‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘Save the Last One’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One thing that every horror fan is aware of these days, is that zombie themed fiction tends to dive into social issues and outright commentary on the human condition. For George Romero established the fact that the living dead can serve as a powerful allegory to any of society’s ills, allowing for quality explorations of our world to take place in these rotten universes and it just so happens… that The Walking Dead is no exception to this unspoken rule. Because time and time again during the course of its now eleven-year run, it has offered up stories that look at some fascinating aspects of what makes us human and, in the case of today’s Retro Recap, it’s even taken the time to explore some supremely philosophical concepts. Such as what drives us to be savage and what exactly is humanity’s worth as a whole.  
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A feat that the next episode in this storied franchise pulled off, by bringing some of the survivors to the Greene farm. For ‘Save the Last One’ saw Lori Grimes and T-Dog and Glenn Rhee, drop by the farm while they waited for the medical supplies to return and well, seeing her son in his current state, put Lori in quite the dark and brooding place. Because her baby boy was suffering badly and seeing him struggle to breathe and pondering upon the world he was going to grow up within if he survived, since suffering was now the norm… left her wondering if this was a sign that perhaps it was best that Carl passed on. For mankind clearly screwed up during its run as the dominant species and living death was its penalty, so with us being worthless in nature… what was the point of letting her son see a world as cruel as this one?

Which is a question that quite frankly… Rick fought back upon. Simply because he believed that moments such as these, where people are challenged like never before aren’t punishment, but an opportunity. The kind that teaches those in the midst of the madness, the worth of life and the majesty of the fight and that there is nothing that humanity cannot accomplish. Which was a wonderful counterpoint to Lori’s thoughts, one that once again injected hope into this tale that perhaps a better tomorrow awaited the group and reminded us that we are indeed worthy when we apply ourselves, and that hope was extended by the finale of this plot thread. For eventually Shane came back on his own, with everything needed to save little Carl’s life and after a tense surgery, the little man was saved and pulling through just fine and ironically… it’s Shane’s journey that covered the examination of our savagery.

Because the only reason that Shane was heavily delayed in getting back to the farm, was because things went sideways at the school. For he and Otis found themselves trapped and had to get creative about their escape and…  that went poorly as well. For they were chased by the dead at every turn and wounded and well… that motivated Shane to make a horrible call. One where he shot Otis in the leg so the dead could consume him and give Shane time to escape and that spoke volumes to the fact that when our survival is on the line, we will make the worst calls imaginable. But while that is a blunt way to explore the savagery of man, this episode also deserves credit for pointing out that committing to such acts, doesn’t necessarily mean we can easily live with them. As evidenced by the mental struggle that Shane went through following his return home.

A struggle that will sadly, bring about great tragedy for Shane at season’s end. But in the here and the now, this really was quite the powerful episode for certain. One that dug into some fascinating concepts and notions and served as another important keystone episode. Since this particular tale features the first ever meeting between Maggie and Glenn. A moment that would set the stage for an incredible and heartbreaking love affair. One that would have all kinds of consequences and joy in the future, and it is quite incredible to see their chemistry brewing immediately during a second viewing, and now that this chapter in this long and winding tale has come to a close… it is time to turn our attention to what lies ahead. Specifically, a story that builds upon that budding romance for the ages and features quite the surprise for Lori in regard to her recent fling with Shane. Until next time.

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