Episode 2.04 “Cherokee Rose” Recap and Analysis by hemoWILLIEac

A Little Introduction

After a long week, The Walking Dead is back with its fourth episode of the season. This episode doesn’t deal with an overarching theme like last weeks, but instead deals with many important character interactions and relationship building. Many of our characters are finding themselves in this wasteland, and are forming (often unusual) bonds with one another.

Homecoming

Rick begins this episode with a lie, telling Carl that Sophia is safe. This lie winds up becoming difficult for Rick later on when he questions his quality as a father. Rick is still dealing with his self confidence as a leader, a father and a husband.

His decisions have arguably cost some lives and endangered the life of his son. They have also brought a heavy dose of skepticism from Lori, who he was facing marital troubles with previous to his coma.

For Rick to become the leader the group needs, he will have to give up many of the doubts and fears that have followed him into this life. The survivors need someone they can count on to make the hard decisions without doubt. If Rick can’t get over his issues and step up, Shane could easily be the man to fill that position. Given his current state of mind, that could bode even worse for Lori and the others.

As the rest of the gang join Herschel’s farm, Dale is the first to approach Rick. These two men have grown a lot of respect for each other over a short period of time, and it shows. Dale knows Rick is the man for the job, and Rick knows he can count on Dale. It could wind up being Dale’s wise words that inevitably convince Rick of his self worth.

Funeral for a Friend

Herschel performs a makeshift funeral service for the late Otis, giving Shane the stage to share the big man’s last moments. Shane does a great job of lying, but it seems that Patricia might be on to his deception, showing a glimmer of unease at his story that goes beyond pure sadness. I have a feeling she’ll be keeping her eye on him.

As the gang plans to better organize their search for Sophia, it winds up being Daryl who takes the job, continuing his personal quest to find the girl.

Herschel seizes the group’s guns, though his intentions are vague. His glance at Maggie when Rick mentions “taking care” of Sophia if she’s bitten is another sign that something is amiss on the farm. This family clearly has a differing opinion on what the moral code for dealing with the walkers is, and that could prove to be a major point of conflict between the two groups.

This is probably not the sex scene Steven Yeun had in mind.

Fat Guy in a Little Well

The scene with the bloated well-walker was great. Greg Nicotero and his effects crew have once again outdone themselves, proving that they have plenty of interesting and repulsive fuel left in their zombie designs.

I always enjoy Glenn’s reactions to the ridiculous situations he gets put in. Steven Yeun can effortlessly take a scene from nail-bitingly tense to hilarious in seconds. Glenn once again proves how crafty he can be by successfully stringing up the water-logged corpse.

Another important mental note to take is Maggie’s reaction to T-Dog dispatching the walker. It is hard to believe she has never seen a walker killed, despite her isolated location. Yet she seems genuinely shocked at its death. This is another unnerving sign that things aren’t quite right.

Getting to Know You

The episode deals greatly with character interactions. I’ll go through some of the most important of these relationships and speculate on what they mean and where they will lead.

Rick and Herschel

Rick and Herschel share some great scenes again in this episode. The balance of Herschel’s blind faith and Rick’s more practical approach is laid out in full here when Herschel asks Rick about his belief in God.

These two men are fathers, leaders and strong-willed individuals looking out for the best interest of their respective groups. Herschel gives Rick the strength to tell Carl the truth about Sophia, but clearly doesn’t trust him. He barely knows Rick and can’t risk any trouble for his people.

Rick is appreciative of Herschel’s help, but knows that staying on the farm would ultimately benefit his people. They have a great thing going for them, and he isn’t about to give it up.

When Herschel mentions that they will have to obey the rules if they want to stay, Rick remains interested. But what these rules are and what they mean for the others may cause many to doubt the farm as a safe place. Herschel didn’t seem very keen on Rick and Co. being near the barn. Could the old man be keeping a secret of his own?

Dale and T-Dog

Though their interaction is brief, I have to say I love these two guys together. For two seemingly vastly different men, they get along quite well and clearly trust each other. It should be interesting to see how this relationship develops.

Daryl and Carol

Daryl is a character that continues to surprise me. When he was first introduced, I thought he was a hilarious redneck that would get little to no character development and die off quickly in a blaze of glory. Since then, he’s become my favorite character. That is a testament to how unpredictable and well written this show can be.

