Rick and Shane are in conflict over the fate of an outsider, that could lead to a fight between the two best friends; Andrea helps Hershel's daughter face a crucial decision.
Walking Dead fans (and critics) have spoken and it appears that the show's producers might be listening. Much like last week's episode, '18 Miles Out' began at a frenzied clip, this time with the kind of zombie swarming scene we haven't seen since Shane sacrificed Otis in this season's first half.

Last night's episode started in the middle of a frantic scene, rolled the opening credits, then went back to the beginning to show us how we got to that endpoint. Immediately after the fade in, we're treated to complete chaos, in some kind of compound with Rick fighting off three walkers while Shane is fleeing from another half dozen. Randall, the young man who last week impaled himself on a wrought iron fence, is crawling towards a knife, his hands tied behind his back. Just when Shane reaches the safety of a school bus and manages to pin the door closed, the walkers swarm, and we cut to the credits.

These are the kinds of scenes we love. Plenty of shows have drama. With The Walking Dead, when we're lucky, we're treated to that plus scuffles between zombies and humans that either end with torn flesh and lots of snarling or a bullet to the brain and spurts of black blood. It's truly something to behold when done wel.