The Walking Dead Series Blog – Infected

The second episode of the new series leads directly on from last week’s cliff-hanger, where Patrick has died in the shower rooms and looks set to come back as a zombie.

“Infected” impresses on all points, opening on an unknown hand feeding rodents to the ‘walkers’ in the dark, luring more towards the fences. It’s pretty easy for the chain of walkers to manifest when Patrick begins feeding, as everyone seems to sleep in the most vulnerable position – with their cell doors open.

There’s an all-out massacre in the cell-block in which none of the primary characters die, although a father of two girls is bitten and appoints Carol as their new guardian. It turns out that the older of the girls, Lizzie, is a little messed up and attached to the walkers, even crying when she sees her favourite dead outside the fence.

Almost immediately another disaster strikes – the zombies have gathered so closely together by the fence that they are almost breaking it down completely. The blame is placed on whoever has been feeding rats to the walkers, and given the evidence, I would suggest that it may well be Lizzie.

Rick and Daryl manage to lead them away by sacrificing the pigs and the end of the livestock comes with Rick setting fire to the barn and, dramatically, his shirt. He also returns Carl’s gun and puts his own back in his holster – does this mark the return of sane Rick?

This was an undoubtedly intense episode. Even when there was a lack of action, it seemed there was never a lull in the sense of impending doom surrounding the characters. The double disasters were key in cementing the long overdue realisation that the prison is no longer safe.

At the end of the episode Tyreese finds Karen, who had been isolated after coughing in front of Hershel, burnt to a crisp. We also learn from the resident doctor that Patrick died from an aggressive flu strain that has possibly come from the sick livestock.  With the rising number of walkers outside the fence, a disease spreading and a killer inside the quarters, I think it’s time to find a new safe-house!