As far as Sophia goes I actually suspected something more sinister like maybe they used her to feed the walkers in the barn. But at the very end you just knew that she was the one coming out next
 

I don't think Shane froze at the prospect of shooting the girl, she wasn't a danger to anyone quite yet til Rick stepped right in front of her. If anything I'd go the opposite way and say Rick was trying to establish that he can do the hard things too so he decided to do it.

Also I don't think they needed this situation to play out to understand Hershel's dilemma. Andrea already had to shoot her own sister and they had to put down Carol's husband too even if they wanted to do that before he turned.

@trollman, they did say that Otis was the one that would fish the walkers out of that mud and place them in the barn. Maybe Otis didn't tell Hershel about everyone of them since it probably happen shortly before the incident with Carl which took everyone's attention away from any recent additions to the collection in the barn. Plus the girl wasn't mention while Otis was still with us.

Loved the episode. I haven't read the comics but people who don't like the differences between them and the TV show will just have to take it as a parallel universe as someone suggested.

I like trollman's analogy to the show with Abrams Star Trek. Although I enjoyed his Trek for what it is, I do think Abrams has the potential to redeem himself in the next film by going back to Roddenberry's true vision.

I also think Rick's decision to take out Sofia was sort of out of respect to Herschel. After all, his gang just gunned down all of Herschel's family. There was no way they could make an exception to keep Sophia around and locked up after they offed the others.

Kirkman is an executive producer of the show. He seems to have signed off on the changes in his characters living and dying. If the creator is cool with it, why are you all so pissed off that its different? As far as Shane goes, I still feel he is going to die at some point. They are just building him up on his downward spiral before he gets capped.

 the creator is cool wit it cause he's getting paid to be cool wit.  if they gave us coin we be cool too.

 Nice review Joe.  I've been reading the past reviews but only had time to comment now.  I see what you have been saying about Shane over the past weeks.  To me (and I may be wrong) it seems you are almost painting him as a flawed anti-hero.  To me it couldn't be further from the truth.  He is flawed yes.  He is better suited in some ways for the new Zombie world.  But what he lacks in emotion to me makes him worse off for this new reality.  

He wants hard decisions, no sympathy, and to me wants to run things with no questions.  Rick is biased.  He wants his family safe, but he wants the group safe too.  If his family is in a group it is an extra layer of protection and I can see that as a flaw.  Use others.  But also strenght in numbers.  

I was sad to see Sophia as a Walker.  My wife ruined it for me on Monday as I gues she read spoilers somewhere.  But I did like the stark contrast that came to a head.  Shane like you said frozen when face to face with the girl he wrote off as dead.  And Rick stepping up and doing what had to be done.  That to me is why Rick is a survivor and Shane is not.

One more point.  I loved the comic series and still read it on a regular basis.  But I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they have deviated from it.  How else can you keep this show fresh and not mapped out so it will be spoiled by others.  After seeing this I am really looking forward to what other swerves they have in place for us.  Keep up the good reviews.

Joe you did it again, Good review, I agree with everything you said.  The ending WOW, usually its easy to predict what's gonna happen, but this was the first time it actually blind sided me. Great writing and imagination.

Shane's the man, plan and simple, Ricks the brains and Shanes the muscle. I'm still not sure if I would trust Shane with my life but if push got to shove I'd have to pick Shane (even over Darryl).  Rick's tring to hold onto a life thats gone, as Dale said, Shanes made for this way of living.  If Rick continues this path he will lose the battle with his sanity (sorry if this is a spoiler, but following the comix doesn't appear to be whats going on here).

Best part of the show was the look on everyone's face as the little girl left the barn, priceless.  If they keep the show like this I can't see it ending.

BTW Shane would beat Darrly, but he'd have to kill him to win.

Great episode!  I thought all of Joe's points that he brought up last week (especially with regards to Dale) were accurate.  However, Joe saw that episode as a C, where I saw it as an A. To each their own, and I had no problem with his grade.

This week Dale was the man.  He did what he could to try and help keep the peace with Hershel, despite putting himself in a very precarious position with Shane.  I half expected Dale to take a bullet (though I was actually rooting for him to pull the trigger on Shane to show some balls).  Glad he didn't, as we now have a guy I can hate on this show to push things along.  I was even really impressed with the way Dale handled Shane, he knew he couldn't win, made a couple of very significant points, yet somehow seemed to come out of it as appearing not much of a threat to Shane moving forward.  Shane may actually start to dismiss Dale as inconsequential now, which is probably just what Dale wants (and may be a huge mistake on Shane's part).

I was the one who first mentioned in the comments last week that Sophia could be in the barn.  The more I thought about it, the more awesome I thought that would be.  So much so that that was what made me actually dismiss the idea, because I then thought it was too obvious.  Wish I had stuck to my guns on that one.  (Admittedly, I started cheering when I heard the murmers of that one last walker in the barn because I immediately knew who it was!)  I love this show.

Finally, all of you who who keep dropping spoilers from the comics and upcoming episodes are @$$holes!  I had fully intended on reading the books after the series ended, but all of you keep dropping little (and not so little) spoilers here and there that I think I may try and start the books because yall can't keep your mouth shut.  I love you @$$holes, but you are still @$$holes!  :)

Damn this show is amazing! i was pretty drunk during the last half of last night's show and was slowly dozing off until the last 10 mins came on and that ish sobered me right up!! haha.. i was like, "AWESOMMMMENESS!!!!!!!!!"