8. 'Civilian' - Wye Oak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kEtoPlOiPc Season 2, Episode 10 - 18 Miles Out There are some difficult choices made in this episode. Written masterfully by Scott Gimple, this is one of the first times in the series when the characters have to question their ever-warping sense of humanity. Unsure of what to do with Randall, a member of another larger and potentially violent group, Rick and Shane drive him away from the farm to leave him to his own devices. The episode deals with Rick and Shane's growing antagonistic relationship until it finally comes to a head when they brawl, with Shane almost killing Rick with a wrench. The title of the song, 'Civilian', could easily refer to Rick and Shane civilians, caught up in a world that no longer has any use for simple people. Now, they're forced to make these hard choices, forced even, to kill. The song is sombre and that seems to fit the mood in the car on the journey back from the fight. A lone walker shambles aimlessly in a field as Shane watches him pass by. Such pointlessness. In what is considered to be one of the greatest episodes of The Walking Dead, 'Civilian' seems to reflect the continued struggles of these people. That is also reflected in the episode's subplot, where Beth Greene attempts suicide, showing more regular civilians realising the pointlessness of their new world. Andrea is making tough decisions for other people, since she lost her chance to make hers in the season one finale. The song seems to highlight the fact that regular people are now forced into horrible places. Despite its somewhat dulcet tone, the song is quiet and brooding and it makes you consider just what tough decisions these particular civilians might make next.