The Walking Dead returns with a very different episode from what we had seen last week. 18 Miles Out gave us a large group of zombies and focused on a small number of characters in the group. Judge, Jury, Executioner trades an influx of zombies for more character interaction and a look at the group as a whole.
Like last week, I’ll touch upon the main themes and elements of the episode, but have specifically omitted some names and plot items to avoid spoilers. With that being said, if you haven’t seen the last few episodes, you’ll want to avoid this review.
Continuing shortly after the events of 18 Miles Out, Rick and Shane have taken Randall back to Hershel’s farm to decide his fate. It opens with Randall being interrogated in order to learn more about the people he was traveling with. This sets the tone for the moral and ethical questions the group and the audience will be asking themselves.
In a very short period of time, Rick decides that Randall should be executed. Most of the others agree with Rick’s decision, except for Dale. Believing that the execution will lead to the group losing its humanity, Dale convinces Rick to give him time to talk to the others and change their mind.
Most of the time is focused on Dale who tries to sway their opinion on the fate of the prisoner. This leads to some great interaction and screen time for characters that have mostly been absent for the last couple of episodes. Regardless of whether or not the viewer sides with Dale, you get a better understanding that most of these characters are not the same people they were in the pre-apocalypse world.
There is also quite a bit of time spent on Carl, who doesn’t seem to be handling Sophia’s death or any of the recent events too well. He’s not listening, he’s lying, he’s being disrespectful, and the audience is left with the sense that this will have some impact in a future story or his character’s arc.
Much of the time is filled with dialogue, so I’m keeping my impressions short to avoid getting into spoilers. I will say that there are a number of characters who may surprise the audience with what they have to say. This episode, more than others, should also spark discussion amongst viewers about which decision is the best for the group.
Judge, Jury, Executioner was directed by Greg Nicotero, and while you might expect him to take on an FX-heavy episode, there is a definite lack of zombies. That isn’t a problem though, as he does a great job with handling these dialogue-heavy scenes. Don’t mistake this for someone just dabbling in directing. After this and the previously released webisode series, I expect that we’ll see much more of Greg Nicotero in the director’s chair.
In terms of pacing, Judge, Jury, Executioner feels different from the previous two episodes and you may think there is a bit of wheel spinning going on. However, I strongly encourage you to take the time to appreciate the dialogue and small details, and stay along for the ride. Remember that while some episodes will have a strong zombie presence, others may not. This is another solid showing of The Walking Dead and definitely a “must see” part of the season.
Episode Score: 4/5
*Scoring Note: In terms of scoring, I’m not rating The Walking Dead against other TV shows. The score is based on how I rate this episode against other episodes in this season.
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