better be in the service of some quality writing or spectacular gore. Or boobs.

That shit aside, there was plenty that worked in “Guts,” right guys? Glenn, for example. His role’s already been augmented by the second ep of the show, to delightful effect.

Steven Yeun’s performance just slays me. I actually loved the organ donor line that bugged you, Henri; I thought Yeun’s delivery was made of fist-pumping win. The escape plan in “Guts” is perfectly plotted and executed, and what little we saw of the camp made me crazy excited to delve into that hopeless little ensemb. I can’t wait to see more of Darabont faves Laurie Holden and Jeffrey DeMunn as Andrea and Dale, respectively. The casting is just impeccable so far.

And am I seriously the only one who loves that Darabont’s turning Lori into a useless little skank? Comic Lori’s saccharine martyrdom is off-putting and stale. How the hell does she only sleep with Shane once in the comic?! Shane is hot, okay? True, Tony Moore draws Shane a lot sexier than Jon Bernthal actually plays Shane, but they both ring my bell. Many women do find that broken nose look appealing, trust.

If Lori wants to waltz into the woods to get some afternoon delight, thereby abandoning her child, endangering the camp and betraying her comatose husband, she can be my guest. We’re in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse. Let the lady get her jollies where and when she can. Let’s not forget that in the pilot, she and Rick were going through significant difficulties in their marriage before the outbreak.  And bizarre What’s The Deal With Women monologues aside, Shane’s already got more depth on the show than he ever does in the comic. I’m not going to judge them for embarking on the occasional wooded doggy-style furlough.

I can definitely see where you’re coming from, Devin, in having no patience for Kirkman’s writing in the comics. The dialogue’s made up of clunky lines and anvils as foreshadowing, but Kirkman’s strength lies in an elegant approach to a tired trope, interesting character conflicts and a helluva lot of action. The reason that AMC’s adaptation is exciting as hell to me is that Darabont can totally write! (Most of the time. When he’s not writing hackneyed racial slurs for little cartoon rednecks named Merle fucking Dixon.) I’m thrilled to watch Darabont and the rest of the writing crew cultivate this sketchy but beautiful universe that just needs a little meat on its bones and decent dialogue in order to be fully rad. Most of what we saw in “Guts” leads me to believe that we’re headed that way. Here’s hoping.

You can read more from Meredith at  www.dannyisnthere.com .