Save the Last One
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Episode 3
| "Save the Last One" | |
|---|---|
| The Walking Dead episode | |
 Shane fends off numerous walkers at the high school. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Phil Abraham |
| Written by | Scott M. Gimple |
| Cinematography by | David Boyd |
| Editing by | Hunter M. Via |
| Original air date | October 30, 2011 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Save the Last One" is the third episode of the second season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, and the 9th episode overall of the series. It first aired on AMC in the United States on October 30, 2011. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Phil Abraham. In the episode, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) and Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince) desperately attempt to flee the walker-infested high school in order to deliver supplies to a dying Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs). Meanwhile, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Andrea (Laurie Holden) continue to search for Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz).
Production for the episode occurred in July 2011 at Newnan High School in Newnan, Georgia, after receiving approval from the city council and the Coweta County School System. "Save the Last One" was critically acclaimed by television critics, who praised the storyline and the episode's conclusion. Upon its initial airing, it was watched by 6.095 million viewers and garnered a 3.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen ratings.
With Shane Walsh and Otis missing for hours, Hershel Greene informs Rick Grimes and his wife Lori that he must perform the surgery on their son Carl without the necessary equipment.
Andrea and Daryl Dixon go out in search of Sophia Peletier, following her mother Carol weeping for her loss. Daryl tells Andrea about his childhood, and expresses hope that they will successfully locate Sophia. They stumble upon an abandoned campsite, where a person had committed suicide by hanging themselves from a tree and now has become an undead walker. Daryl insists that they leave the walker alone, but Andrea firmly refuses. He asks her if she wants to continue living, to which she replies with uncertainty. Daryl euthanizes the walker as they leave. Upon returning to the camp, Dale Horvath attempts to reconcile with Andrea by returning her handgun.
Glenn and T-Dog journey to the Greene home. There, Glenn begins to pray for the well-being of his fellow survivors, while T-Dog receives medical treatment for blood poisoning. Meanwhile Carl goes in and out of consciousness, and briefly recalls his encounter with the deer before going into a seizure. A distraught Lori opines to Rick about ending Carl's suffering, but Rick insists on keeping him alive.
At the high school, Shane and Otis split up after struggling against a horde of walkers. Both injure their legs while escaping, slowing their progress down. Shane and Otis seemingly are out of options for survival. They begin to limp back to their truck, eventually running low on ammo.
Rick and Lori decide to do the operation without the necessary equipment. As they prepare for the operation, Shane arrives with the medical supplies, but without Otis. He claims that Otis sacrificed himself in order to save Carl. The episode flashes back to show Shane sacrificed Otis by shooting him in the leg and leaving him as bait for the walkers while he escaped with the medicine. The episode ends in the present, with Shane shaving his head, wiping out evidence of a bald spot of torn hair caused by Otis during their brief scuffle.
Production
Similar to its preceding episode, "Bloodletting", principal photography for "Save the Last One" commenced in Newnan, Georgia at Newnan High School in July 2011, after receiving approval from the city council and the Coweta County School System. Site preparation initiated on July 1, and filming began at the gymnasium of the school over a period of four days from July 7–8 and again from July 11–12.[1] The location was temporarily renovated to mirror an abandoned Federal Emergency Management Agency camp.[1] Michael Riley, the production manager for the episode, contacted the Newnan Police Department to collaborate with producers.[1] Because of the large size of the filming location, Riley's production company notified surrounding neighborhoods to ease inconvenience.[1]
"Save the Last One" marked the final appearance of Pruitt Taylor Vince, whose character was killed off in the episode after Shane shoots him; this subsequently marks a turning point for him as a false protagonist.[2] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, writer Robert Kirkman explained the reaction of Jon Bernthal to the particular scene:
"Jon Bernthal is a tremendous talent and he’s got a lot of professionalism. A lot of the actors came in to the room as we were starting this season and Bernthal was one of those actors. He was aware of a lot of the things that were coming up and we talked to him about his character and what we had planned for him this season and he was on board with a lot of it. It was nice being able to run through scenarios with him and get his opinion on how he perceived his character. Because actors, a lot of times, think about their characters more than the writers because they’re focused on that single character for months of their lives, if not years. He was all prepared for this."[2]
Kirkman expressed that the death of Otis was a "somewhat justifiable homicide", and retorted that "Otis was slowing him down, and Carl's life hangs in the balance."[2] He continued: "It's [The Walking Dead] and we're existing in that gray area and we're really pushing the boundaries of that. But at the end of the day, Shane shot that guy and left him for dead and ran off. It's a pretty dark moment and it informs Shane's character and sets up a lot of things that are going to be happening moving forward."[2]
