In season two, the group will exist simply as hopeless survivors in a dead world. That’s the contrast that Jenner and the CDC injected into the story. I don’t think the episode would have worked as well if the group had just hit the road right away.

I have to admit, my two favorite elements of the episode were the whisper and the TS-19 animation. I thought the whisper move was excellent. Rick looked like Jenner punched him in the stomach. I think it’s going to be a great revelation, and I’m perfectly happy waiting for the right moment to hear it. The usual move would have been for Jenner to speak loud enough so that we could all share Rick’s “Oh sh*t” moment. But by not knowing, we’re almost in the same boat as the rest of the group.

And when it comes to zombies, sometimes I prefer thinking that the dead are returning and who the hell knows why. But, every now and then, I do like when certain stories throw in hints or suggestions of a cause. I loved TS-19 because it didn’t even do that. Jenner didn’t explain why; he just showed what happens. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that used before.

I think season two’s going to deliver. My only question is: Where’s Merle?