The Walking Dead: looking back at “Nebraska”

On February 12, 2012, the midseason premiere of season 2 of The Walking Dead titled “Nebraska” aired on AMC. Written by Evan T. Reilly and directed by Clark Johnson, this was the first episode Glen Mazzara would serve as showrunner.

This episode picks up where the previous episode, “Pretty Much Dead Already,” left off. Viewers are looking down the barrel of  Rick Grimes’ gun that just shot the walker version of Sophia. The barn massacre from that episode left the characters reeling with emotions. Hershel and his family had to face the reality that the reanimated were, in fact, dead.

The group is divided on whether or not Shane handled the barn walker situation correctly or not. And Shane starts down the erratic path that will eventually lead to his death. It was good to see a tender moment between him and Carol, as he cleaned some cuts on her arm and talked to her about Sophia, this reminded viewers that he did have a softer side.

The Walking Dead season 2

Beth collapsed in shock, which led to the discovery that Hershel was gone. They believe he headed into town to the local bar, where he frequented in his drinking days before Maggie’s birth. Glenn and Rick head to town to get Hershel to help with Beth.

When they find Hershel, he tells them he robbed his girls of their grieving process by thinking the undead could be cured. Rick tells him that death is still a part of life, and people are counting on them to keep them safe and give them hope.

Then two strangers, Dave and  Tony, enter the bar, and they share where they are from and where they have been. But, when they start to question where Rick, Glenn, and Hershel live, Rick doesn’t like it. The pair becomes impatient, pressing for more information, and Tony starts to make threats. Dave tells him they need a place to stay, and Rick tells him, “I hear Nebraska’s nice,” referring to earlier in the conversation where the pair say they are heading to Nebraska because of the low population and lots of guns. Dave can see that Rick isn’t happy and lays his gun on the bar right before Rick blows them both away.

These are the first two humans that Rick Grimes kills in the series.

This comment is where the episode gets its title, and interestingly, the second spinoff series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, begins in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC on February 20 and AMC+ on February 13.

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