Walking Dead Recap: Judge, Jury, Executioner

After Norman Reedus told The Huffington Post this week that the remaining three episodes of The Walking Dead’s second season on AMC would be full of violence and mayhem, this week’s episode took on a whole new significance. Seeing those clips of Carl wandering the woods like an idiot (or his mother) can spook a guy who just saw Sophia take the big dirt nap in spite of her protected status in the comics. So it’s probably safe to assume all you readers feel the same way and that I shouldn’t blather on and keep you in suspense…!As always, remember that these recaps are intended for viewers who have already seen the episode, or for whom spoilers are a non-issue. SPOILERS ON.The episode opens in the barn, with Daryl beating Randall, who is bound to a chair, and interrogating him. After terrorizing Randall’s leg with his knife, he reveals that there’s a group of about thirty men, women and children who scavenge and victimize other survivors, raping women and beating men. He insists he’s nothing like them, but it doesn’t stop Daryl from continuing the beating.Around the campfire, the group is discussing their plans, and Rick tells them that they’ll know what to do with Randall soon enough. Hearing from Daryl what Randall has to say, Rick determines that it’s necessary to kill him. Dale chases after him as he walks away, pleading with Rick to give him time to win the group over and convince them not to kill him. He tells Rick that Carl deserves better than the lesson that’s taught by just killing someone without a process, and Rick tells him that he has until sunset to convince the group.Dale asks Andrea to watch over Randall and protect him from Shane, trying to convince her that even if the world has gone to hell, it’s their responsibility to safeguard their own humanity and values. Despite the fact that she, too, wants to see Randall gone she agrees to watch him. As she stands outside the barn, Randall asks her if the group is going to kill him. When she doesn’t respond, his attention is drawn to Carl and Shane, who are talking on the other side of the barn.Shane, seeing Andrea outside the barn, confronts her about siding with Dale. He suggests to her that they need to overthrow Rick and Hershel, and while he pitches his plan to Andrea, Randall is listening. Inside the barn, Carl is standing in the rafters, watching Randall. He tries to talk to Carl as though he were a normal kid, bur Carl remains silent and creeps down face to the prisoner’s level. As Randall pleads with Carl to help him escape, Shane hears the conversation. He and Andrea run inside, kick Carl out of the barn and menace Randall with their guns until Shane gets out of hand and Andrea breaks the whole thing up. Shane agrees not to tell Rick and Lori about the infraction, but tells Carl to stop putting himself in harm’s way.Dale approaches Daryl at his campsite on the edge of the woods, asking for help in persuading the group (notably Carol) to help save Randall’s life.  Daryl claims that he doesn’t care about the group, but Dale doesn’t believe it–and even tries to sell Daryl on the idea that if he’s truly indifferent then he should side with Dale anyway. He tells Daryl that torture isn’t like him–that he’s a decent person and that it’s Shane who is infecting the group. Daryl responds that the group is fundamentally broken–that Shane’s story about Otis was flimsy at best and that if Rick didn’t see it then it’s because he was unwilling to see it.