I have to agree on the care home part as well, I was like "Holy crap, shit is about to hit the fan, huge shootout!
(Beware, big film theory terminology inbound)
Actually, I liked their solution better than a big shoot out. I admire their way of keeping the verisimilitude of the movie, which basically means that everything stays in believable realms. They avoid zombie / horror clichés in a very clever way.
It's not a "Holy shit, zombies, let's plow through the hordes" but more a "Holy shit, zombie apocalypse, let's try to survive and keep a clear head, otherwise were screwed" scenario, which makes the whole show more intense.
I just looked it up, the pronounciation for that guy that has disappeared is Merle
I wonder how long he will stay away, and if they will keep him as a surprise thread that suddenly attacks them when they seem to be safe (at least from zombies).
I forgot who it was (I think burni), who said after the third episode: "I wonder, why didn't he just saw through the chain of the cuffs", but I found it pretty funny
I wonder what I would do... probably rather break my hand why my knee or something (I think I saw it in a Friday 13th movie or so) to pull it out of the cuff