Spoilers! If you're reading this and haven't watched the finale yet, then you must have the brain activity of a zombie.
Most of the finale was spent inside the CDC with all the adults pretty drunk off of Jenner's cache of wine. We're thinking that they sobered up and got over their hangovers in a hurry though when he told them the CDC would undergo decontamination that would rival a nuclear bomb. Although the episode wasn't action-packed until the end, enough went on and was revealed that it's worth breaking it down and tackling items one at a time:
1. Shane
The opening flashback scene may redeem Shane in some people's eyes. He only abandoned Rick after he tried saving him and thought he was dead from hospital equipment failure. There must have been some doubt in his mind though since he firmly shut the hospital room door and blocked it with a gurney. That doesn't really seem like a deterrent to a normal zombie though, so we're shocked that Rick was actually intact. Maybe being in a coma doesn't make you smell "fresh"?
So let's just say that even though Shane didn't risk his life to save Rick, he's off the hook because he thought his friend was dead. That doesn't forgive his current actions though. Sure, it sucks dude that your ready-made family went back to your best friend, but where's your honor? She's taken. Even if for some reason she loves both of you guys, Lori has made her decision. We don't care how drunk you are, Shane. Attempted rape is not ever cool. And that's not love.
2. Test Subject 19
So we were right that Jenner had feelings for this person. That she was his wife is no surprise, but that she was a more brilliant scientist is just such a tragedy. Hearing him describe the subject in such clinical detail was heartbreaking.
3. RIP Jacqui and Dr. Jenner
Dr. Edwin Jenner had looked defeated from the start, and after losing all the tissue samples from TS-19, it's no surprise after that he essentially gave up. He should have given the other survivors more of a heads up though about their limited time left. Suicide is your choice, doctor, not theirs.
We could see that Jacqui was tearful, but we were surprised about her choice to stay. We don't really know a lot about her (except that she had worked in the city zoning department). Perhaps she suffered many close losses, but she always seemed steady. Well, at least she and Jenner kept each other company in the end.
We'd like to say we'd choose life, but then again, we've never been through a zombie apocalypse. Do you agree with Jenner that humans will have an extinction event?
4. Andrea and Dale
We knew from all her doom and gloom talk and what happened with Amy that Andrea would choose to stay in the self-destructing CDC, but Dale's stance to stay with her if she wouldn't leave was gutsy. Would he have stayed for real or was it a ploy to get her to leave? Regardles, it does show that she does care about some things. She won't choose other people's deaths for them (like Jenner wanted to do) but Dale put her in that position.
Andrea puking was just from the effects off too much wine, right? We know from the blood test she's not infected, but we're hoping there's not another reason like another illness or pregnancy. It's been about 200 days since Wildfire was declared though, so unless someone's hooking up with her among the survivors, then that's not an issue. We don't even want to think about childbirth in a world full of hungry zombies. Hey, we've seen zombie kids but not zombie babies yet. Maybe they only die and don't "turn"?
5. Hooray for Daryl and Glenn
Glenn is always good for a laugh, and his best line was to Shane, "Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man" after Shane demanded answers about what happened at the CDC. Daryl, as crass as he is, is also good for a chuckle, like when he says he wants to see Glenn turn red like a lot of Asians do when they get drunk.
What we really like though is that they're full of life. No doom and gloom "I'm staying here to die a painless death" for them. They're scrappy fighters in their own ways, and while everyone's overthinking things, Daryl is always trying to act. Okay, sometimes it's not the best plan of action, but at least he's trying. We could see Glenn and Daryl playing off each other pretty well. Booyah, indeed.
6. Where's Merle?
Captain Hook didn't show up for the finale, so we guess we're waiting until Season 2. Grumble. Although we've gotten to like Daryl a little more than when we first met him, whenever Merle returns, we think he's going to be worse than before.
7. "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" - Bob Dylan
Perfect song for the ending, especially considering what Dale did for Andrea:
"If today was not an endless highway,
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all"
8. What did Jenner whisper to Rick?
We'd like to think Jenner was giving Rick some sort of help -- info about another place they could bunk safely, a source of good water, something. But then again, maybe he found out about Shane and Lori somehow and was warning Rick to watch his back. Shoot, maybe it's what was said at the end of "Lost in Translation."
Ugh, we can't wait till next season picks back up.
