The Walking Dead Rewatch – Season 2, Episode 5 (Chupacabra)

Because The Walking Dead season 10 finale has been delayed thanks to the real-world virus, I have decided that to fill the void left in the schedule, to start a re-watch of the series. I live tweeted the episode as if it were playing live in the regular 9pm GMT slot on FOX TV UK. You can see all the tweets here or embedded below.

Chupacabra doesn’t improve the pace of the season, but getting to spend a bit of extra time with Daryl (Norman Reedus) is very welcomed. We get to see him on the hunt for Sophia when he has a little accident and ends up impaled on one of his own arrows!

As he loses blood, he starts to hallucinate and who should arrive to give him the motivation to succeed? His brother, Merle (Michael Rooker). It’s a wonderful way to get Merle back on the screen and highlights how different the two brothers are. Merle slapping Daryl around to keep him awake but also to tell him how soft he’s gone is just what we needed.

Elsewhere there isn’t any further movement in character growth. Glenn (Steven Yeun) is a little upset he didn’t rock Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) world, but she agrees to give him another chance by passing him a secret note at dinner. He suggests a place for them, but Maggie doesn’t check until it’s almost too late. Glenn goes to prepare the hayloft, only to find the barn chock full of walkers! Maggie catches up to him and says he wasn’t supposed to find it.

Hershel (Scott Wilson) gets grumpier. He doesn’t like these extra people on his land and maybe we found out why. He’s got a barn of walkers and the longer they stay the more likely they are to find it. But he also reprimands them that they’re going through his medication too quickly. Shane (Jon Bernthal) agree’s with him and he wants to get moving off, quit searching for Sophia. But Daryl probably will never quit, despite what his brother says.

It appears the stage is set for the mid-season finale, more in-fighting as the truth about the barn comes to light. Will anything else transpire with Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) who is keeping her pregnancy secret, although Glenn knows, so others probably will soon enough. More Daryl please. It’s easy to see how he became such a fan favourite, even if he did nearly lose his toe to a hungry walker.

Overall Rating: 6.5