‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘Wildfire’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to horror films and shows, ones that feature zombies in particular, we expect to see certain things. We expect to see top notch special effects, the kind that make the dead look dead, and we expect them to feed with impunity and see well known characters fall victim to their mottled teeth and endless hunger. Which in turn leads to another important moment for the characters, wherein the survivors will pick up the pieces and move on because it’s the end of the world and they have no choice and well, when it comes to zombie themed tropes, that last one is one that I’ve never been much of a fan of.
 
Because, people moving on that quickly from friends and loved ones just seems like a cheap cop-out to keep the plot moving and while I’m not asking for a three episode funeral arc, I do expect to see people care about the people they’ve lost and see the impact that death has upon them and thankfully, this is a trope that The Walking Dead worked quickly to shed in its first season of the show, since the fifth episode of the series, ‘Wildfire’, took the time to recognize the fact that losing a character in a show hurts and that the pain is far worse for those they leave behind, as was evidenced early on this in this particularly bleak tale as Andrea mourned the loss of her sister Amy.
 
In fact, Andrea wouldn’t leave her sister’s side, opting to stay as close to her as possible and let the pain and the regret of not spending enough time with her sibling wash over her and my goodness, was this a tough part to watch. Because a fine performance from Laurie Holden makes the pain feel fresh and raw for the audience and it is just heartbreaking to watch Andrea weep over her loved one, especially since it’s inherently clear that losing Amy has outright broken her and I distinctly recall that when I first watched this episode, I really believed for a moment there that Andrea was 100% ready to die and was going to let Amy be the one to end her life. But, in a display of powerful strength, she was able let her sister go and dispose of the abomination Amy had become.
 
To accompany the ‘aftermath’ theme that this episode focuses heavily upon, we were also privy to seeing people bury and mourn their dead properly, something that the genre sometimes has as spotty track record with and I suppose the only ‘trope’ we find in this episode is the fact that  a decision has to be made as to what to do with someone who’s been bitten since it is discovered here that a walker took a bite out of Jim in the midst of the chaos and well, the debate here over valuing Jim’s life and Jim’s eventual decision as to how he wanted to die was handled with class and we’ll talk more about Jim’s fate in a moment because we do need to discuss what fear did to the group in this particular tale. 

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After all, it was inherently clear at this point, that the group was no longer safe in their isolated location and that harsh reality left the group in emotional tatters. Which in turn led to a fascinating debate as to what they should do next, and where they should go next and this is also where we received another good idea of just how scared Shane really was during this particular time in his life since he fired off blame and anger at Rick for his decision to leave and hell, he even came within an inch of taking Rick’s life for that matter as well, cementing the fact that Shane had become quite jealous and petty and downright scary with the world now in ruin and this would definitely set the stage for everything that was to come in season two and the controversial decision for Rick to deal with his best friend in brutal fashion.
 
However, I’m getting ahead of myself, because I love this show and I love writing about it, but we need to get back to the task at hand. Because the panic, and the fear that the group was experiencing in that moment, motivated what was seemingly impossible, a split. Because Morales and his family decided they would be better off on their own and headed toward Birmingham while Rick and the remainder of the group decided it was high time to fall back on the institutions mankind built before the end, and visit the Centers for Disease Control, in the hopes that maybe there was a cure for this mess at the CDC and of course, food and shelter since that kind of place would be well guarded.
 
Which oddly enough, that decision brings us back to Jim. Because often times, those who are infected with a zombie bite in these types of stories, make a tough choice when faced with their imminent demise. They either choose to have someone put them down so they don’t return to feast upon the living, or they handle the matter themselves, because there’s no nobility in becoming a walking corpse. But Jim, Jim just didn’t care. He merely wanted to die in peace, and let fate do the rest, and he asked for the group to leave him on the side of the road to die on their way to the CDC wherein he would turn and walk amongst the dead and one cannot help but wonder if Jim did this, to atone for losing his family…
 
Of course, we will never know the truth to that, and instead we were treated to quite the cliffhanger in this tale. Because eventually, the group makes it to the CDC, a place that seems as dead and vacant as anywhere else, but a doctor working down below sees the desperate group asking for help…and lets them inside the compound and man, what an episode when all is said and done. This was just emotionally brutal through and through and well, I praise the fact that the series went this dark, this quick. Because you want nothing more than to see them succeed and find some sliver of hope, and the CDC does provide that. But I think we knew then what we know now, that the group was walking into a dangerous situation and the events that unfold at the CDC are where we will pick up next time. Until then. 

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