Daryl remains unsuccessful in his search for Sophia, but does notice some possible clues as to her recent whereabouts. He brings back a flower called a Cherokee rose for Carol, telling her its story in an incredibly beautiful scene.

Earlier on in the episode, both Shane and Andrea tried to console Carol to no avail with promises that Sophia would be fine. Of all people, it winds up being the most gruff, antagonistic person in the group to inspire hope in her.

We really don’t know much about Daryl and his motivations for finding Sophia. He is a natural survivalist and that instinct has probably told him by now that looking for Sophia endangers the group unnecessarily. However, he continues to search. Perhaps he had a daughter or wife of his own before the world went to hell.

Shane continues to teach Andrea about the care of a gun, putting her on a path to becoming a very valuable member of the group, and find her place within it. This relationship has begun growing slowly this season, but has taken some major steps this episode.

Andrea was very willing to leave the group with Shane before, showing her trust in his abilities. This week, he essentially confessed to murdering Otis to her. He may not have said it outright, but it had to have eased the weight on his shoulders somewhat, just to have someone to listen to him.

These two are both incredibly intense people who have each lost the one thing most-dear to them. Andrea lost Amy, feeling that she failed her role as her sister’s protector and wanting to die herself. Shane lost Lori and Carl, his surrogate family and the people he felt driven to protect.

These two may come to find solace in each other, but Shane’s lies could tear Andrea further apart if discovered. This relationship is the most important to watch, as it could completely change the group dynamic.

Daryl Dixon: angry redneck or deep thinker? Answer: Both.

Glenn and Maggie

The sex scene was awkward and hilarious, but important to both Glenn and Maggie.

Not counting the kids, Glenn and Maggie are both the youngest in the group. Unlike Carl and Sophia, they didn’t have the arguable luxury of experiencing very little of the real world before the dead rose.

The kids will grow up (if they survive long enough) adjusted to living among the walkers. Maggie and Glenn, however have experienced twenty-some years of life before the apocalypse, and are feeling a lot of pain about the lives and dreams they will have to give up.

For Glenn and Maggie, having sex is the equivalent of the deer that Carl saw. It is a moment of freedom and joy among the darkness and despair they face on a daily basis. Maggie has lost family members, any future she had planned and her innocence. It’s safe to assume Glenn has lost those same things.

Time will tell what the future holds for this relationship. Maggie’s stubbornness could withstand Glenn’s awkward charm, but in the end the moments of joy and companionship they could share with one another might win her over.

There is also the possibility of Herschel discovering his daughters less than pious behavior. If he does, the information could be enough to cut the already thin line of trust keeping the Rick’s group at the farm.

The Grimes Family

Rick confesses his lie to Carl, whose already wizened mind easily forgives him and understands why he lied. The father and son share war stories, comparing their wounds as Rick passes down his hat. As a fan of the comic, seeing Carl don the hat was an awesome moment and what I felt was a nod to fans.

Rick putting his uniform away means a lot of things. First, he is literally closing the door to that chapter of his life. Odds are he will never be a cop again, and he knows it. He is also letting go of being the man he was before.

For as long as Rick has worn that uniform, he has felt he has to be a certain way: protect and serve. Now he knows that he will have to change his way of thinking if he wants to survive and keep his family safe. No more Mr. Nice Guy. 

He is also packing the uniform away, showing that he is confident that the group won’t be leaving any time soon. His talk with Herschel may not have completely secured their place at the farm, but Rick knows he won’t let this opportunity slip away easily, and he’s confident that he won’t let that happen.

Then of course, is the new addition to the Grimes family. Of course, the major question is the identity of the father, but Lori has a lot of other concerns about this shocking news. The thought of bringing a child into a world overrun by flesh eating corpses would be a tough pill to swallow, and the danger a baby could pose to the group is immense. I don’t think anyone would want to be in her shoes.

Cherokee Rose

This episode is one of the best written episodes of the series. It may not be action heavy or progress the plot in any major way, but the characters are what set The Walking Dead apart from typical zombie fiction. The show is not about the zombies, it’s about the people trying to survive them. This episode is an incredible reminder of that.

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