Review - The Walking Dead: Tell it to the Frogs

The third episode of The Walking Dead aired this past Sunday and all I can say is I freaking love this show. If you ever thought about what life would be like if zombies took over the planet this would be that life. This week's episode was called “Tell it to the Frogs” and we see some heartwarming moments alongside some not so heartwarming ones as well. So far I'm enjoying how they've translated the comic to the TV series as it captures the emotions the survivors are feeling and the real fears they have for their own survival. For a zombie show they manage to keep the tension going throughout the entire episode with barely any zombies in it. Let’s have the review with minor spoilers.

In this episode we catch back up with Rick and the others in the moving truck while Glenn is rocking the speedster as they head back to the settlement in a big quarry. Great spot for a campsite with trip wires all around the camp to provide some layer of security. Lori, Carl and Shane get a surprise when Rick arrives at the camp, providing one of those heartwarming moments. Throughout the interactions at the camp you learn the pecking order of the group and the sort of roles everyone has taken on. That’s a question to ask if something like this happened. In this case, it seems that the men have gone back to more hunter roles, while the women do more gathering and housework tasks.

The rest of the episode deals specifically with Merle, opening the episode left behind handcuffed on the roof of the department store. Rick, Glenn, T-Dog and Merle’s brother Daryl make up the group that agrees to go back and rescue him. While at first the settlement wonders why Rick would be so adamant about saving him, he pitches it twofold. The first is that it's on his conscience since he left him handcuffed there. The second is that the bag of guns in the middle of the street could come in handy in fighting off the hordes. Rick knows that he can get to it and get Merle back in one trip.

One funny moment in the show is when they realize they need bolt cutters to use on the chain and handcuffs and T-Dog is called out for losing the last set of tools he borrowed (as he dropped them on the roof in fear). A deal was brokered where the bolt cutters would be offered in exchange for a new gun and parts from the moving truck Rick used to escape Atlanta. I found this funny as it shows the bartering system is alive and also shows the survival mode these people are in, adding to the tone of the episode. We also saw an explosive side of Shane, no doubt upset at the return of Rick. Why is he upset? Let's just say he thought he had a good thing going with Lori that she has since muted in light of Rick's return.

The episode ends with the four getting back to the Department store roof only to find the hacksaw, a pair of handcuffs and one hand. What a great way to finish an episode; brilliant and just leaves you wanting more and looking forward to Sunday all over again. What make this show so good are the personalities of the survivors and the realism of their survival outlook. Even though I have read all the comics for The Walking Dead, I still enjoy watching this show and can’t wait for the next episode as it’s just that good. If you haven’t started to watch this show you better get to watching this and catch up.