TV Review: THE WALKING DEAD – 2014 (S4 Episode 15)
After the shockingly traumatic episode last week’s The Walking Dead, we`re due for some feel good nice-ness right? Right!? Sorry, still haven`t gotten over it.
THE WALKING DEAD Season 4 is wrapping up quick, and it seems like it`s gonna be a cliffhanger ending, with no sense of closure in sight. This week, in the penultimate episode of the season, we catch up with everyone and what they’re up to. The 2nd half of this season has mostly focused on individual groups after the massacre at the prison. Now we round everyone up, hopefully, right before they met up at the fabled Terminus.
After a couple of episodes gap, of The Walking Dead, Rick, Carl and Michonne are still on their way to Terminus. It’s a set-up for later, as we only get to see Carl & Michonne goofing around further showing us the bond that they`ve created in their time together. Still wierd seeing Michonne all jokey and smiley. The biggest story arc of this episode is Glenn & Darryl as we return to the segemented format of storytelling. Glenn is travelling with the Army man Abraham & the scientist who knows what caused the Zombie outbreak, and possibly what to do about it. However, Glenn could care less as all he wants to do is find Maggie.
On the flip side we have Darryl with that group of thugs he met on the street last time. He temporarily hooks up with them and seems to be getting seduced by their ways. This is most painful to watch, and it seems that Darryl might be going back to his redneck chest thumping ways, or at least setting up some internal conflict within the character by the end of the Season. The leader of the group, played to perfection by Jeff Kober essentially speaks to the side of Darryl that we saw in Seasons 1 & 2; the loner, man of the salt agressive hunter that gave a shits about everyone else. Through their travels, the leader, Joe, explains their rules, which are simple and fair. And Darryl seems to be listening. We already know that Darryl has a void within him regarding his brother. Regardless of the family he’s found with our group led by Rick, he still misses his bro. Joe here, seems like he could fill that void. Run Darryl!!
Glenn & Tara split up with the army man and Scientist guy, only to find themselves in a tunnell blocked by Walkers. In the meantime, Eugene, the scientist, tricks Abraham and returns to where he thinks Glenn & Tara would be if nothing went wrong. It’s a sweet moment as the otherwise comic relief characters shows some balls and refuses to leave his new found friends behind. He has an amazing line of dialogue: After I save the world, I still have to live with myself. Unkeknowst to them , Tara got her foot stuck in a pile of rocks, while Walkers comverge on her and Glenn. At the last minute though, the combined forces of Maggie, Sasha, Bob & Abraham, Eugene and Rosita show up and save the day. Glenn & Maggie are reunited and finally something good happens! The group decides to push forth to Terminus, and it seems they are the first group to be reacching there.
So basically, everyone’s heading to the same place. Although, we find out why the group of mauraders with Darryl are going there. A few episodes ago, Rick ran into some thugs while resting in a house. He was able to escape after killing one of them. Who then turned into a Walker and attacked the rest of the group as Rick, Carl & Michonnne got away. This is the same group of thugs, who are now tracking Rick to Terminus, with revenge in mind. Something Darryl knows nothing about. A showdown between them with Darryl again having to choose between his new family and these “kindred spirits” is inevitable at this point. Also, why the fuck isn’t Darryl looking for Beth anymore?!
When Glenn, Maggie and the entire combined crew reach Terminus, it’s a cautiously optimistic scene. It looks almost like a perfect complex, with plants and fruit growing, no damage, virtually untouched by any Walker’s presense. They all stroll in, unprovoked and unapproached… only to be greeted by a simple woman ironing clothes very non chalantly in the corner. It’s geekdom’s very own Denise Crosby, which is a big surprise, as she greets our rag tag survivors, offering them a hot meal. The episode ends, and you can’t help but feel a sense of creepy dread rather than cheery happiness.
The whole time in this season of The Walking Dead, Terminus felt too good to be true, the preview for the Season Finale seems to confirm this. We see a beaten Rick locked up in what seems to be a dingy room, with a woman’s voice on the PA, repeating the message we’ve seen painted on signs leading to Terminus thus far. I wonder if the people at Terminus have anything to do with Beth’s disappearance as well? It`s eery and ominous and seems to imply that Terminus isn’t the haven they all expected! It’s going to be a tense and deadly Season Finale and I dont expect anythign to be wrapped up by the end.
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THE WALKING DEAD - Season 4 Finale Review : Blank Page Beatdown · April 21, 2014 at 2:09 AM
[…] Last week’s episode reunited Glenn & Maggie, and even had them reach Terminus, with everyone else on the way. The Finale though, is all about Rick, and let’s face it, from Episode 1, the entire show has been about Rick. After spending, almost the entire Season in the backseat, Rick is back bitches! […]