The Gospel According to the Walking Dead - Season 4, Episode 2
After a week of waiting in anticipation after last week’s cliffhanger ending of Season 4’s record-breaking premiere episode of The Walking Dead, audiences are beginning to fear a new enemy this season… the virus.An impressive 13.9 million viewers returned to watch The Walking Dead Sunday night, a number not quite as large as the week prior, probably because many people were like me, watching Payton Manning return to Indy to battle the Colts, only to watch a recorded The Walking Dead the next day. Episode 2, “Infected,” still drew the second biggest audience for the show, and probably will prove to be the second most watched show of the week, only beat out by the Broncos’ depressing loss.“Infection” began with a dead Phineas… er… I mean… Patrick (who will ever be known to teenagers as the voice of the beloved cartoon character Phineas) roaming the halls looking for flesh—a gory beginning to Episode 2.Chaos ensues, over a dozen are killed, and the newly formed council decides to began isolating those who were exposed to this apparent virus.Meanwhile, Michonne seems to be fighting an internal battle… fighting to not “care.”That’s what I love about this series; each show always provides some great points of discussion about real life, despite the fictional premise. The Walking Dead fans know Michonne is damaged goods. (Who isn’t in this fictional post-apocalyptic world where the dead walk?) And like many who have lost loved ones, Michonne resists drawing close to people because she knows if she cares… she risks hurt.This week a conversation between Beth and Michonne particularly caught my attention. Michonne was being hard on herself for putting herself in a precarious situation causing others to have to save her. At Roughly 38 minutes into the episode (with commercials), she and Beth talk in a cell:
Michonne: I was so stupid. When I fell… they should have just left me out there.
Beth: Now that’s stupid. We care about you.
Michonne: They could have gotten hurt.
Beth: When you care about people, hurt is kind of part of the package.
Almost 10 minutes later, Beth asks Michonne to hold Rick’s baby. Michonne refuses at first, but then reluctantly holds her. As the baby warms up to Michonne, we see Michonne start to be encaptured by the baby’s innocence and need for care. Michonne begins crying, perhaps because she started to care.Here are some questions you can use to help you discuss this:
SEASON 4, EPISODE 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What do you think the council should do now that infection is the new formidable enemy?2. Who do you think is the person feeding zombies and burning bodies? Is this the same person?3. Why did Rick not want Carl to name the pigs in the previous episode?4. Why was Michonne so hard on herself for needing to be rescued by Carl?5. Beth told Michonne, “When you care about people, hurt is kind of part of the package.” Explain what Beth meant.6. Why was it hard for Michonne to let people “in” and care for her?7. Why did Michonne cry when she held the baby?8. In a world where many people find it easier to just look after themselves, it’s difficult to care for others. Read the following passage from the Bible:
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:2-5, NLT)
9. What does the verse tells us not to do in verse 3?10. What does the verse tell us to do in verses 3, 4 and 5?11. What are ways you can “think of others as better than yourselves”?12. What are ways you can “not look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too”?13. What is one way you can specifically care for other this week?