TQS Staff*Contains Spoilers* So here we are at the mid season finale. It’s an odd term to use, as the show goes on hiatus until next year (February to be precise). But it does feel like a finale as everything comes to a head with a final moment reveal which is a welcome end to a tired subplot. From its sombre opening seconds you could be forgiven for thinking that we will be treated to another tension building episode. But then Glenn finally comes clean to everyone about Hershel’s zombie infested barn and what follows is the break down of the… This week’s episode, the aptly titled “Secrets”, is reminiscent of a confessional. The episode mostly concerns itself with mini vignettes, as characters swap secrets with each other bringing some of the best scenes of the series. This time around it’s Dale who gets the best material. His conversation with Hershel about the contents of his barn is a great moment as he realises it is no longer the safe haven he thought it was. Jeffery DeMunn has a fantastically expressive face and he sells his surprise at Hershel’s words. In fact you get the sense that Dale thinks Hershel has… 
The tension between the characters is increasing this time as the foreshadowing of future conflicts continues. As usual the cast is on fine form as Daryl takes centre stage. However this episode does flounder a little bit as some of the individual moments don’t work well with the whole. On the positive side though Hershel’s continued reluctance to keep our survivors around is made even more interesting with the end of episode reveal. The fallout from that secret will probably be left for the mid season Christmas break in two episodes time, but it looks like it’s going to be… 
This weeks it’s as if the creators were listening to the demands in my review of episode 3. It’s much more relaxed and enthused with humour. But that isn’t to say that we don’t get the character moments that we’ve come to expect. The dust has settled from last episode’s Shane shocker and as you can imagine the fallout is played out as the rest of the characters have yet to discover the truth. Jon Bernthal continues to deliver and it’s great to see that he is given a lot to work with. The scene between Andrea and Shane is… There is a big moment in this episode, which sends one character on a path that has no return. It’s powerful, horrendous and above all, justifiable. Well justifiable for the character in question. However this big revelation will probably dwarf most of the other story progression that was done in this episode when people look back. Which is a shame as there is a lot to like about this latest installment.As poor little Carl still fights for his life, Lori comes to a realisation that is chillingly practical. In a world full of horror, would it be better if Carl just… Well tonight’s episode was a bit emotionally draining. Just how much can these characters deal with before they all have breakdowns? So we have the fallout from last week’s great cliffhanger. Poor Carl has a few bullet shards in his gut and Rick has never felt so useless. Even though this episode has a few convenient plot points it still manages to hit home emotionally. Again Andrew Lincoln does some fantastic work here. No one would believe that he used to be on a Channel 4 dramedy (no matter how good that show was). Rick is his character and he… Last Friday saw the return of hit zombie drama The Walking Dead and as we were treated to an extra long episode, all fears of a drop in quality were put to rest. The TV news story of the summer was the announcement that showrunner and creator Frank Darabont had left the show. So the fan base was up in arms, but rest assured his influence is still heavily felt in the first episode. So what we have here is a continuation of last season’s finale. With the city overrun, no sign of a cure and a general hopelessness washing…
